1940 DELAWARE BAY BUOYS & WINTER ICE

DELAWARE BAY 1940 WINTER STORM

Wilmington News Journal, Saturday, January 27. 1940

Captain Charles L. Lewis, master of the “Lilac”, the only lighthouse tender in the

Delaware Bay, reported that every light buoy from Trenton to just above Lewes,

has been brought to shore, except two, which are lost in the ice flows on the bay. He says

the ice conditions are dangerous and is two feet thick in some places.

It is a 24 hour a day job for Captain Lewis and his crew. He is telephoned, sometimes

late at night, that a buoy has broken loose and drifting toward the open sea, so it is out

into the cold, down the river , plowing through the ice flows, in search of the loose buoy.

Sort of like rabbit hunting he says, but we need to find the boy, even if it is under water, and

is no longer a navigation aid but now a hazard. Once a buoy with a 8500 pound anchor

drifted two miles from its position. There are some that are found five miles out to sea.

The very large light buoys, 48 of them that Lewis has brought in, are sitting at Edge Moor

dock, crusted with ice, dented and battered.

Abstract: March 2, 2018, by Harrison H. at Lewes.

LEWES BLOCK HOUSE POND

LEWES BLOCK HOUSE POND

Journal of the Lewes Historical Society, Volume IV, November 2001 by Hazel Brittingham

A natural feature found on early plots and maps of Lewes is Blockhouse Pond and was

the south end of of Market Street, Mulberry Street, and Shipcarpenter Street. It was about an

eighteen acre spread.

In the mid 1930's is was drained by the CCC to curb the mosquito infestation around

Lewes. It was restored in 1976 when Blockhouse Pond Park was established for recreational

activities and also serve as an emergency water supply. Lewes Community Platground was set

in 1994 at the NW corner.

Today the eleven acre area is surrounded by residences, the Bethel Methodist Cemetery,

Beebe Medical Center and public school property. A near property of Beebe, the old convalescent

center, sits on what was known as Frog Hill which it is said git the name from the bull frogs

serenading in the pond.

Way back, 1670, Lewes folk request of the English Governor, Sir Francis Lovelace, to

make use of discarded materials of a deteriorated fort on the bank of the creek to build a forty

foot square 'blockhouse' in the middle of town, thus giving the name to the pond and the area.

In the late 1600's county deeds and records used the names 'block house field' and

'block house pond' to identify adjoining property.

During the War of 1812 is is recorded that 500 troop were encamped at Blockhouse Pond

and when bombardment took place, women and children of Lewes sought refuge in the Blockhouse.

Blockhouse Pond also held the towns reserve of ice harvested in winter in addition to a fine skating rendezvous.

Wilmington Morning News, Thursday, February 8, 1912

Lewes, Delaware Pond Filled With Skaters:

Block House Pond , almost a hallowed spot in the memory of every boy and girl who ever lived in

Lewes, is the scene of gayety these days when throngs of skaters and ice boats make merry all day.

Wilmington Evening Journal, Friday, September 3,, 1915

Lewes, Delaware Lewes Talks of Playground

Lewes residents are in to forming a movement to purchase the old block house pond in back of the

Union School of Lewes, fill it in, and make a playground of it. The majority of the pond is owned

by Lewes and the rest by private individuals. Since the pond is dry at this time of year it is

considered a good time to fill it in.

In a 1903 Wilmington News Journal it is reported that blockhouse Pond host free ice skating'

Also a 1913 New Journal reports that very early on St. Peters Episcopal Church of Lewes

owned land up to Blockhouse Pond.

A 1922 Wilmington New Journal reports that the Lewes Civic Club at their Monday night

meeting discussed the filling in of Blockhouse Pond and met with approval. Dr. Hiram H. Burton,

gave a very interesting talk regarding the pond which is ten acres or more and would be of

considerable value if reclaimed.

Wilmington New Journal, Tuesday, July 3, 1934

Block House Pond, Old Lewes Landmark, Passes in War With Mosquitoes

Lewes Delaware, July 3 'Special',

Another landmark, Block House Pond, has passed on. Once a beautiful rendezvous to early

colonists back to the latter part of the 17^th century but of late years has become a stagnant

mosquito harbor and a menace to the town, has been drained by the Lewes CCC Camp. It took

four hundred foot of ditches to drain the pond which is close to the Beebe Hospital and the Lewes

High School.

