Milford chronicle., 1931-02-06
HISTORY OF SANDY BRANCH
Now SeIbyViIle, DclaWarc)
(By d. ]. LONG,

The pioneers of Sandy Branch,
Sussex County, Delaware, back one
hundred and fifty years ago were
Benjamin Long, Arthur McCabe
John Murray, Ruban Stevens and
brass candle sticks in the pulpit
where Selbyville now stands; and
part of the land is still owned by
their descendants to the fourth and
fifth generation. Sandy Branch got
its name from the branch being
very sandy on each side of the
stream of water. --' Sandy Branch
s held its name until about 1910 when
a man named Samson Selby started,
a small store and went to Philadel-
gphia to buy goods; after buying the
goods the merchant wanted to know
where to ship them. He said, am
opening country store they will
PhaVe to be sent on the Indian River
vessel; let me mark them Selbyville,
and that is the way it got the name
of Selbyville. When a merchant
went to Philadelphia to buy his fall
goods before it got cold, his stock
consisted of two barrels of molaSscs,
few bolts of calico, two or three
bolts of dress goods and a little
muslin, six or eight barrels of
rwhiskey and two or three barrels of
rum, and five or six barrels of flour
to retail out by the pound This was
his supply for the winter. eggs sell
ling for six cents dozen and whis-
key selling for six cents pint
The Bible teaches us, First seek
lthe Kingdom of Heaven and other
things shall be added" The old pio
needs and their sons were the pio-
neers of the first NJ. T.. Church at
Sandy Branch; built at a cost of
about 100000 in 1890 it was used
for church and school, and was the
fourth NJ e. Church in Sussex
County. About that time Reverend
FreebOrn Garrison, the evangelist or
missionary, made his appearance. /
He was born in Maryland in 1852 /
and went to preaching in 1775 when
there was less than twenty NJ Il.
preachers in the United States. He
Travelled through the Peninsula down
in Sussex County. On the border of /
the old cedar swamp he found the |
houses far apart; one evening he !
thought he would have to sleep i'm |
the wild woods all night, but sue
ceeded in finding a house where he
stayed. The next morning he asked
the man if he was acquainted with
Jesus Christ; the man dropped his
head and said, that man don't live
around here" He Travelled on reach
ing the Sound where he planted
MethOdism and preached under the
old oak trees where the first Sound
NJ. h. Church was built in 1884 the
third NJ. E. Church in Sussex Coun-
ty, the deed showing one acre of
land for twelve shillings and is now
being used as a cemetery near Ben
jamin JOhnsOn's corner.
Reverend Garrison Travelled
through Delaware, Maryland, Penn
sylvania and New York States to
notify the preachers in regards to
thSafrst conference that met at Bar
RATS Chapel in Delaware, and Or
ganized for the first conference to
be held in Baltimore, December 25,
1884. While at Barratts Chapel AS
bury and Cook met and kissed and
said, the good we do never dies"
The first church as Sandy Branch
was a small building about IS by %
With fireplace, and used light
wood at their night meetings for
light. The church was never finish
ID inside. The seats or benches
we're made of slabs with rough
sticks for legs, and were used until
bout 1845 when "camp meeting fe-
Ter" broke out. They held three or
our campmeetings where the Red ;
den's cemetery is at Selbyyille. 1 /
vas there at the time but was only j
! small hoy. They built the new