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.