It has served the town's history well, in 1670 a block house was built of bricks and logs salvaged

from an old fort on the Lewes Creek. , was a refuge during the War of 1812 bombardment, during

which Mrs Elizabeth Ann Marshall, of the Lewes Marshall family, was born, cradled in corn fodder

and lullabied by the cannon roar, and lived to be 99 years of age.

1700's and 1800's, it was a favorite rendezvous for the Lewes young people, with lilies and

clear water in summer and ice for skating in the winters. There were ice houses upon the banks to

store ice from winter for the summers. 1920 saw the last of ice skating as dried undergrowth and

12 foot high cat tails took over and the pond became a stagnant mosquito incuabator.

It is thought that Mulberry and Market streets will be continued through and a new residential section

will emerge.

Wilmington Morning News, Monday, August 13, 1934

CCC workers from Lewes Camp, under the direction of the Mosquito Control Commission, are

draining the bog that was once Whites Pond, on the opposite side of town from Blockhouse Pond ,

which was once a beautiful body of water.

Wilmington News Journal, Wednesday, February 13, 1935

The draining of Block House Pond Lewes is without an ice skating rink, however, a new

improved rink in the rear of the CCC Camp will soon be available for skaters. The CCC officers

and men decided that they and the town needs a skating pond and have blocked up a lake like 'depression' along the railroad near the camp, which will soon be filled with enough water to make

a safe skating rink.

Wilmington Morning News, Friday, November 12, 1937

Beebe Hospital Patients Alarmed At Cat of Nine Tail Fire

Lewes,, November 11, 1937:

Ten acres of blazing cat of nine tails at Block House Pond provided the most spectacular fire

here in many years. The frame house of Charles West who is confined to bed by an illness was

endangered and patients of Beebe Hospital were excited by the flames, as were students at the high

school near by.

The flames from the pond foliage sent large clouds of yellow smoke and ashes over half the town.

The fire started by a Beebe employee burning a trash pile which was fanned by high winds quickly

spread to adjacent marsh lands which took Lewes Volunteer Fire Company six hours to bring under

control.

Wilmington Morning News, Friday, December 23, 1938

Hospital Annex Threatened as Wind Fans Blaze of Block House Pond

A burning morass of cat of nine tails on the dry bed of Block House Pond threatened the new

$100,000 annex of Beebe Hospital as high winds flames over 20 acres before firemen brought

them under control . Dense smoke from the blaze covered most of he town of Lewes all day.

Alton Brittingham of the fire company thinks the fire was set by hunters to drive pheasants and

rabbits out of the cat tales. It took two hours to bring the fire under control but not before it had spread across the dry grass of the Methodist Cemetery to the state highway.

Abstract by Harrison H. March 1, 2018, Nassau, Delaware.

SINEPUXENT BAY BY GILBERT C KLINGEL

SINEPUXENT BAY

COUNTLESS YEARS IN THE MAKING TO OUTLAST MAN

BY GILBERT C. KLINGEL

Many years ago it was necessary to cross over Sinepuxent Bay to get to Fenwick Island where

Ocean City is , but today if you are on the Harry Kelley Memorial Bridge going into Ocean

City from Berlin or Salisbury, the west, the bridge at the confluence of Isle of Wright Bay

and Sinepuxent Bay, Sinapuxent is to you right or to the south. It flows on the west side

of Assateague Island until is reaches Chincoteague. Virginia and the Chincoteague Bay.

Assateague Island is a long strip of tumbled sand piles, dunes, uplifted ridges amd patches

of vegetation and beach grasses. West, or back of, this area lie the waters of Sinepuxent and

Chincoteague Bays.

These bays are shallow basins, broken up with many many mud flats, reed banks, islands and

channels, large patches and small patches of open water. Then these bays merge with the

Eastern Shore.

What is the story of these bays and creeks. Why are they there ? How old are they and how

did they come into being?

In the beginning there was no Sinepuxent Bay, no Eastern Shore, only the wild rolling

ocean, masses of waves, and on the ocean there were no steam boats, nor sails, and perhaps

no man. The Eastern Shore lay under water, part of a continental shelf, full of crustaceans

and other creatures for fish that swam above it to feed on . It was flat, as it is now, for the

countless centuries.

But nothing last forever so in the course of time, earth began to heave and alter its form,

rising here and settling there. Finally these oscillation of the sea bottom rose for a last time

and came to rest, thus, the flat sea bottom became the Easter Shore, level, flat, without

mountains or high hills. Still there was no Sinepuxent nor Chincoteague Bay, nor, sand

bars like Fenwick Island and Assateague Island. There was only a newly risen coast, from

which the ocean bed sloped gently out, maybe a hundred miles or so, before it descended

into the deep black depths.

