BETHANY BEACH

BETHANY BEACH

BALTIMORE HUNDRED

SUSSEX COUNTY

Bethany Beach was established in 1898 when the coastal area of Sussex county beame more

easy to reach by transportation facilities. A religious group from Scranton, Pennsylvania, by name,

Christian Church Disciples, chose it as a summer camp for it's Missionary Society. The Scranton

group formed the Bethany Beach Improvement Company that agreed to purchase land, no less than

100 lots, develop it, and provide transportation to it.

The resort was dedicated on Juky 12, 1901, and a large octagonal tabernacle built to hold the

activities of the society.

At that time the nearest railroad station was at Rehoboth Beach, to the north and seperated by

several bodies of water. The steamer, “Atlantic” was put in service and transported visitors from

Rehoboth Station across two bays, up Whites Creek to Ocean View where they then continued the

trip by horse drawn carriages'.

The deeds to the lots had clauses by the staunch Christian society which barred the sale and

possession of alcoholic beverages in the town. This “prohibition” had outlast the origional

religious fervor and for years kept the development to a minimum, preserving a quiet charm of

the town. The missionary society has continued to used it's facilities however, the tabernacle was

torn down in the 1960's.

A National Guard Coastal Artillery Camp on the northern outskirts opened after WWI and is

used as a training ground during the summer months. Bethany also was the location of a Coast

Guard Lifesaving Station and during WWII was home to a Navy radio station.

Abstract October 31, 2017, by Harrison H., from Dick Carter's History of Sussex County,

Delaware Coast News, 1976.  

SUSSEX SHIPYARDS

SUSSEX COUNTY SHIPYARDS

At various times during the 18^th and 19^th centuries ship yards existed at Lewes, Mispillion

Creek, Cedar Creek, Broadkill River, Milton, Indian River, Assawoman Bay, Whites Creek,

Blackwater, Nanticoke, Broad Creek. In 1860 ship buildiing in Sussex was in decline due to the

development of the iron built steamboats. Listed in “Boyds Delaware State Directory” were

three shipyards at Milford, three at Milton, two at Lewes, two at Millsboro, one each at Halls

Store, now Ocean view, and, Laurel. A few years later shipyards were listed at Lewistown,

now Bethel, and and at Seaford.

David Taylor wrote in his “Delaware History” that shipyeards were easy to establisheeded ,

needed was a firm river bank, deep water and nearby white oak timber. Most shipcarpenters had

their own tools and shipyards furnished the sawa, planes and a stearm box for shapeing planks

ribs.

The virgin forest of Sussex yeilded white oak beams 60 feet long and 2 ½ feet square and

brought to the yards each day as needed. Indian River Hundred itself had 50 saw mills in

operation to meet the timber needs. Fifty four million board feet of lumber per year was said to

be used by the shipbuilders.

The Sussex yards turned out small shallops, coastal schooners and sloops, and later the

bugeyes, skipjacks, both workboats for the Chesapeake Bay oystermen.

Although the advent of the steamer led to the decline of Sussex ship building it also must be

known that the counties white oak and cypress timber became depleated.

1886 STATUE OFLIBERTY

STATUE OF LIBERTY

1886

October 26, 1886, the Statue of Liberty was dedicated on this day by then president Grover

Cleveland in New York Harbor. The statue was a friendship gift from the people of France to the

people of the United State of America.

The statue was originally known as “Liberty Enlightening the World” prroposed by the

French historian Edouard de Laboulaye and designed by the French sculptor Frederic Auguste

Barthholdt.

It is 151 feet high, the figure of a woman with an uplifted arm holding a torch. The frame

of steel was designed by Eugene Emmanuel Viollet le Duc and Alexandre Gustave Eiffel. Effel

designed the Effel Tower of Paris.

1877 Congress approved the site on Bedloe's Island in New York Harbor. The statue was

completed in France in 1884 in May and in August of that year Americans laid the corner stone for

the pedstal. A year later, the dismantled Statue of Liberty arrived in New York in more that 200

packing cases. The copper sheets were reassembled and the last rivit was fitted the 28^th October

1886.

