By Mike FinneyCAMDEN — Brinkley Hill has received a deserved spot on Delaware’s historical map, much to the delight of Ryan Pickett and many others.
The location is where brothers William and Nathaniel Brinkley would meet runaway slaves — including Harriet Tubman — and transport them through Smyrna and on to the north, as part of the Underground Railroad. They are credited with assisting more than 100 enslaved individuals.
Mr. Pickett, an eighth grade social studies teacher at Dover’s Middle School of Excellence, has been advocating for recognition of Brinkley Hill for years now.
“The motivation to dive into local Black history started five years ago, with a mention of the Brinkleys and Abraham Gibbs while reading the driver’s guide for the Harriet Tubman Byway,’” he said. “My son and I were filming an episode for our YouTube channel, ‘The Kid Professor,’ about Harriet Tubman.
“I thought it was exciting that we could put names to some of the people who helped on the Underground Railroad, specifically African Americans, as many of the names that get mentioned for the Underground Railroad are White.”
Mr. Pickett added that discovering these identities “drove me to better understand Tubman’s journeys and to learn more about the men that were mentioned. From my research, what I found was that each of the three men were heroes in their own right.”
Now, the Brinkley Hill group’s accomplishments have been rewarded with a state historical marker, officially unveiled at an Oct. 9 ceremony.
Held at Caesar Rodney High School, the gathering brought together local and state leaders, historians, Brinkley relatives and representatives of the Delaware Public Archives, which administers the Historical Marker Program.
The sign not only commemorates the history of Brinkley Hill but highlights the importance of research into the state’s unique background.
In the early 19th century, the spot emerged as one of Delaware’s earliest free Black settlements and a beacon for freedom seekers traveling north. Then, for decades, Brinkley Hill was a little-known yet remarkable free Black community that played a vital role on the Underground Railroad.
Mr. Pickett said it is gratifying to see local heroes finally get their due.
“It took so long to be recognized because, if people in their time knew what they were doing, they would have been jailed and sold into slavery, despite being born free,” he continued. “If that knowledge spread, it would have done unbelievable damage to them and their families, so they risked everything in secret.
“Their intention was not to become rich or famous. They did what they did because it was the right thing to do. What could be more heroic than that? And it happened in our own backyard.”
The Brinkleys also helped establish a schoolhouse in 1867, and William was a founder of Zion African Methodist Episcopal Church, which still operates in Camden.
For Mr. Pickett, the new signage is history coming full circle.
“To know that I played a role in something that brought so many others joy and that their story will now be shared with the world, … I can’t describe how fulfilling it was,” he said.
“I was looking at Mrs. Calmetta Brinkley help with the unveiling, and I got misty-eyed. I was thinking of how much she did to get the marker done and felt so thankful she has been a part of my life.”
Since the 1930s, the state has erected over 700 historical markers, with the archives organizing the effort since 1990.
Mr. Pickett said he would be glad to provide further input for additional signs in Kent County.
“This area has amazing established history and even more untapped history that needs to be explored,” he continued. “For example, one of the biggest Underground Railroad stories in American history was the story of the Dover Eight. ... In terms of historical markers, that is where I plan to go next.”