Over these shallow basins came the wind born waves that gnawed at the shoreline, taking

bites of it back out to sea for awhile, however, the shallows built up to break the force of the

force of the waves but the off shore surf kept the ocean bottom in turmoil, throwing sand

forward to the beaches. These sands drifted into the still waters, settled, and accumulated

into ridges that would have remained except for another factor which entered, the currents

which piled up the sand ridges , higher and higher, making little islets above the water. Years

passed, these islats shifted with the currents and as the rose higher and higher grew closer

until they were one long strip. Nature tuned in to help by causeing the winds and waves and currents to work together holding the strip islands in place. Behind these strip islands crystal

clear water lay. Erosion made the waters shallow. This took centuries to happen.

Also there were mud bars. Home to scallops and clams, crabs, which came in from the ocean

but as they came about above water there came green algae and grasses, cat tails and wild rice.

The mud bars became grass islands which remain today., and then came hordes of ducks, rails,

heron and all things common to marshes.  

WW II U S COAST GUARD MOUNTED PATROL

U. S. COAST GUARD MOUNTED BEACH PATROL

WW II

Baltimore Evening Sun, April 6, 1943 by R. P. Harriss

The United States Coast Guard, charged with watching our coastal shores against an

invasion or the sneak attack of saboteurs now employ horses along a long stretch of beach and

soon will ride patrols continuously from the Gulf to the top of Maine.

Long before the present war the coastguardsmen of stormy Cape Hatteras had made use of

the small wild pony's of Chincoteauge Island to cover the lonely waste lands of dunes and saw

grass of the “Grave Yard of The Atlantic “ on the Carolina shores.

Credit for the organization of mounted patrol's goes to Captain E. A. Coffin, district officer

of the Coast guard and Captain W. L. McKinney, a veteran of the cavalry who was quick to see

usefulness of horses in patrolling vast stretches of our coast . Delaware mounted Coast Guardsmen

are now patrolling from sundown to sunrise and cover twice the distance of the beach foot patrols.

This Coast Guard Unit has its own Navy Blue dress uniform with brass button blouse,

riding trousers, high tan boots, cap with regulation visor, On patrol the mounties were regular

dungarees, a winter coat, sheepskin lined camvas , and as many sweaters as they can get on., all

wool caps with ear flaps. They are armed with a rifle, a pistol and a lamp for signaling. The

mounts are Army horses from the Front Royal, Virginia, remount, fitted with Army snaffle bit

bridals and ride on McClellen saddles.

The Mountie’s are a mix of sailors and horsemen, some have never been on a ship, some have

never been on a horse, all are trained with semaphore, Morses code, sea laws and weather. Next

comes horsemanship. Some are veterans of the U.S. Cavalry, the Pennsylvania Mounted Police.

The stable sergeant at Rehoboth is a second class boatswain mate and the shoreshoer is a Texas

Cowboy.

RIDING WIH A WATCH

The unit arrives at the stable, Rehoboth Unit 1, at dusk to find Chief Mattern and the stable

sergeant, Cresse in the tackroom, sitting by a pot belly stove, a Llewellyn setter laying near by on

the floor and a tortoise shell cat patrolling the 'rat way'. The place was neat, with unusual nautical

items. A small anchor hung by rope from ceiling was used as a rack for cleaning the bridles.

The coast Guard Patrol is a six hour watch, a 4 mph walk, covering 24 miles. The CPO roves

about constantly, either mounted or in a jeep. This night the chief was on a prancing black horse

that was recently brought in from Front Royal and not yet accustomed to the roar of the breakers

a bit dubious of the splash and foam. With us was seaman 1^st class Sidney Hirst, a seasoned

horseman with a lot of experienced and would be able to take his horse out thru he surf if necessary.

We rode through the woods and out to the waters edge, without the prancing black horse and the

chief but we could hear the horse snorting. Not much talk as the seamen looked and listened for

any unfamiliar objects as our mounts stepped about and avoided holes and hunks of wreckage .

We had gone but a short distance before being challenged. A 'shape' loomed up, the chief was

recognized, spoke a few words, checked the guards horse for over heating before he was moving on.

