Ellendale, Delaware
Encyclopedia
Ellendale is a town in Sussex County
, Delaware
, United States
. The population was 381 at the 2010 census
, an increase of 16.5% since 2000. It is part of the Seaford, Delaware
Micropolitan Statistical Area. Ellendale is the "Gateway to Delaware's Resort Beaches" because it is the city located on U.S. Highway 113 , the resort area's western most border, and Delaware Route 16 , the resort area's northern most border with the eastern border being the Delaware Bay and Atlantic Ocean and the southern border being the state line with Maryland. Ellendale is home to the Philadelphia Bible College and the Harbor Christian Academy.
and Delaware Bay
. The swamp was the hunting grounds of the Nanticoke Indian Tribe
until they were driven out by the Lenni Lenape Tribe on the Battle Green near Chestnut Ridge, a hill on Ellendale's north side. The Lenape Trace, a main thoroughfare of a trail, passed through Ellendale as a native American trade route from Pocomoke City, Maryland
to Marcus Hook, Pennsylvania
. With the arrival of Europeans, the Ellendale area was a province of fur traders and hunters. Early in the 18th century, farming and timbering pushed back the swamp that once covered the area. The tract of land on which the town would later be built was originally deeded in 1740 as "Bennett's Pleasure".
at the time of the 1780 Black Camp Insurrection during the American Revolution
. Harold Hancock describes the insurrection in his History of Sussex County: "With the removal of the British from Philadelphia in the spring of 1778, the number of enemy vessels in Delaware Bay decreased, and the activities of Sussex County Tories diminished. Only one other insurrection in Sussex County occurred – the famous Black Camp Rebellion of 1780. The insurrectionists were mainly from Cedar Creek and Slaughter Neck Hundred, and their headquarters were in a swamp about six miles (10 km) north of Georgetown. Their leaders, Bartholomew Banynum (Banum) and William Dutton, had about 400 men formed in “Associations” or militia companies. An investigator reported the causes as follows: ‘Some of these ignorant people were for opposing all law, others for establishing what they called the King’s Laws – and others for opposing the payment of taxes – but generally seem to have believed that all to the southward of Chesapeak Bay had laid down their arms and submitted to the King’s Laws – and that they should very easy make Sussex County do the same.’
Militia from Kent County dispersed the insurrectionists. Some were sent off to serve in the Continental Army, and thirty-seven were indicted for treason in the State Supreme Court. Eight were ordered to be hung ‘by the neck but not till you be dead, for then your bowels must be taken out and burnt before your face, then your head must be severed from your body, and your body divided into four Quarters, and these must be at the disposal of the Supreme Authority in the State. Fortunately this sentence which was customary for treason was not carried out, and all the participants were pardoned by the General Assembly on November 4, 1780."
There were two small villages in the area of Ellendale's current location by 1790. They were Fleatown (or Federalsburg) to the north, and New Market to the east, both of which later became ghost towns with the establishment of Ellendale.
. Ellendale was founded in the early 19th century and surveyed in 1866-1867. Ellendale was first settled near the Morris Tavern Crossroads, near the current U.S. 113 and DE 16 intersection, by a handful of families. The city is rumored to be named after either the daughter of Whig Republican Alfred Short, a state legislator, the wife of Dr. John S. Prettyman who laid out the town, or the daughter of Mr. Thomas William Dale, the chief engineer of the railroad survey team. Ellendale's current site was established in 1866 when the families moved east to settle around the Junction and Breakwater Railroad Depot. On July 16, 1873 the Ellendale Methodist Episcopal Church purchased land to erect a church, parsonage, and school. Ellendale's economy rapidly advanced as the RJ Clendaniel Sawmill, the Jester & Reed Canning Company, a brick yard, several peach evaporating and canning companies, basket factory, the Phillip J Ritter Ketchup Company, Ellendale Excelsior Company, and button factory opened in the town. The railroad was purchased by the Pennsylvania Railroad
in 1905 and that same year the town was formally incorporated. In February 1895, the Queen Anne’s Railroad was authorized by the Delaware legislature to extend its rail lines across the state to Lewes. The goal of the company was to establish a direct link between Baltimore
and Delaware's coastal resorts. This additional rail line passed through Ellendale and provided passenger, freight, and mail services as far west as Queenstown, Maryland
(with links to Baltimore via steamship) and east to Rehoboth Beach
(with links to Cape May, New Jersey
via steamship) with the first passenger trains passing through in 1897. A post office was erected, with a large second floor room that was used by the Independent Order of Red Men, a break off group of the Improved Order of Red Men
that was established in the town, at the site of what is now the Town Hall.