The Statue of Liberty was made a National Monument in 1924, and in 1856 Bedloes Island

was renamed Liberty Island.

Ellis Island, adjacent to Bedloe's Island, was opened as the chief entry station to immigrants

to the United States of America which were welcomed into New York Harbor by sight of “Lady

Liberty”.

Inscribed on the pedestal is a 'sonnet' “The New Colossus” by american poet Emma Lazarus.

“Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, the wretched refuse of

your teeming shore, send these, through the golden door”.

Abstract by Harrison, October 28, 2017, of, “This Day In History” world wide web.com

PEALES VISIT 1793 CAPE HENLPEN.

CHARLES WILSON PEALE

ARTIST

1793 VISIT CAPE HENLOPEN VISIT

Peale was a portrait painter of note and also a dedicated naturalist in Philadelphia where

he opened a museum to display his paintings and specimens of native American animals.

In 1793, he, his wife, and children, Raphel, Rembrandt, Rubens and Titian, spent the summer

at Lewestown on the Delaware, where he could collect examples of coastal birds on the sands of Cape Henlopen. The family scampered over the Cape dunes all summer, collecting egrets, herons,

ducks, and other birds that frequent the dunes and coastal bays. At the end of the summer he sailed back to Philadelphia, only to lrearn that the city was in the midst of a yellow fever epidemic.

Peale sealed himself and family in their home, along with the collection of fowl from Cape

Henlopen, and avoided anyone with the disease. Fearing to visit the market for food because of the fever , when they ran short of food, he turned to the cages of his collection of birds of Cape Henlopen.

The birds which were to be scheduled to be stuffed and displayed at his museum, soon

graced the Peales dinner table.

Abstract: October 25, 2017, by Harrison H, from Michael Morgan's Delaware Diary, Delaware

Coast Press, Wednesday, 25, October 2017.

1975 MILTON BICENTENNIAL

MILTON'S BICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION

1975

Fireworks this weekend begin the month long celebration at the Mulberry Street school

with pony rides, races and games.

Sunday the fire house will hold an open house, fire truck rides and exhibits of old and new

equipment, movies starting at 2 pm.

Next week end will feature arts & crafts displays of carved farm scenes, weaving of fish

net, and quilting.

The following weekend there are industrial tours to King Cole Ranch and Alantis Plastics.

Sunday this weekend will be Heritage Sunday at the churches. The Wesleyan Church will have

a dinner on church grounds.

25^th  September will be the parade with six bands, antique cars and farm machinery,  horses,

bicycles, historical floats. The Lion are to hold a street dance after the parade.  The Milton Jaycees 

 and the Bicentennial Committee are sponsers of the program.

Abstract of the Wilmington Morning News, Friday, September 5, 1975 by Harrison H, October

23 , 2017.

DR WAGNER COMES TO MILTON

MILTON HAS A DOCTOR

For years Milton has tried to bring a doctor to town, so it was a surprise when, unannounced,

Dr. Charles G. Wagner, showed up and opened a practice in the rural town of 1400 residents.

Wagner, age 32, has opened an office next to the H. O. Brittingham School on 424 Mulberry

Street, in the former home of the Harrison Howeth family's, Chandlers Old Orchard Farm. He also

will make house calls.

Milton Chamber of Commerce president, Ed Scott, says he did not ask for any help, just came

in and set up shop.

Doctor Wagner and his wife, Jo Anne, a RN , came to Delaware in May to Milford Memorial

Hospital as full time doctor and nurse in the emergency room where he works five days on and five

days off, for 12 hour shifts and will see patients by appointment on his time off and weekends.

He was born in in 1946 in West Virginia, grew up in Connecticut and New Jersey, was in

the Army in Korea and Viet Nam as a helicopter pilot. He graduated in 1974 from Columbia University's College of Physicians and Surgeons. He did resident work at New York's St. Luke's Hospital.

Then, Mrs. Wagner said they heard that Mlton needed a doctor and the call to the east just

“got to us”.