Our next encounter was the Army, soldiers with rifles equipped with bayonets and overlapping

authority. “Halt, who goes there ? “ . As we advanced, one at a time, they were somewhat

concerned with me because my snap brim cap did not match the Coast Guards uniform hats. But my

pass and a word from the chief satisfied them and we road on. This was the only incident remotely

exciting during the watch.

The long, slow ride was pleasant , mild weather, and we let our horses jog a bit after leaving

the dunes, then let them cool down. I felt satisfied no enemy is going to sneak in alone the beach.

QUARTERS AND KENNELS

Indian River and Fenwick Island stations had new stables but the one at Rehoboth was an old

tomato cannery that had been converted. It served the purpose well and has a good paddock, but it's

outside looked rough. The mounties were quartered in a fine summer residence, taken over just

for that reason. Other summer residences along the coast also became 'barracks' , the fine furniture

removed, replaced with government gear .

Fenwick Island Station was staffed by an interesting unit, it had kennels, the dogs were

German Shepard or police dogs and used for guard duty by the foot patrols. Any one of them could

throw a man down and hold him and two could, under commands, tear a man to pieces

ABOUT THE AUTHOR R. P. HARRISS

In 1943, Robert Preston Harriss, age 39,as an associated editor of the Baltimore Sun.

He lived in Baltimore with his wife, Margery Willis Harriss and a 1 year old daughter, Clorinda.

Harriss had been born n North Carolina the 19^th August 1902 , died in Baltimore 26 September

1989, buried in Cross Creek Cemetery, Fayetteville, North Carolina. His wife, Margery Willis

Harriss was born in Baltimore, 16 June 1909 and died 18 March 2003. He lived at 2610 St. Paul Street, Baltimore in 1940 and had a four year college education.  

OCEAN CITY'S HERRING CREEK RIDGE TO CLOSE

OCEAN CITY'S HERRING CREEK BRIDGE CLOSED

Baltimore Sun Tuesday, October 14, 1941

Traffic was stopped this morning between Berlin and Ocean City on the highway, U.S. 213,

as State Roads Commission closed the bridge over Herring Creek, west of Ocean City.

Williams Construction Company of Middle River began setting off dynamite at the east and

west approaches to Herring Creek Bridge ib an effort to settle the fill in preparation to the

laying of foundations for the new dual highway bridge over the tributary and two miles of

a four land highway to the $1,000,000 Sinepuxent Bay Bridge nearing completion.

The present Herring Creek bridge is to be removed and the new dual bridge built just a bit

north of the old site.

The Mayor and Council will hold a protest October 20. Mayor Cropper feels the closing

deals a financial blow to his city, even though the contract calls for completion of the project

by June 15, 1942.

The suspension of traffic over route 213 necessitates a detour by Berlin to Sinepuxent

which will affect tourist trade in 1942 the mayor feels.

The district engineer, P. A. Morrison of Salisbury, said the actual distance via the detour

will only be one and a half mile further and that the project will be finished and all roads

and bridges open in time for the 1942 beach season.

Abstract February 22, 2018 by Harrison H. for facebooks “Lewes to Ocean City” page

and www.delmarhistory.blogspot.com

LEWES OLD TIMERS - BENJAMIN SHALLCROSS ALBERTSON , jR.

BENJAMIN SHALLCROSS ALBERTSON, JUNIOR

LEWES OLD TIMER

WW I VETERAN

Benjamin Shallcross Albertson, Jr., Navy Veteran of WW I . was buried Tuesday, May 1^st

1951, in the Bertrand Episcopal Cemetery on Pilot Town Road after services at St Peters

Episcopal Church of Lewes, conducted by Rev Joseph Clere Phillips , rector. This was the

first burial in the new Episcopal Cemetery. Albertson was a Navy veteran of WW I, a

prominent American Legionnaire and inventor who did at Lewes Beebe Hospital last

Saturday, April 28^th.

A Fort Miles Firing Squad gave him a salute at the grave site. Honorary pallbearers were

Col. Stayer, Delaware Department of American Legion Commander, and the American

Legion Adjutant, Thomas Egan. Active pallbearers were members of American Legion Post

5 of Rehoboth Beach where Albertson had served a s commander, adjutant, chaplain,

historian and service officer.

He died of heart trouble which began in the summer of 1950 and caused him to be a patient

at the Brackex Veterans Hospital several months.

Ben was a collector of antique guns and had invented an special lubricating oil for guns and

machinery.

His only son, Staff Sergeant Benjamin S. Albertson III, is now deployed in Japan with an

Army Underwater Explosive Ordnance Squad. Albertson III is married to Askato Ito of

Japan.

