VIRGINIA TANZER'S REHOBOTH

THE FIRST TWO THOUSAND YEARS OF REHOBOTH BEACH

BY VIRGINIA TANZER

Twenty centuries the beach at what is now Rehoboth Beach, has

drawn visitors according to age test on archaeological findings. Even

the early native Indian tribes found a combination hard to beat, a salty

ocean, sandy beaches and tall trees, mostly fragrant pines.

Algonquin tribes were regular warm weather visitors which

enjoyed the cool salty breezy ocean air and the sea foods for feasting.

There is a possibility that at tribe made the beach area a permanent

settlement, staying in the cooler weather for duck and geese and for sure

the winter fishing.

No Indian name has survived. In the 1600's early European settler

arriving named the inland bay to the south of the capes, Rehoboth,

which has a biblical meaning, “ room enough “ . There is recent

evidence that before the 1630 Dutch settlement , like in 1550 European

sailors would 'jump ship' laying off the coast and make residence on land.

In any event, the European settlers, either farmers, fur traders, fishermen,

began to act as thought the land was theirs and that drove the natives out.

Sort of like today's visitors, thinking the pleasures of the resort are

theirs and theirs alone. Like a Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde transformation.

OK, back to early Rehoboth. The settlers bent their backs to farm

plows, fur traps, and land development was a far cry away. It was

after the Civil War that development came to mind. The Methodist are to

blame since in 1872 they opened a Camp Meeting site and 400 acres fell

into the hands of 'developers'. The 400 acres became 100's of lots with

tents, a 500 seat tabernacle in town center, then two story cottages.

1875, the Methodist “Thou Shalt Not's” came to be “ Thou Shalt' “.

Hotels, alcohol, dancing and the like, even ocean swimming, came to be

the summers attraction, but yet in the 1970's, Rehoboth Beach has the

recognition of a family town.

Mosquito's deterred an early 1930's development and transportation

made it difficult to get to and away from . The railroad's smokey cinders

ride was the way to come and go.

Outside the vacationers , old time residents and new 'come here's '

have a loyalty and interest to the relaxed life style .

Virginia Tanzer in closing says Rehoboth at it's height of summer

influx still has charm. A town of comfortable pleasant home's, flower

gardens, people of broad scope of interest and activities, that charm of

trees, beach sand and salty ocean breezes.

Abstract : Virginia Tanzer's “Seagulls Hate Parsnips” and other

Electrifying Revelations About the Delaware Shore.

1913 WHITE HOUSE WEDDING & THE NUMBER 13.

WHITE HOUSE WEDDING

1913

This is a history lesson about the number 13, the White House weddings,

not to forget the marriage of President Woodrow Wilson's daughter, Jessie.

The number 13, an evil superstition or a good luck omen, it's your call.

The number plays a big part in the wedding on November 25^th , the year

1913, in the White House East Room of Miss Jessie W. Wilson, daughter of President and Mrs Wilson, who is to marry Frances B. Sayre.

First off, Miss Jessie W. Wilson will be the 13^th White House bride.

Next, there are twelve members in the bridal party so that when they are at

the Alter and the Rev. Sylvester Beach steps up to give the ceremony

there are 13.

Both the bride and groom's names have thirteen letters as does Woodrow

Wilson, the brides father.

It is the year 1913.

Abstract: Wilmington Morning News, Tuesday, November 25, 1913.

GHOST ISLAND

DORCHESTER COUNTY MARYLAND HISTORY

LEGEND OF GHOST ISLAND

Ghost Island is just to the southwest of the Lewis Wharf homestead near Henrys Crossroads on Elliott Island Road. It is really not an island, being surrounded by marsh land, not waters, it is small, less than an acre, with Peach Orchard Creek to it's north.

In the early 1800's Lewis Wharf and the homestead were purchased

by three men and one, Jesse Wainwright, took residence in the haunted

Lewis house. Wainwright , it has been told, got rid of the Lewis house

ghost, but the small island west of the house still had 'sightings' of a ghost

said to be one of the past Lewis house owners.

While out hunting muskrats, a neighbor in his row boat was sitting

up the creek when he heard a rustling noise in the marsh reeds and was

ready to take another fat muskrat, when by moonlight saw a man walking

out of the reeds, on top of the creek waters, without falling in. The muskrat

hunter wasted no time leaving and was soon telling his story to Jesse

Wainwright. Jesse told him he hadn’t seen anything yet , but wait till old

man Levins Lewis, now in the grave by the Lewis house, comes riding

his white mule on Ghost Island.