In 1918, the DuPont Highway (now known as DuPont Boulevard and U.S. 113) was completed. While this was seen as a great boon to the town, it would eventually lead to the decline of the railroad and the town's economy, leading to the closing of all the towns factories. In May 1920, after several fires in the town, the Town Council met to establish a fire department to protect the citizens and businesses of Ellendale and surrounding communities. The newly formed fire department purchased a Ford Model T fire truck for $1400 from the Viscose Silk Company in Marcus Hook, Pennsylvania
. New schools were built in the 1920s. In 1920, the Ellendale School 125 was built in the International style on Main Street on the towns west side, and the African American School 195C, funded by the DuPont family, was built between 1922-1925 on North Old State Road. After desegregation, all students were educated in the Ellendale School 125 on Main Street. By the middle of the 1920s, with profits declining and competition for its other lines increasing, the Pennsylvania Railroad decided to abandon a large portion of the railway. The Denton, Maryland
to Lewes
section was purchased by the Maryland & Delaware Coast Railway, but with the decline of the locomotive as vehicle traffic increased, the line was again scheduled to be abandoned in 1931. The state of Delaware eventually purchased the portion of the line from Ellendale to Milton to maintain a freight link, making this section the last operable section of one that once spanned over 100 miles (160.9 km). Over sixty residents of Ellendale served in World War I, World War II, the Korean War, and Vietnam War.
In 1927 the Lincoln and Ellendale Electric Company was established bringing electricity to the residents of the town for the first time. Also in 1927 the Ellendale State Forest was established by the State Highway Department. When it was turned over to the State Forestry Department in 1932, it totalled 40 acres (161,874.4 m²), today it has been expanded and combined with the Redden State Forest to well over 5000 acres (20.2 km²). The Appenzeller Tract in Ellendale, a small 45 acres (182,108.7 m²) section, was a gift to the state from the DuPont family. A large woods fire between Ellendale, Georgetown, and Milton burned over 38000 acres (153.8 km²) in 1930 forced the General Assembly to pass a series of forest protection laws establishing a fire control system which included building a 120 feet (36.6 m) fire tower just outside Ellendale to alert people of fires. The Ellendale Town Council organized a police department in the 1970s. Due to fiscal constraints, the department was shut down in the 1980s. After being restarted in the 1990s, the economic crash that started with the housing crisis caused Congress to cut funding to community policing grants and the town was forced to cut its department down to one part-time officer.
On the weekend of August 26 to August 28, 2011 the town of Ellendale was hit by Hurricane Irene
. Ellendale received the most rainfall in the state with 10.43" during the storm.
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the town has a total area of 0.2 square mile (0.517997622 km²), all of it land.
For current weather in Ellendale, see this link. http://www.deos.udel.edu/odd-divas/station_current.php?station=274007&network=DelDOT&units=english
of 2000, there were 327 people, 113 households, and 82 families residing in the town. The population density
was 1,289.5 people per square mile (505.0/km²). There were 128 housing units at an average density of 504.8 per square mile (197.7/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 55.4% White, 37.9% African American, 0.6% Native American, 0.3% Asian, 4.6% from other races
, and 1.2% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4.6% of the population.
There were 113 households out of which 31.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.2% were married couples
living together, 15.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.4% were non-families. 23.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 13.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.83 and the average family size was 3.33.
In the town the population was spread out with 26.6% under the age of 18, 8.0% from 18 to 24, 27.8% from 25 to 44, 24.2% from 45 to 64, and 13.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 94.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.0 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $37,083, and the median income for a family was $42,841. Males had a median income of $21,875 versus $17,614 for females. The per capita income
for the town was $14,831. About 7.2% of families and 15.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 32.3% of those under age 18 and 22.2% of those age 65 or over.
As of 2007, the Ellendale region's population (for the entire zip code) was 2,720 people. Since 2000, it has had a population growth of 13.1%. The median home cost in the Ellendale region is $185,000. Home appreciation the last year has been -2.5%. Compared to the rest of the country, Ellendale's cost of living is 14.4% lower than the U.S. average. The public schools serving the Ellendale region spend $7,073 per student. The average school expenditure in the U.S. is $6,058. There are about 18 students per teacher in the Ellendale region. The unemployment rate in the Ellendale region is 2.7% (U.S. avg. is 4.6%). Recent job growth is positive as Ellendale region jobs have shown an increase of 0.6%. The chart below shows the cost of living for the Ellendale regions versus the average cost of living for the rest of the United States.
City planning and zoning is done by the five person Planning Commission with appeals of decisions and requests for exemptions going before the three person Board of Adjustment. The Code Enforcement Officer for the city is Steven Watson.
The Ellendale Vol. Fire Dept. is a sixty plus member volunteer fire, rescue, and EMS agency led by Fire Chief Rowland Moore Jr. The fire company is the primary provider of these services to the city of Ellendale and the surrounding areas with a local district of approximately 60 square miles (155.4 km²).
