Around Sussex | Cape Gazette

Around Sussex

Ron MacArthur, a native of Seaford who now lives in Lewes, has been reporting on news in and around Sussex County for nearly 50 years.

Contact Ron by emailing ronm@capegazette.com.

Around Sussex

Brave surfmen manned coastal stations

Ron MacArthur

1 year ago

Before the U.S. Coast Guard and other water rescue boats, crews from the U.S. Life-Saving Service…

Belltown has a unique history

Ron MacArthur

1 year ago

I’ve always been fascinated with how communities got their names. Every town has a story behind it…

Deep dive into facts and figures of a growing...

1 year ago

So, what makes Sussex County – particularly the beach resort area – so appealing for people to move…

Chief Little Owl watches over Bethany Beach

Ron MacArthur

1 year ago

Thousands of people ride along Route 1 past the Whispering Giant at the entrance to Bethany Beach…

When Seaford was nylon capital of the world

Ron MacArthur

1 year ago

The demand for nylon stockings led to one of the most significant events in the history of Sussex…

Why is a wheat sheaf a symbol of Sussex County?

Ron MacArthur

1 year ago

How did a wheat sheaf become a symbol for Sussex County? It’s on the county and state flag and…

The diversity of east vs. west Sussex

Ron MacArthur

1 year ago

Soybean Sussex and Sandy Sussex. Sussex County really is a tale of two counties, with Georgetown…

Indian River tulip-design bridge fails to bloom

Ron MacArthur

2 years ago

This is the 90th anniversary of a bridge over Indian River Inlet. The first one built in 1934…

Many African American schools endure

Ron MacArthur

2 years ago

In my last column, I wrote about the du Pont schools for African American students in a state where…

Du Pont Experiment includes African American schools…

Ron MacArthur

2 years ago

It’s a chapter of county history that needs to be told and retold so we never forget how terrible…

Fascinating tidbits of history in Sussex

Ron MacArthur

2 years ago

I’ve always been fascinated by the little-known snippets of Sussex County’s history. One of the…

Sussex storms are in my wheelhouse

2 years ago

Call me strange, but one of my favorite photography assignments is extreme weather. I guess I…

What is the oldest church in Sussex County?

Ron MacArthur

2 years ago

I’m going down a rabbit hole this week. I knew when I started researching old churches in Sussex…

All about Delaware: And the survey says ...

Ron MacArthur

2 years ago

I’m going to go beyond Sussex County in this column to reveal how Delaware ranks in various…

Healthcare systems try to keep pace with rapid…

Ron MacArthur

2 years ago

Think how far healthcare has come in Sussex County over the past few decades. Beebe Healthcare,…

Sussex thrift shops: You’ll never know what you’ll…

Ron MacArthur

2 years ago

At some point in our lives, most of us have perused the shelves of a thrift shop. As a young man…

When Cape Lighthouse fell, stones were in high…

Ron MacArthur

2 years ago

Do you have any Cape Henlopen Lighthouse stones? If everyone who says they have some old granite…

Troop 7's legacy continues in Cape Region

Ron MacArthur

2 years ago

Last year, Delaware State Police celebrated a major milestone, marking its 100th anniversary of…

Christmas traditions live on through the hype

Ron MacArthur

2 years ago

Christmas today is nothing like it was a few decades ago. Although the holiday has always been very…

Loyalties to the South force Gov. Ross to leave the…

Ron MacArthur

2 years ago

Sussex was a conflicted county in the year leading up to and during the Civil War 1861-65. While…

Fort Miles defenses were underground and underwater…

Ron MacArthur

2 years ago

I could write a column a week for a year and not even get to all of the history surrounding Fort…

Downtowns were the economic and social centers

Ron MacArthur

2 years ago

Many people have never experienced what Sussex County downtowns once were as the economic and…

Shh! Don't let anyone else know

Ron MacArthur

2 years ago

The secret has been out for a long time now. Every time a major travel or lifestyle magazine…

What’s in a name? It’s lots in Sussex County

Ron MacArthur

2 years ago

I've written several columns about Sussex County quirks and oddities, and they just keep coming.…

Agritourism: Sussex farming in the 21st century

Ron MacArthur

2 years ago

Agritourism in Sussex County is a term that didn't really exist a decade or so ago. That's…

Math mistake started poultry industry 100 years ago…

Ron MacArthur

2 years ago

In my last column, I described the importance of tourism to Sussex County, as the No. 2 industry of…

Tourists: Who are they and why do they come here?

