A Colorful History of Waterfront Sussex County

In the north of the state Delaware, New Castle was the colonial capital until the War of Independence, simply because there were seven waterways upon which one could reach the capital.   Trappers, shipbuilders, farmers and watermen were the first settlers in Sussex County and were attracted to the area because of its waterways. The first towns settled in Sussex County, including Lewes, Fenwick, Milford, Milton and Millsboro were built upon the water. Merchants could sail their flat-bottom boats laden with animals, crafts or agricultural harvest downriver and north along the Delaware Bay to Philadelphia’s marketplace.