REHOBOTH BEACH A BARRIER ISLAND

OF BARRIER ISLAND CHAIN

REHOBOTH BEACH, DELAWARE INCLUDED

PROTECTION

The Dallas, Texas, Morning News, 22 March 1979 reports an extensive effort to protect the

chain of fragile barrier islands stretching from Maine to Texas along the Atlantic and Gulf coast

will be announced by mid May, this year.

The plan envisions using federal assistance to 'limit' housing and recreation development , also

give greater effort to preserve the wild areas on the islands less developed.

The proposal was ordered by President Carter two years ago when he warned many of the 300

or more island units were unstable and not suited to development, however, were receiving

federal subsidized programs to insure new construction on many of them.

The report tells that the Barrier Islands were formed over centuries as wild Atlantic storms piled

sand dunes, then sent flooding surf through the weak points to form narrow bays behind the dunes.

The study notes all barrier island are unstable, their sandy shore lines constantly moving with the force of storms, surf and currents.

Highly developed localities are classed as barrier islands, among them are Nebant, Massachussetts,

Fire Island, New York, Atlantic cirt, New Jersey, Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, Cumberland Island,

Georgia, Cape Canaveral, Miami Beach and Sanibel Island in Florida.

Man made efforts to curtail natural damage helps but hinders other areas below and beyon.

Steps expected to be recommended are to end the federal subsidies now available, like fresh

water systems, subsidized mortgages and insurance.

Ron Cooksy, Interior Planner, said we are not looking to 'lock up' these islands, but develop them

wisely as can safely be done. Some of them can't.

OF BARRIER ISLAND CHAIN

REHOBOTH BEACH, DELAWARE INCLUDED

PROTECTION

The Dallas, Texas, Morning News, 22 March 1979 reports an extensive effort to protect the

chain of fragile barrier islands stretching from Maine to Texas along the Atlantic and Gulf coast

will be announced by mid May, this year.

The plan envisions using federal assistance to 'limit' housing and recreation development , also

give greater effort to preserve the wild areas on the islands less developed.

The proposal was ordered by President Carter two years ago when he warned many of the 300

or more island units were unstable and not suited to development, however, were receiving

federal subsidized programs to insure new construction on many of them.

The report tells that the Barrier Islands were formed over centuries as wild Atlantic storms piled

sand dunes, then sent flooding surf through the weak points to form narrow bays behind the dunes.

The study notes all barrier island are unstable, their sandy shore lines constantly moving with the force of storms, surf and currents.

Highly developed localities are classed as barrier islands, among them are Nebant, Massachussetts,

Fire Island, New York, Atlantic cirt, New Jersey, Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, Cumberland Island,

Georgia, Cape Canaveral, Miami Beach and Sanibel Island in Florida.

Man made efforts to curtail natural damage helps but hinders other areas below and beyon.

Steps expected to be recommended are to end the federal subsidies now available, like fresh

water systems, subsidized mortgages and insurance.

Ron Cooksy, Interior Planner, said we are not looking to 'lock up' these islands, but develop them

wisely as can safely be done. Some of them can't.

1979 GASOLINE SHORTAGE

SEASHORE GAS SHORTAGE

1979

Sam Vitiello , 42 year old butcher form Moscow, Pennsylvania, that's a small village near

Scranton, drove the 250 some miles to the seashore and ran smack into the gas shortage. He spent

one whole morning of his weeks vacation  finding an open station and waited in line for forty minutes to get a pump.

Reports of two or thee block gas station lines may just frighten tourist from coming to the

seashore this summer.

For the past two weeks service station operators in the resorts of Ocean City, Fenwick Island,

Bethany Beach and Rehoboth Beach, have watched with frustration as the gasoline lines at their

stations grow. The say everyone's mad,  all upset, because they heard everyone says “come on down, there is gas here” , and when they get here, there are the lines.

Ocean City Mayor, Harry Kelley, has promised all summer that his resort will have gas to get everyone back home and he did not 'back down'. Yesterday , the city opened a station from 5 pm to

8 pm at 32^nd Street and Coast Highway. “We have 64000 gallons and we will be open until the

2^nd of August.

Source: Washington, D. C., Evening Star , 27 July 1979

1932-1935 Coast Highway

COASTAL HIGHWAY 1932 - 1935

REHOBOTH BEACH TO BETHANY BEACH

Vigorous road construction in the early 1930' s had Delaware's highway network the envy

of surouding states. The newest road ran down the coast and was complete in 1935. This was the

Ccoastal Highway, 13 miles of asphalt between Rehoboth Beach and Bethany Beach.

State Senator Louis A. Drexler of Bethany Beach spearheaded a drive to have the coastal road built in the 1920's and after several false starts and other delays caused by the Great Depression,

survey work began for the road in 1932 .

The biggest obstacle to the building of the road along the ocean was the Indian River Inlet.

There were some rumors that the surveyors recommended the project be abandoned but Delaware's

State Highway Engineer, W. W. Mack, took the survey to to recommend how the road should be

built. In addition, Mack announced that a permanent bridge would be built over the inlet.

Within two years the Delaware Coast News, described a trip on the new highway

“ An automobile ride own the new highway from Rehoboth Beach to Bethany Beach starts off

encouraging at south Rehoboth , or Dewey Beach, with several palatial cottages but ends most

abruptly and you catch only a few glimpses now and then of the ocean, a momotonous view of frase overed sand dunes on the ocean side and great stretches of marsh on the Rehoboth and Indian River Bays side”.

However, the opening of this highway in 1935 was seen as a boon for Rehoboth as it drew a number of vistors from Millsboro, Frankford, Millville, Dagsboro, Selbyville and Ocean View. It was another five years before the coast highway connected Delaware's beaches with Ocean City.

Source: Michael Morgan, Delaware Diary & Technical World Magazine, Delaware Coast News.