Ron MacArthur

2 years ago

I’m amazed at the number of tourists who come to the Cape Region each summer. We all complain about…

Keeping on track on county’s railroads

Ron MacArthur

2 years ago

When you write about history, it's similar to stepping into the unknown, because not being an…

Railroads brought prosperity to much of Sussex…

Ron MacArthur

2 years ago

There is so much railroad history in Sussex County that it is impossible to even touch the surface…

Historical markers: A window to the past

Ron MacArthur

2 years ago

Chances are if you are out and about in Sussex County, you drive by several Delaware Public…

Lewes-Rehoboth Canal nears century mark

Ron MacArthur

2 years ago

There hasn't always been a Lewes-Rehoboth Canal. For most of the area's history, Lewes Creek was…

A strong connection to the Nanticoke River

Ron MacArthur

2 years ago

The rivers of Sussex County have played an important role in the county's commerce and history.…

Jacob Jones’ distinguished naval career

Ron MacArthur

3 years ago

When you start to peel back the onion of Sussex County history, some amazing personalities reveal…

Historic Clayton Theater is one of a kind

Ron MacArthur

3 years ago

Throughout most of the 20th century, every city and town in Sussex County had at least one…

Memories of growing up in the 1960s

Ron MacArthur

3 years ago

I grew up during a great decade without video games, smartphones and watches, and computers. I was…

HMS DeBraak is ill-fated at sea and at salvage

Ron MacArthur

3 years ago

The most famous shipwreck off the shores of Cape Henlopen in 90 feet of water is the HMS DeBraak,…

Sussex County is home to nearly 20 governors

Ron MacArthur

3 years ago

I've always wondered how many governors came from Sussex County. I knew that no one from south of…

Lewes: Are the roots Dutch or English?

Ron MacArthur

3 years ago

Lewes may be the First Town in the First State, but its beginnings are anything but auspicious. The…

It's official: Craft beer, scrapple and…

Ron MacArthur

3 years ago

Delaware has an official flower (peach blossom), fruit (strawberry), dessert (peach pie), bug (…

Woodland Ferry dates back nearly 300 years

Ron MacArthur

3 years ago

On the eastern side of Sussex County, when you say the word ferry, it means the Cape May-Lewes…

Let's hope it really is a Philly Thing

Ron MacArthur

3 years ago

Who is your team? Let's face it, in eastern Sussex County, fans love their Pennsylvania teams.…

Inlet bridge history dates back nearly nine decades…

Ron MacArthur

3 years ago

Thousands of people drive over the Indian River Inlet bridge daily and never realize the history…

Strange and devastating train crashes

Ron MacArthur

3 years ago

In the golden age of the railroad, trains on tracks in Sussex County were commonplace. At the time…

Milton was the holly capital; smallpox almost ruined…

Ron MacArthur

3 years ago

For most of five decades starting in the early 1900s, Sussex County was the leading exporter of…

Is the Lightship Overfalls haunted?

Ron MacArthur

3 years ago

Is the historic Lightship Overfalls in Lewes haunted? According to paranormal investigator Rick…

The story of Jason Beach at Trap Pond

Ron MacArthur

3 years ago

Most people in the Lewes area are well aware of the efforts to rename Lewes Beach 2 to Johnnie…

Special events are part of Sussex lifestyle

Ron MacArthur

3 years ago

Events really define what Sussex County is all about. It seems nearly every town has a signature…

On quests to capture photos of our wildlife visitors…

Ron MacArthur

3 years ago

I never take our Sussex County wildlife for granted. Although I'm not in the same league as some of…

Memories of nearly 50 years on the job

Ron MacArthur

3 years ago

For nearly 50 years, I've been writing about issues, and photographing people and events in Sussex…

A good corn crop is crucial to Sussex farmers

Ron MacArthur

3 years ago

It's not corny; Sussex farmers depend on kernels. In Sussex, corn is the No. 1 crop. At the end of…

Menhaden fleet provides flashback in Lewes history

Ron MacArthur

3 years ago

The sight of a menhaden fishing fleet from Omega Protein in Reedville, Va., on Sept. 19 in the…

History goes underground at Fort Miles

Ron MacArthur

3 years ago

Sussex County has a hidden history that played a vital role during World War II. There are 16…

The ghoulish side of Sussex County

3 years ago

My last column was devoted to the unique, quirky and odd side of Sussex County. Well, there is more…

The odd and quirky side of Sussex County

Ron MacArthur

3 years ago

Sussex County has a long list of oddities and things that make it unique. House of the future If…

Sussex menu: Fresh produce, scrapple, crabs, chicken…

Ron MacArthur

3 years ago

What is your favorite food unique to Sussex County? It's hard to pin a certain food to a…

A tale of two lakes (or are they ponds?)

Ron MacArthur

3 years ago

Writing about the history of Sussex County is like walking on a high wire with all of the experts…

A time when mills powered Sussex’s economy

Ron MacArthur

3 years ago

For the better part of two centuries, grist mills were an important part of Sussex County's economy…

Shipbuilding in Sussex was really big business

Ron MacArthur

3 years ago

What do the Mispillion, Broadkill and Nanticoke rivers and Broad Creek have in common, except being…

Sussex County’s little-known connections to World…

Ron MacArthur

4 years ago

Sussex County history fascinates me. As I learn more, it's apparent that a significant time period…

Local hero Ted Freeman had the right stuff

Ron MacArthur

4 years ago

It's one of the most tragic stories in the history of Sussex County. If not for a terrible…