Crime rate per 100,000 in population:
Formula used for chart: ((Crimes Reported) / (Population)) X 100,000)
south to the NRG Energy
power plant. The main freight hauled on the track is coal for the NRG power plant located near Millsboro, Delaware
. Other freight includes a mix of fertilizer, grain, paper, food products, chemicals, and stone. The Delaware Coast Line Railroad
also operates a rail line in Ellendale, the Milton Branch of the former Queen Anne's Railroad
, which leaves the Norfolk Southern Indian River Secondary at Willow Street and heads east to Milton, Delaware
. This line is 6.8 miles (10.9 km) from interchange to endpoint, and is currently used to store covered hoppers for Perdue and for other railcar owners. Plans are currently underway for this line to reopen with more operations to a propane tank farm being constructed in Milton.
The largest employer in Ellendale is the Kent/Sussex Detoxification Center
, a 20 bed medical facility in the SAMSHA
Drug and Alcohol Rehab Programs category located in the former Ellendale public school, and one of only two detoxification centers in the state. Other businesses include a machine shop, mental health medical facility, Philadelphia Bible College, and Perdue Farms
research laboratory
. Ellendale has a very limited economy with only a handful of small business in town, however annexation plans that could more than quadruple the size of the town has businesses looking at the small but growing community.
is the main north-south thoroughfare for the city of Ellendale, with Delaware Route 16 being the main east-west highway. U.S. Route 113 is known as DuPont Boulevard and connects Ellendale with Milford to the north and Georgetown to the south. The DuPont Boulevard's
opening allowed greater access to the city. An anonymous writer in the now extinct Sunday Star newspaper wrote of the Ellendale area " ...formerly one of the worst spots in the State for the traveler, where during the winter months, horses and men and automobiles became so deeply mired that they were continually having to be rescued." The writer went on to express that the area had become one of the most beautiful spots on the East Coast of the United States that was compared by tourists to part of Yellowstone National Park
. Delaware Route 16 is Main Street in Ellendale, also known as Beach Highway, and is a main thoroughfare to Delaware's resort beaches. Delaware Route 16 connects Ellendale with Milton to the east and Greenwood to the west.
DART First State
serves Ellendale on the inter-county
Route 303, which links it to Dover
and Georgetown
. The Route 303 connects with DART's Kent County bus routes
and the inter-county Route 301 to Wilmington
in Dover and DART's Sussex County bus routes
in Georgetown with connections to Laurel
and Rehoboth Beach
.
The Ellendale State Forest Picnic Facility located on DuPont Boulevard 0.5 mile (0.80467 km) south of Main Street in Ellendale is on the National Register of Historic Places and is the last of its kind left in existence. Built in 1936 by the Civilian Conservation Corps
, a work relief program for young men established in March 1933 during President Franklin D. Roosevelt
's first hundred days in office, part of the New Deal
. The Ellendale State Forest was recently merged with the Redden State Forest to create the largest state forest in Delaware. This state forest includes 44 miles (71 km) of trails frequently used for hiking, horseback riding, bicycling, and bird watching. The large forests are also used every year for deer and small game hunting. The Headquarters Tract on East Redden Road includes a limited number of primitive camping sites, a catch-and-release fishing pond, and a natural resource education facility, formerly a historic carriage house, which opened in 2000, and the historic Redden Lodge, renovated in 1996, which is open to the public for camping at a small charge. The Redden/Ellendale Forest Legacy Area is one of four legacy areas in the State of Delaware. Approved in 1998, it is one of the areas with the highest concentration of forests in the state. The forests have their share of ghost tales as well. Tales include that of a headless figure that has been seen walking along the highway, US 113, that runs through the park between Ellendale and Georgetown. No one knows who the ghost is, but there is high rate of accidents reported along this road by the police. When driving along this stretch of US 113, you may notice the traffic fatality signs posted where numerous people have been killed by drunk drivers. It is also reported that in a deserted section of the forest lies a ranger's house that is supposedly haunted by a woman who died within the house.
The War Memorial for soldiers from Ellendale killed in the line of duty in the armed forces is located on McCaulley Avenue between Short's Alley and Willow Street next to the Town Hall/Police Department and Town Park and one block from the Ellendale Town Square located at Main Street and McCaulley Avenue.
There are several historical markers in Ellendale. The Cedar Creek Hundred Historical Marker and Georgetown Hundred Historic Markers are located on DuPont Boulevard across from the Ellendale State Forest. The Ellendale Railroad Square Historical Marker is located at Main Street and East Railroad Avenue. The Ellendale Town Historic Marker unveiled during the towns 100th Anniversary festivities is located at the Town Square at Main Street and McCaulley Avenue.
Sussex County, Delaware
Sussex County is a county located in the southern part of the U.S. state of Delaware. As of 2010 the population was 197,145, an increase of 25.9% over the previous decade. The county seat is Georgetown. The Seaford Micropolitan Statistical Area includes all of Sussex County.Sussex County is...
