The Faulkland Lyceum and the Faulkland Quiz

February 7, 1890 -- The Lyceum is born

Unbeknownst to most (and by "most", I mostly mean "me"), the not-quite-village of Faulkland seems to have had something of an intellectual golden era in the late 19th Century, at least for a few years. Probably owing to the presence of several specific local residents, Faulkland had two ventures visible as outgrowths of this "Renaissance" -- the Faulkland Lyceum and the Faulkland Quiz. They both seem to have only lasted a few years before disappearing almost forever, but as we'll see these two were both fairly unique and examples of what seems to have been a trend at the time. I have a fair amount of information one, and not much on the other (yet), but here's what we know.

In case it's not familiar to you, the area of "Faulkland" is essentially the region directly around Brandywine Springs park, near Newport Gap Pike and Faulkland Road. At this time (late 1880's to the early 1890's), Brandywine Springs was in a transition phase. The existence of a hotel at the site dated back to 1827, and at the time the so-called "Second Hotel" was in humble operation. The amusement park was a few years off, but the foundations for it were beginning to be put in place. One of those foundations was the man brought in to run it beginning in 1886 -- Richard W. Crook. He, Dr. (and future US Senator) L. Heisler Ball, and Red Clay Creek Presbyterian's Rev. John D. Blake seem to have been the core of the intellectual society of the area.

On February 2, 1890, it was reported that, "The people of Faulkland and vicinity have organized a lyceum which meets every two weeks." A lyceum is defined as "an association providing public lectures, concerts, and entertainments", and that is precisely what the Faulkland Lyceum did, with a heavy leaning toward formal debates. I hope they'll forgive me for this, but somehow I get the feeling that a lot of people were bored in the winter and looking for something to do.

The Lyceum seems to have been an instant success. On April 17, they held the closing exercise for the first season at the new hall built at Brandywine Springs. There were, "...at least 200 persons being present from Stanton, Newark, Wilmington, Wooddale, Mount Cuba, Hockessin, and Cooch's Bridge." The last edition of their paper was read, along with several other selections. There was a play in three acts, and the festivities closed with a few musical selections. The hall was decorated with Japanese fans, parasols, and lanterns.

I'm not sure if they regularly met in the hall that first season, but when the group was reorganized in the fall the meetings took place in the District 33 Brandywine Springs School, on Duncan Road. Although there were still dramatic and poetic readings, as well as musical performances, the main attraction at the Faulkland Lyceum meetings were the debates. Though there were several others who rotated in and out, the main debaters were usually Richard Crook, Rev. Blake, Dr. Ball, and Charles Dempsey. Beginning the following year, Brandywine Springs teacher Amy Piser was also usually present, and joined the debates on several occasions.

From what I can tell from newspaper reports, the debate topics tended to fall into one of two categories -- those specific to the time, and those that could easily be hotly debated today. Some of the "dated" topics included things like current legislation (the Ball Tramp Law, the Washburn Anti-Option Bill, and the Cooch Road Bill), timely questions (Should the World's Fair be kept open on Sunday? Should further attempts to reach the North Pole be abandoned? Should this lyceum join the Lyceum League of America?), and topics that have since been pretty well settled (Should Hawaii be annexed? Should Canada be annexed? Should the whipping post be abolished? Should US Senators be directly elected?).

Report of the January 15, 1891 meeting

In the other column are topics that seem almost eerily timely for us now. Several debates centered on limiting or prohibiting immigration. The lyceum debated whether or not the popular vote should elect the President. They discussed term limits for state legislators and role of government in providing public services (specifically, railroad and telegraph lines, and the upkeep of public roads). One week the topic was, "Resolved, that majority on a jury should decide a verdict." And lest you think that this is an outdated idea, the US Supreme Court, just this year, ruled on a case regarding states that allowed convictions from non-unanimous juries.

 One topic I thought was particularly amusing (besides, "Resolved, that theater-going has an immoral tendency") was the question as to whether the proposed Wilmington and Brandywine Springs Electric Railway was needed by the citizens of New Castle County. I don't think this question was really going to get a fair debate, considering that the man behind what would become the Peoples Trolley was none other than the lyceum's own Richard W. Crook. Unsurprisingly, the group unanimously decided that the line would, in fact, be a great benefit.

The Forest Oak Literary and Debating Society -- December 1891

And while most of these debates were internecine affairs, they did also have away games! It so happens that the Faulkland Lyceum was not the only organization of its type in the area. Soon after Faulkland's creation, several of its members (mostly in the Derickson and Ball families) formed the Forest Oak Literary and Debating Society. This group met at the District 35 Forest Oak School, on St. James Church Road near Milltown. The two groups debated each other several times, at both the Forest Oak and Brandywine Springs schools. In March 1893, the Faulkland Lyceum accepted an invitation from the Christiana Debating Society and squared off against them in Christiana. There were undoubtedly other such groups formed in the area, too. I know there was a Talleyville Lyceum a few years later, but by that time the Faulkland group had ended.

