Delaware and the Mason-Dixon Line (Wilmington, Dover: living, law, vs)

[Mom2Feebs]

I was raised in Texas, but born in Wilmington, DE. It is HARD to convince my husband (a Texan also) that Delaware is technically below the Mason-Dixon line. We joke about it quite a bit, because he loves to call me a Yankee since they did fight for the Union.

In my February edition of Southern Living Magazine, they had an article about Delaware! I was very excited and of course showed my DH right away. He said I must have paid someone to do it LOL!!

[anniebleu]

Howest2008,

Ah, the who fought on which side one. Yes, but you remind me that this Southern / Northern thing can be elusive, and not necessarily entirely about which side in the Civil War, or where relative to the Mason-Dixon line, and we can't even use my husband's position that since New Jersey is to the east until about the last, most southern part of Delaware, and NJ's not southern, you can't call DE southern.

If you review history, you'll note that Delaware is sort of left out when it comes to the Mason-Dixon line. That line came about because of the dispute between two of the founding families of Pennsylvania and Maryland, their border war, so to speak. Delaware was sorta that bit of land to the east. The Mason-Dixon line existed (or at least was in progress, can't remember if finished) well before the Civil War.

As Delly says, and we pass the Marydel marker about once each month, the line runs along the western border of Delaware, and "we can be what we want to be." And, perhaps, more than that, how we feel.

Terrapin, I can't challenge how you feel in Rehoboth, obviously. Try the beaches south of Bethany though, for wonderful dunes stretching to great sandy beaches--the miles of Delaware Seashore State Park.

Annie

[Gone-2-Beach]

For me, this North/South thing is simple. I've developed a great taste for my sweet tea, prefer grits with my eggs and love the notions of civility and hospitality. Therefore, when I get there, y'all can just call me a good ol' boy Southern gentlemen ...

... who started out as a Jewish kid from the Bronx

It's the best of both worlds!!

Charley

[rdlr]

Originally Posted by anniebleu

Howest2008,

That line came about because of the dispute between two of the founding families of Pennsylvania and Maryland, their border war, so to speak.

You've got it right, Anniebleu!
But that Mason bunch was a troublesome sort! If they hadn't let their cattle and chickens on our property, none of this would have happened!

[anniebleu]

Delly ! But, in truth, Mason and Dixon were Brits, weren't they? I mean, sent to the colonies to do these surveys while the states were still forming, so to speak.

The battling families were, I think, the Calverts of Maryland, and the Penns of ('course) PA. Both families' histories intertwine with ours, though we're not related.

I'm not letting any of my chickens near your property!

Charlie,

You're gonna be far more Southern than anyone I've met here in 30 years! I have never once been served or offered grits. Goes for sweet tea too, though I do know of one rural restaurant where, when they offer iced tea, they mean sweetened only.

Used to meet nice people in the Bronx. OK, so I was at Yankee Stadium. Counts, doesn't it?

Annie

[Gone-2-Beach]

Originally Posted by anniebleu

Used to meet nice people in the Bronx. OK, so I was at Yankee Stadium. Counts, doesn't it?

Well, it's hard for me to comment about those people who frequent Yankee Stadium being a die-hard Met fan!!

Charley

P.S. ... and I really do like grits!!

[rdlr]

Originally Posted by anniebleu

Delly ! But, in truth, Mason and Dixon were Brits, weren't they?
Annie

Darn if I know, Annie! I just ran with the story that was handed down to me!

[from PA]

Originally Posted by Mom2Feebs

I was raised in Texas, but born in Wilmington, DE. It is HARD to convince my husband (a Texan also) that Delaware is technically below the Mason-Dixon line. We joke about it quite a bit, because he loves to call me a Yankee since they did fight for the Union.

In my February edition of Southern Living Magazine, they had an article about Delaware! I was very excited and of course showed my DH right away. He said I must have paid someone to do it LOL!!

So if the article was in Southern Living Magazine that is a true indication that DE is a southern state. Right?

[Mom2Feebs]

That's what I'm thinkin'!! Just furthers my cause! Hubby will come around, eventually...

[Tom Lennox 70]

Originally Posted by Mom2Feebs

I was raised in Texas, but born in Wilmington, DE. It is HARD to convince my husband (a Texan also) that Delaware is technically below the Mason-Dixon line. We joke about it quite a bit, because he loves to call me a Yankee since they did fight for the Union.

In my February edition of Southern Living Magazine, they had an article about Delaware! I was very excited and of course showed my DH right away. He said I must have paid someone to do it LOL!!

Wilmington is too close to Philadelphia and is part of its sphere of influence. Don't you fly out of Philadelphia's airport? I also know a lto of people living in Wilmington commute to Philly. So maybe it used to be southern but its seen a lot of newcomers that have transformed, kind of like South and Central Florida and Northern Virginia, and the Baltimore-Washington, D.C. area.