VETERANS HELPING VETERANS

The morning just after the January 21st 2014 snow storm almost every one and everything was covered by drifts of snow. Thank the Lord the electricity did not fail here in the Lewes area and inside the home it was comfortable.  We did have one worry, how were we going to get the cars out of the snow bank built up behind them in case of an emergency or when we needed to use one to keep medical appointments. Several  calls for help did not solve the problem, however, at noon up drove a large grey  Ford pickup and out jumped Post 6984 Broadkiln VFW of Milton Adjutant , Hank Rickard's , a real Godsend, and shoveled both vehicles clear as well as the whole parking area so that this 84 year old Korean War vet and his handicapped wife had access to the world again. Thank you Hank and the VFW at Milton.   .

1926 Rehoboth High School Baseball Team

Rehoboth High School Baseball Team

About 1926

The first Rehoboth High School organized and uniformed baseball team came about in 1926 under coaches John Boyd and Richard Francis, both instructors at the school. The team, in their new uniforms, were photographed on the front steps of the Rehoboth Avenue high school building and printed in the Delaware Coast Press newspaper by it's editor, Roland Ingram.

Members of this team are; Norman Calhoun, Ridgely Ward, Coleman Green, Claude Hudson, William Hill, James Burton, Bob Palmer, Francis McSweeney, and Brman Melvin

1934 Lewes Christmas Lights

EARLY 1930'S

ELECTRIC CHRISTMAS LIGHTS

CUT FIRE HAZARD

IN LEWES AND REHOBOTH

There was a custom to decorate Christmas Trees at home in early years with open flame candles which created a fire hazard and local fire departments gave warning and instructions , such as, don't light candles and leave them burn when not at the tree, keeps the tree away from other items that might burn, etc.

In the early 1930's the electric lights for Christmas trees became available and coastal Delaware towns sponsored contest, with prizes like toasters, waffle irons, heating pads and other household appliances, and homeowners decorated with colorful lights.

The January 5^th 1934 Delaware Coast Press reported, “ Lewes homes, during Christmas week, where better decorated than last last year” and 150 homes were decorated with the colorful lights.

From there on, only WWII caused these towns to curtail Christmas outside lighting, due to 'blackout' regulations.

Delaware Diary, Michael Morgan, Delaware Coast Press, 5 January, 1934.

NOVEMBER 1779

A STORY

OF A

REVOLUTIONARY WAR SOLDIER

FROM

LEWES DELAWARE

By November 1779 the new Americans had been fighting four years against the British forces, the battles of Lexingron and Concord had been fought, the Continental Congress of America had formed an Army in which many men of Sussex county had enlisted. This is the story of one such soldier, known only as J.S., from Lewestown on the Delaware.

Long away from home, by months or even years, soldiers of the Continental Army longed for news from home, usually from letters promised from home. J.S. , however, was disappointed that these letters failed to arrive. J. S. did his part and sent letters to “My Dearest Girl” that he was now in Philadelphia and this, his fourth letter to Lewes, He told her he is in Philadeplhi on way to camp, which he has no idea where that will be, but that when there he will let her know the location so she can wright a reply. These Delaware troops were ordered to join other American troops in the south and when assembled marched through Philadelphia. Many had been in the field several years but had not yet receive full uniform and wore whatever, hunting shirts, common clothing, some in uniform, all with cocked hats, each with 'a green spring' the emblem of hope, and each with his firelock, a look of skillful training.

In the south they fought at Camden, Cowpens, and eventually at Yorktowne. It is not known the fate of J.S. However, this was the last letter he wrote; “ My Dearest Girl, Beleive me I am often ready to leave every engagement and run to the arms of her who I flatter myself wished to make me happy, farewell, do not neglect me. May god send aspeedy and honorable end to our troubles”.

Abstract from Delaware Diary , Michael Morgan.

CORDWAINER'S

CORDWAINER

Cordwainer is the Anglicization of French cordonner a word derived from the city of Moorish Cordoba in south of Spain which was well known for two trades, silversmithing and the production of Cordoven leather. This special leather was made from the skin of the Musoli goat of Corsica and Sardinia, wrought by the Moorish, and brought to England around 1066 after the Norman Invasion.

The term 'cordwainer' first appeared in England around 1100 and applied to 'shoemaker'. There were two classes of shoemakers, the Alutari, the ones who used the cordwain leather and the Basanarii, who were also known as bootmakers, which used the skin of sheep and could only make hightop boots. The cordwain leathers were used for high quality shoes only.

Cordwainers, the shoemakers, came to America in early 1600's, to Jamestown, Virginia . Captain John Smith was a cordwainer himself and it is known that he was supported by profit of the English shoe trade.

Tanners and shoemakers were in Jamestown by 1610 and by 1616 the village had a flourishing leather trade with the New England Pilgram settlement which came about 1619. The leather market held with Jamestown until after the 1760's.

Cordwainers are not Cobblers. Cordwainers work only with new leather whereas a Cobbler works only with used leather and does mainly repairs.

The Honourable Cordwainers Educational Foundation of Virginia is the source of this abstract information.

LOOK WHAT THE INDIANS LEFT US - LAUREL, DELAWARE

LAUREL, SUSSEX COUNTY, DELAWARE

On the 23d of October, 1711, Maryland Legislature provided 3000 acres along Broad Creek for an Indian reservation, laid out by George Gale, Samuel Worthington and Charles Whittington. Is so happened that the Indians did not care to be so confined and most move on to the northwest, leaving the reservation to be sold in 1786 so that the Indian Tribe could be reimbursed.

At this sale the land was purchased by Barkley Townsend and on parts of this property the town of Laurel was plotted, there were three streets running East and West, named Front, Market and Back, the North and South streets were Rye, Wheat, Corn and Lumber.

April 13, 1883, Laurel was incorporated by an Act of Delaware Legislature.

Major George Welsh, Wilmington Delaware Pilot, Pearl Harbor Hero, Death.

October 12, 1954 - Wilmington, Delaware :

George Lewis Welsh, age 36, of Wawset Park, Wilmington, Delaware, a Pearl Harbor hero, December 7, 1941, , was killed while testing an F-100 Saberjet aircraft in the Mojave Desert at Edwards Air Force Base, California, while chief test pilot for North American Aviation. Welsh was born George Lewis Schwartz but his parents change their name to avoid anti German sentiment during WWI. His father was a research chemist at duPont Experimental Test Station, Wilmington. Welsh was a graduate of St. Andrews School and took a mechanical Engineering major at Purdue University before joining the Army Air Corp in 1939. While stationed at Wheeler Field in Oahu, Hawaii after he received his wings and commission in January 1941, during the Japanese attack, he and Lt. Ken Taylor took off from Haleiwa Fighter Strip in two Curtiss P-40B taking several kills. He was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross, Silver Star, Asia-Pacific Campaign Medal among others, flying 348 combat missions in WWII and Korea with sixteen victories before malaria caused him to retire from the military. Major Welsh is buried in Arlington National Cemetery.