| This in an area of much history...I love
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| | town of Lewes. However, within a year it
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| Sussex County Delaware. I am native born,
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| | was destroyed by a Native American
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| multigenerational and proud to be one of
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| | attack. This attack notwithstanding, the
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| those who, as they say; "are from
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| | Native Americans were generally friendly
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| here".The earliest records of our family
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| | and willing to trade with the newcomers.
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| show we were here well before the
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| | And, notably the native people, who
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| Mayflower arrived in 1620; some our
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| | seldom lived here but hunted and fished
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| ancestors were here in the early 1500's
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| | here during the non mosquito seasons, got
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| or before; when the only records here
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| | along well with the Plain People and not
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| were all the family Bibles that each
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| | the settlers.The Dutch West India
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| family kept.In this area, we were
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| | Company, organized in 1623, was more
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| populated by those escaping religious
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| | interested in trade on the South River,
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| persecution in Europe. This heritage has
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| | as the Delaware was called at that time,
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| much to do with the names and character
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| | than in settlement (the North River was
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| of our area. Many local ancestors fled
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| | the Hudson, in the Dutch colony of New
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| Ireland, Wales, Scotland, Isle of Man,
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| | Netherland). Several Dutchmen,
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| when Henry IV dethroned Richard II and
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| | interested in settling the area, put
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| the subsequent political and religious
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| | their services at the disposal of Sweden
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| purge sent religious zealots to places
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| | and colonized the area for that country.
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| out of the reach and care of England.
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| | The best known of these was Peter Minuit,
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| I've learned that many were foragers only
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| | who had been governor of New Amsterdam
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| and did not farm or hunt, only fished,
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| | (later New York). In 1637-38 Minuit
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| from directions they read in the
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| | directed the colonizing expedition for
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| Bible.Some of these folks evolved into
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| | the Swedes that organized New Sweden .
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| local farmers, plain woodsmen, wild plant
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| | Fort Christina was founded in 1638 on the
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| pickers and eaters, herbalists, tanners,
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| | site of Wilmington and was named in honor
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| soap makers, hunters, and under all they
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| | of the queen of Sweden. The colony grew
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| were missionaries in the areas of what
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| | with the arrival of Swedish, Finnish, and
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| are now Lewes, Milton, Angola, Long Neck,
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| | Dutch settlers.The waters of the Delaware
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| Broadkill, Nassau, Cool Spring,
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| | Bay are tributary and watershed runoff
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| Whitesville, Quakertown and Red Mill
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| | from the Great Marsh and all the little
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| Pond.These folks worshipped only God, the
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| | streams, creeks, rivers and wetlands of
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| Christ, and read only the most original
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| | eastern Delaware and New Jersey as well
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| scriptures or were as they say just
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| | as the effluent of the Delaware River
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| PLAIN... This was all deadly illegal
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| | flowing down from Pennsylvania and New
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| under the British rule, except as
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| | York. Thus the darker waters of the
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| licensed by the King. Others were
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| | Delaware Bay are that way as a result the
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| burned, hung, drawn, quartered, drowned
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| | particles and filtered organic matter
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| slowly and otherwise tortured to death
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| | from the Great Marsh and wetland areas.
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| publicly and imprisoned in terrible
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| | These darker waters then flow generally
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| conditions meanwhile.I was raised at what
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| | south along the Rehoboth, Dewey, area
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| is now Eagle Crest Aerodrome, on what was
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| | beaches until the clear waters of the
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| early known as the White Farms, near
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| | Indian River and Bay pushing out the
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| Milton. I started school at Milton
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| | Indian River Inlet force the darker
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| school then went to Lewes School and
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| | waters away from the coast and out to
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| graduated 1967 from Lewes School. Since
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| | sea. Thus the ocean water on the beaches
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| then I've lived in several areas of what
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| | south of Indian River Inlet tends to be
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| we locals sometimes call "Saltwater
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| | far clearer than that north of the
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| Sussex" and what I used to call The
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| | inlet.Lewes is known as the First Town in
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| Henlopen Quadrant; that is the locations
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| | the First State, because of this Dutch
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| within 25 miles of Cape Henlopen.The
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| | settlement, even though it didn't
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| Whites, Taylors, McIntires, Potters,
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| | survive. Lewes was the first town
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| Fishers, Maulls, Brittinghams, etc. were
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| | settled in Delaware and Delaware was the
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| of my mother's family and were or
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| | first state to ratify the Constitution of
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| descended from the earliest teachers and
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| | The United States - hence the title we
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| missionaries here that I know of. Many
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| | proudly proclaim for Lewes -- First Town
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| of these early settlers established mills
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| | in the First State. Lewes was first
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| and mill ponds where (perhaps) America's
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| | settled by the Dutch and Swedes. There
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| first manufacturing industry, that of
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| | are numerous books on the history of
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| grinding oak bark and developing it into
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| | Lewes in the local book stores, perhaps
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| tannin was done. This damming of the
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| | as many as two dozen different historical
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| creeks to make mill power, caused our
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| | and entertaining books on this fair town.