, Delaware
Delaware
Delaware is a U.S. state located on the Atlantic Coast in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It is bordered to the south and west by Maryland, and to the north by Pennsylvania...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The population was 381 at the 2010 census
United States Census, 2010
The Twenty-third United States Census, known as Census 2010 or the 2010 Census, is the current national census of the United States. National Census Day was April 1, 2010 and is the reference date used in enumerating individuals...
, an increase of 16.5% since 2000. It is part of the Seaford, Delaware
Seaford, Delaware
Seaford is a city located along the Nanticoke River in Sussex County, Delaware. According to the 2010 Census Bureau figures, the population of the city is 6,928, an increase of 3.4% from the 2000 census...
Micropolitan Statistical Area. Ellendale is the "Gateway to Delaware's Resort Beaches" because it is the city located on U.S. Highway 113 , the resort area's western most border, and Delaware Route 16 , the resort area's northern most border with the eastern border being the Delaware Bay and Atlantic Ocean and the southern border being the state line with Maryland. Ellendale is home to the Philadelphia Bible College and the Harbor Christian Academy.
Early history
Ellendale started as a forest and swamp on the divide between the Chesapeake BayChesapeake Bay
The Chesapeake Bay is the largest estuary in the United States. It lies off the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by Maryland and Virginia. The Chesapeake Bay's drainage basin covers in the District of Columbia and parts of six states: New York, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, and West...
and Delaware Bay
Delaware Bay
Delaware Bay is a major estuary outlet of the Delaware River on the Northeast seaboard of the United States whose fresh water mixes for many miles with the waters of the Atlantic Ocean. It is in area. The bay is bordered by the State of New Jersey and the State of Delaware...
. The swamp was the hunting grounds of the Nanticoke Indian Tribe
Nanticoke Indian Tribe
The Nanticoke people are an indigenous American Algonquian people, whose traditional homelands are in Chesapeake Bay and Delaware. Today they live in the northeast United States, especially Delaware; in Canada; and in Oklahoma.-History:...
until they were driven out by the Lenni Lenape Tribe on the Battle Green near Chestnut Ridge, a hill on Ellendale's north side. The Lenape Trace, a main thoroughfare of a trail, passed through Ellendale as a native American trade route from Pocomoke City, Maryland
Pocomoke City, Maryland
Pocomoke City, dubbed "the friendliest town on the Eastern Shore", is a city in Worcester County, Maryland, United States. Although renamed in a burst of civic enthusiasm in 1878, the city is regularly referred to by its inhabitants simply as Pocomoke...
to Marcus Hook, Pennsylvania
Marcus Hook, Pennsylvania
Marcus Hook is a borough in Delaware County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population peaked in the 1920s with 5,324 inhabitants. 2,314 inhabitants were counted at the recent 2000 census. Marcus Hook's current mayor is James Schiliro. The borough calls itself "The Cornerstone of Pennsylvania"....
. With the arrival of Europeans, the Ellendale area was a province of fur traders and hunters. Early in the 18th century, farming and timbering pushed back the swamp that once covered the area. The tract of land on which the town would later be built was originally deeded in 1740 as "Bennett's Pleasure".
The Black Camp Insurrection
The "Nanticoke Swamp," as the Ellendale Swamp was then called, was depicted as a place where criminals routinely hid from the law in the depositions of a 1759 murder that occurred. One of the main causes being the issue of jurisdiction as both Maryland and Delaware were in a boundary dispute and claimed the area. The Ellendale Swamp became a refuge for LoyalistsLoyalist (American Revolution)
Loyalists were American colonists who remained loyal to the Kingdom of Great Britain during the American Revolutionary War. At the time they were often called Tories, Royalists, or King's Men. They were opposed by the Patriots, those who supported the revolution...
at the time of the 1780 Black Camp Insurrection during the American Revolution
American Revolution
The American Revolution was the political upheaval during the last half of the 18th century in which thirteen colonies in North America joined together to break free from the British Empire, combining to become the United States of America...
. Harold Hancock describes the insurrection in his History of Sussex County: "With the removal of the British from Philadelphia in the spring of 1778, the number of enemy vessels in Delaware Bay decreased, and the activities of Sussex County Tories diminished. Only one other insurrection in Sussex County occurred – the famous Black Camp Rebellion of 1780. The insurrectionists were mainly from Cedar Creek and Slaughter Neck Hundred, and their headquarters were in a swamp about six miles (10 km) north of Georgetown. Their leaders, Bartholomew Banynum (Banum) and William Dutton, had about 400 men formed in “Associations” or militia companies. An investigator reported the causes as follows: ‘Some of these ignorant people were for opposing all law, others for establishing what they called the King’s Laws – and others for opposing the payment of taxes – but generally seem to have believed that all to the southward of Chesapeak Bay had laid down their arms and submitted to the King’s Laws – and that they should very easy make Sussex County do the same.’