18th century Lewes Russell's Tavern

HENRY BROOKE AND RUSSELL'S TAVERN

Early 18^th century, Lewes, a creek deep enough to accommodate the days sailing vessels,

with a few dozen small frame houses which lined the two streets that parralled Lewes Creek, called

the 'courthouse' on second street the most important building in town. Next to it, at the corner of

Second and Mulberry was the hottest spot in town, Phillip Russells tavern.

Russells Tavern was the scene of heavy drinking and had been hauked into court several times

for “suffering persons to play at cards”.

In all likelihood, the British Port Collector, Henry Brooke, was a regular patron at the

Russells Tavern. Henry was a member of a well to do British family who had sent him to Oxford, where, between carousing and bouts of drinking, had learned to read the works of Greek and Latin

ancient writers. However, his extracurricular behavior, caused the family to 'banish' him to America ,

where he was appointed Lewes Port Collector.

In time, Brooke began to mellow and the Oxford dropout took to spending more time in his

library reading and writing poetry. By 1717 he had developed a reputation as a respectiful man of

knowledge, was Speaker of the House of Representatives of the Lower Counties, then in 1721 he

was appointed to the Governors Council and within five years he was a judge in the colonial Supreme

Court. During this time he had met the Rev. William Becket, rector of St. Peters Episcopal Church which was close to the courthouse and Russell's Tavern. Becket and Brooke shared the interest in reading the Latins and Greek litature and the writing of poems, the two became very good friends.

As Becket began to hold service at St. Peters, Phillip Russell sold his tavern to a new come

merchant, Ryves Holt. For several decades, Lewes activities focused around Second, Market and

Mulberry Streets.

Ryves holt came to Lewes from Philadelphia where he was engaged in the West Indies Trade and came to Lewes to accept the appointment as a Naval Officer of the port. Holt, like Brooke, held

many government positions, Chief Justice of Delaware Supreme Court, Holt also fell in with Becket and Brooke with their endeavours.

Source: September 27, 2017, Coast Press, Michael Morgans Delaware Diary. Abstract by Harrison.

SINCE 1913 THERE IS NO REHOBOTH

SINCE 1913 THERE IS NO REHOBOTH

Saturday, February 2, 1963, Wilmington Morning News reports that there is no Rehoboth

and that Rehoboth Beach has no mayor nor commissioners.

Wild and unbelievable as they seem, the following statements are legally accurate.

Jule C. Steve Stamper is mayor of the town of Rehoboth, but, there is no such place in

Delaware. The nonexistent town of Rehoboth has a board of commissioners. Another city,

officially named Rehoboth Beach, has neither a mayor nor a board of commissioners.

Efforts are about preparing action to have Stamper and his commissioners regain their 'lost'

city and the city solicitor, Lawyer Paul Reed , had drafted an amendment to the charter to pull

town government and the leaders together.

This all began in 1913 when the town officials asked General Assembly to change the name

of Rehoboth to Rehoboth Beach. This act went OK but someone forgot to change the title of the

Mayor and commissioners, and when General Assembly passed the name change, the Assembly

disenfranchised the leaders.

When the new amendment is passed, Rehoboth Beach will be official and regain it's mayor

an board of commissioners.

LEWES BEACH SALT MARSH

HISTORIC LEWES MARSHES

TO FILL OR NOT TO FILL

According to Dr. James E. Marvil, president of the Lewes Historical Society, the society

and older Lewes citizens oppose a plan by the Lewes Town Commission Board to fill in the Lewes

Beach historic salt marshes and use the land for a housing development. The Lewes beach belongs

to the Town of Lewes , having been left to the old town by William Penn and his son John for

its general public good and welfare. Today, the town receives land rent for lots occoupied by

buildings and now want additional revenue from buiding lots that would result from filling in the

marsh land between the canal and Cedar Avenue, a considerable acreage.

Plans call for a four lane highway from Market Street to Roosevelt Road's and a bridge

across the canal at New Road.

A prime consideration is the value of the marshes as a wildlife refuge where thousands of

migatory shore birds nest . The open reaches permit the bay breezes which also allow for cooling

of the town during summer heat. Dr. Marvil insist there are plenty lots avlilable near the ferry

docks and the area now used as a city dump which is higher ground.

Source: Salisbury Daily Times , February 3, 1967, Salisbury, Maryland

1953 COIN BEACH COPPER COIN FIND

COIN BEACH 1953

Another nor'easter has cast a new hoard of 18^th century vintage coins on the beaches

just a few miles south of Rehoboth Beach at Coin Beach and the residents hereabout know when

to set out a search.

The coins are copper pieces minted during the reigns of King George II and King George III

of England but it is debatable as to where they came from, ever since the first discovery by beach

combers more that a quarter century ago. Many agree that they are from some windjammer vessel

that has foundered during the savage coastal storms on these shores.

The latest 'find' , the 1953 hoard of copper coins, is said to have been found by a real estate agent who did not

wait for the nor'easter to abate, Peck Pleasanton, and his Rehoboth school teacher friend, Barbara

Boyce, who picked up 13 coins from the sand in less than a hour which had been cast into the dunes

by the strong surf.

True, many are defaced by rust and sandy water fricton, but one is clearly dated 1775, one side

inscribed with “Georgius III”, and the other side with “Britannia” . This same day, an unidentified

man gathered 29 pieces. Another successful collector, Colonal Wilbur S. Corkran , who reported he gleaned 30 coins. Lesser numbers continue to be discovered.

There are no reports of finding any silver or gold coins this time but they have been found

in the same area. Other copper pieces found have been inscribed “Hibernia”. French and Spanish

have also been picked up. One, a large silver coin, bearing the head of Louis XV, King of France

and Naverre, minted in 1756, found in 1938 in Dewey Beach, a few miles north of Coin Road.

One of the largest collectors of the copper coins is an artist, Fred Vogel, of Dewey Beach who has over 300 of them.