Abstract of Ray Goldbacher in the Wilmington New Journal , Friday, August 25, 1978,

by Harrison H. 10/23/17.

OVERBROOK, BROADKILL HUNDRED, SUSSEX COUNTY

OVERBROOK

SUSSEX COUNTY, DELAWARE

BROADKILL HUNDRED

Dick Clark's “History of Sussex County” relates the Overbrook was never a town or village,

rather a neighborhood of of prosperous farms. It was also a station on the QueenAnne's Railroad in

1900's when excursion trains which ran to Lewes' Queen Anne's Pier and on to Cape May, New

Jersey.

Clark goes on the tell the Overbrook area was home to the lower Delaware fox hunters

group, a rugged, wild and boistterous, down to earth bunch, unlike the more elegant participants of

Virginia and Maryland in their well taylored habits , riding to the hounds and sound of brass

hunting horns. Many local farmers had packs of hounds, five or more, that they let loose to run

across the winter fields and forest , baying, with the farmers right behind, whooping and hollering.

I believe I have record that Overbrook at one time had a post office in a general store, and even a schoolhouse.

I'll add this later, if I can find it.

Abstract October 22, 2017, by Harrison H, from “History of Sussex County”, Delaware Coast Press.

By Dick Clark, 1976.

CAREY'S CAMP

CAREY'S CAMP

Carey's Camp is west of Millsboro, near the crossroads at Conaway Road and Caey's Camp Road, the location being called Mudford in early times. This was a revival encampment, the bush

meetings, of two groups of Methodist Societies which were many about the peninsula. They were the Phillips Hill and the Mission School societies. There were no buildings at the 'bush meetings' the people slept and ate in tents under canvas sheets held up by timber poles or wagons.

There was a strong desire to have a church, and in 1884, a Carey family, Elijah and Levenia,

donated an acre a bit east of Mudford and Carey's Church was begun. Progress was slow, money

was none, but in 1891 the church was dedicated.

There was an elderly gentleman, more than a hundred years of age, Joe Ben Husdon, living in the 1980's who watched the construction.

Since the summer revival meetiings were a popular event it wasen't long before a permenent

campground was built. Forty seven small crude sheds, they called them tents, with open fronts constructed, facing a large cross shaped tabernacle .

These early camp meetings were evanglistic revivals and attended by thousands , the sermons were long and had 'after service' when all the saved christians gave witness testomoials , and last until after midnight. . A 'love feast' early morning service was held every morning, fllowed by more testimony, was led by a layman.. Childrens Bible School was held in the mornings.

A social viewpoint was very important. Transportation, the horse and buggy, posed limitations of friends in ones social circle. To renew old friendships and romantic relationshipa posed another atmosphere.

Abstract by Harrison H., 16 October 2017. Source is “Carey's Church and Camp” writen by

Don Ward, Berta Smith and Niel Carey, for the March 2006 issue of “Shoreline Magazine” of the Nabb Research Center, Salisbury.

CHESAPEAKE FOLKLORE

CHESAPEAKE FOLKLORE

DON'T PAINT THE BOAT BLUE

It is considered bad luck to paint a boat blue. There is a belief that the similarity of the color

to that of water, entices the bay to swallow the blue boat.

Another account out of Cambridge tells of a sailor navigating a blue hull boat , caught in a storm, just out of reach of safe harbor, the life savers could hear him but not see the blue boat on the waterline, and he was drowned, but the story was remembered.

The mose unique supererstition comes from Elliotts Island. “There was a waterman so enhanced by a woman's blue eyes while out sailing that he lost 'his water sense' , went aground and

perished a slow horriible death.

Most boats have womens names, a name to whom the master of the vessel is to be 'true' during

the voyage.

Also green boats cause fear of rotting and falling apart. A crow flying over the bow of a

boat is bad luck.

AUNT CAROLINE

Aunt Caroline, an Indian half breed, said to have ethnic powers, once prayed to the

Lord God to spare watermen caught off shore in ice during a storm. Sure enough, while still on her knees, the ice flow opend in the creek and the boats were able to come right in to shore. A fact, says Elsie Brimer of Smith Island, in 1972.