The story here is that the gold treasure hid in the old Lewis house had

been found and removed, so the ghost of Ghost Island, had lost their job of

guarding it and left.

Abstract : Between the Blackwater & Nanticoke by Bruce Neal Stump.

VIENNA'S LEVIN LEWIS, A TORY.

DORCHESTER COUNTY HISTORY

LEVIN LEWIS

A TORY

Levin Lewis, Sr., not sure which one, of Vienna, Maryland section of

Dorchester county, made a lot of gold money being a Tory, and dealing

with the British during the American Revolution. In the darkness of

night, British ships would sail up the Nanticoke River from the

Chesapeake Bay and drop anchor below Penknife Point, send smaller

vessels to row up Wapremander Creek. There were two reasons to

anchor below Pennife Point, one was that it is nearest the Wapremand

Creek and two it was out of sight of the Henry family only 2 miles

away. The British dealings were mainly in food stuff's gathered and sold

by other Tory friendly friends and co-hearts. Evidently , Levin Lewis was

never caught in any action by anyone, and always had the contraband hid

in the creek to be loaded on the British ships.

Lewis being paid in gold and gold coin soon managed to acquire a great

amount of money and lands during the period he and his son were alive.

It is thought that the 'treasure' found in the cellar of the Lewis Wharf

plantation homeplace was some of Levin Lewis's Tory fortune.

Abstract by Harrison H.. 2018, from the 1967 book 'Between Blackwater

& Nanticoke' by Bruce Stump.

WAINWRIGHTS CHAPEL

DORCHESTER COUNTY HISTORY

WAINWRIGHT'S CHAPEL

Wainwright's Chapel is six miles below Vienna on Elliott Island Road

at Henry's Cross Roads. It is important to Dorchester's history because of

it's builder, the land it is on and the original structure. The piece of land

the chapel sit's on was once a part of Weston.

An April 9, 1833 Dorchester deed names John Stewart, Fisher

Evans, Major Lewis II, James Rawley, Joe Stewart, John Marshall and

Alfred M Lewis I, as trustees of a chapel for the Methodist Episcopal

Church, for a lot at or near Henry's Crossroads, on the Nanticoke, for the

express purpose of erecting and keeping a preaching house, sold by

John Campbell Henry, the only living son of Governor John Henry.

This chapel was built and standing before Wainwright's Chapel was built,

and later burned to the ground in 1878 or so.

Almost before the fire embers died out, Jesse Wainwright , began building, “ his church “ , always known thereafter as Wainwrights Chapel.

Services were held at Wainwrights in 1886 a document tells us. In 1953,

due to the few remaining members, services were discontinued on a regular

basis.

The 1967 owner, Powell Horseman, Lewis Wharf and Henry's Crossroad

resident, bought the chapel at public auction in 1953, after everything

not nailed down was removed and sold. The “pews ' , pine flat benches,

some with backs, were once in the Crossroad store.

At the public sale a Negro preacher Mcdowell, placed the winning bid, but

was unable financially able to pay the cost of the bid, so Powell Horseman

took it over.

In the 1900's the appearance of the church was remembered . The Pulpit

sat on a raised platform at the south most end of the chapel, an Alter in front

of the platform, with a pedestal on the platform for the preacher to use.

The church front doors were at the north end of the building, each door

opened to an aisles leading to the alter. Between these aisles were the

pews. An old pump organ furnished the music.

The church had at it best, maybe 70 members, from Hurleys Neck to

Crafts Neck Road , and Drawbridge people every other Sunday. Sunday

School was held in the mornings and church services, preaching, was in

the afternoon.

Wainwright's Chapel held revivals, lasting a week or more, funeral services,

programs such as children's day, and, church dinners and oyster feast.

The church dinners were cooked outside on five small wood stoves

attended by Negro cooks, with menus of beef, mutton, chicken and

'eysters', crab's, relishes, jelly and bread, home made, coffee, then pies

and cakes with soft drinks, like 'cool aid ' . All you could eat, 50 cents.

The good ole days.

Wainwright's last held a boat building shop, the structure is 24 ' wide x

34' long with six windows.

With the old building there hangs an unanswered question, Why did

Wainwright build the building by himself and where did he get the money

to do so ?

Abstract 2018 by Harrison H from Brice Neil Stump's “Between the

Blackwater and the Nanticoke “ 1967.