The popular theory as to the origin is that they came from the wreck of the Irish vessel,

“Faithful Stewart” which sank at Indian River 1785, or, the wreck of the “deBraak” off

Cape Henlopen 1798. A officer of the Delaware Historic Society , Judge Richard Rodney, hopes

to prove the “Three Brothers” a ship load of coins to the colonies is the source.

Coins are not the only treasurers jettisoned by the nor'easter's, there are hundreds of live

'conchs, rare shells. Conch shells are a pretty rare commodity on Rehoboth beaches.

Source: The Morning Call of Allentown, Pennsylvania, Thursday 26 November 1953.

UNIONTWON COAL BARONS

1947 – 1949

REHOBOTH BASEBALL

In 1947 to 1949 the Pittsburgh Pirates affiliiate Uniontown Coal Barons were a Middle

Atlantic League baseball team which trained at Rehoboth Beach. This team had played baseball

since 1909 in a Pennsylvania-Ohio-Maryland League and later in a Pennsylvania - West Virginia

League.

This is an abstract of a newspaper article, Monday, April 28, 1947, “The Morning Herald”

Uniontown, Pennsylvania, by Jimmy Gismonid, Herald Sports Editor, titled “Adieu to Rehoboth”

He tells that the interest in the Uniontown Coal Barons is reflected by the questions the

reporter is asked about Players, managers and camp life.

This story is set to tell of the 'camp life' for the boys on and off the field.

“ There is no reason to think the players are any different than any other group of young

boys away from home. They take advantage of any opportunity to sleep late. They like to get in

as much recreation as possible. Every other day practice starts at 1 pm so they gather extra winks.

Other days the workout start at 10 am. Each morning after breakfast there is the two mile hike to the field. Manage Stutzke does not allow the team bus to transport them unless there is real bad weather.

The hike is a good way to get them off on the right foot , says Stetzke, who with Manager Chris

Wagner, does the distance at doubletme.

Most of the team live at hotels, but there are some put up a local homes, and upon their return ,

clean up, and slip into street cloths, and at 5 they are to be at the restaruant to dig in the chow, which is a sight to behold.

The team club pays all expenses and all express the good teatment received. And by the way,

at dinner, the 'big five' of Fayette county are found in a huddle. They are Frank Smodie, Joe Potsklan, Melvin McCoy, George Varguich and Randy King.

It is imagined that the team will look back with fond memories of preseason camp, now that

they are headed back to Uniontown. While at Rehoboth, the boys gathered in groups of four or five, visited the movies, the roller rink, stops at the soda fountain, Snyders, and talk baseball ”.

WOODLAND FERRY

WOODLAND FERRY

AKA

CANNON'S FERRY

One of the oldest ferries in continuious operation in the United States is in southwest sussex county, Delaware. It has connccted the north and south side of the Nanticoke River since around

1740, when it carried people, carts, wagons, mules or horses across the 500 foot wide river between

Seaford and Laurel. The ferry site is located at a low spot in the Nanticoke and may well have had a

ferry earlier and there is doucmentation that James Cannon had a wharf and ferry operation before he died in 1751, when Jacob Cannon took it over. Jacob died in 1780 and his wife Betty and son Isaacs

kept the ferry operating.

The ferry was just a flat wooden scow which the operated by 'poling' or rowing. Jacob

Cannon and his wife Betty charge 5 cents a person with hourse, two wheel cart was 10 cents,

and four wheel wagons and carriages cost 30 cents. Ddurinh storms, snow and such the ferry service was undependable and people had to wait hours for it to cross.

When Betty died in 1828, Isaacs and Jacob Jr., inherited the Cannon Ferry. Being shrew

businessmen, the brothers became very wealthy. They were the owners of 5000 acres of land, owned warehouses, stores, and houses. They also owned slaves and vessels that traded between Seaford and Baltimore. Their 'loan' business , lending money, extending credit, extracting fines,

confiscating goods and property, ruthless in the collecting of depts, earned them the title of despised

explotive “thugs”.

These brothers were cousins of the Patty Cannon group of slave runners.

The hatred of the Cannons came to an end April 10, 1843, Jacob was at the ferry dock, just returning from to the governor seeking protection from people he had business with and were

threatening him, when he was shot by Owen O'Day with his musket. Owen fled and Jacob stumbled home where the doctor found 27 shot in his chest and he wasgiven a large dose of opiate from which he never awoke. Owen fled to the west and was never prosecuted for the death.

Isaac took sick a month after Jacobs death and died 26 May, 1843. Both are buried in a

church cemetery at the ferry site with their mother.

Their sister, Lurana Boling inherited the Cannons Brothers businesses . The family continued

the operation of the ferry which fell into decline and Sussex County took the operation over and it was then renamed Woodland in 1883. Delaware DOT took the service in 1935, bought a new boat named

the Patty Cannon. It failed the Coast guard standards and replace in 1951 with a $50,000 all steel

boat, equipped with a diesel engine, named the Virginia C ., named for the wife of Dalas Culver, a

highway commissioner. By 1990 the ferry became deterioated and service was undependable.

Delaware spent millions in 2007 on the docks and the current ferry, The Tina Fallon, named

for a long time state representative. She carries six vehcles, run by liscensed Captains and was sbject to operational problems but now crosses the Nanticoke , free, seven days a week, Thursday mornings set aside for maintenance. The Woodland Ferry was placed on the “National Register of Historic

Places” in 1973.

Source: High Tide News, September 2017 – By Sandie Gerken of Dagsboro.

REHOBOTH AT 100 YEARS

1973 REHOBOTH BEACH

HAPPY 100 YEAR BIRTHDAY

In the beginning, there was the Book of Genesis which told of Israelities wandering the

desert searching for a home land. When they found a well they were permmited to use, they call it

Rehoboth, “room for all”.

1873, the Methodist Camp Meeting Association , established 'Rehoboth' as a retreat and

Camp Meeting grounds. Very appropriate.