Militia from Kent County dispersed the insurrectionists. Some were sent off to serve in the Continental Army, and thirty-seven were indicted for treason in the State Supreme Court. Eight were ordered to be hung ‘by the neck but not till you be dead, for then your bowels must be taken out and burnt before your face, then your head must be severed from your body, and your body divided into four Quarters, and these must be at the disposal of the Supreme Authority in the State. Fortunately this sentence which was customary for treason was not carried out, and all the participants were pardoned by the General Assembly on November 4, 1780."
There were two small villages in the area of Ellendale's current location by 1790. They were Fleatown (or Federalsburg) to the north, and New Market to the east, both of which later became ghost towns with the establishment of Ellendale.
19th Century to 20th Century
In the Federal era, the Old State Road was built to connect the newly founded county seat of Georgetown with the state capitol of Dover. With emancipation, African Americans took up free lives in the area and the railroads came after the American Civil WarAmerican Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
. Ellendale was founded in the early 19th century and surveyed in 1866-1867. Ellendale was first settled near the Morris Tavern Crossroads, near the current U.S. 113 and DE 16 intersection, by a handful of families. The city is rumored to be named after either the daughter of Whig Republican Alfred Short, a state legislator, the wife of Dr. John S. Prettyman who laid out the town, or the daughter of Mr. Thomas William Dale, the chief engineer of the railroad survey team. Ellendale's current site was established in 1866 when the families moved east to settle around the Junction and Breakwater Railroad Depot. On July 16, 1873 the Ellendale Methodist Episcopal Church purchased land to erect a church, parsonage, and school. Ellendale's economy rapidly advanced as the RJ Clendaniel Sawmill, the Jester & Reed Canning Company, a brick yard, several peach evaporating and canning companies, basket factory, the Phillip J Ritter Ketchup Company, Ellendale Excelsior Company, and button factory opened in the town. The railroad was purchased by the Pennsylvania Railroad
Pennsylvania Railroad
The Pennsylvania Railroad was an American Class I railroad, founded in 1846. Commonly referred to as the "Pennsy", the PRR was headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania....
in 1905 and that same year the town was formally incorporated. In February 1895, the Queen Anne’s Railroad was authorized by the Delaware legislature to extend its rail lines across the state to Lewes. The goal of the company was to establish a direct link between Baltimore
Baltimore
Baltimore is the largest independent city in the United States and the largest city and cultural center of the US state of Maryland. The city is located in central Maryland along the tidal portion of the Patapsco River, an arm of the Chesapeake Bay. Baltimore is sometimes referred to as Baltimore...
and Delaware's coastal resorts. This additional rail line passed through Ellendale and provided passenger, freight, and mail services as far west as Queenstown, Maryland
Queenstown, Maryland
Queenstown is a town in Queen Anne's County, Maryland, United States. The population was 617 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Queenstown is located at ....
(with links to Baltimore via steamship) and east to Rehoboth Beach
Rehoboth Beach, Delaware
Rehoboth Beach is a city in Sussex County, Delaware, United States. According to the 2010 census, the population is 1,327, a decrease of 11.2% from 2000...
(with links to Cape May, New Jersey
Cape May, New Jersey
Cape May is a city at the southern tip of Cape May Peninsula in Cape May County, New Jersey, where the Delaware Bay meets the Atlantic Ocean and is one of the country's oldest vacation resort destinations. It is part of the Ocean City Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of the 2010 United States...
via steamship) with the first passenger trains passing through in 1897. A post office was erected, with a large second floor room that was used by the Independent Order of Red Men, a break off group of the Improved Order of Red Men
Improved Order of Red Men
The Improved Order of Red Men traces its origin to certain secret patriotic societies founded before the American Revolution. They were established to promote Liberty and to defy the tyranny of the English Crown. Among the early groups were: The Sons of Liberty, the Sons of St...
that was established in the town, at the site of what is now the Town Hall.
In 1918, the DuPont Highway (now known as DuPont Boulevard and U.S. 113) was completed. While this was seen as a great boon to the town, it would eventually lead to the decline of the railroad and the town's economy, leading to the closing of all the towns factories. In May 1920, after several fires in the town, the Town Council met to establish a fire department to protect the citizens and businesses of Ellendale and surrounding communities. The newly formed fire department purchased a Ford Model T fire truck for $1400 from the Viscose Silk Company in Marcus Hook, Pennsylvania
Marcus Hook, Pennsylvania
Marcus Hook is a borough in Delaware County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population peaked in the 1920s with 5,324 inhabitants. 2,314 inhabitants were counted at the recent 2000 census. Marcus Hook's current mayor is James Schiliro. The borough calls itself "The Cornerstone of Pennsylvania"....
