Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1902-07-31
.NElGHBOR TO REHOBOTH
PelYick's Island to be Made a Summer
Resort, and to be Connected by
Trolley With FrankfOrdL
DELAWAREANS ARE INTERESTED
Willard Salisbury, Preston Lea
and Others.
MANY lNpR0yENEAIsARE 10 Be MADE


Baltimore Sun Special.
Fenwiek's Island, bid, July 20, =
| Maryland is to have another seaside
resort. Fenwick's Island is owned by a
stock company of men prominent in
business and politics in Maryland and
| Delaware. For years the island has
been used as . hunting preserve. The
| wild ducks found here have made il
always fayorite rendezvous OF sports
men from the northern cities. A camp
meeting has been held here for the
| last five years under the auspices OF
the Maryland Conference OF the
| Methodist Protestant Church.
The campmeeting, drawing, as it
does, tenteHs from Maryland, Delaware
and Pennsylvania, has brought into
| prominence the unexcelled natural ad-
vantages of the island as watering
place. This fact the stockholders have
not been slow in turning to some
financial benefit to themselves. The
more prominent capitalists among the
stockholders have determined to de-
velop the island into first class sea
side resort. The plans, so far as they
arc matured and have been divulged,
contemplate the erection Of hotel and
gunners' clubhouse; likewise the
construction Of an electric railway con-
Meeting the island with the Delaware,
Maryland Il Virginia railroad at
Frankford, Del This railway will
carry freight as we'll as passengers.
Surveyors under u. Frank Waganon
of Georgetown, DEL, are already on
the ground laying out the streets and
lots. The building line, has been run
800 feet from the high water mark, for
the purpose of giving wide stretch of
beach.
The streets and avenues are named
for men prominent in Maryland and
Delaware politics. Among them may
be noted Salisbury, Kenney, Lea, Cor
man, McComas, Gray, Bayard, Smith
and HUM. In addition there are Nc
Hinley, Roosevelt and Schley. A fine
gunners' clubhouse will be erected to
accommodate the numerous sportsmen
who gather here during the ducking
season.
Assawaman Bay separates tho island
from the mainland. 1t was at one
time noted as the feeding ground of
canvasback ducks. But the ocean
broke through the island during a
severe winter storm and caused the
destruction of the wild celery upon
which the ducks fed. The capitalists
now propose to remedy this by closing
the unnatural channel and thus restor-
ing the old feeding ground.
Fenwick's Island Is narrow strip of
land extending from the Fenwick
Island Lifesaying Station, in Della
ware, to the Isle of Wight Lifssaving
Station, in Maryland--a distance of
| five miles. The Mason and Dixon line
is about midway between these two
points. The island has breadth of
from a quarter Of mile to a mile. A
bridge spans the bay at its narrowest
point Right on the Mason and Dixon
| line is the Fenwick Island lighthouse
graceful tower so feet in height
| Thirteen miles off shore, on the dan
| lightship and fog buoy. 1t was upon
steamship Pennland went ashore two
years ago.
A unique feature Of the island is the
| beautiful grove of white oaks in the
centre. Ii is dome-shaped, and is the
| only grove OF such trees on the barren
sands from Cape Henlopen to Chinco-
| league Bay. This grove Is quarter of
mile from the beach and is connected
with it BY boardwalk.
The campmeeting circle is within
| this grove. One hundred cottages and
tents line the bench and the boardwalk
and eneircle the grove. The camp
meeting begins Saturday, August I'd.
The beach is unexcelled for bathing.
| 1t is yelvety and entirely without
stones, pebbles or shells. There is no
strong undertow. Assawaman Boy
affords UNSURPASSED facilities for fish
ing, boating and sailing. Vapor
launches make the trip between the
island and Ocean City In an hour and
quarter--a distance of 10 miles. In
short, the island presents all the nat
ural facilities for most desirable
watering placs. The electric line from
Frankfort will assure its development.
The following men are among the more
prominent capitalists who are inter
ested in the development of this pro-
iect Willard Salisbury, Preston Lea,
director of the Philadelphia, Will
mipgton l. Baltimore railroad and
president of the Equitable Trust Co.
| Of Wilmington Frank Tayor, president
of the Vulcanized Fibre Co. Of Will
mipgton; William II. Kenworthy of
the Capelle Hardware Co. of Whining
ton and Eyerett Hickman Of George
town, Del,
Captain John Long Of the Feawick' IS
Island Lifesaying Station, a stock.
holder and member OF the campmeet-
inn axecutiya comfnittaa IL orAatiy in :