Now, Rehoboth Beach, bills itself 'the Nations Summer Capital”, and is preparing for

another tourist season, hopefully, the biggest ever, and a big 100 year birthday bash.

The noise of hammers, saws, the smell of fresh paint, new colors, new doors, etc., fill the sunny mornings. A food shop owner, George Tsoukalas , cleans and rearragnes tables and chairs.

He will open soon for his fifth season. One thing he must do is change the menu prices, thing are higher this year he says, even the onions. Tsoukalas came here from Greece in 1951, and fell in love

with the resort and its people. His two britthers are here now, both restaurent owners, the “Hi-Seas'

and “Robin Hood”. From Easter to Labor Day, it's 12 hours or more a day, 7 days and nights a

week to make a living. These summer busineses depend on the weather. The hotter and dryer, the

better. Stormy weekends are killers.

Yes, the storms of fall, wnter and earyl spring, wreck the boardwalk and beach but the town soon has them restored. The boardwalk takes one million nails it is said.

Easter Sunday, unofficially, is a traditonal opening day. The shops on Rehoboth Avenue are advertising pop corn, saltwater taffy, sun tan lotion and “help wanted”.

Dr; Lester Johnson, a Lewes native, serving Rehoboth as mayor for the past seven years, at

age 75, says Rehoboth is looking to the largest summer, the new roads and bridges and all. The

police force is ready, usually an 18 man force, it grows by 40 summer officers and 30 life guards for the beaches.

The Easter Sunrise Service at the boardwalk bandstand kicked off the season amd centennial, later there will be the Easter Parade . A 1900's bathing suit contest will be a new feature this year.

Each month will of summer will feature other centennial celebrations, May is for Church Home

Comings, June is the 'Miss Delaware Pageant” , July is fireworks and the 4^th of July.

Rehoboth was laid out in lots in 1873, a hotel was built, the railrod came in 1884 to the beach front of Rehoboth. In 1925 a concrete road was built from Georgetowm, Dover and Milford, and the

rest of the world. A building boom continued until the 1929 depression and resumed during WWII.

Source: April 22, 1973, Philadelphia Inquirer, Lacy McCrary. Abstract September 19, 2017

PAPER CANOE OF NATHANIEL BISHOP IN DELAWARE

The Paper Canoe of Nathaniel Bishop

The Maria Theresa

November 1874 Bishop rowed his canoe down the Hudson River southward on a voyage

that would take him through the coasta waters of Delaware. His canoe, the Maria Theresa. Was

fourteen feet long but really narrow, only 28 inches wide. It had sail, oars, and a covered deck.

It was made of paper.

In late 1800's paper was made that was strong, inexpensive, adaptable to many uses.

Americans used this paper to make colthing, toys, dolls and other articles. Bishop was convinced

that the flimsy material, paper, could take the place of thin wood in constructing light pleasure

boats like canoes and racing shells. It would not be influenced to warping by the sun and

moisture.

Upon reaching New Yotk City, Bishop used the Rartain Canal to get to Delwasre River,

rowed south, past Phiadelphia, into Delaware Bay. When off Bowers Beach he stopped to make

minor repairs, and take a nights rest. He expected to make Lewes by nightfall but a wind storm

capsized the canoe. Able to drag it ashore near Slaughters Beach. He spent another night at the

Willow Grove Inn where he described that night. “The winds had gone to rest with the sun, and

the sharp frost that followed left ice of ½ nch thick on the pools of water”.

He had much to be thankful for as he enjoyed a warm soft bed at the Willow Grove Inn and

not the icy sands of Slaughters Beach.

With help of Charles Todd, who operated Willow Grove, Bishop was able to get his boat

carted to Milton for mose repairs. While waiting for these repairs bishop visited Lewes and

declaired there will be a fortification, a railroad to being coal to ships in the Beakwater and the port

will become safe and convenient. Bishops also was impressed by the peach crop and its value to

Sussex county.

After visiting Lewes , Bishop had his canoe hauled to Loves Creek, as he did not wish to

risk another encounter with the fickle waters of the Delaware Bay, and continoed his voyage. It was

six miles down Loves Creek to the inlet at Burton Island marsh and Indian River sound.

Bishopcontinued his way across the Indian River Bay, up Whites Creek to Assawoman Bay, on to his

destination, Florida.

Source: Michael Morgan's Delaware Diary Novemner 8, 2007.

BROADKILL HUNDRED BY DICK CLARK :: ABSTRACT

BROADKILL HUNDRED

Hundred was the earliest settled in Sussex and was the most sparsely populated.

It had been divided twice, 1833 and 1861 when it lost the western half to Georgetown Hundred.

Milton was Broadkill's only major town.

The hundred gets its name from the river that flows through it's center, once an important

river. It had a ship building industry, grist mills, saw mills and such.

At one time, early 1800's, the name was spelled Broadkiln, and in 1975 Milton people had

the county council formally change the name back to Broadkill.

Broadkill, is a dutch word for 'broad river”,

The first landowner of the hundred was wily Hermanus Wiltbank who also had a strong hold

on affairs of Lewes or as it was then, Zwaanenael, who came with the second wave of Dutch settlers.

Soon after William Penn came into play in the Three Lowar Counties and both had made peace with each other, Wiltbank died but his family remained active in local affairs.

Another early landowner was William Clark, a Penn follower and his lieutenant, who

received a 500 acre tract between the Coolspring branch and Beaver Dam branch of the Broadkill

River. This was known as “Penns Worminghurst” that later passed to one Preserved Coggeshall.

Clark had also sold land to Thomas Fisher, the son of John Fisher, who came with Penn to the colony,

ancestors of Major Thomas Fisher of Lewes , an Revolutionary War figure.

Others families of early Broadkill were Hazzards, Paynters, Reeds, Dodds, Bryans,

Ponders and Clowes, all instermental in the development of Broadkill Hundred and Sussex County.