Mrs .Sarah Joseph Albertson, his wife, whom he married while while serving at the Lewes

Naval Base in Lewes, is office manager of the Lewes Board of Public Works and the

organist at St. Peters Episcopal Church.

 Source: Salisbury Daily Times, Tuesday, May 1, 1951

1948 WINTER EVENTS OF LEWES & REHOBOTH GROUPS.

1948 EVENTS PLANNED BY

LEWES & REHOBOTH GROUPS

Wilmington Morning News : Monday, October 18^th, 1948 :

The Rehoboth Beach Village Improvement Association, on Wednesday, October

2oth, 1948, will hear their guest speaker, Mrs. E. G. Baldwiin of Arlington, Virginia,

discuss winter flower and native foliage in home arrangements of bouquets. Mrs.

Balwin has made a special study of flower arrangements and their artistic value in homes

and gardens.

The Lewes Zwaanendael Club hold their October meeting this evening at the

Savannah Road club house, Mrs Herald Brittingham, Jr., is general chairman,, Mrs Frank

Carter, Jr., is hostess and Mrs. Grier Emory will serve refreshments.

Two Halloween parties have been arranged in Lewes, Beebe Nurses Alumnae

Association will give a masked dance Friday evening in the Lewes Fire Hall auditorium.

Everyone is asked to come masked and prizes will be awarded. The Girl Scouts Lewes

Troop will have a party at the St. Peters Church parsonage. Mrs Walter Feaster, Jr., is

Troop II leader.

American Legion Post 5, Rehoboth, will have a series of parties throughout the winter

months with Phillip Kugelmann as chairman. A small admission fee will be collected to

support veterans welfare. Members and the public are invited to attend.

The May Kelley, Presbyterian Church Sunday School Class, will hold a dinner

in the church school room Wednesday . Mrs Walter Bryan is president of the class that

has been in continuous operation since Mrs James R. Kelley started it over a quarter of a

century ago and was its teacher many years.

The Unity Chapter of the Eastern Star have a turkey dinner Saturday at the

Lewes Fire Hall.

The Lewes PTA at its first fall meeting held in the school auditorium laid plans

for another Christmas Fair to beheld at the school . H. Geiger Omwake , school

superintendent, announced that plans for additions of a cafeteria, gymnasium and more

class rooms were available for the November meeting. He said there was an increase of

70 students this year. Mrs John Houston was chairmen of the October meeting.

Lewes WCTU met last Monday with Mrs Marie Brown Danrow, hostess,

and Mrs Elizabeth West was chairman.

The Wednesday Evening Bridge Club which has started its winter meetings was

held at the home of Mrs Archie Brittingham on Pilot Town Road.

The next meeting will be a dinner meeting at Dinner Bell Inn in Rehoboth Beach, with

Mrs Stanley Miller, hostess.

JOHN BEARMAN WINE LEWES YACHT CLUB COMMODORE.

Wilmington News Journal, Wednesday, December 15, 1948 :

Lewes, Delaware December 16, 1948:

John Bearman Wine, retired manager for the Eastern States Wilbur – Suchard Chocolate

Candy Company which he served for 51 years until a heart attack in 1946. He was the

commodore of the Lewes Yacht Club for 10 years ending in 1946. Wine was 69 years of

age at his death the 13^th December 1948 in Beebe Hospital , Lewes. John was born

28 February 1879, Pilot Town, Sussex county, Delaware but moved right away to

Philadelphia with parents John N. and Aberteen Hickman Wine. Later he made his

home in Narberth, Pennsylvania and owned a summer home , “Frost Bite Villa” on

Lewes Beach. He was one of the most active members of the Lewes Yacht Club.

John Bearman Wine leaves his widow, Margaret Kepley Wine, a son John Wesley Wine,

a sister, Marian Wine Leatherman, of Philadelphia, and, a brother Nathaniel Wine

of Camden, New Jersey.

His private funeral service was conducted by Dr. Rev. William Leishman at the Atkins

Funeral Home. Lewes, Saturday, December 18^th, 1948,,with burial in Bethel Methodist

Cemetery.

1948 CLASS BEEBE NURSES

Wilmington News Journal, Thursday , May 27, 1948:

Lewes Delaware,, May 27, 1948:

15 Nurses Get Diplomas May 28 At Lewes

Fifteen members of the Beebe Hospital School of Nursing received diplomas at their

commencement exercises held in the Lewes High School auditorium .

