Saturday, December 1, 2018

ODESSA HISTORY 1993



ODESSA
A HAMLET
1993

The hamlet of Odessa is a Delaware historic town, restored, that has a degree of international renown. Today, the highway US 13 runs
through it, two stop lights and your through.
The 1993 mayor, Jim Grant, had received a letter from a Russian
Citizen living in San Francisco inquiring if Odessa, Delaware had any
connection with Odessa, Ukraine.
Before 1859 Odessa, Delaware was Cantwell's Bridge, and was a port on the Aappoquiniink Creek, which shipped 400,000 bushels of
grains every year to Odessa, Ukraine, a Russian grain center and for
that reason , Cantwell's Bridge became Odessa.
The towns heritage is Dutch, not Russian, dating back to 1630 , when trapping, fishing and trading were professions of the time and
Odessa's location, just off the Delaware River, was it's greatest attribute.
In the mid 1800's the railroad at Middletown diverted business from Odessa and up to 1938 was in decline.
H. Rodney Sharp, who had been the school principal in 1902 , bought and restored the old homes and buildings which he donated to the Winterthur Museum & Gardens which extended it's 18th century
collection into the heart of Odessa and holds daily tours in four houses.
The whole hamlet is a museum, catering to busloads of tourist and school children and Odessians open their homes and period pieces to the public.
Odessa does't have much of a business district, residents need to
go to Middletown to shop. The town does have two churches, fire
house and bank, also a library and a few bed & breakfast.
The mayor says the town does not have much of a budget to work
with but does have a wealth of history and a wealth of people dedicated
to nurturing it.

Abstract: Wednesday, December 1, 1993, Wilmington News Journal,
Delmarva Crossroads

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