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| first swellings of little creeks and
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| | Each has a different version of history
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| springs into what became larger mill
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| | to some extent. shows over a
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| ponds. Red Mill Pond was such an early
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| | hundred.Lewes has become one of the most
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| example, as was Milton Pond, Millsboro
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| | historically sensitive and aware towns in
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| Pond, and several smaller ones such as
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| | the area. Some people still call Lewes by
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| Beaver Dam Pond, and Saw Mill Pond, etc.
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| | another older name Lewes Towne. Some of
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| As the mills were abandoned and dams
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| | our visitors have nicknamed it
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| burst, many of these ponds receded and
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| | Williamsburg North with a bit of a wink
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| disappeared.These "plain people" as they
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| | and a smile to go with their love. We
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| were often known, to themselves, were
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| | have a wonderful little downtown along
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| just plain and not bound to any king, or
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| | Second Street, Pilottown road, Market
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| religion, except God and the Bible in
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| | Street, Savannah Road and King's Highway.
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| it's original languages and in early
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| | There are numerous specialty shops,
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| German. I recall some hand written
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| | restaurants and even the famous King's
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| Bibles, in ink and pen, Bibles in our
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| | Ice Cream shop on 2nd St. to entice our
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| family home at what is now Eagle Crest
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| | numerous walkers. Lewes is, more than
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| Road and Route One.Route 1 by the way was
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| | any other town in our region, a great
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| the first road in what is now America and
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| | place to walk all over town as you
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| connected all the original settlements,
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| | discover the little nooks, shops,
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| although it was first useful only on
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| | businesses and trades that are usually in
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| foot, later by mule and horse. Much
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| | historically attractive buildings. In is
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| later by wagon. There were many fords
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| | not unusual to see hundreds of people
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| and later bridges as road one, traversing
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| | walking the streets in Lewes, even in the
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| this land from south to north, crossed
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| | off season. In the summer season, spring
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| the many creeks, streams and rivers that
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| | and fall, it is customary to see
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| fed from the land to the Delaware
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| | thousands of people and families slowly
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| Bay.Cape Henlopen is the anchor point of
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| | walking and looking at our old homes,
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| Salt Water Sussex County, where the
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| | businesses, museums and scenic views.The
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| Delaware Bay meets and flows into the
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| | Lewes Harbor is a wonderfully scenic deep
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| Atlantic Ocean at Lewes. When you stand
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| | water port, the only one in eastern
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| at Cape Henlopen Point, you can see the
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| | Sussex County. There are sailboats and
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| razor line of color change where the dark
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| | larger boats moored along the Lewes and
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| waters of the Bay meet the blue waters of
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| | Rehoboth Canal from the Roosevelt Inlet
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| the ocean in a diagonal line extending
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| | at the north end of Lewes down to the
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| from the beach out into the sea. This
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| | Canal Bridge where Kings Highway and
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| darkness of the waters is caused by the
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| | Savannah Road combine to cross the
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| nutrient rich, therefore muddy, waters
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| | drawbridge and connect historic Lewes to
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| that seep out of the great marsh which
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| | Lewes Beach.Lewes Harbor as taken from
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| borders almost all of Delaware.This Great
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| | The Lighthouse Restaurant.Lewes Beach is
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| Marsh is, even today, one of the most
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| | more recently developed than the town of
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| ecologically rich and diverse lands in
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| | Lewes. The homes of Lewes Beach have
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| the world; were thousands of native
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| | seldom been there longer than 50 years
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| plants and numerous animals live. Here
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| | and many of the older, smaller
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| they have no native predators to speak
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| | fixer-upper homes are being removed and
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| of. A most wonderful book about this
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| | larger modern homes built on the lots
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| Marsh is Progger: A Life on the Marsh, by
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| | there. The lands of Lewes Beach, all of
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| Tony Florio. Only in the last few years
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| | the lots, are owned by the town of Lewes.