Dr. Earl Armstrong, dean of the school of education of the University of Delaware, was the

speaker.

Awards were Beebe Auxiliary prize, presented by Mrs Eugeng Kelley, Advisory Board

Award, by Joseph Marshall, the Shaw Memorial Award, by Dr. Richard Beebe, and

duPont Gifts by Dr. Ulysses Hocker.

Dr James Beebe, Medical Director, gave the diplomas and Nurses' pin were affixed by

Frances Baylis, Director of Nurses.

Lewes School Band have a concert. Soloists were Homer Ingram and Robert Hall,

accompanists were Mrs Stambaugh and Mrs Albertonson.

Graduates are ; Camille Caprio, Freda Conklin, Kathleen Glossner, and Thelma

Simcox, all from Lock Haven, Pennsylvania, Barbara Darshem of Mill Hall,

Pennsylvania, Mildred Plute of St. Clair, Pennsylvania, Phyllis Drake, Renova,

Pennsylvania, Barbara Keiffer and Patricia Walker of Flemmington, Pennsylvania,

Jean Lacy, Milford, Delaware, Ruth Salisbury , Ridgely, Maryland, Nancy Snowberger,

Wilmington, Mrs Helen Maull, Mrs Ruth Bailey Mitchell and Mrs Charlotte Schmierer,

all of Lewes, Delaware.   

MARY HICKMAN EVANS 1879 LEWES SCHOOL GRADUATE.

MARY HICKMAN EVANS

1879 LEWES SCHOOL GRADUATE

The class of 1879 of Lewes School was the first graduating class of Lewes High School in

which there were four girl graduates.

In 1948 there was one, the last, remaining member living and she celebrated her 88^th birthday

yesterday, June 1^st, 1949 at her Second Street home in Lewes.

She is Mrs Mary Hickman Evans, born in Lewes, June 1, 1860, the daughter of the late

Nathaniel W. and Hannah Howell Rodney Hickman . She is the widow of one of the veteran

Delaware River & Bay Pilots of Lewes, Louis Pasterfield Evans. Of this family there are three sons

living, Captain Nathaniel H. Evans, Delaware River & Bay Pilot living on Lewes Beach, Commander

Donald R. Evans, U.S. Navy Retired, of Lewes, and Roy Evans of Boston, Massachusetts.

Mrs Evans later taught in Lewes High School.

SOURCE: Wilmington Morning News, Thursday, June 3, 1948.

www.delmarhistory.blogspot.com

LEWES CHRISTMAS EVENTS 1948

1948 LEWES COTILLION DANCE

The Christmas social season has now been planned and the largest dance of the holidays

will be the Lewes Cotillion Club on Wednesday night, December 29 at the Lewes Fire

Hall auditorium. Habrick H. Hill, Jr., chairman of the music committee, has secured

the Curt Roney Orchestra from 10 pm to 2 am.

Officers of this years Lewes cotillion are Captain Bill Egan , Delaware River Pilot, is

president,, Herb Hazzard is VP, Edson Lodge, treasurer, and Mrs. Linford Palmer,

secretary.

Rehoboth Cotillion will also use the Lewes fire Hall for their dance on New Years Eve.

The Nassau Home Demonstration Club will have a Christmas party today at the Quarkertown,

Henlopen Grange.

The members of Quakertown Association , all residents of the restored colonial village, will

hold a dinner o December 16^th. Their chairman is Mrs. Ken Givens, assistants, Mrs John

Quillen, Mrs Jame Lank, Mrs Frank Thorp, and Mrs John Wilson.

The Lewes PTA annual Christmas Fair is set for Monday at the school auditorium .

Santa will arrive the Breakwater town this Saturday and the Lewes Chamber of commerce

will host him down town.

Source: Wilmington Morning News, Thursday December 2, 1948

THOMAS HOWARD CRPENTER

CAPTAIN THOMAS HOWARD CARPENTER III

RETIRED PILOT & LEWES MAYOR

Lewes, Delaware, Monday, January 7, 1957: Wilmington News Journal

Captain John Howard Carpenter, III, retired Delaware River and Bay pilot, former

mayor of Lewes and bank official, died Saturday, January 5, at age 90 at the home of

his daughter, Mrs J. Reese White, Millsboro where he had been living since the death of his

wife in 1944.

Captain Carpenter was one of the last of the river pilots of the sailing vessel era and last of

ten pilots who owned the pilot schooner, Thomas Howard.

After retirement from the sea he was mayor of Lewes for two terms, 1940 to 1944.

