“Rehoboth Beach: A History of Surf and Sand” leads readers through Rehoboth history
The bustling Boardwalk of Rehoboth Beach was not built overnight - nor was the community around it.
The Rehoboth that locals know and cherish is the product of more than a century of life by the sea.
Michael Morgan’s “Rehoboth Beach: A History of Surf and Sand,” recently published by The History Press in Charleston, S.C., is a concise and thorough portrait of the evolution of a beach town.
Morgan begins with the Native Americans who camped near the head of Rehoboth Bay, predating explorers like Giovanni da Verrazzano, who sailed past Rehoboth during his 1524 voyage. The resort began in earnest, however, when an 18th-century tract urged people to seek the sea and its cold waters for medicinal effect.
The Rev. Robert W. Todd, a Methodist, after discovering the steep price of land in New Jersey, decided to settle his congregation on the Delmarva Peninsula. Todd and his parishioners bought the land, laid the streets and founded a religious retreat that would become a vibrant resort community.
Rather than opining and waxing poetic about a town by the sea, Morgan uses an historian’s tools to excavate the history of Rehoboth. Original voices abound, relating history in their own words.
For instance, this promotional boast about the town’s Boardwalk was taken from a late-19th-century tourist’s brochure: “It is more than one mile long and sixteen feet wide, with a substantial hand rail, and is lighted by gas the entire length. Here during the season may be found representatives of the wealth, beauty and fashion of our large cities…”
Like any beach town, Rehoboth is bound to the sea. Shipwrecks and groundings are common occurrences; less common were the flashes of light and the booms of offshore cannon fire that inaugurated World War I for the beach community.
In 1962, a devastating nor’easter proved that seaside living has its perils - houses were lifted from their foundations, hotels laid to waste, the Boardwalk smashed to matchsticks.
Morgan’s history is deeply sourced in local newspapers and secondary histories. Black-and-white photos provide a visual companion to Rehoboth’s narrative.
For the casual historian, longtime resident or curious tourist, Morgan’s book will provide a succinct but thorough glance at the past and present of a resort town.
Rehoboth Museum to host book signing June 25
The Rehoboth Beach Museum will host a book signing and lecture by Michael Morgan at 7 p.m., Thursday, June 25. Morgan, author of Delaware Diary, which appears weekly in the Delaware Coast Press, has written a fascinating new book on the history of the City of Rehoboth Beach. Titled “Rehoboth Beach: a History of Surf and Sand,” the book describes the beach area from the first explorers along the coast to the resort as it is today.
Memories of lost pirates’ treasure, daring rescues off the coast and prowling German U-boats linger amidst the dunes and sea grass of Rehoboth Beach. From modest beginnings as a religious retreat, the town has survived fierce storms and gales to blossom into a vibrant community and the nation’s summer capital.
Local history buffs may buy a copy of Morgan’s new book at the museum now and have it signed by Morgan at the lecture.
The Rehoboth Beach Museum is open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday and 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., Saturday and Sunday. The museum is located at 511 Rehoboth Ave. Call 302-227-7310 to reserve a seat. The book signing is free to society members and $3 for nonmembers.