Prior to the 1900's the Broadkill River had become less the river it once was, and is now just a peaceful recreational body of water.

James Grey, in 1686, owned the land where Milton was built , which he named “Milford” , a

1000 acre tract that after a series of conveyances , the Milton portion on the south side of the

river came to George Conwell and that on the north side came to William Perry, another Revolutionary figure. Both Cornwell and Perry laid out lots and sold them so soon a village appeared.

This village took several names early on, Osborne Landing, Conwell Landing, Upper Landing,

and Head of Broadkill. In 1807 an act of General Assembly named the town Milton, it is said, to honor, the blind poet John Milton.

Milton in , 1806 had four stores and seven granaries, the granaries supporting a water borne

grain shipping business. Also in the early 1800's there was a large quantity of finished lumber

shipped from the small port. Milton was incorporated in 1865 and flourshed until the end of the sailing ship age, in the 1880's.

One of Broadkills house of worship was established before the town of Milton was by ¾

of a century. St. John The Baptist was built at Long Bridge Branch in the Broadkill Forest in 1728.

Quaakers and Presbyterians were active at the edge of the hundred at Coolspring. Goshen Methodist

came to Milton in 1820. Broadkill gave the state of Delaware five governors and one to Wyoming Territory.

TOWNS OF BROADKILL

Milton became a town of small garment factories, button cutting shops, a brick yard and later several canning houses.

Harbeson came about in 1869 when the railroad built a station for the Georgetown to Lewes

railroad line. The village was named for the man who owned the land the village was built upon, Harbeson Hickman. This same year there became a post office and within twenty years a school

house, blacksmith shop, two stores and maybe ten homes. Shipping of the lumber from the mills in

the nearby forest area became a big opearation at Harbeson. There was briefly a horse race track and

annualfair at Harbeson. The Delmarva poultry industry kept the town alive later on.

Drawbridge was named such, as it was the location of a draw bridge over the Broadkll River for the main road south to Lewes from the north. Paynters were the family of Drawbridge, even once named Paynters Drawbridge. It had a post office, a merchant and one of the first ship yards.

Overbrook was a neighborhood, not even a villeage, but it had a railroad stateion on the 1900's

Queen Anns RR, postoffice at the general store, even a small school . It was well know to the fox

hunters of the days.

Broadkill Beach was a summer resort, if you could handle the mosquitos of the great salt marshes.

Source: History of Sussex County by Dick Clark, July 1976:

JESSE BROADWAY JONES, PHILLIES PITCHER 1923.

DEATH OF JESSE 'BROADWAY' JONES AT LEWES

FIREBALL PHILLIES PITCHER 1923

In 1923, the “Golden Age of Sprots” a Sussex county right handed baseball pitcher made it to

the big leagues. He was fast, a bit wild, on the field and off. His wife, former Francis Baylis, said

h played bseball for fun, he was more of a playboy, not having to play since his family was well off

and he didn't work at it. He would drink a little, smoke a little more than he should have.

This same year, his father became seriously ill and he was unwilling to accept a demotion to

a Texas League which would take him away from home, Jones dropped out of baseball.

Wednesday, September 7, 1977, at his Lewes Kings Highway home, the colorful fireballing

righthander pass away at age 78, pulling to the last for the success of his beloved Phillies.

Mrs Jones said that last night, the last we were together, he was disgusted with them, yelling, “they have thrown it away. They don't deserve to win this one”. She also told that the year Jones played for the Phillies, he would go up to New York and pitch under another name, Ableman, since Philadelphia did not allow baseball to be played on Sundays.

Jesse Jones also played a few games with the Baltimore Orioles and he and Lefty Grove were

roommates.

Jones got his shot at the big leagues because of a college school mate, Huck Betts, from

Millsboro, a baseball hall of fame member. Betts and jones played baseball at Wesley College in Dover, where they took turns pitching and catching.

After baseball, Jesse Broadway Jones, became a salesman for the Swift Company, in the

meat department and retired in 1964.

Besides his wife, he leaves several nieces and nephews. His service was held by Atkins Funeral Home at St. Peters Episcopal Church and he is buried in Millsboro Cemetery .

Abstract Wilmington News Journal September 8, 1977, article by Bob Leary, abstract by Harrison H.

1977 Lewes Art Show

LEWES 1977 EVENT

LEWES HISTORICAL SOCIETY

“LOOKING AT LEWES; THE ARTIST'S EYE”

An exhibition of 69 entries of local art between July 4 to the 17^th , located in Vessel's Store

106 Second Street, Lewes, article carried in Wilmington Morning News, Wednesday , July 6, 1977, basically list a large collection of paintings, both modern and historic, from around Lewes.

There are facinating pictures from the 'day of sail' , taking a romantic view of sailing ships

and days of swashbuckling sailors. The oldest picture, dated 1807, is “ Lighthouse on the

Breakwater” painted by artist Thomas Birch, who born in England, came to America 1793 at the

age of 14 years. He also painted several scenes of the War of 1812 and his “Mouth of the Delaware”

hangs in the White House. A painting “ Quarantine Station”, a view by an unknown artist indicates

the importance of Lewes as a seaport. Also the painting “ Lighthouse at Lewestown” helps with the

history of the port by artist Augustus Koellner, a German born lad, who was age 10 when he painted

this picture.

The steam age is featured with a painting of “Pilot Boat Philadelphia”, signed Edward Todd.

This ship, built in 1896, saw service in the Spanish American War. The 'Philadelphia II', is shown in a 1929 painting by W. H. Pettibone. Finally, a 1975 picture, “Lewes Canal and Old Pilot Boat”

painted by Theodora Kane, who is a summer teacher with Rehoboth Art League.

Howard Pyle of Chadds Ford, Is represented by his painting “ Shad Fishing on the Lower

Delaware” that appeared 1881 in Harpers Magazine.