He also was head Lewes Trust Company and remained vice chairman until recently.

In 1915, Thomas Howard Carpenter and C. C. Marshall organized the Lewes Amusement

Company which provided the moving picture house, the Auditorium Theater.

He is survived by his two daughters, Mrs Reese White and Mrs S. Chilton Roberts of

Boston.

The Rt. Rev. Arthur McKinstry, former bishop, Episcopal Diocese, conducted the service

with the aid of Rev. Moon, and Rev Baker in the Lewes, St. Peters Episcopal Church

with burial in the church yard.

Honorary pallbearers were offices of the Pilots Association, Lewes Trust Company

directors, John G. Townsent, Jr., Doctors Beebe, Junior and Senior, Dr. G. V. Wood, Louis

Chambers, , Otis Smith and other Lewes pilots.  

1949 MILTON STORY SEPTEMBER 13TH

A MILTON STORY

THE DAY IS TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 13, 1949

Wilmington News Journal, Tuesday September 13, 1949

The first grade enrollment for Milton school this year is sixty two and sets an all time high.

This class will need to be divided into two groups, one to be taught by Mrs. Elizabeth

Shivelhood and the other by Miss Ruth Hudson.

Total Milton School enrollment for this year, both elementary and high school grades, is

430 , one for the record..

Thirty one boys of high school are candidates for the newly organized football team, being

coached by Mr. Chambers and Mr. Smith. They have six weeks to practice before they face

Delmar on October 21^st.

There is a new sixth grade teacher, Ray Kip, a graduate of the Millersburg State Teachers

College in Pennsylvania. Kip is native of Elizabethtown in Pennsylvania and has done 17

months service with the Coast Guard.

The Lions Club resumed their regular dinner meetings last Monday at Goshen Hall served

by the WSCS, Rev Harold Davis is president, Howard Carey, secretary and Ken Douglas,

treasurer.

Martha Clendaniel, a last year graduate of Milton High entered West Chester Teachers College

and will be active in all athletic activities and major in elementary education the next four

years. Martha's sister, Emily, is also at the same school and will graduate next spring.

Wanda, another sister, graduated last May and teaches English and French at Milton High

School. They are daughters of Mr. & Mrs Lester Clendaniel of Broad Street, Milton.

Russell Bennett, stock car racer of Milton, was qualified at Langhorn Raceway this last

Sunday and came in seventh place, with his 1946 model car. Asher Campell also of Milton

accompanied Bennett to Langhorn.

Clara Reed, who Dorsey Morgan ran over with his motorcycle last Sunday evening as she\

was crossing Federal Street on her way to evening church service, is improving at Milford

Hospital from severe lacerations and a fractured knee.  

1949 MILTON HIGH GRADUATION COMMENCEMENT.

1949 MILTON HIGH SCHOOL COMMENCMENT

Wilmington News Journal Friday May 27, 1949. :

Milton high school commencement exercises will be held for the graduating class next

Thursday evening at 8 o/clock and there will be no principal speaker since the graduates

themselves will be in total charge of the program. They have chosen as the theme

“Challenges for the Youth of 1949”.

The high school band will play the 'processional”, invocation by Rachel Donovan,

'Welcome' by Donald Emory, then the “Challenges for the Youth of 1949” will be

discussed by the class. Neva Crouch, will speak to end the senior program.

The school principal, Warren Good, will name the students for graduation and Rev Harold

Davis, the school board president, will present the diplomas.

The school chorus will sing, “After Graduation Days”.

Awards to be presented by Mr. Good and the Rev. Davis will give benediction.

In the graduating class there are sixteen members, five are honor students. They are

Martha Clendaniel, Neva Crouch, Donal Emory, Ruth Calhoun, and Betty Donovan.

Other graduates are Vera Clifton, Rachel Donovan, Susan Graves, Charlotte Walls,

Dorothy Williams, Bessie Mitchell, Earl Isaacs, Ralph Marvel, Raymond Marvel ,

Rufus Passwaters and Charles Stuchlik.

1971 BETHANY BEACH NOR'EASTER

Baltimore Sun Friday April 16, 1971 Salisbury Bureau by Mary Cordry

Betheny Beach, Delaware, April 15, 1971

Wind, Waves, Play Havoc with Bethany Beach Sand

A nor'east wind, ocean waves, last week washed away so much of the beach at this

Delaware resort tat the jetties designed to hold the sand in place now stand exposed five

feet high.