SHORTER'S WHARF LIGHT DORCHESTER

SHORTERS WHARF LIGHT

DORCHESTER COUNTY MARYLAND

Shorter's Wharf is on the Blackwater River in the area of

Robbins and Robbins Landing. The road leading there is Shorter's Wharf

Road. It was along this road that a Seaford minister, Rev Robert Hurst,

on his way to Shorter's Wharf community as he had done many tines, just

as the lights of the homes at the Wharf came into view, a bright light

suddenly caught his eye, coming from the east it hit the rear of his car and

as he said “ grabbed hold “. Hurst hit the gas, but the light stayed within

five feet of his car. He could not outrun the light nor could he shake it

off. Then he stopped his car, and as quickly as the light approached , it

disappeared into the woods.

The Rev. Hurst had seen the Shorter's Wharf Light, also called Cal's Light by locals.

Cal's Light has a weird background , and a Shorter's Wharf

resident, Art Abbott , knew all about the light. He had seen it hundred

of times. His first look at the light was in 1920 when he was 17 years

old, out duck hunting, at his duck blind at Swan Pond. It was getting dark, I was gathering things to leave when I saw it about a mile away. He ran,

but could not get away from t he light as it moved with jet speed and

would 'strike' a few yards behind him. When he reached his boat up the

creek, got in, tuned to take another look, the light sat on the edge of the creek bank, then 'went out'.

Art's father, Carl , had been the first to be known to 'touch' the light.

It was in 1917, he and Mack Willey were on the Blackwater River one

night and ahead of them they both saw the light resting on the bank of

the river, moving very slowly, like it was shivering. Soon the gap between

the men and the light closed in, Abbott reached our to grab it but there was nothing to hold on to, it was a fog, neither hot nor cold. That's why

the local's call it Cal's, after Carl Abbott.

Abbott saw the light many years later, and in his old age, on his

death bed, the light, appeared less that a hundred feet from his house,

bounced off the bow of his boat into the dark woods. Abbott died soon

after.

The Shorter's Wharf Light has been known to foretell death,

and appears at Sandy Island Grave Yard when some one in the area

is on their death bed. .

You will not see the light during daylight, nor on the western side of

Shorter;s Wharf Road..

It is not a marsh gas light and why not ?

1938, five hunters were on a marsh path walking in the early

morning darkness , talking about the light, when all of a sudden someone yells “there she is “ and for sure there it was, at the mouth of Blackwater

River., the size of a basket ball, it was still. Then it bounced for a few

seconds, then came straight at the hunters fast as all hell was loose.

It closed a 10 mile gap between the hunters in less than 10 seconds. The

five hunters were 400 yards from the woods when the light came past them,

with a six foot long blazing tail and dove into the woods to disappear..

Yes sir, that light is there alright, no two ways about that.

Arthur Abbott describes the light. At first sight it is small, shaped like

a ball, bounces a bit before it moves and darts away. The faster it moved

the brighter the light gets until it is blueish white. Going over the marsh

it appeared to be floating and had a orange harvest moon color. Of all

the places in the swamp for it to go, it has to come up to you. The only time

` it fly’s higher that 12 feet up is when its in the tree at the grave yard. When

still it has a jettery motion and never stays in one place very long. No

one had been hurt by the light as far as it is known.

Arthur Abbott has told about one time he and another friend were going

across the marsh at night and the light came at them, fast. When it reached

them, a few yards apart, it slowed to follow for at least 5 minutes.

1934, Wilson Abbott, Arthur's brother, who lived a mile back off the road,

had seen the light many times, was on his deathbed, the light came and

sat on the sill several minutes. Wilson died shortly after.

In September 1966 , 9 o'clock at night, the light predict another

death. Several people traveling the Shorter's Wharf Road, while near

the Sandy Island Graveyard, saw the light in the tallest tree there for

nearly a half and hour. At 11 o'clock that night, Dorothy Abbott, a

Blackwarter resident and Abbott relation, was killed in an auto accident at

Jacktown intersection.

For the past 100 years of history, it's noted, the Shorter Wharf Light has

it favorite “ haunts “. Seen at Piney Island, along the Blackwater, it

shoots across to Piney Landing, then to Wroten Graveyard, then to the

Sandy Island graveyard and on up the Swan Road.

Mrs Ted Abbott, has told of watching it for two hours bouncing on Shorter's

Wharf Bridge. She noted that whenever a car crossed the bridge , Cal's

Light went out, but came back on as the car was over the bridge.

The Robbins Back Landing incidence with Abbott his wife and two

friends, waited there an hour and a half, no light. Just as the car starter

turned over, here comes the light, shoot out of darkness, right to the car

door handle, there it stayed as the auto tore out of this place.