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| have predators plied these lands, feral
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| | Residents, property owners and businesses
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| dogs and cats loosed from the tourists,
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| | get a 99 year lease which is renewable.
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| visitors and new townspeople into our
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| | This lease was originally supposed to be
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| great marsh, no longer household pets,
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| | only for the growing of rabbits but,
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| these thousands of wild cats and dogs,
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| | without changing the terms or law, is now
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| bring a deadly new addition to the
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| | used to support many lovely beach homes.
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| lands.We have, here in Saltwater Sussex,
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| | The modest lease fee is paid to the town
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| a conspicuous absence of poisonous
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| | of Lewes annually. The lots in Lewes do
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| snakes. The early Plain People were
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| | "sell", actually the leases are
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| unique in that they learned to live here
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| | transferred to the new land tenants at
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| year 'round, (although the American
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| | the same price as land would be
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| Indians did not) especially in and along
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| | deeded.Cape Henlopen State Park includes
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| this fertile great marsh. These Plain
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| | most of the bay front and ocean front
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| People gave this land and any others who
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| | land and beaches around Lewes. There are
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| came here their full admiration,
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| | some communities; Pilot Point, Cape
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| acceptance and friendliness. They loved
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| | Shores, Port Lewes, and the Delaware
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| and were loved by the natives who
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| | River and Bay Pilots Association along
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| browsed, hunted and fished here. This
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| | the Bay. The Cape Henlopen State Park was
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| character caused them to be known as
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| | once Fort Miles the Army base. Fort Miles
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| kind, strong, courageous and resourceful
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| | was set up between World War I and World
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| -- and thus they gained the trust and
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| | War II to protect the Delaware Bay
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| admiration of these natives.Because of
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| | shipping traffic from the German
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| the relatively large number of missionary
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| | submarines. Now the thousands of acres of
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| settlers here, and the prosperity they
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| | beach, dunes, wetlands and woods that
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| created by ingeniously trading goods they
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| | stretch between Lewes and Rehoboth are
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| made and services to the native peoples -
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| | all part of the park and the military
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| along with the good will that was enjoyed
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| | buildings have other beachy uses.William
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| among all... there was much peace between
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| | Penn was a much loved European and
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| the native hunters and fishers with these
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| | politically active adherant of plain
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| Plain folks.This region was found to be
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| | folks that remained under the yoke of
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| of great importance to the Dutch and
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| | England, while hiding their distaste for
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| English. The plain folks tended to stay
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| | the religions of the Kings and meeting
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| well away from each other as a show of
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| | secretly. Penn was convicted of various
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| privacy and independence. They did not
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| | political crimes and exiled over here
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| ordinarily join the dangerous,
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| | were it was supposed other like minded
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| politically combative and disease ridden
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| | plain folks already resided in horrid and
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| towns for generations after these towns
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| | deadly and uncivilized residency with the
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| were established here - as the area
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| | Indians. This land of Penn's exile,
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| colonized. In fact there were many of
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| | named Penn's woods or Pennsylvania was in
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| the Colonial towns that died out or were
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| | deference to his social and political
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| burned out by the natives - because of
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| | popularity. In 1682 a duke transferred
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| the unhealthy conditions and attitudes
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| | the Lewes claim to Penn, who wanted to
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| that prevailed. The Plain Folk recorded
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| | secure a navigable water route from his
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| the facts. Thus we have numerous
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| | new colony of Pennsylvania to the ocean.
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| histories of places where everyone was
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| | The three counties of Delaware thus
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| killed or died and these histories were
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| | became the Three Lower Counties (or
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| written by the local Plain Folk.Lewes:
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| | Territories, as Penn called them) of
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| This region was hotly contested by the
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| | Pennsylvania. The individual counties
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| Swedish, Spanish, Portuguese, Dutch and
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| | were called New Castle, Kent (formerly
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| English. The first officially recorded
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| | St. Jones), and Sussex (formerly
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| settlement here at the beach, was
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| | Hoornkill, also known as Whorekill, and
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| established by Dutch patroons, or
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| | Deale). The English proprietors of
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| proprietors, in partnership with the
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| | Maryland contested Penn's claim to
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| Dutch navigator David Pietersen de Vries;
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| | Delaware, and the boundary dispute was
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| it was called Swanendael and was
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| | not fully settled until 1750.
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| established (1631) on the site of the
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