Bethany Beach is a quiet residential ocean resort in Delaware just north of Ocean City.

For the past two years the ocean has been washing away sand along the boardwalk and

encroaching into the wide dunes , says the town manager, Allan Humphrey.

The wooden steps from the boardwalk to the beach were three feet above the sand and the

surf had washed under the boardwalk in many places. Three feet of sand has been lost

from the beach.

Last Tuesday the wind velocity reached 67 mph all day long and the force of the waves

undermined the jetties . Foam from the waves washed over the dunes and ran down city

streets.

Year around residents says the beach will build itself back up as the wind changes but

rebuilding dunes is the big problem.

Overlooking the surf on the boardwalk is the Holiday House restaurant which stands on a

peninsula of high ground protected by a bulkhead that was built after the 1962 storm that

almost washed the east coast away.

JOE DAISEY HENLOPEN LIGHTHOUSE

JOE DAISEY

CAPE HENLOPEN LIGHTHOUSE ATTENDANT

Salisbury Daily Times, Sunday, September 20, 1970. Dick Cullen, Staff :

Joe Daisey, an everyday man, sits in his front porch rocking chair, watching TV and smoking

a cigaret, recalls vividly the Cape Henlopen Lighthouse which served the the entrance to the

Delaware Bay for more than 165 years. A ray of light for mariners.

At age 86, Mr. Daisey is the only surviving employe of the lighthouse, lives alone in Lewes.

His wife, Clara Ella Edwards Daisey, died of cancer in 1956 as did his daughter. Katherine

Campbell Daisey, in 1968. Katherine was the last child to be born in the famed lighthouse.

Joe Daisey is diabetic, blind in one eye and hard of hearing, but does not let these minor

shortcomings interfere with his daily routine. He says he cant do today what his used to be

able to do, but he makes out. He doesn’t tell sea stories, just the facts, and prides himself

in telling the truth. His stories are long, factual and riddled with turn of the century jargon.

The story of his departure from the civil service job follows. His tenure at the lighthouse

began December 24^th, 1911 and ended December 26, 1919 ended with a 'stormy'

confrontation with the lighthouse keeper about keep duty for Christmans. Yes we had a

bloody fight , he punching me in the short ribs and me punching him in the face. I almost

knocked him down the spiral steps but grabbed him in time and pulled him aside.

I left my post, drew my resignation and mailed it. A Short time later I got a letter from the

Coast Guard which informed me I had been temporarily suspended. I wrote back that I had

quit and that as that.

Mr. Daisey disputes the story that the lighthouse fell during a nor' easter, April 13 1926.

He tells that he and his wife were at the beach fishing, on a sunny day, water calm, hear a

thunderous roar and looked toward that direction to find the lighthouse slipping down the

sand dune into the sea.

Joe Daisey explained that Lewes residents were not too disturbed at the lighthouse fate as

it had been abandoned by the Coast guard in 1924 as safety reasons and that it was just a

matter of time until it;s fall.

Joseph Martin Daisey was born in Box Iron, Maryland, near Snow Hill, 14 January 1885

and died in Lewes 1 February 1972. He had been a waterman most of his life.

His wife was Clara Ella Edwards and they had a daughter born 1913 , Katherine , who died

at age 55.  

ELSIE RAY WALLS GRAVES

ELSIE RAY WALLS GRAVES

MILTON &  LEWES

Elsie Ray Walls Graves, age 91, of Lewes, died Friday, April 23, 1993, in Peninsula

General Hospital, Salisbury, of an heart attack a day earlier.

Mrs Graves had moved to Lewes from Milton about twenty years ago to be near her

daughter, sue Graves Raley and maintained hr own home home, drove her car and was

a weekly bridge club member until her death. She was a member of the Goshen

United Methodist Church Womans Society. In Milton.

Since 1957 Mrs Graves owned and operated the Graves Manufacturing Company, a

childrens dress factory in Milron, where she had grown up.

Her husband Milton T. Graves died in 1953 and she is survived by her daughter Sue

and three grandchildren and two great grandchildren.

She is buried in Odd Fellows Cemetery , Milton.

Elsie Ray Walls was born in Broadkill Hundred 1901 to Benjamin Franklin Walls and

Susan Ellen Pettyjohn Walls. She, the sixth child of the family of seven. Three died as

infants, but she had two sisters, Bertha H. and Lida Frances Walls and a brother Elwood..

Source: Wilmington News Journal Monday July 26, 1993. Abstract Harrison H., 2018.