Rehoboth Beach: A History of Surf & Sand

by Michael Morgan

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. Though today the town's population is in decline on par with many small towns, but during the summer months, this little Delaware community can expect as many as 25,000 tourists soaking up the sun and playing in the surf. With spirit and a touch of wry humor, Delmarva journalist Michael Morgan regales his audience with tales of intrepid explorers, brave guardians of the beach and ever-evolving trends in swimwear. Morgan invites his readers beyond the boardwalk to catch a glimpse of the true Rehoboth Beach.

Genres: Nonfiction

128 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2009

About the author

Librarian note:
There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name

Reviews

[Genevieve · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very interesting book about the history of Rehoboth Beach in Delaware. For any history buffs out there this is an incredible book that tells the details of Rehoboth Beach from the Native Americans up to the modern day. The only complaint I had was that sometimes they went back in time and repeated stuff that had been said before.

[Harry Brake · Rating 4 out of 5]

Upon hearing about a Delaware History book Festival in Lewes, and realizing that dated collection of Delaware historical books we had in the Woodbridge High Library, I saw my chance! Attending the History Festival was awesome, and this was one of several Delaware historical texts I nabbed.

I never really thought about the history of Lewes, and Michael Morgan lets you experience the back and forth development of the Rehoboth, Dewey, and more Delaware coast area through his historical narratives. From the use of Rehoboth as a resort from Native Americans, to the War, to hurricanes, to rebuilding to patrols both for surfed boats, tankers, to Uboats patrolling the coast to MUCH more, you get a big gamut of activity that has not become Rehoboth Beach.

It is difficult for me to picture the boardwalk then based on the pictures, the Rehoboth Hotel, etc but I think this gives me an opportunity to find the Rehoboth Museum and try to piece it all together. Michael Morgan's book certainly starts that process off for you quite well.

Coming back to the Delaware Eastern shore after six years is refreshing, and it felt this way through much of Michael Morgan's text. Being typically unchartered territory when it comes to historical accounts in texts, this is a start for me, but a good one at that. You will look and think about Rehoboth differently after being guided by Michael Morgan's text.

[Adam Clark · Rating 4 out of 5]

This nice little book takes you through the history of Rehoboth from the pre-colonial days to the modern era. The writing style is easy to follow. Some nice black and white pictures are included throughout too!

This was a fun way to gain some local knowledge before my trip to Rehoboth.

[Lesley Looper · Rating 3 out of 5]

I visited Rehoboth Beach for the first time Easter weekend, so I enjoyed reading more about the history of the area.