WWII is recalled by a 1942 painting by Howard Schroeder. More of his art is some of the

“best of the show'” paintings. They are “Lewes in Winter” and “Hershells Place” the drawing

of a boats interior.

A good landscape sweep is provided by Lydia Bell Lynch in “Lewes Canal Scene”.

Old timer Jack Lewis with his “Delaware Scene” paintings , especially “Rickers & Ramsey”,

is here.

A touch of historic whimsy is found in “Lewes Still Slightly Dutch” a 1917 painting by 73

year old Orville Peets shows Captain deVries looking over a modern power boat anchored

in Lewes Breakwater.

Abstract: September 10, 2017, Harrison H for Facebook's Lewes to Ocean City site.

LENAPE WEST TO EAST

A STORY OF INDIAN MIGRATION

WEST TO EAST

900 A.D.

SCHARF

Ther was no written language, but the inhabitants of the continent had wisdom and used a

series of painted sticks, in various lenghts, each with inrtricate markings, known as Walum Olum, to tell their history.

One of these stick stories tells for the journey made by a nation of Indians, which became the Lenapes or Delaware Indians, from a land beyond the Mississipi, then known as the Father of Waters, left a place near the ' western sea' and made their way east. On the west shore of the Mississippi they met another Indian nation , probably the Iroquois, and the two banded together , more or less for safety and continued the journey eastward. East of a river in the area now Illinoirs, Indiana and Ohio, these tribes met with a much larger nation named Allegwi, superior in numbers and armaments , with fortified villages, and were more sophisticated, thought of being here since 900 A.D. At first the Allegwi allowed both the Lenape and Iroquois to enter their nation and when totally enveloped, made attacks which took great tolls on the travelers. However, the two tribes rallied and conquered

the Allgwi.

Continuing the journey, as the approached now Pennsylvania, the Lenape kept south while the

Irroquois went north. The Lenape, upon reaching “Lenape Wihittuck , the Delaware River, dispursed,

some moving into New york and New Jersey, and other moving into southeast Pennsylvania and the peninsula of Delmarvva.

Source: Dick Carters History of Sussex County, Delaware Coast Press, July 1976. Abstract Harrison H, September 10, 2017.

EARLY RESIDENTS SUSSEX COUNTY

ABSTRACT

THE AREA NOW SUSSEX COUNTY DELAWARE

AND IT'S

EARLY RESIDENTS

It is impossible to 'say' when the first humans found their way to view the ocean, bays, rivers,

creeks, marshes, swamps and forest of the area we call Sussex for the first time. It is likely, the

peoples were early nomadic bands which history feels crossed the ice covered 'bridge' to the north,

from Asia. These “Americans” some were called 'aborigines', however to us and American history they were Indians.

The Indians spread slowly across the continent , through 'Mexico' and into 'South America' ,

gathering differing cultural heritages and tribal customs, rich and sophisticated. One of those early

migrations found it's way to our Delmarva, formed different tribal groups and were well established

by the time of Christ. They conducted a flourishing “trade” with mid Atlantic area neighbors as was

made evident in the finding of prized shells and mother of pearl ornaments in the west, miles from the

oceans and bays. Spear heads and arrow points of stone found in the east were traced to quarries in Ohio and on west.

The dominant 'tribe' of our Sussex area were the Lenni Lenape, which translates roughly as “original men”. They later became known to the English settlers and history as the Delaware's. The many Indian tribe spoke a common tongue, Algonquin. Here in Maryand and Delaware a settlement

became the “Nanticokes”, taking the name of the river around which they lived.

The european colonization pushed these origional peoples west but left parts of their language

behind as place names. There were also, along with the Nantcokes, Choptanks, Pocomokes, Accomacs, Wiccomiss and Assateagues.

The early people led a settled life before the Europeans came, fishermen, farmers, hunters of ssmall game for food only, villages were on superior tracts of land, at a good location near rivers and abundent hunting grounds. It appears they came to the seashore in summer to feast on the seafood and one particular 'resort' was between Indian River and Rehoboth Bay, Long Neck, as it is called today. At winter time they relied on venison and nuts.

The Indians had long established a rich culture when the first european's arrived. Northern tribes of the peninsula were associated with the Lenapes while the souther were led by the Powhatan empire of Virginia.

Settlers began moving up the peninsula, and set a multitude of sins against the Indians, purchasing their lands for a sip of rum and the fact that Indians did not understand that the 'sale' of their lands, forbade them to hunt there evermore. These misunderstanding's forced the tribes to the north.

A tribe of Assateagues settled in Baltimore Hundred, about Dickersons Creek in Assawoman Neck.

These peoples became the Indian River Indians and were granted a 1000 acre tract of land as a reservation, now Millsboro.

In late 18^th century this group gave up their existance with the settlers and moved north to New York and the west, except for a few stalwart members who stayed behind.

Source: History of Sussex County by Dick Carter, Delaware Coast Press, July 1976. Abstract by Harrison H. September 9, 2017 for FACEBOOK and www.delmarhistory.blogspot.com

END

SALT

DELAWARE COASTAL SALT INDUSTRIES

A salt industry existed along the Atlantic coast decades before the Revolution , however, very

small and of local operations.

During the Revolution, Colonel John Jones, of the Sussex County Militia, received 1000

pounds from Legislature to build a saltworks near Indian River. He was to provide 3000 bushels

of salt a year for the Continental Army troops and the state for its citizens. By the end of two years,

Jones, had yet to produce a single bushel. Early Delaware history has told that “ Along the sea shore,

at the salt lands, shalow pits are dug, had sea water gathered in them, evaporated in crude saltworks and used it that locality”. History also says that during the 1812 War salt was made on salt flats

beyon Henlopen Lighthouse which sold for $3.00 a bushel. The building used at this flat, the property

occupied by Thomas Norman, were washed away by a 1888 storm, known as “Normans Flood” .