. New schools were built in the 1920s. In 1920, the Ellendale School 125 was built in the International style on Main Street on the towns west side, and the African American School 195C, funded by the DuPont family, was built between 1922-1925 on North Old State Road. After desegregation, all students were educated in the Ellendale School 125 on Main Street. By the middle of the 1920s, with profits declining and competition for its other lines increasing, the Pennsylvania Railroad decided to abandon a large portion of the railway. The Denton, Maryland
Denton, Maryland
Denton is a town in Caroline County, Maryland, United States. The population was 2,960 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Caroline County. Denton is the birthplace of former Delaware governor Sherman W. Tribbitt and author Sophie Kerr, as well as the long time home of former Maryland...
to Lewes
Lewes, Delaware
Lewes is an incorporated city in Sussex County, Delaware, USA, on the Delmarva Peninsula. According to the 2010 census, the population is 2,747, a decrease of 6.3% from 2000....
section was purchased by the Maryland & Delaware Coast Railway, but with the decline of the locomotive as vehicle traffic increased, the line was again scheduled to be abandoned in 1931. The state of Delaware eventually purchased the portion of the line from Ellendale to Milton to maintain a freight link, making this section the last operable section of one that once spanned over 100 miles (160.9 km). Over sixty residents of Ellendale served in World War I, World War II, the Korean War, and Vietnam War.
In 1927 the Lincoln and Ellendale Electric Company was established bringing electricity to the residents of the town for the first time. Also in 1927 the Ellendale State Forest was established by the State Highway Department. When it was turned over to the State Forestry Department in 1932, it totalled 40 acres (161,874.4 m²), today it has been expanded and combined with the Redden State Forest to well over 5000 acres (20.2 km²). The Appenzeller Tract in Ellendale, a small 45 acres (182,108.7 m²) section, was a gift to the state from the DuPont family. A large woods fire between Ellendale, Georgetown, and Milton burned over 38000 acres (153.8 km²) in 1930 forced the General Assembly to pass a series of forest protection laws establishing a fire control system which included building a 120 feet (36.6 m) fire tower just outside Ellendale to alert people of fires. The Ellendale Town Council organized a police department in the 1970s. Due to fiscal constraints, the department was shut down in the 1980s. After being restarted in the 1990s, the economic crash that started with the housing crisis caused Congress to cut funding to community policing grants and the town was forced to cut its department down to one part-time officer.
21st Century to Present
On September 27, 2008 the town of Ellendale passed its first annexation vote, 69 for to 37 against, since the town was incorporated in 1905. The 5 acres (20,234.3 m²) parcel at the corner of Main Street and South Old State Road will be used for commercial purposes.On the weekend of August 26 to August 28, 2011 the town of Ellendale was hit by Hurricane Irene
Hurricane Irene (2011)
Hurricane Irene was a large and powerful Atlantic hurricane that left extensive flood and wind damage along its path through the Caribbean, the United States East Coast and as far north as Atlantic Canada in 2011...
. Ellendale received the most rainfall in the state with 10.43" during the storm.
Geography
Ellendale is located at 38.806715°N 75.423941°W.According to the United States Census Bureau
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the town has a total area of 0.2 square mile (0.517997622 km²), all of it land.
For current weather in Ellendale, see this link. http://www.deos.udel.edu/odd-divas/station_current.php?station=274007&network=DelDOT&units=english
Demographics
As of the censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2000, there were 327 people, 113 households, and 82 families residing in the town. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 1,289.5 people per square mile (505.0/km²). There were 128 housing units at an average density of 504.8 per square mile (197.7/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 55.4% White, 37.9% African American, 0.6% Native American, 0.3% Asian, 4.6% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 1.2% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4.6% of the population.
There were 113 households out of which 31.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.2% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 15.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.4% were non-families. 23.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 13.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.83 and the average family size was 3.33.
In the town the population was spread out with 26.6% under the age of 18, 8.0% from 18 to 24, 27.8% from 25 to 44, 24.2% from 45 to 64, and 13.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 94.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.0 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $37,083, and the median income for a family was $42,841. Males had a median income of $21,875 versus $17,614 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the town was $14,831. About 7.2% of families and 15.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 32.3% of those under age 18 and 22.2% of those age 65 or over.
As of 2007, the Ellendale region's population (for the entire zip code) was 2,720 people. Since 2000, it has had a population growth of 13.1%. The median home cost in the Ellendale region is $185,000. Home appreciation the last year has been -2.5%. Compared to the rest of the country, Ellendale's cost of living is 14.4% lower than the U.S. average. The public schools serving the Ellendale region spend $7,073 per student. The average school expenditure in the U.S. is $6,058. There are about 18 students per teacher in the Ellendale region. The unemployment rate in the Ellendale region is 2.7% (U.S. avg. is 4.6%). Recent job growth is positive as Ellendale region jobs have shown an increase of 0.6%. The chart below shows the cost of living for the Ellendale regions versus the average cost of living for the rest of the United States.