The Emerson Slacum story. Emerson, a grown man of strength, feared

neither man nor beast, with a partner and his extra fine pack of dogs,

were racoon hunting in the dark of night. They were on Sandy Island near

the graveyard, where everyone knows there is nothing there to harm you.

Off they go, through the dark and the forest and undergrowth. After a

few minutes the dogs picked up a coon trail, running and barking through

the underbrush to a tree where they stopped and Slacum thought they had

'treed' a racoon, but none was found . This procedure was repeated four

time with 'no racoon'. What made the dogs, the best pack around these

parts, act so wild. Then there it was, atop the tallest tree, the bright light.

Slacum and partner, dogs and all lost no time getting out of the marsh,

never to return lookin for racoons.

Marsh gas, methane or phosphorous, car or boat lights, soneone with

a search light, have all been ruled out. Whatever it is made of continues

to haunt and travel the marsh at Shorter's Wharf and if you want to see it,

go to Robbins Back Landing, the first left lane after crossing the bridge

at Shorter's Wharf, going towards Robbins and wait. If at firsts you don't

see it, come back until you do. It is there, the light, many “ things “ are

stranger than science.

An abstract from “ Between The Blackwater And The Nanticoke ', the

history and legend of Eastern Dorchester County, 1967 , by Bruce

Neal Stump. Harrison H, 12/29/2018 for www.delmarhistory.blogspot.com

SWANENDAEL AFTER THE MASSACRE

SWANENDAEL

AFTER THE MASSACRE

The fur trade was much too important to both the Dutch and the

Native Indians, the Lenape's, for either of them to remain enemies,

so the Dutch traders quickly returned to trading with the Lenape's at

the New Jersey shore Dutch forts..

But, here come the Swedes, right in the middle of everything, set

up on the west banks of the Christiana River, then the Minquas Kil.

This fur trading settlement which was closer to the Susquehannock

gave the Swedes access to the thicker Canadian fur that the European's

preferred which the Indians obtained from their Huron cousins around

Lake Ontario.

So for twenty years as the Dutch and Swedish were busy

trying to outmaneuver one another for the Native fur trade , down came the English from Hartford and New Haven, causing competition which the Native American tribes welcomed. All Nations did strive to please and not disoblige the Indian Nations considerations of trade. In plain words, easy to understand, the Native Indians held the hammer and

kept business as they pleased.

Stuyvesant of New Netherlands jumps in to cut the Swedes tradeing,

so, these two nation made war. The Dutch failed, English took control

of the Delaware River and the fur trade.

Abstract: Christian Koot's, Augustine Herrmans Chesapeake, “ Map in

Motion “ . A book. BY Harrison H. 12/28/2018..........................

CELLULAR MEAT

CELLULAR AGRICULTURE

CELLULAR MEAT

University Park, Pennsylvania December 2018

The Mid Atlantic Beef & Dairy Farmer Newspaper, December 25,

2018, announced a Penn State Team of the College of Agricultural

Sciences, all livestock experts and food sciences, are focused on

Cellular Agriculture, which has grown from an “ internet curiosity “

to a serious issue and have the US Food & Drug and US Department

of Agriculture sharing oversight.

Cultured Meat is produced by “ in vitro “ cultivation of animal cells

and not from slaughtered animals. “ In Vitro “ is a biological process

that happens in a laboratory vessel rather than a living organism.

The studies talk about tissue engineering, culturing loose myosatellite

calls on a substrate to produce meat by harvesting mature mussel cells

after differentiation to process into various meat product.

Did you ever know such was going on at Penn State ?

This is cellular agriculture. The concept was made popular by Jason

Matheny in early 2000's in his book “ New Harvest”. So it's not new.

The internet has the full story, going first to the Penn State Extension,

https:/extension.psu.edu/cell-culture-technology-and-potential-impacts-on

-livestock-production. Please do not think you can get meat out of your

cell phone, yet.

I sure did not know about lab grown meats and thought it interesting

enough to put forward.

Abstract: Mid-Atlantic Beef & Dairy Farmer, December 25, 2018.

DELAWARE RIVER CONTROL 1630

HISTORY OF DELAWARE RIVER

THR STRUGGLE FOR THE DELAWARE RIVER

The Swedish, Dutch and English struggle for control of Delaware

River goes back to the 1630's, then became more urgent in late 1650

and early 1660. European settlements on it's shores were a cultural

crossroads

The late 1620's the Dutch West Indies Company, set up forts, along

the South River, later the Delawarer, to carry on a fur trade. .More

permanent settlements failed until 1631 when the West Indies Company

opened the New Netherland's to private investors. Swanendael, at the

Delaware Capes, was established by Samuel Godjin to export whale

oil, furs, tobacco and grain.

