Milford chronicle., 1938-10-07

FenWick Island still holds its
name as a place Of interest today, as
it did back in the colonial days. Ira
dition has it that a man by the name
of Thomas Fenwick was thrown ov-
erbOard from a pirate ship in the
first part Of the eighteen century. He
swan ashore to that island, and that
is how It got the name, Fenwick Is
land.
Thomas Fenwick became a very
notable and wealthy man in the lat
ter part of the eighteenth century.
He held several Offices in the court
house at LewistOwn, as 1t was call
ed in those days (now called Lewes).
His will is on record in the Oldest
volume. and can be found in the
first record at Georgetown today. l
real his will over thirty years ago.
There used to be an inlet to Little
AssawOman Bay near Fenwick light
house, and south of Ocean City, Nd,
was another inlet to the Sinipuxant
Bay; which made Fenwick an is
land. Both inlets were filled up with
sand driven in by northeast winds.
making a solid beach until the storm
of 1888 when water broke through at
| the south end OF Ocean City Nd $500
Tradition has it that the pirates
used to trade in and out the Little
Assawoman Bay to a little island
called Cedar Island, about a mile
northeast OF where the bridge now
is. It was said that there were lots
of holes in which the pirates used
to bury their money. Folks used to
dig for money there. l have also
heard that when they were digging
for this money they could hear
ghostly sounds, as of boats coming
in with sails swapping and cracking
in the wind, so folks said that the
place was haunted. One story has it
that a certain man, a rodsman,
found a site of buried treasure. He
gathered a group of his friends to-
gether to go out the next night to
dig. Other persons thinking to have
some fun went out too. taking chains
and hiding up a tree to see the fun.
The diggers arrived and started in
to work. After some time a chain
ratified, then another, maybe moan
or a groan. One by one the diggers
left the rodsman, sneaking quietly
away as no one is supposed to
speak while digging for treasure.
Finally only the rodsman was left in
the hole. That chain came further
down the tree. The rodsman finally
became so frightened that he ran
from the place, and never stopped
running until he reached home. This
story still causes many a laugh.
The southern end of Sussex coun-
ty was claimed by Lord Baltimore
also by William Penn. This contro-
versy lOsted about a hundred years
and caused several battles and some
deaths, so l have heard. Lord Bal
timore bought where Maryland now
is, and William Penn Bought Penn
sylvania and Delaware. These pur-
chases were made from Great Brit
ain. William Penn's father loaned
England several thousand dollars
which they could not repay, so Will
liam Penn accepted this land in lieu
Of payment.
Lord Baltimore claimed up to
AIillsboro, or it was called Indian
River then. William Penn claimed
hat he owned up to Little Capes at
Fenwick Island. This trouble lasted
until England sent over two survey
DTS in 1866 to establish a line be-
.ween Delaware and Maryland.
The first boundary stone was put
near where the lighthouse now
stands; 1t is a sandstone about ten
BY fifteen inches and stands about
hree feet high. On the Maryland
tide il has the coat of arms of Lord
Baltimore, and on the Delaware side
{ has the coat of arms of William
penn. There is a sandstone for every
i've miles between Delaware and |
MARYLAND. The second stone is near
and the third stone is :
lear the curve Of the dupont high (
Tay at Selbyville l have visited all
hree. This boundary line is
traight line running due west rs
niles from Fenwick. then turning
ouare equally dividing the penin-
ula between Delaware and Mary {
and to abreast Of the New Castle I
'ourt House. then striking a twelve {
lille radius circle for the northern .
art of Delaware.
In LAYING ont this radius line there {
-ere about two hundred acres of va