In 1832, a report by Joshua Gilpin to Secretary of the Treasury, Louis McLane, tells there is a small salt business on the coast, conducted by poor people, boiling sea water in large pots to evaporate it, then sold in the neighborhood.

There is doubt that salt was ever produced at Salt Pond, north of Bethany, which was thought

to be too brackish for fish to live. This is denied by Willim Hall of Halls Store whose property skirts

the pond and he daily catches large numbers of fish. Halls Store is now Ocean View village.

The Fenwick salt works shut down about 1875 and there was a salt works at Cotton Patch Hill,

north of Bethany, during the 19^th century. The earliest salt works is thought to have been on the old natural inlet to Indian River Bay north of Cotton Patch. The salt produced here was known as the

Baltimore Hundred salt at the markets.

Another salt works was at or near Gordons Pond, the land owned by the Dodd family and that salt was made after the summer farm season until about 1876. The account of this operation is of

interest because it demonstrates the habit of the people of the day utilizing all their resources.

History books tell that the Dodd's made salt in connection with clearing the forest for farm

lands new ground. They used the trash, stumps and whatever, as fuel for the salt operation.

After the farm work was finished, the Dodds went to the Gordon Pond salt works and took hogsheads of brine which were roll or pulled by teams of oxen to the homestead where it was evaporated and sold in neighborhood towns in the fall for curing meats.

Abstract September 6, 2017, Harrison H., from Dick Carters”History of Sussex County” in the July 1976 Delaware Coast Press.

PENN AND THREE LOWER COUNTIES

HISTORY OF SUSSEX COUNTY

BY DICK CARTER

JULY 1976

DELAWARE COAST PRESS

ABSTRACT

PENN AND THE THREE LOWER COUNTIES

England, no date given, was firmly in control of the mid Atlantic areas, having had the return

of previously conquered possessions from the Dutch and the Duke of York was the proprietor of

New York, Pennsylvania and the Delaware lower counties, but not for long.

William Penn, eldest son of Admiral Sir William Penn of the Royal Navy, had become the 'stalwart' of the not so respectable new sect, Society of Friends. As early Quakers went, however,

Penn was in an advantageous position with many powerful friens, such as The Duke of York. Also,

Penn, upon the death of his father, inherited considerable wealth, and a 15,000 pound debt , unpaid, against the English Monarchy. Penn, who had become interested in establishing a Quaker Colony

in the new world, suggested that insread of payment of the debt, he be granted by the King a part

of the Duke of York's domains, petition for roughly the area of Pennsylvania to the liking of King

Charles II, who was debt ridden , and the Duke of York. The King granted the land, which was

named 'Pennsylvania', to Penn who immediately petitiond the Duke of York for the “three lower Counties on the Delaware “, which he needed to protect the Delaware Bay coast and keep it out of the hands off Lord Baltimore .

The Delaware territories which were united with Pennsylvania were loosely known as two

counties under the Dutch and the Swedes were first called New Castle and The Whorekills by the

Duke of York. While still under control of the Duke of York , the lower and largest county was

divided into St. James County to the north and Whorekill , later New Deal, to the south. On the

25^th of December, 1682, Kent and Sussex, became the names, as did the town of Whorekill become

Lewestown, which was the only 'fullfledged' town in the country. Charter Laws of England called

for establisment of a General Assembly, with a Lower Assembly and Upper Governors Council.

It was decades before the Assembly was a 'working' governmental body.

Also passed was the “Great Law” which in 16 sections gave the colony for the first time a basis of civil and criminal law which could be established without confusion as to what faction held

power in the colony. Some offense's were punished with “ time in the stocks”, “ public whipping” ,

and “imprisonment”. Selling rum to the Indians was an offense, hogs had to be 'ringed' , sheriffs

and “Justice of the Peace”, coroners, were elected. A 16 x 24 foot structure was erected in each

county as 'house of correction”. Grazeing cattle were ear marked and certain fields needed to be

fenced.

Life in Sussex was becoming more settled, civilized, and less the rough pioneering

experience as in past years. There was one problem along the coast, that was “pirates”, from the

the bays and rivers. Lewes, other communities and farms were plundered and military force was

unfavorable to the Quakers and not provided.

PAGE 2

Residents of the Delaware colony felt they were not getting representation in the council's

as was Pennsylvania colony and that Penn was working harder to develop that colony than they were

the Lower Three Counties.

These feelings of resentment , used by the agents of Lord Baltimore to seek a revolt of the

Delawareans against Penn, did cause a seperation of the lower counties from Pennsylvania in 1702

and creation of a Delaware colony, although still under Will Penn and his sons, John, Richard and

Thomas.

In a general sense, it might be said that Delaware owes its independent statehood to coastal Pirates' and the Lord Calverts.

Seperate colony or not, the dispute between Penn and the Calvetrs,which began in 1632,

with the grant of all land between the 38^th and 40^th parallels west of Delaware River to Cecilius

Cavert, Second Lord Baltimore, which was to run on more that a century and in final analysis

was no benefit to neither set of proprietors.

Abstract to delmarvahistory.blogspot.com, September 5, 2017. Har

MARY ANN SORDEN STUART

MARY ANN SORDEN STUART

GREENWOOD, DELAWARE

Mary Ann Sorden was born near Greenwood on a large farm of John and Sarah Owens

Pennewill Sorden, and grew up to be one of Delaware's fiery feminists.

Her father, John Sorden was a wealthy landowner, a Delaware State Senator, liberal

in his views of the Womans Rights Movement and had repealed oppresssive laws against women.

The early 19^th century there were no womens rights under law. When they married

everything they possessed became their husbands property.

In 1873 laws were passed giving women the right to make wills, own real estate. It was

five decades later that the 19^th Admendment became law and women were extended full sufferage.

Miss Sorden married Dr. William W. Stuart, with a fashionable society wedding. The pair had

five children. After her husbands death in the 1870's she became active in Delaware's Women

Sufferage movement. She was an accomplished business woman , operating an excursion business,

chartering trains to carry vacationers to Rehoboth Beach and Ocean City beaches.

