Milford chronicle., 1940-08-16
BIG THURSDAY HELD
AT OAK ORCHARD
c. iron - -

II always follows that the rurs
folk Try to get the odds and end
caught up so that they may TAX
their families on the "big jamboree
one day in the year. With the care
sof farm work laid aside, they alway
can be carefree for the one big da
and let their families enjoy It. Mos
of the farmers turned their cattl
and horses out on the pastures a
early as a. m, while the womel
folk packed luncheon baskets o.
boxes with all kinds of food to feeI
the family and give the children al
they wanted at any hour OF the da,
by the placid waters of this populai
resort where grabbing, fishing an(
bathing are the safest OF any in the
country.
Children last Thursday morning
were up bright and early and were
patiently waiting for fathers, mo-
theirs, brothers and sisters to say the
word that they were ready to go to
Oak Orchard-a resort deriving its
name from the large number of oak
trees which make almost to the
waters edge.
1t was a gala day for the children.
They played on the beach and in the
grove and seemed to be carefree.
While the children enjoyed them
selves, the parents also had a good
time chatting with relatives whom
they had not seen for a year, or since
the last big Thursday" as well as
with urban and rural folk Many
got into a reminiscent mood and
told about the Olden days when they
were children and went to Oak Or
chard on this big day Of the year.
One is reminded of the days when
they wore fustians and homespuns
and little red-tOp boots; how they
made their annual days pilgrimage
to the bay shore in a covered wagon
and Ox-earts; how the journey had
to start over the sandy roads late
Wednesday night in order for them
to be there at the break of day, and
how they carried enough good things
to eat from their farms to supply an
ordinary sized hotel. They were
great and golden days-the balmy
days OF their lives-and they delight
in relating their experiences back
in the COS and 7O's, too.
According to the late Judge Henry |
c. Conrad, who many years ago |
wrote history of Delaware, the Or
igin of big Thursday" grew out of
an act of the General Assembly pass
ed in 1852 which provided for an
open season for catching oysters and
other shell fish in the Delaware Bay
and tributaries. The act provided
that il was unlawful for persons to
take oysters from any creek in the
state between May and August 10
in any year.
This law remained in force for 25
years, finally being nullifed in 1877.
On May l, 1852, the first day the law
became effective, fell on Saturday,
and August 10 of that year fell on
Tuesday. The law being in effect
until August 10, the people waited
until Thursday. Two years later the
Gav was on Thursday and hence the
second Thursday in August was fixed
as the time for gathering at the
beaches and gathering the oysters.
Thus by custom, tthe second Thurs /
day in August of each year became
big Thursday" or the annual picnic
for all folk. /
With the advent of the automobile,
crowds are much larger than 50
years ago, because people have the
advantage of excellent hard surfaced
roads to the waterfront. Where it
used to take a farmer and his fam
lily more than eight hours to drive )
from the remote sections of the
county over heavy, sandy roads they !
are able, with the automobile, TO ,,
make the trip within half an hour.
A half century ago the crowds /.
mainly were confined to residents
in the eastern half of Sussex county,
but today they are from every sec
tion of lower Delaware and the Eas- =
tern Shore of Maryland, especially |
WicOmicO, Somerset and !
Dorchester counties, in Maryland. :
Cars were noticed last Thursday l
from fourteen states, several of them
being from Bethany Beach and Re
hoboth Beach where the owners had
learned about the annual event at J
Oak Orchard.
Annually many residents of Mary
land, Pennsylvania, New Jersey,
New York and the New England =
States, especially if they have rela-
lives in that section, make it point
10 spend their summer vacation and II
attend the event.
OF course. politicians were there III
this is election year. They were
and hObnobbing, as III
usual. None of them were seen to III
kiss the babies. although they were
Dack-slapping the women as well as III
he men and inquiring about their III
health and members of their fam III
ly. III
To think of the good things they III
lad to eat, tucked away in cake III
md cracker boxes and large market
)askets makes one hungry They in III
'luded fried chicken, Delaware
Ityle, soft shelled crabs, deviled iii
'ggs, hard-bOiled eggs. cheese sand
yiches, home made cake, mince, ap-
lie, lemon, huckleberry and peach
lies, pickles, lima beans, sugar corn
N the cob, tomato sandwiches, beets, lit
yster patties, sweet potatoes, water Hi
Melon and cantalOupes, creamed po- lIl
atoes and topped off with ice cream MI
nd sugared peaches. Ye gods! A llII
lenu, the finest in the country, and |I
t for king of Europe who does not ll
uffer from indigestion and could II
artake of all of the foods Poor and iii
ich rub elbows together at this an Hill
ual festival. There is no classifi- iii
alton. I'LL
In former years much old-time l
apple-jaek and peach brandy" was M
eVidence-the kinds which did nof l