This was a grate step, however, no one ever asked nor told the

Sickoneysincks of the Lenap tribe of ten thousand Indians which had a control over Coastal Delaware and southern New Jersey lands and

traded skins to the Dutch for finished cloth and metal wares as early as

1615. As this trade picked up Susquehannocks aka Minquas, became

greedy , challenging the Lenapes for the fur trade.

It became apparent to the natives that the settlers were headed towards

a plantation agricultural permanent settlement, not trading station.

It had become known by the Indians that the plantation settlers of the

Chesapeake region were a threat to their hunting lands. Sickonysincks

attacked Swanendeal killing all thirty two settlers.

This attack made it sure that European settlers would only succeed ' if '

the Lenape said they could and were compatible with their interest..

Abstract 2018: Biography of a Map In Motion, Augustine Herrman's Chesapeake, by

Christian J. Koot

LANGRALLS ISLAND

LANGRALLS ISLAND

DORCHESTER COUNTY MARYLAND

This posting is for those unfamiliar with the vast Chesapeake Bay

marshes and their islands.

The island is Langralls less than five mile below Vienna, just

above Henry's Cross Roads and Lewis' Wharf of the Nanticoke River

side of Dorchester County. It has been described, thus; “ stands of tall

pie in a sea of grass, with ponds, quicksand flats, winding brackish

streams, menaced by erratic storms and tides. About all there is to hear

when there is the 'whistle' of duck wings, fogs hold it in a snug grip,

ice locks the ponds and steams tight. Savage winds have bent the

stunted loblollies and clouds of mosquitoes and other insects rise like

a mist. A beautiful, landscape, ever changing.”

It appears that the state owns Langralls. The only track left by long

departed settlers is a forgotten grave yard sitting far back off the western

side roadway, The stones in disarray among trees and shrubs, fallen,,

broken, and some imbedded in tree trunks and roots. The oldest stone

is dated 1834, the most recent 1869. There are nineteen burials, all but

two are Langrells. A two year old , James Evins, and a thirty five year old

Saley McCrareadey each have a marker. A simple marker holds an

epitaph “ Memory of Rebecca A. the wife of Henry W Langrall, born

May 18, 1823, died July 16 1854 “. This marriage did not change the

brides maiden name> Rebecca Langrall married Henry W. Langrall,

May 17, 1847, she being 24 years old, probably cousins.

Abstract: Tuesday, August 25, 1998, Salisbury Daily Times , article by

Hal Roth, of Vienna, author of “You can't never get to Puckum from

here”.

Green Brier Swamp 7 Big Liz. Ghost

GREEN BRIAR SWAMP

BUCKTOWN

Due to the Legend of Green Briar Swamp there were people of this area

who feared to leave the safety of their homes after dark , so said Mrs

Ralph Lewis , who runs the Bucktown country store with her husband who

have lived many years in the Bucktown area between Blackwater and

the Nanticoke. The area, thirty square miles of dense marsh grass and

murky waters, is a peaceful farming section, sunshine, with song

birds, the steady drone of farm tractors cultivating the rich soil and

the rustling of tall corn.

Come evening a hush settles over the fields and forest lands, sort of a

mist droops over Green Briar Swamp and night swallows the swamp

and the ghosts of Green Briar prowl undisturbed.

Yes, outsiders are skeptics, cynics scoff and the tales are sometimes called

downright fibs. Yet, there are some who lived on the edges of the swamp

who had their fears.

Green Briar Swamp, pronounced “ gumm b ' rar “, is seven miles north and south long and almost the same wide, the name is ancient. It was

once owned by governor John Henry of Vienna in the late 1700's. It

is flat full of wild huckleberry bushes. Maple Dam and Bucktown roads

box it in. The southern most of Green Briar is the source of our hair

raising tales.

The legend , so old that it is lost in the cobwebs, has it that there is

a “ treasurer “ buried somewhere in the swamp in a grave vault by

a wealthy plantation owner of Bucktown who was assisted by a female

slave when it was buried. When she told him she though the treasure

would be searched for, he cut her head off with his sword, then buried her

deep in the marsh. This is a story by Mary Picket of Cambridge.