A Wilmington News Paper correspondent described her thus “ Mrs. Stuart dresses in black,

weighs 250 pounds, is good natured, and can talk ten hours at the rate of 200 words a minuute.”

Mrs Stuart was a 1870 delegate to a National Sufferage Association convention in Washington, D. C.

and a close friend of Susan B. Anthony.

Mrs Stuart died in the late 1880's

Source: Dick Carters 1976 History of Sussex County, Delaware Coast Press, July 1976;

Abstract September 3, 2017, Harrison H

SWEDES AT CHRISTINA

DELAWARE HISTORIC SPOTS

SEWELL P. MOORE

WILMINGTON NEWS JOURNAL

MONDAY OCTOBER 13 1930

SWEDES AT CHRISTINA

Had it not been for some internal trouble in the Dutch West India Company the Swedes

would not have had a part in the settlement of Delaware. There were misunderstandings between

the men who controlled the money and the men who set the policies of the Dutch Company.

In 1624, William Usselinx of Antwerp who had been a director in the New Amsterdam

enterprize left Holland and wemt to Sweden with hopes to interest King Gustavus Adolphus in

a claim to land on the western bank of the Delaware River. Usselinx descriptions of the richness

and possibilities of the new world were so convincing the King granted a charter that same year, however, no action was taken for another charter was granted in the year 1626.

This new company was the Swedish South Sea Company which proposed to tke up lands

in America and other parts of the world.

An expedition set sail for America in 1626 but was captured by the Spanish. If this expedition

had reached the Delaware river, the Swedes would have taken the peninsula and a different history

of Delaware would have been written. Nothing came of the Swedish company and the 1631 voyage was the first to reach Delaware shores.

The year the Dutch, upon returning to the Lewes settlement and found it in ashes, the king

Adolphus was killed in battle between Sweden and Germany and there was no Swedish patron nor

capital for any explorations and the South Seas Company was disbanded without taking an acre of

new world land.

The Swedish King, needing to give his full attention to matters at home, was still interesed

in an American Swedish colony had early on urged the project to be continued. At his death, an

infant daughter, Christina, ascended to the throne, and, Axel Oxenstierna, became Chancellor,

the ruler of Sweden. One of the chancellor's first acts was to send Peter Spiring to Holland seeking

a man willing and capable of undertaking the colonaziation of America.

1636 , in May, Spiring reported that Peter Minuet was the ideal leader, since he had been

governor of Dutch New Ansterdam, dismissed to return to Holland and was anxious to undertake

any expedition in competition to the Dutch Company. Minuet organized the Swedish-Dutch

Company with money from both Swedish and Dutch Banks which established fur trade post in any

part of the New World not already occupied by English or Dutch, caled the land Nova Swedia on

the west bank of Delaware before the dutch could send another lot of immigants to settle it.

In 1737 Minuet went to Sweden to take active charge of preparations and the little band of colonists set sail in 1638. There were 50 imigrants, with cattle, sheep, and other animals, trading materials, food, seeds, and ammunitions. In March, 1638, they arrived at Cape Henlopen and

renamed the river “New Swedens River”.

The first landing place was on a point which they named ' Paradys Udden' meaning

Paradise Point located land just south of Muderkill Creek, originally “ Morders Kylen” .

They decided not to stay here and sailed up the bay to Minquas Creek and changed the Indian name

to “Christina” in honor of their infant Queen. Entering the creek they sailed up two miles above

the Brandywine to land at the “Rocks” being still March.

All of this land was claimed by the Indian Chief Mattahoon which was bought from the chief

as much as lay between six trees marked a good distance apart. At the rocks was built a square fort

of logs and called “Fort Christina”. Emigrant cabins were built and the settlement was called New Sweden. This settlement was protested by the Dutch, however, no serious trouble happpened

until many years afterwards.

1911 LEWES SCHOOL COMMENCEMENT

1911 LEWES HIGH SCHOOL

COMMENCEMENT

The Lewes High School commencement took place in the Auditorium on June 12, 1911 and was largely attended. The Rev. W. R. Mowbray opened the exercises with a prayer, followed by

the salutatory and orations of the graduates. “Delawares Place Among The State” was given by

Russell Paynter, William Thomas Manning's oration was on “Delawares Part in the Civil War”,

“Our Delaware Boundaries” was the subject of Horace Leland Brown's oration, and Julius Adolphus

Herolds was a very interesting account of “The Settlement of Delaware”. Miss Helen Townsend Hocker, the class Valedictorian, gave her essay “ Higher Education for Girls”.

Dr. Ulysses W. Hocker, president of the Board of Education, made an address to the class

and presented the diplomas. Henry Ridgely of Dover made the formal address to the class and made

compliments yo them on the patriotism shown the State.

Undelivered essays and orations were “Manufacturing in Delaware”, by Harold Willetts

Hocker, “Some Representative Delawareans” by Elverson Warren Ingram, “Interesting Historic

Spots in Delaware” by Helen Norman Carson, “Our Delaware Public School” by Richard

Courtenay Enos, “Delawares Part in the Revolution”, Linford Outten Russell, and 'Life in Delaware During the Revolution”, by Leah Burton Carter.

The Lewes orchestra furnished the music and after the commenceent an informal dance was enjoyed by the young people.

Grammer school students who were graduated to the High School were; Elizabeth Joseph, Mildred Wiltbank, Julia Steel, Katherine Lank, Mary Shutt, Beatrice Atkins, Marguerite

Lauritsen, Abraham Gutowitz, Nathen Evans, Amelia Schellenger, Edna Marvel , Hewes Messick,

William Vogel, Willam Conwell, Garretson Brown and Virden Burton.

Wilmigton New Journal, June 15, 1911, abstract Septemebr 3, 2017 Harrison Howeth