MENIAH

In the gneral area of Somerset county there is an Indian maiden who comes to help those

who are in trouble. Her names is Meniah and this is a beautiful legend. It is not known just how it began, but whenever you are in deep trouble in that county, she comes to help you. Many a sailor

has said that there was an unusual woman at the wheel when they knew neither what way to go,

and she , at the wheel, guided them in the right direstion and to port. A fact, says Thomas Flowers,

Hoopers Island, 1972.

New technology, sometimes viewed as threatening tradition, bring anxieties. Steamships,

as early as 1813, took new routes which the sailing vessels could not navigate against the flow and tide and the wind direction. This was not accepted by all who for years had labored on the sea.

This brings up “Irish Jack” set sometime in 1893 when steamer had become a common sight in

the Chesapeake.

IRISH JACK

1893 PRESIDENTIAL INAUGURATION

There was an old sailor around here and they called him Irish Jack, his last name never

was heard. He told he came from Ireland on a log and people believe “Irish Jack knows and no one can do it better”. To the 1893 inauguration steamships ran excursions from Crisfield to Washington

and one this trip, about half way across, they ran up on Irish Jack in his 16 foot skipjack, sweating and

happy and all, he was invited to come aboard or at lest take a tow, but told the steamer crew “it would be no honor to go by steamer”. The steamship moved on.

LEGEND OF CAPTAIN JOHN MARSH

Back when several families would 'get together' and take a big boat on a trip to Baltimore

for a bit of fun and merryment, they took along ost everythng hey needed for a day of so, even the chicken coop, with chickens, for the eggs. One on a crossing, Captain John Marsh, told others of the bunch that he can tell their location and the water depth, from the smell of the sounding line.

Bets were on and he went in the cabin so not to see where they were. He gave correct locations and depths several times, before, one ogf the group decicded to 'trick' him. The next sounding, the bottom of the sounding line was rubbed in the chicken coop and passed down to him. Captain john told them there were in 45 feet of water, off Bloody point, or were back home in the back yard in

the chicken pen. So tells Alex Kellam, Smith Island, 1971.

So ends, folk tails of the Chesapeake, until more come to light.

Source: Aaron Lumpkins' Waterman's Tales, Folklore of the Chesapeake, June 2009,

'Shoreline” Magazine, Nabb Center , Salisbury.

1807 DORCHESTER MARYLAND

1807 DORCHESTER COUNTY

Abstract of 1807 book “A Geographical Descrition of the States of Maryland and Delaware,

by Joseph Scott, via Jefferson Boyer in December 2015 “Shoreline Magazine” from the Nabb

Center, Salisbury.

One of the largest counties on the Eastern Shore, the other is Worcester. Established before

1671, 32 miles by 27 miles, 375,000 acres or so. To the north is Caroline county and the

Choptank River and Talbot county. South east is the Nanticoke River and Somerset county. The

western boarder is Chesapeake Bay and Hoopers Island . The farmers produce corn, wheat and

lumber. Watermen bring in crabs, ayster's, clams, fish and water fowl.

Cambridge is the county seat, a post office town with about 300 residents and 50 homes,

which sit on the south shore of the Choptank, about 15 miles from the mouth of it at the bay. This

village, healthy and agreeable, has a church, court house, jail.

Vienna a small post town, sits on the west side of the Nanticoke , high and dry at 12 to 13 feet

above the river. There are maybe 12 or 13 dwellings in poor , four stores, two granaries, two

taverns, a port collector office and a brick Episcpal church which holds divine service once in a

while. There are two wharves from which ships of any burthern may load. The town has little trade

due to the absence of enterprising residents. Vienna is 120 miles from Washington city.

New Market and Middletown lay between Cambridge and Vienna, Federalsburg on Marshy

Hope prong of the Nanticoke, is 25 miles N.E. by E.

