Before the Beach Resorts: South Bethany, Cat Hill, and 19th Century Delaware

• Ana Ramirez-Santos, University Studies, University of Delaware

• Sarah Trembanis, History, University of Delaware

Before the Delaware beaches became a tourist destination, nineteenth century Delawareans eked out a challenging living along the shore. Sandy soils, saltwater, and limited access to larger markets constrained the economy, culture, and society of Sussex county residents. Traces of these people are challenging to find and document. Unmarked graveyards, like one discovered during a residential development project, provide both limited answers and even more questions?

What did it mean to live and work on this coastal land before the tourism book of the mid-twentieth century? How did the development of the intracoastal waterway and improved roadways fundamentally transform these rural communities from hard-scrabble family homesteads to upmarket tourist destinations? This paper will examine the lives of those residents by delving into maps, tax records, gravesites, family histories, and newspaper accounts to better understand how southern Delawareans cultivated geographically challenging spaces in nineteenth century America. Moreover, what is the significance of those histories to a community that is now a mix of long-time residents and new (tourist) arrivals?