The Negro slave woman, Miz Big Liz, is said to be seen at DeCoursey

Bridge. To summon Big Liz one must visit the bridge in the dead of night,

sound it's horn six times, blink it's lights three times. She approaches

slowly, shuffling, shoulder stooped as she carries her head in her hands,

with it's eyes aglow like branding irons fired to a white heat.

Several tails concern the legend are of an older man, name Charles Jackson , a area native and knew the swamp well stayed a bit late when

picking huckleberries and night overtook him.. He came out of the swamp

running so hard he had a heart attack that put him on his deathbed. What he saw is not known but it was highly out of the usual.

Toby Barris, who used Longfield road through Green Briar as a short cut

between Bestpitch Ferry and Canes Ditch saw something and came out

in a state of shock.

Harriet Tubman also comes into play. After her escape from her

Bucktown plantation she became a scout for a Union Army troop.

It is told that her former master feared her so much, he too buried treasure

in the Green Briar Swamp for fear the Union troops would plunder his

plantation. Searches have been made but always end with something

unusual happening, ghost,, high winds, strange lights, so forth.

The burial graves are unusual to find. There are two which location is

known, one is the one that Big Liz and the treasure are in and another,

miles apart, with the remains of another slave.

Another Cambridge man, Ben Robinson, says he has seen the vault,

way back in late 1930's. It is describes as a three foot high brick vault

with mossy cement to top it out. While picking huckelberries he even

rested on the wall. Buckets full, he was on his way our, then heard a shrill

voice, looked around and saw a Negro woman, sitting on a log, staring a

him with blazing eyes. As he was staring at her, she disappeared. A

recent attempt to find that grave was unsuccessful. So, does a grave

vault indeed exist in Green Briar Swamp ?

Corporal John Bramble, Cambridge police officer, has said there is a vault

in the place where Robinson, sat and rested . Herb North, of Bestpich,

has told of strange things happening in that swamp and that there is a

treasure in there, someplace. .

Source: Between The Blackwater And The Nanticoke, by Brice Neal

Stump.. 1967

THE VELLA GULF

USS VELLA GULF (CVE-111)

1944 – 1971

Earl King, deceased, of Milton's King's Ice Cream fame, served

on this carrier escort , a Commencement Bay Class ship of the U S

Navy, laid down 7 March 1944 as the Totem Bay at Tacoma, Washington., by Todd-Pacific Shipyard,, renamed Vella Gulf on

April 26, 1944, launched 19 October 1944. On April 9, 1945 she

was commissioned and Captain Rober W. Morse took the command.

The Valla Gulf took a Marine air group on board and on 9 June 1945 left

the west coast for Hawaii arrive Pearl Harbor 25 June 1945.

The Valla Gulf departed Pearl Harbor for the Mariannas to conduct air

strikes to Rota and Pagan Islands with Vought F4U's, Grumman F6F

aircraft, and Grumman TBM bombers. That done she left for the

Buckne Bay, Okinawa for the attack on Japan mainland.

August 6^th she arrived Buckner Bay, Okinawa, and that evening was

ordered to set off fireworks. The Japanese had surendered.

Based at Guam she participated in the occupation operations. March 1946 she was back home at San Diego and on August 9, 1946 decommissioned..

The Vella Gulf received one Battle Star for service during the Mariana

and Palau Islands campaign.

WIKIPEDIA:

MILTON LIBRARY 2000

MILTON LIBRARY

IN 2000 IT WAS 125 YEARS OLD.

Milton library had been around for the past 125 years and is in the

process of expanding says Mary Catherine Hopkins, the director.

She wants to triple the size. The Milton Library is one of three that

are owned by Sussex county, the other two are Greenwood and Bethany

Beach.

The two story building is 4100 square feet and an added 5000 square feet

would extend into a 13000 square foot lot on the north side. No dates

have been set, an architect is being sought and the county and state have

allocated $435000 with another $15000 due from the county next year.

More space is needed for materials, a meeting room and space for

artifacts and a computer room, more staff space for the 5 full time and

3 part time employees, yes and why not a coffee bar.

The library is known as the community center and host activities like craft

classes, training sessions, town and social meetings.

Milton Library Association organized in 1875 with 200 books held in

Welch's Drug Store in a corner bookcase by the chimney. According to

the late Agnes Hazzard's history. 1913 this bookcase was moved by the

women of the New Century Club to the Junior Order of American

Mechanic's building and began charging $1 a year membership dues.

