Blades · History and events
Blades, Delaware: history and events
History, lore, events and occasions in Blades, Sussex County, Delaware: 9 questions answered from official and primary sources.
More about Blades
Questions about history and events in Blades
History and lore
When was Blades incorporated?
The community was chartered as a Delaware town under the name Bladesville in 1910, with Henry Riggin as first mayor. It was incorporated as the Town of Blades in 1915. Source: blades.delaware.gov.
How did Blades get its name?
The town was first called Bladesville after the Blades family, who owned the land. The town history says James Blades, a railroad employee, bought a tract around 1850. Source: blades.delaware.gov.
What was the toll bridge between Seaford and Blades?
In 1832 the legislature authorized a toll bridge from Seaford to the south bank of the Nanticoke River, which failed at first. Capt. Hugh Martin bought it in 1843 and it became profitable, and it became public property shortly after the Civil War. Source: blades.delaware.gov.
Who was Blades' first woman mayor?
The town history says Margaret Hastings, elected in 1947, was Delaware's first woman mayor. Source: blades.delaware.gov.
What industries shaped Blades?
A strawberry capping plant opened on the Nanticoke in 1919, later becoming an oyster shucking plant. A concrete burial vault plant opened in the late 1920s and ran about 50 years, and several small sewing factories also operated. Source: blades.delaware.gov.
What notable events are in Blades' history?
The Blades Volunteer Fire Department was organized in 1934, the Blades School was built in 1952 for $200,000, and voters approved a central water supply and Seaford sewer connection completed in February 1982. Source: blades.delaware.gov.
Events, holidays and occasions
Does Blades hold town events?
The Town of Blades site listed a clean-up day on October 10, 2026, food bank giveaways, and a 100th anniversary homecoming without a date. It also has a marina events page. Source: blades.delaware.gov.
Which festivals are nearest to Blades?
Seaford, next door, hosts Nanticoke Riverfest in July, the Eastern Shore AFRAM Festival in August and a Christmas parade in December. Source: visitsoutherndelaware.com.
Is Return Day a holiday in Blades?
Return Day is a Sussex County legal holiday under Delaware Code Title 1, Section 501: the second day after the General Election, after 12:00 noon. It falls on the Thursday after Election Day in even-numbered years, and in 2026 that is November 5. The main celebration is held in Georgetown. Source: delcode.delaware.gov, visitsoutherndelaware.com, dagsboro.delaware.gov.
How these answers are sourced
Every answer on this page cites an official or primary source, such as the town, a state agency, NOAA or the institution itself. Answers SussexCounty.ai could not confirm from a primary source are left out until they can be.