| Cost Of Living | Ellendale, DE | United States |
|---|---|---|
| Overall | 86 | 100 |
| Food | 104 | 100 |
| Health | 96 | 100 |
| Housing | 57 | 100 |
| Utilities | 120 | 100 |
| Transportation | 95 | 100 |
| Miscellaneous | 98 | 100 |
City government
Ellendale's government is a five person town council with each member elected to a two-year term and no term limits. The town council meets the first Tuesday in each month. In 2007 the Ellendale Town Council is led by President Delores Price, Councilman Aaron Moore, Treasurer Kim Hughes, and Secretary Suella Meldrom.City planning and zoning is done by the five person Planning Commission with appeals of decisions and requests for exemptions going before the three person Board of Adjustment. The Code Enforcement Officer for the city is Steven Watson.
Public safety
The Ellendale Police Department is a small police force led by Chief Floyd Toomey that is responsible for policing in the town limits.The Ellendale Vol. Fire Dept. is a sixty plus member volunteer fire, rescue, and EMS agency led by Fire Chief Rowland Moore Jr. The fire company is the primary provider of these services to the city of Ellendale and the surrounding areas with a local district of approximately 60 square miles (155.4 km²).
Crime
Ellendale is one of the safest of the 8197 cities covered by 2005 crime rate statistics. All crime rates are based on a percentage of crime per population of 100,000, and therefore a level playing field regardless of actual population. Ellendale's crime rate is well below the national average in all categories.Crime rate per 100,000 in population:
| Ellendale | National | |
|---|---|---|
| Murder | 0.0 | 6.9 |
| Rape | 0.0 | 32.2 |
| Robbery | 0.0 | 195.4 |
| Aggravated Assault | 0.0 | 340.1 |
| Burglary | 578.0 | 814.5 |
| Larceny Theft | 1445.1 | 2734.7 |
| Vehicle Theft | 0.0 | 526.5 |
Formula used for chart: ((Crimes Reported) / (Population)) X 100,000)
Economy
Ellendale, like many towns established in the mid-19th century, had a railroad based economy. Ellendale was centered around a junction of two rail lines. The north-south rail line is still in operation today as a freight line, operated by Norfolk Southern and known as the Norfolk Southern Indian River Secondary, although passenger operations have ceased. This secondary is designated as the area running from Harrington, DelawareHarrington, Delaware
Harrington is a city in Kent County, Delaware, United States. It is part of the Dover, Delaware Metropolitan Statistical Area. Harrington hosts the annual Delaware State Fair each July...
south to the NRG Energy
NRG Energy
NRG Energy, Inc. is an American energy company headquartered in West Windsor Township, New Jersey, near Princeton.-Electrical Power Generation Operations:...
power plant. The main freight hauled on the track is coal for the NRG power plant located near Millsboro, Delaware
Millsboro, Delaware
As of the census of 2000, there were 2,360 people, 1,045 households, and 619 families residing in the town. The population density was 1,367.9 people per square mile . There were 1,153 housing units at an average density of 668.3 per square mile...
. Other freight includes a mix of fertilizer, grain, paper, food products, chemicals, and stone. The Delaware Coast Line Railroad
Delaware Coast Line Railroad
The Delaware Coast Line Railroad is a short-line railroad located in Sussex County, Delaware. The company operates two lines on track owned by the State of Delaware: One running from Ellendale east to Milton and another running from Georgetown east to Lewes...
also operates a rail line in Ellendale, the Milton Branch of the former Queen Anne's Railroad
Queen Anne's Railroad
The Queen Anne’s Railroad was a railroad that ran from Love Point, Maryland to Lewes, Delaware and was connected to Baltimore via ferry. The Queen Anne's Railroad company was formed in Maryland in 1894, and received legislative authorization from Delaware in February 1895...
, which leaves the Norfolk Southern Indian River Secondary at Willow Street and heads east to Milton, Delaware
Milton, Delaware
Milton is a town in Sussex County, Delaware, in the United States. The population was 2,576 at the 2010 census, an increase of 55.5% over the previous decade. It is part of the Seaford, Delaware Micropolitan Statistical Area. Delaware Route 5 passes through Milton.- History :Located at the head of...
. This line is 6.8 miles (10.9 km) from interchange to endpoint, and is currently used to store covered hoppers for Perdue and for other railcar owners. Plans are currently underway for this line to reopen with more operations to a propane tank farm being constructed in Milton.
The largest employer in Ellendale is the Kent/Sussex Detoxification Center
Kent/Sussex Detoxification Center
Kent/Sussex Detoxification Center, is a state funded, 20 bed medical facility in the SAMSHA Drug and Alcohol Rehab Programs category. The facility is located in Ellendale, Delaware in the former Ellendale public school on Main Street. This facility is one of only two detoxification centers in the...