1920 saw the library move to the Odd Fellows building on Atlantic and Chestnut streets where the original glass and wood bookcase was destroyed

when a car ran through the building. In 1980 when he county took over

the library it was moved to it's present location, the building constructed

in 1913 by Bill Wilson Conwell, bank manager of the Milton branch of

the Lewes National Bank , a canning house owner and timberman.

On the 125 birthday of the library there are over 25,000 books for 2300

card holders, six patron computers and a small reference center.

Abstract; Wednesday, April 19, 2000, Wilmington New Journal by

Lynne Parks.

MILTOM THEATRE 2000 RENOVATION

MILTON THEATRE

Plans are to have the historic Milton Theatre flicker to life anew

with silent movies and Milton will have something for the fourteen

million people within a 90 minute drive of the historic Sussex county

town to visit for. Dr. Wagner, director of the Milton Development

Corporation, says “ we need something to get people downtown “ .

Step one is the 1930's era ' soda fountain ' and step two is the complete

renovation of the whole theater. It is an idea to preserve ' silent movies '

that were the 'thing' when men brought their ' lady friends' to town

by horse and carriage.

The two story brick building built in 1915 had a store on the ground

floor and a 'community' room upstairs where basketball was played and

silent movies were shown. This building was destroyed by fire in late

1930's and in 1939 the fire company built a replacement which had

fire equipment on the south side and the 'community hall' which held the

theater, to the north. The theater was “ a state-or-the art theater “ for it's

time and leased to “Mr Scott” who had built several theaters around the

country during the depression. “Scotty” bought the fire company out in

the late 1940's and operated it until early 1960's when a Broadkill flood

filled the place up over the seats and ruined the theater.

The Milton Development Corporation bought the building, holding the

Riverfront Cafe, The deco of the renovation has not been decide upon

as yet, Wagner favors a 'plebian' atmosphere with wood wall and ceiling

covering, enhanced by 1930's backlit frescoes which still hang on the

stage. Two hundred and fifty red velvet cushioned seats have been

obtained from the Wilmington Grand Opera house for $1 each. Sound

factors are to be a major concern.

