ON THE ROAD TO FENWICK ISLAND

HISTORY OF CAPE HENLOPEN AND BEYOND

ON THE ROAD TO FENWICK ISLAND FROM REHOBOTH

February 9, 1915: Wilmington Evening Journal :

A hundred year ago is was difficult to travel between these two beach towns, a sandy

road of wild sand dunes from Dewey Beach southward to Fenwick Island, an inlet at

Indian River Inlet with no bridge, and a new town under construction , Bethany Beach.

By horse or foot it was difficult to traverse the round about way and autos needed to use

the highways on the western side of the inland bays, through Millsboro.

In 1915, The Delaware Public Lands Commission, issued a report to urge the building of a

coastal road between Rehoboth and Fenwick, across the wicked dunes that “will return a

thousand fold to the state for every dollar spent”. Yes, they knew of the many obstacles

that lay in the way for an early 20^th century road, sandy, unpaved, rutted and impassable

in wet weather. Plus, until 1911 there were no roads to feed western or northern traffic to

the coastal highways. That came about when T. Coleman du Pont built his own hard surface

road north to south in mid state. Still this event did not directly benefit at coastal road

from Rehoboth to Fenwick. Farm produce, at that time '”marsh hay grass' was the only

money maker with a small bit of cattle grazing.

Oceanside vacation homes did catch a few eyes of the more wealthy property owners and

the Indian River Inlet needed to be covered. The commission knew they were late with these

decisions but WW I delays, squabbling politics and economic difficulties stood in the path.

It was 1939 before a hard surface road appeared with a bridge over the inlet, but, it did,

“return a thousand fold of every dollar spent”.

Abstract: 9 February, 1915, Wilmington Evening News, and Michael Morgan's Delaware

Diary, Delaware Coast Press, 2019.

MELENIA TRUMP

RECOGNITION TO MELANIA TRUMP

God Bless BRAD DOWNEY and her SLOVENIAN hometown

for the commissioned statue of Melenia to be built.

Let us hear the status and location of this monument from time to time.

1876 JULY 4TH AT LEWES

HISTORY OF LEWES DELAWARE

LEWES 4TH JULY CELEBRATION. 6 JULY 1876.

The Wilmington Daily Commercial , 6 July 1886, commented, the 4 July 1876

celebration deserves more than than a passing notice. Most notable was the parade

of the Continental Guards organized two weeks before by Captain S. S. Bookhammer

with Continental Uniforms, cocked hats, knee britches, buckles of brass, and all.

In 1786, 100 years before before, the celebration of the signing of the Declaration of

Independence, was a bit more subdued.

After several battles won by the British, British Captain Andrew Snape Hamond ,

has the HMS Roebuck at the Delaware River , somewhat in charge of British shipping and

the control of a 'group' of Tory's proclaim Loyalty to the King Of England and had

reported to his commanding officer, “ I have the pleasure to inform you that the

inhabitants of the Lower Two Counties on the Delaware have had 3000 arms taken

up and declare themselves in favor of the British government”.

Hamon was correct about this support to the British in Kent and Sussex on the Delaware, but failed to note the Lewes residents were strongly in support of the American Independence and the Patriots of Lewes organized and led by Henry Fisher, William

Peery, in resistance to the British. The American Patroit group was able to carry on the dominance of the Delaware Bay and River and lower Sussex by actions in the shipping with much needed war supplies to Philadelphia and the British Forces.

On the day the signing of the Declaration, Lewes was under siege. W illiam Adair announced in his 1776 Journal, “Independence Proclaimed, by the head of “ye Delaware Battalion , July 10, with 3 Cheers”. The days later, July 20, Independence of Lewes was

declared by three 'toast' of the their three cannon.

The 100^th anniversary, 1876, Lewes made the celebration the “Greatest Ever” and

2000 people attended. The Wilmington Daily Commercial reported after political speeches

100 guns of the Guards were fired and a parade was made with a draft of four horses

which filled the streets and all moved to the beach at dusk to see fireworks of shooting

stars and combinations of brilliant effect.

Abstract: Wilmington Daily Commercial, July 6, 1867, a column of Delaware Diary,

by Michael Morgan, Delaware Coast Press on July 3, 2019 .

JOHNNY CARSON REPLACES JACK PAAR

THE MORNING SHOW TV HISTORY

JOHNNY CARSON TO REPLACE JACK PAAR

Monday, December 13, 1954 : Baltimore Evening Sun, Baltimore , Maryland.

Johnny Carson, a young Hollywood comedian, will take over for Jack Paar, as host

of the “Morning Show”, January 3, while Paar is on vacatoion in Cuba.

Carson, who won critics acclaim last season when he took over the Red Skel ton

Show on a four hour notice when Skelton fell ill. Johnny Carson first won an audience

in Corning , Iowa while in high school as an magician and ventriloquist.

During WW II as a Navy Ensign , served on the USS Pennsylvania, as an

Entertainer, was discharged in 1949 , and became a television announcer in Omaha.

While there he married Jody Wolcott and headed toward Hollywood. Last summer he was

emcee for the quiz show “Earn Your Vacation”

Corning is the County Seat of Adams County Seat Iowa , sits at the intersection of

Highway U. S. 34 and Iowa 148 southwest of Omaha . Carson is also the 1877 birthplace

of Daniel Webster Turner, Governor of Iowa 1931 to 1933. It was a settlement of French

Icarians on the Icaria Lake.

Home of the “Johnny Carson Birthplace Society”, and the annual celebration of

“Le Festival De L'Heritage Francais”.

Abstract: Baltimore Evening Sun, Monday, 13 December, 1954 and Wikipedia.

JUNCTION & BEAKWATER RAILROAD ENGINE HOUSE,

RAILROAD HISTORY

JUNCTION & BREAKWATER LEWES ENGINE HOUSE.

Monday, 21 August, 1882 : Wilmington, Delaware Daily Gazette :

A new engne house for the Junction amd Brealwater Railroad has been opened at Queen

Ann's Street and Pilot Town Road, Lewes.

The Railroad is now building it's own box cars with several already in use.at this time.

It is the intrntion to erect a large machine shop along the line somwhere yet not decided

upon.

Abstract: Daily Gazette, Wilmington, Delaware,, 21 August, 1882.