Milford chronicle., 1901-07-12
My RecOIIectiOns Of 0lden Times
in MurderkiII Neck.
BY JOSEPH BURcHENAI

in Murderkill Neck.
BY JOSEPH BURCHENAL q
Mr.. EDITOR:-
| have sometimes thought that it {
might be interesting to those still liv-
ing to read in the local papers some of
the events and incidents that took
place, as well as the history that was
made by the people who lived in the
first half Of the Nineteenth Century in
that part Of Kent County, Delaware,
known as Murderllill Neck. | feel
my inability to do justice to the MEM
Ory of as true men and as true women
as ever lived and wrought to advance
the interest of their children and help
raise the standard of the society in
which they lived to more exalted
ethics. Having considerable leisure on
my hands. have concluded to Occu-
by portion of it in trying to interest
your readers (at least a portion of
them) in telling through the columns |
of your paper my recollectiOns of the (
different families who lived in that
section in my boyhOOd days, now
more than half century past. They
have all passed to their long home
"beyond the river, and many who
were prominent tractors in all that
was Of interest to the community, even
their names are no longer known in
that locality.
/ shall cOnfine myself to the terri
tory beginning at Bowers Beach and
lying between st. Jones Creek and
Murderkill Creek and extending up
the Neck as far as the road leading
from Frederick to Magnolia.
Beginning at the bay shore my mind
goes back to the time when John
Bowers, ST., kept the hotel; it is pre-
sumable he was the first to keep a
hotel along the Bay shore as place
of resort, as the place took his name
in a three fold sense, for | have heard
it called Bowers Bay, Bowers Beach,
and Bowers Hotel The site upon
: which the old hotel stood is now far
out in the Bay. How well | remem-
Der seeing him passing by our road
. gate on his way to and from Frederick
5 smoking his short clay pipe! also
recollect hearing him tell on one oc-
casiOn what impressed my boyish
mind as being a marvellous story, OF
I how he cut Off the head of a swapping
2 turtle then going away to do some
. thing, and on his return he could not
: find the snapper About year after
while engaged in repairing the porch
he found it, and the place where the
head had been cut Off had all healeC
s ove~ and the turtle was still alive.
> have never forgotten that story, as i
q appeared to me so strange that any
thing could live without head.
Bowers Beach has been a popular re
u sort for the people for miles around, es
pecially on what was known as Bi
is Thursdays, which included all tn
r Thursdays in August People cam
from Dover. Camden, Milford, and iron
> Maryland and the western part of Ken
. county known as the forest. Thos
2 were very enjoyable occasions, for Bow
= ers Beach was really the only plaC
" along the Delaware shore known as
watering place. Woodland Beacl
Kits Hammock, and Slaughter Beac
sc were not then known as places for plea
OF ure and recreation. There was no la
ID prohibiting the catching of oysters, an
y they were abundant, and there was ais
- an abundance of fish. The broad e,
panse of the Delaware Bay with i
le cool and refreshing southeast wind frol
ct the bay and ocean made it a most
sirabe pleasure resort. Consequent
Il the month of August was almost e
" tirely devoted by the people Of the su
is rounding country TO the enjOyments
as be derived by trip TO Bowers Bea,
IL on Big Thursdays. Covered WACO
nv and carts were the conveyances |
w which they visited the beach. TIT
n spent their time in bathing at his
W water, and talking, rollicking, drin
re ing, dancing, and wading in the MI
d. when the tide was out. and gatheril
as shells. The young people spent co
cd siderable time in walking along Il
in shore and casting Sleeps eyes at o
" another, and many match has be-
ON the outcome of a Big Thursday. Z
he shades of society were represented
k Bowers Beach on those occasion
: a Merchants and well-to-dO famili
ras would ride down to enjoy the deligl
oh full breeze from the bay. Sixty We,
of ago the beach was the mecca for t
nd people of the surrounding country dit
"a ing the month of August.
oh shall now proceed to speak of t
he different families according to my r
De- objections of them as boy, more tn
sixty years ago.
AN AT that time the most widely knol
for and wealthiest family was the War;
I'm family-Samuel Warren, ST., who liy
old and owned a large tract of land lyi
cal on Murderkill Greek. The vessels
mo ing to and from Frederick passed ell
m by his house. Well do I rememl
I'd. the old gentleman with his broi
are brimmed hat, his coat patterned af
has the olden style, walking out cane
len hand to view his crops, look after
I'm cattle, attend to his colored people, a
ght watch for the bad boys of the nei,
to bOrhOOd and see that they did not st
his fine pears and magnum bon
all plums. He was noted as h
lew ing the largest and finest selection
ice, fruit in the Neck. There was no c
nan culiO to destroy the delicious plum
nds mar and scar all kinds of fruit al
3 at these days. AS a boy T-have of
ugh tested the good qualities of his fruit,
lose l frequently sampled it. In those d
and it was not considered a great breach
emf nF0DriafV for ann ne 70 helm TN,