Abstract: Wednesday, December 20, 2000 , Wilmington News Journal ,

special to the News Journal article, by Lynn R. Parks

BOSTON CHRISTMAN DAY 1867

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About Christmas Day in Boston (1867) Posted: 22 Dec 2018 09:43 AM PST This letter from the National Anti-Slavery Standard’s Boston correspondent ran on January 4, 1868: CHRISTMAS-DAY in this city seemed to be both a merry day and a happy one. The population generally appeared to be following the desires of their own hearts, and to take general comfort therein. Many, disregarding the admonition of St. Paul (Galatians 4:9-11), as they have a perfect right to do, no doubt, in these days of “Free Religion,” made a holy day of it, and assembled in their churches and meeting-houses, joining in a ceremonial more elaborate than even their customary weekly one. Probably they had a good time, special arrangement having been made for the gratification of both eye and ear. Their sanctuaries, following the Jewish tradition, were adorned with “the fir-tree, the pine, and the box-tree together,” and skilful musicians performed for them the choicest music of the Roman Catholic Church, the best, no doubt, that has ever been performed or composed. The Puritans, our Pilgrim Fathers, would certainly have made wry faces at all this, could it have been credibly foretold them. They stuck to St. Paul in regard to Christmas, however widely they departed from him in their observance of another day. One who has searched the old records of the infancy of New England tells us that it is set down with a grim satisfaction against the date of the 25th of December following the landing at Plymouth, “so no man rested all that day.” Mince-pie, church festivals and athletic sports were alike an abomination to them; and such “muscular Christianity” as was extant among them was the product of hard work, not at all of play. National Anti-Slavery Standard was the official weekly newspaper of the American Anti-Slavery Society, an abolitionist society founded in 1833 by William Lloyd Garrison and Arthur Tappan to spread their movement across the nation with printed materials. Frederick Douglass was a key leader of this society and often addressed meetings at its New York City headquarters. The word “play” brings me back to my subject. Those who made a holiday of Christmas in Boston certainly had a good time. The weather for it was perfect, as good of its kind as the “day in June” of which Lowell tells us. What “coasting” for the boys on the Common! The rain of Sunday week on a thick blanket of snow, followed by freezing weather, had glazed in perfection the four paths that descend from Beacon Street across the Common, and on each a steady stream of iron-bound sleds, freighted and officered by boys of every size, was illustrating the ups and downs of life, swiftly gliding down, slowly crawling up— whereof the boys will find other illustrations after they have laid aside their sleds. Then what sleighing, riding, driving, of the young people, in the pure, soft air of that temperate day. On Christmas, as on the 4th of July, every horse in Boston is pre-engaged, and the roads of all the suburbs are thronged. This does not diminish the throng in every place of amusement. Theatres and shows of all sorts reap a rich harvest. And the shops where gift-books and pictures, parian and bronze statuary, jewelry and fancy-goods, furs, gloves and fans, dolls and other toys for the little ones, and fruit and confectionery for all, are sold, were crowded that morning as they had been for some days before, and buyers and sellers alike looked contented. Charles Dicken in the 1860s Our rare luxury, to those who it, was the reading, by Dickens, on Christmas eve, of his own “Christmas Carol,” one of the choicest of his works, and perhaps the best of his readings. The Tremont Temple was filled, except that a vacant seat here and there pleasantly told that some rascal of a speculator had been unable to get the extortionate price he demanded. Both reader and audience seemed inspired by the occasion; the fun and the pathos of the Christmas Carol were enjoyed afresh in the highest degree by both, and a prolonged storm of applause, when the piece was finished, recalled Mr. Dickens to the stage to make his acknowledgments. Your correspondent has never felt, never seen, and never been able to believe in that high moral influence of the theatre, as a whole, which dramatists and actors are accustomed so loudly to vaunt. But he feels sure that the reading of Dickens’s writings generally, and the hearing of that richly illustrated verbal version of them which the author now sets forth, must permanently improve, refine and elevate a large proportion of the readers and hearers; and he is happy to belive that the experience of this particular Christmas eve suggested and occasioned the bestowal of many substantial comforts upon the Bob Cratchits and Tiny Tims of Boston; and that many a merchant was “effectually called” to “say a word or two to his clerk,” which else would have remained unsaid. Happy man! who can thus benefit those who throng to him for the purpose of being entertained. To turn from gay to grave, from lively to severe, I may as well tell you what a very large congregation of Baptists and others assembled last evening in the Tremont Temple. The subject was the eulogy, by a Baptist minister, of a famous missionary of the same sect, Rev. Adoniram Judson, combined with a denunciation, in contrast, of Theodore Parker, and the view of religion which he taught. The particular point of inquiry was, of the ideas set forth by those two men, which was most needed by the world, and best adapted to improve it. The method of solving this problem was to enumerate the items of Mr. Parker’s theology and religion which the speaker disliked, and the points in Mr. Judson’s theology and religion which he liked, and then inquire of the audience which was most satisfactory. Apparently, the speker was so sincerely bigoted as not to suspect that this was not a full and fair view of the case; nay, he probably thought himself absolutely candid, in conceding to Mr. Parker certain good qualities not connected with his theology—as industry, energy, perseverance, etc. And probably the Baptists in his audience really thought he had proved what he undertook to prove. One of the serious accusations made against Mr. Parker was that he did not go as a missionary to the heathen; and no doubt both speaker and hearer actually thought the charge a true one. Among those points made by the Rev. speaker which were true in fact as well as in intention, was his reference to the formation of the “Free Religious Association” as one of the results of Mr. Parker’s labors. This, no doubt, is a correct idea, and the incorrectness of the orator’s further statements—that the meeting held in Horticultural Hall, last anniversary-week, was intended to break down Christianity, and that Mr. Parker’s lectures and sermons were intended to oppose Christianity —are fairly due, I am persuaded, to the speaker’s sectarian and intellectual limitations, rather than to any intention of uttering falsehood. A revival, is now going on in Rev. Dr. Neale’s (Baptist) church here, under the supervision of that very skilful manipulator, Rev. A. B. Earle, lately returned from California. He uses his opportunities rather cruelly against the poor children and young persons whom their parents have brought to be subjected to his method of treatment, but he succeeds in getting numbers of them into the church, and he is probably no more unscrupulous as to the means of success than people in other sorts of business. At any rate, he works hard, and gives the audience as much for their money as any actor on the other sort of stage. The changes which have come over respectable old dwelling-houses in Boston can hardly be exceeded by those in New York. The handsome house built in Temple Place by Col. T. H. Perkins, is now a Savings Bank; that of Abbot Lawrence, in Park street, is now the Union Club House; that of Amos Lawrence on Colonnade Row, is occupied by various government offices; and a dozen (more or less) of Irish families are domiciled in the once handsome house of Daniel Webster, corner of Summer and High streets. Thus passeth the glory of this world. We hope you enjoyed About Christmas Day in Boston (1867). Discover more great historical information at Accessible Archives Inc. - Primary Source Material from 18th & 19th Century Publications

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