High Tide News August 2014 Local News for the People, by the People Vol

Local Postal Customer High Tide News August 2014 Local news for the people, by the people Vol. 02 Num. 08 www.hightidenews.com Lewes Mason-Dixon Line TP Line marker at Fenwick, DE side, www.exploretheline.com Fenwick Island Middle Point Marker near Delmar, DE, www.exploretheline.com Transpeninsular Line TP Line marker at Fenwick, MD side, www.octhebeach.com “Transpen-line”. Licensed under Public domain via Wikimedia Commons - http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Transpen-line.gif#mediaviewer/File:Transpen-line.gif Wikimedia Commons domain via under Public Licensed “Transpen-line”. The Transpeninsular Line The First Stone Marker of Delaware’s Southern Boundary at: Fenwick Island By Sandie Gerken Have you heard that the monu- between the Atlantic Ocean and she was a student at Hood Col- johnny-cake. This embarrassing century long legal battle. ment at the Fenwick Island light- the Chesapeake Bay. After nearly lege. She notes that through the feeling arose from the difficulty of It is easy to understand the con- house marks the Mason-Dixon a century of disputes between course of time and the elements, obtaining flour in the 1870s and fusion over boundaries when we Line between Maryland and the Lords Baltimore, proprietors the emblems on the stone were 1880s. White flour was so scarce note the various land grants and Delaware and thus, marks the of Maryland and the Penn family worn down to such a extent that a that the only available flour that lack of proper surveying and map- boundary between the North and of Pennsylvania, boundary lines tale began to be told by the older locals could get shipped by river ping. Charles I granted Maryland the South? were drawn to separate the Mary- residents that had very little to or railroad was of an inferior dark to Cecilius Calvert in 1632. About This is NOT true. land colony from the “Three Lower do with the marker’s historic sig- grade, while, perhaps Maryland fifty years later in 1681, Charles II Counties” of Pennsylvania. This nificance. The legendary story of could obtain better flour. How- granted Pennsylvania to William This east-west line is the first line marker bears the Penn the symbols stated that a johnny- ever, upon close examination of Penn and the Duke of York sold Transpeninsular Line surveyed and coat of arms on one side and the cake represented Delaware on the the marker, the three “ beaten Penn his Three Lower Counties drawn by Pennsylvania surveyors coat of arms of the Calvert family north side of the marker and that biscuits” is the Penn emblem on on the Delaware soon afterward. John Watson and William Parsons (Lord Baltimore) on the other. Cen- the south side was marked by a the Delaware side. So much for The problem was that some of this with Maryland surveyors Thomas turies of salt winds and rain have Maryland beaten biscuit. Appar- that tale! Now for the history of land overlapped . Charles II left it Jones and John Emory in 1751. The beat on the marker, yet it endures. ently, this tale was a source of the Line, short version! to the Calverts and the Penns to stone marker was erected April 26, I found an old newspaper article humiliation for Delawareans who Delaware is known as the first work out the mapping and true 1751 to mark the easternmost end in papers saved by my grand- felt that it signified that Maryland state to ratify the US Constitution, division of the bounds between of the southern boundary from mother. This article was written could afford a beaten biscuit and but it is possibly the last state to Fenwick Island to a mid-point by a local girl about 1935 when Delaware could only afford the have its boundaries settled after a continued on page 2 The Transpeninsular Line: The First Stone Marker of Delaware’s Southern Boundary at Fenwick Island Transpeninsular continued from page 1 Line Trivia: the two colonies. The crux of the long dis- limestone marker, imported from England, browne.blogspot.com, 2012 pute in the English courts lay in two words was set. This line runs westward “as the Transpeninsular Line Marker-Maryland • Cape Henlopen really lies and an incorrect map. Charles Calvert, the crow flies” for 69 miles 298 perches (69.9313 State Archiveshttp://msa.maryland.gov about 15 miles north of the third Lord Baltimore, had submitted to the miles) with similar stones set at 5 mile inter- “History of Famous Line Between States”, Fenwick Island marker. If this English courts an erroneous map locating vals for 35 miles to the mid-point of the pen- Delmarva Heritage Series, Salisbury Times, true cape had been used as the Cape Henlopen at Fenwick Island. The two insula. These markers were rectangular with Dec 18, 1959. start point, Delaware would words found in the Maryland charter were rounded tops. At one mile intervals there be approximately 1000 square “hitherto uncultivated”. Their charter gave are brass disks set in