Bethany Beach: A Brief History

by Michael Morgan

Overview

The fascinating origins of this once peaceful resort town are explored in Michael Morgan's Bethany Beach. Before a 1901 ceremony opened the peaceful resort town, the wild dunes of Bethany Beach were part of the rough-and-tumble New World and the deadly land wars between Delawareans and Marylanders. The twentieth century brought crowds eager to partake of a healthy saltwater bath and chicken-and-waffle socials. Local author Michael Morgan chronicles the history of this "quiet" resort with stories of rumrunners who concealed their illicit goods in local chicken coops, World War II residents who anxiously kept a weather eye on the Atlantic and the devastating 1962 nor'easter. Join Morgan as he deftly narrates the storied history of this beloved Delaware beach town.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781614232452
Publisher:	The History Press
Publication date:	07/01/2010
Series:	Brief History
Sold by:	Bookwire
Format:	eBook
Pages:	128
File size:	2 MB

About the Author

Michael Morgan has been writing freelance newspaper articles on the history of Rehoboth Beach and the mid-Atlantic region for over three decades. He is the author of the "Delaware Diary," which appears weekly in the Delaware Coast Press, and the "Sussex Journal," which is a weekly feature of the Wave. Morgan has also published articles in the Baltimore Sun, Maryland Magazine, Chesapeake Bay Magazine, Civil War Times, World War II Magazine, America's Civil War and other national publications. A frequent lecturer in the coastal region, Morgan's look at history is marked by a lively, storytelling style that has made his writing and lectures popular. Michael Morgan is also the author of Pirates and Patriots: Tales of the Delaware Coast, which captures the broad panorama of the history of the coastal region.

Table of Contents

Preface 7

Chapter 1 Land of the Kuskawaroaks

Nanticokes on the Indian River 9

Edmund Andros Pushes Sussex 12

An Eerie Silence on Indian River 15

John Watson Draws a Line 17

Murder on the Border 20

Chapter 2 Revolution to Rescue

Salt of the Sea 23

Fugitive by the Ocean 26

Tragedy of the Faithful Steward 30

A Dab of Color on the Beach 33

Leader Par Excellence 36

Gamble of the Red Wing 39

Chapter 3 Bethany Blossoms at the Beach

Tabernacle in the Sand 43

The Long, Long Road to Bethany Beach 47

Bethany Builds 51

Bathing More Refreshing 59

Drexler's Dream 64

Chapter 4 Diggers and Shakers

Modern War off Bethany 71

Coast Artillery Fires Up 74

Blast before Election Day 79

Bootleggers Challenge the Coast 83

A Chicken in Every Pot 85

Chapter 5 Bethany at War

Towers along the Coast 89

Five Gallons of Sand 94

Enemy on the Beach 95

Drexler's Sacrifice 99

Chapter 6 Towns Grow Together

Shining Memory of the Indian River Inlet 101

Storm over the Coast 105

The Search for Margaret Kincade 109

Splendid Concerts and Solos 111

The Kuskawaroaks Look to the Land 113

Bibliography 119

About the Author 127