Dorchester has it's share of islands, Goldsboro Island, 2200 acres on the Hunger river,

James, 1600 acres, Hoopers Island , east side of the bay, at Hunger river, is 7300 acres. Also there

are Barren Island and Sharps Island, east of the bay.

The counties largest rivers are Nanticoke and Choptank.

Nanticoke is the largest, 45 miles long, starts in Sussex Delaware, flows south east into the

Chesapeake Bay. It is named for the tribe of Indians which lived along it's shore.

The Choptank also begins in Delaware . Flows south east , 43 miles, into the Chesapeake.

1903 VAGABOND HURRICANE LEWES

LEWES, TUESDAY NIGHT, SEPTEMBER 15 , 1903

THE VAGABOND HURRICANE

Lewes, Delaware , September 15, 1903, Delaware Pilot.

It will take several days until an estimate of the damage from the storm last Tuesday night will be

clearly known, especially that done to the vessel's. Lewes got off with a number of trees uprooted,

and damaged buildings, the most serious being the power house smoke stack bown down which

left the town in darkness.

In the 1900's weather forecasting was incomplete, wind direction and barometric readings were 'it'.

When a storm came up, it was anyones guess when it would abate.

This particular 'vagabond hurricane' was one that proved to be unpredictable and came out of the

Atlantic , having been born a 1000 mile to the east of the Bahamas and stayed at sea until it turned

northward and raked the Delaware coast. It caught residents by surprise.

The three masted schooner, Hattie A. Marsh, was driven into the new outer breakwater, and broke

up, taking five crew members with her. Two, crew members, the mate and one sailor, were saved by

the Lewes Life Savings Station crew.

Farm crops, corn and orchards suffered but the late tomato crop survived. Fish plant piers and the

governments telephone line were done in. There was no communication down the coast south of

Lewes.

Source: Micheal Morgan, Delaware diary, Delaware Cast Press, 10/04/2017: Delaware Pilot &

“Weather Underground”. Abstract: Harrison H.

1912 OAK ORCHARD INDIAN RIVER HOUSE

OAK ORCHARD

1911 – 1912

July 7, 1912, the season regualarly opened and it's most prosperous summer is being

predicted. Many improvements over the past months will allow Oak Orchard to better take care

of it's visitors for a week or month. New cement works along the beach prevent the river from

reaching in and cutting the beach during every heavy storm.

The Indian River House, already noted as a hostelry , is open and already doing business

under direction of Charlie Phillips and his bride, Miss Lawrence, of Wilmington. Last year,

Miss Anna Cooper of Millsboro , had charge.

Miss Myrtle Wilson, Margaret Lynch, of Georgetown , Blanch McNear of Wilksbarre,

Pennsylvania, Elizabeth McLernon of Camden, New Jersey, George Messick, Bill Short, Jr.,

Payton Banning and George Walls all of Georgetown, enjoyed a coaching trip to this place

recently. Dr. Messick of Milford and his family are at the Messick cottage , Dr. Chapman of

Georgetown is at the Ioka cottage, the R. P. Davis family are spant a few days at the Crapmore

cottage. Captain Vessey has bought the boyce cottage house and Fred Blizzers family, the Willins

of Georgetown are there. Charles Cullin and Albert Worth were the weekenders at the Crow;s

Nest. Mary Houston of the Houston cottage entertained friends from Milton , Lewes, and New

York. The G. C. Calhoun's and Mrs Manners will spend the month at the Ioka cottage.

Last Sunday all but three of the cottages were occupied.

Wilmington Evening Journal, Monday July 8, 1912

1956 LEWES GRANGE PICNIC AREA ON DUAL.

PICNIC AREA ESTABLISHED

ON

DUAL ROAD TO REHOBOTH & LEWES

1956

A new picnic ground on the dual highway leading into Rehoboth Beach and Lewes has

been laid out by the Henlopen Grange 20, of Lewes for motorist going to the resorts. One acre

of shady pine woodland was offered by two Grange members, the Misses Mamie and Arzie

Wilson, the owners.

A group of 12 Grangers have cleared off the picnic ground, set up tables and facilities

for use by the motoring public free of charge. The plot is located on the south bound lane

of the dual about half a mile south of Five Points intersection.

