A post on the delmarvanow.com website dated October 14, 2013 details the history of early shingle producers in Delaware. The shingling industry back then was technically crude than the products we have now, but it was an honest trade that relied on the hard work of skilled craftsmen. The blog post explores the historical process of shingle-making through the eyes of the historian, Howard Pyle:

Extracting the log from the morass of the swamp was one of the hardest tasks for the shingle-making crew: “The gang, composed of half a dozen hands, now set to work to raise it from its resting place, with long levers of stout saplings, the process accompanied with many grunts and oaths. It was a picturesque sight — the men in their red and blue shirts staring and tugging at the giant log that lay in its long, grave-like cavity.
. . .
After the log was sliced into foot-long sections, a worker used a long blade and a wooden mallet to split the sections into rough shingles. Another worker would taper one end of the shingle so that it would fit properly on a roof. Finished singles were stacked into bundles so they could be carried out of the swamp.

The shingles of today are made completely differently, thanks to advancing technologies in woodworking, but the artistic spirit of creating fine roofing products remains. Delaware’s tradition of shingle makers lives on in the region’s present-day shingle makers and roofers. Folks curious about this part of the state’s history should consider, among other things, looking up skilled Delaware roofing companies that deal with shingles.

These days, shingles are produced in standardized shapes and lengths of 16”, 18”, and 24”. They’re also made from a wider variety of quality woods, hardly from dredged swamp logs. Some of the more popular wooden shingles in use among modern homes include those created from red cedar, white cedar, cypress, and more.

Some people scoff at the use of wooden shingles due to their supposed inferiority compared to materials such as metal or asphalt. However, capable Delaware roofers like Homecraft® Inc. can install sturdy and secure shingles that won’t easily fall apart against strong winds. Additionally, the right type of wood can resist rotting while preserving a warm and organic look typical of traditional roofing. There’s a lot of history surrounding the use of wooden shingles, and it’s good to know that Delaware citizens still enjoy using them.

The shingle makers of southern Delaware, delmarvanow.com, October 14, 2013