concrete. miles smaller. the Calverts the rights to all lands from the The Middle Point marker, representing Sandie Gerken Atlantic Ocean to the Chesapeake Bay that the southwestern point of Delaware along lives in Dagsboro, • The Fenwick Island marker is were not previously inhabited by Europeans this line, can be found about 6 .6 miles west DE. As a native said to be the oldest standing Sussex Countian, man-made object on the coast (hitherto uncultivated). The English courts of Delmar in a pavilion that protects this local history is one between Indian River and determined that the Maryland grant did stone, as well as the stone placed by Charles of her passions. Ocean City, MD. The stone was NOT include any of the contested territory Mason and Jeremiah Dixon in 1763 marking white washed and the images between the Atlantic and the Chesapeake the southern point of the western (south- Retired now, she devotes her time re-cut in 1952 to be readable. inhabited by Europeans BEFORE the1632 north) boundary of Delaware. to genealogy research (her great- Maryland charter. Thus, the brief Dutch So, for this southern border of Delaware est passion since 1978), watercol- • Marker #5, located near Wil- settlement at Zwaanendael in 1631 favored all that Mason and Dixon did was to accept or painting, grandchildren, soccer liamsville and the Bayside the Penns. To finalize the litigation in 1732, the middle point of the Transpeninsular for kids with disabilities, books, Americana complex is in good the English courts decided to divide the Line as their starting point for the western and things creative and historical. condition. peninsula of land between the ocean and boundary line of Delaware drawn between She recently authored the book Memories of the Clayton Theatre • Marker #10 is located on the the bay into two equal parts by a line from 1763-67. This line is known officially as the as a fundraiser to help the Clayton property of Pomeroy’s Liquor Cape Henlopen (Fenwick ) to the middle “Tangent Line” and is part of the Mason go digital. She is now exploring Store at the state line in Sel- point on the peninsula, then a tangent –Dixon Line that separates Maryland and her writing skills with local history byville. line run from that point up to meet the Pennsylvania as well. So, in truth, Delaware articles for High Tide News. previously accepted 12 mile arc northern does not lie north of the Mason-Dixon Line, • There is no marker at mile #15 as the Pocomoke River and boundary of Delaware. Lord Baltimore’s but east of it! Swamp made it impossible to faulty map was accepted and an agreement was reached. A disgruntled Lord Baltimore Sources: place a marker in the ground at News this location. did not move forward with the required “First Stone in Mason-Dixon Line at Fen- High Tide survey. So, for almost 20 years, more court wick’s”, Newspaper article by Joan Ivy Steele, Local news for the people, by the people • The TP Line runs through battles ensued until May 1750 when the ca. 1940, possession of Sandie Gerken High Tide News is published monthly, year Delmar, bisecting the town into higher courts ordered both sides to begin East of the Mason Dixon Line, A History of round, and delivered weekly to homes two states. throughout Sussex County, Delaware. the surveys within 90 days. Pennsylvania the Delaware Boundaries, Roger E. Nathan, sent the first surveyors to begin the east- Delaware Heritage Press, 2000. Subscriptions are now available at: • A “perch” is a colonial line mea- http://www.hightidenews.com/subscribe.html surement equal to 5 ½ yards. In west line in December 1750. They drove the “Sussex County Markers”, Delaware State colonial deeds, a ‘rod’ or a ‘perch’ first stake 139 perches from the Ocean in a Archives, www.archives.delaware.gov Volume 2 Number 8 August 2014 is the same length. grove of mulberry trees where the Fenwick “Landmarks: Pomeroys on the Transpen- Lighthouse now stands and where the first insular Line”, Allen Browne, www.allen- Publisher: Layman Enterprises Editor: Judy Layman Contributing Writers: Sandie Gerken, Clayton Theatre Historical Marker Vincent Paez, Deborah Elias-Smith A Dedication Ceremony for the Clayton Theatre Historical Please send correspondence to: Marker was held on July 14th at the Clayton Theatre. The Marker High Tide News was unveiled by Sandie Gerken, Daughter of Clayton Theatre PO Box 870 Founder, Pete Hancock. Ocean View, DE 19970 There were several guests present, including Theatre owner Joanne Howe Phone: 302-727-0390 Senator Gerald Hocker, Representative John email: [email protected] Atkins, County Councilman Vance Phillips, Dags- online: www.hightidenews.com boro Town Councilman Brian Baull, Dagsboro All content is the property of High Tide Mayor Bradley Connor, The Hancock & Camp- News and cannot be reproduced without bell Families, other local dignitaries, and present prior written consent.

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