The Faulkland Lyceum seemed to have been quite successful in 1890, 1891, 1892, and even in early 1893. By later in 1893, however, interest had waned. On October 21, it was reported that, "The Faulkland Lyceum will probably be adjourned sine die [with no further date scheduled] at the next regular meeting. The members appear to have lost all interest in the lyceum, and at the meeting Thursday night the motion for adjournment was only defeated by a few votes." On November 17, it was stated that, "The meetings of the Faulkland Lyceum have been so uninteresting recently, that it was decided last night to adjourn, until called by the president." (Presumably of the lyceum, not Grover Cleveland.)

I can find no reports of the lyceum after that date, so I assume that it did, in fact, adjourn for good that night. The members' interests must have moved on from debating such topics as, "Resolved, that the Farmers Alliance plan of subtreasuries be adopted." As a memorial, at the bottom of the page I've listed the names of every member who was mentioned in a newspaper report I came across. And although the Faulkland Lyceum disappeared, leaving only newspaper reports to confirm its existence, there was another venture from the same time and place that has left us only slightly more.

One of the younger members of the lyceum was an ambitious teenager named John T. Mullins. Born near Brandywine Springs in 1873, Mullins had a great interest in the press and in publishing. He would later serve as the Marshallton postmaster, as a reporter for the Evening Journal, and as a publisher in Wilmington and in Marshallton. But one of his first ventures was a small, self-printed newspaper called the Faulkland Quiz.

Front page of the June 25, 1892 Faulkland Quiz

In the Spring of 1892, the 18 year old Mullins began printing the rural paper, which consisted of a bit of local news, a lot of material taken from national wires, and a fair amount of literary text. A Wilmington paper reported on May 21, 1892 that, "The Faulkland Quiz makes its fourth visit to-day. It improves with each issue and will no doubt be a leading publication of rural New Castle county in a short time." Frustratingly, very little more seems to be known about the weekly publication. The only actual images I can find of it come from one saved edition, dated June 25, 1892. And from writing on the front page, it appears this one's existence is owed to Robert C. Justis.

No one seems to know when the last issue was published, although there is mention of the publication in an 1893 trade book. However, I found mention of Mullins taking a position with the Evening Journal in October 1892, so my guess would be that the Quiz ended when he took the job. It was certainly done by September 1894, when Mullins entered Delaware College (now UD). He was a member of the Cadet Corps while there, as well as the captain of the football team. Mullins graduated in 1898 in a class of ten. The most notable of his grad-mates was future judge and library name Hugh M. Morris.

Ad from the 1893 Rowells American Newspaper Directory

While the Faulkland Quiz was (to the best of my knowledge) unique in MCH, like the Lyceum it was part of a trend at the time. There are probably others, but in the same era (1880's-1890's) I found other small, local papers like The Delaware City News, The Holly Oak Journal, The Odessa Herald, and the Newport Enterprise. Although the Quiz was short-lived, John T. Mullins, in addition to his work at the Evening Journal, managed the Wilmington Advertising Agency for a time around the turn of the century. I know some of you have come across the old Wilmington City Directories from time to time. Around 1900, they were produced by John T. Mullins and the Wilmington Advertising Agency.

After the demise of the Faulkland Lyceum and the Faulkland Quiz, there were a few quiet years in the area. Soon, however, with the completion of the previously mentioned Peoples Trolley in 1900, Brandywine Springs Amusement Park would again bring culture to Faulkland, in the form of guest speakers, plays, operas, and concerts. As impressive as they were, I'm sure none felt as local and community-owned as had the Faulkland Lyceum and Quiz.

As promised, here is a list of every member (or at least, meeting attendee) of the Faulkland Lyceum whose name was listed in the newspaper:

L. Heisler Ball, Mr. Chandler, Charles W. Dempsey, Mr. Moore, John C. Springer, Eva Hayes, Hettie Dickey, Richard W. Crook, John Ball, William McElwee, Ferris Yearsley, Frank Ball, Morton Gregg, Frank Elmer, Marie Hayes, Mary McElwee, Laura Jordan, Rev. John D. Blake, Martha Derickson, Leslie Derickson, Harry Fisher, Edna Fisher, George Ball, Frank Yearsley, Ella Shakespeare, Amy Piser, Mary Welch, John T. Mullins, James Eastburn, McCoy Yearsley, John Fisher, Isaac Flinn, Samuel Thompson, Anna Thompson, Bessie Worth, Eva Ball, Dr. Bowman, Lewis Armstrong, John Blake, Jr., Lydia Moore, Mamie Edna Leach, Alexander Guthrie, Erasmus Hickman, Harvey Ball, Joseph Derickson, Elsie Lynam, Ernst H. Hook, Essie Dempsey, Annie Hickman