Two years ago a picnic area was set up by Sussex Garderners Club, two miles out of Rehoboth is now over taxed and the new area will be an extra stop over.

Both of these picnic areas will be maintained by the Garderners Club and the Grange.

LEWES 325TH ANNIVERSARY PARADE

PRELUDE

325TH LEWES ANNIVERSARY

1956

Lewes is preparing a colorful parade for it's 325^th anniversary , Saturday, August 11^th.

There are 21 ' floats' planned to portray episodes of the town's history. The four day observance

will be from the 9^th to 12^th of August. Henry P. Marshall is program chaIrman.

The following organizations are to sponsor a float . They are;

Sussex Archaeological Association with a display of aboriginal Indians at Lewes before the Dutch.

Zwaanendael Club, with David Petersen deVries, Dutch leader of the 1631 settlement.

DAR, Colonel David Hall Chapter, Colonel Halls as a Revolutionary patriot.

Henlopen Grange of Lewes, will display the Plockhoy 1663 colony.

Lewes Lions and the story of Caesar Rodney and his romance with the Lewes postmasters

daughter.

Lewes Special School will remember the the first girl graduates of the Lewes Union School of

1879.

American Legion Post 17 are to bring the 1698 – 1790 Pirate Episodes to life.

Hollymount Home Demonstration , the 1709 Quaker colony at Lewes.

Bethel Methodist Church will bring to life Rev George Whitefield , hell fire and brimstone

evangelist who preached his first sermon at Lewes in 1793.

Lewes Coast Guard Station will bring on the first vigilantes of 1884.

Other floats to be assigned are; 1812 bombardment to Ft Miles. LFD, the 1673 fire that

burned the second Dutch settlement, Delaware River Pilots to the YATCH Club , Fisherman Paradise

to Lewes Anglers. Lewes Trust will be asked to sponsor the deBraak episode, Sussex Trust, the six

governors fostered by Lewes, the Betsy Patterson, Jerome Bonaparts bride, and her 1804 storm

forced visit to Pilot Town Road, is asked to be by Lewes Dairy.

Homecoming Day at the Village Green , Thursday, tours on Friday , Saturday the 'parade', and

Sunday is 'Come to Church Day' with an evening union service on the beach front.

June 1 1956, Wilmington New Journal is the source.

LEWES 6 NEW TEACHERS 1950

LEWES SPECIAL SCHOOL 1950

ANNOUNCE

6 TO FACULTY

Superintenant H. Geiger Omwake of the Lewes Board of Education announced six new

post on the faculty of Lewes Special School were filled to complete the roster for the fall

semester.

The school will be 20 days late in opening due to renovations being completed and the new

building program. The opening day is September 26.

Mrs Della Maas, will succeed Mrs Myrtle Emory as librarian . Maas has a MA in Library

Science from the University of Nebraska, and 14 years experience, and is the first fully qualified

librarian of Lewes School.

Miss Doris Jean Layser, a West Chester State Teachers College graduate, will teach girls

physical education and coach the girls athletic teams. He plans to add girls hockey to the program

and field a varsity team for competition.

Miss Barbara Smith who holds an A.B. Degree from West Liberty State College will replace

Miss Dorothy Pulliam Kretzer as the fourth grade teacher.

Norman E. Smith, also a West Liberty State graduate will teach high school English class.

He will replace Miss Rachel Kepley and will direct the Junior Press Club as he has had special

education in journalism.

An additional fourth grade class made necessary by increased enrollment will be taught by

Mrs Marie Bricker, a graduate of Millersville State Teachers College . She has seven years of

teaching in Bradford and at Penn State.

Rodney Bricker, also from Bradford, will fill an appointment of elementary school

principal. He has a Masters in elementary education from the University of Pennsylvania.

He will also teach a new section of the sixth grade. Mr Brickler is working toward a doctorate

and is a veteran of WWII.

Source: Friday, August 25, 1950 Wilmington New Journal , Wilmington, Delaware