, a 20 bed medical facility in the SAMSHA
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration is a branch of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. It is charged with improving the quality and availability of prevention, treatment, and rehabilitative services in order to reduce illness, death, disability, and cost to...
Drug and Alcohol Rehab Programs category located in the former Ellendale public school, and one of only two detoxification centers in the state. Other businesses include a machine shop, mental health medical facility, Philadelphia Bible College, and Perdue Farms
Perdue Farms
Perdue Farms is a major chicken processing company based in Salisbury, Maryland, United States with annual sales in excess of $4.6B.-Origin and war era:...
research laboratory
Laboratory
A laboratory is a facility that provides controlled conditions in which scientific research, experiments, and measurement may be performed. The title of laboratory is also used for certain other facilities where the processes or equipment used are similar to those in scientific laboratories...
. Ellendale has a very limited economy with only a handful of small business in town, however annexation plans that could more than quadruple the size of the town has businesses looking at the small but growing community.
Transportation
U.S. Route 113U.S. Route 113
U.S. Route 113 is a spur of US 13 in the U.S. states of Maryland and Delaware. The U.S. Highway runs from US 13 in Pocomoke City, Maryland north to Delaware Route 1 in Milford, Delaware...
is the main north-south thoroughfare for the city of Ellendale, with Delaware Route 16 being the main east-west highway. U.S. Route 113 is known as DuPont Boulevard and connects Ellendale with Milford to the north and Georgetown to the south. The DuPont Boulevard's
U.S. Route 113
U.S. Route 113 is a spur of US 13 in the U.S. states of Maryland and Delaware. The U.S. Highway runs from US 13 in Pocomoke City, Maryland north to Delaware Route 1 in Milford, Delaware...
opening allowed greater access to the city. An anonymous writer in the now extinct Sunday Star newspaper wrote of the Ellendale area " ...formerly one of the worst spots in the State for the traveler, where during the winter months, horses and men and automobiles became so deeply mired that they were continually having to be rescued." The writer went on to express that the area had become one of the most beautiful spots on the East Coast of the United States that was compared by tourists to part of Yellowstone National Park
Yellowstone National Park
Yellowstone National Park, established by the U.S. Congress and signed into law by President Ulysses S. Grant on March 1, 1872, is a national park located primarily in the U.S. state of Wyoming, although it also extends into Montana and Idaho...
. Delaware Route 16 is Main Street in Ellendale, also known as Beach Highway, and is a main thoroughfare to Delaware's resort beaches. Delaware Route 16 connects Ellendale with Milton to the east and Greenwood to the west.
DART First State
DART First State
The Delaware Transit Corporation, trading as DART First State is the primary public transportation system that operates throughout Delaware, USA...
serves Ellendale on the inter-county
DART First State inter-county bus routes
DART First State operates two year-round inter-county bus routes and a third seasonal inter-county bus route which serves coastal communities in Sussex County, Delaware.-External links:* *...
Route 303, which links it to Dover
Dover, Delaware
The city of Dover is the capital and second largest city in the U.S. state of Delaware. It is also the county seat of Kent County, and the principal city of the Dover, Delaware Metropolitan Statistical Area, which encompasses all of Kent County. It is located on the St. Jones River in the Delaware...
and Georgetown
Georgetown, Delaware
Georgetown is a town in Sussex County, Delaware, United States. According to 2010 census figures, the population of the town is 6,422, an increase of 38.3% over the previous decade...
. The Route 303 connects with DART's Kent County bus routes
DART First State Kent County bus routes
DART First State operates 14 bus routes Mondays through Fridays with some Saturday service out of the Water Street Transfer Center in Dover. These routes are numbered in the 100-series....
and the inter-county Route 301 to Wilmington
Wilmington, Delaware
Wilmington is the largest city in the state of Delaware, United States, and is located at the confluence of the Christina River and Brandywine Creek, near where the Christina flows into the Delaware River. It is the county seat of New Castle County and one of the major cities in the Delaware Valley...
in Dover and DART's Sussex County bus routes
DART First State Sussex County bus routes
DART First State operates two year-round inter-county bus routes and a third seasonal inter-county bus route which serves coastal communities in Sussex County.-External links:...
in Georgetown with connections to Laurel
Laurel, Delaware
As of the census of 2000, there were 3,668 people, 1,389 households, and 957 families residing in the town. The population density was 2,215.9 people per square mile . There were 1,561 housing units at an average density of 943.0 per square mile...
and Rehoboth Beach
Rehoboth Beach, Delaware
Rehoboth Beach is a city in Sussex County, Delaware, United States. According to the 2010 census, the population is 1,327, a decrease of 11.2% from 2000...
.
Places of interest
The city of Ellendale has several places of interest to visitors. Cedar Bugs Pub, the former Teddy's Tavern, located on DuPont Boulevard 0.6 mile (0.965604 km) north of Main Street in Ellendale is on the National Register of Historic Places.The Ellendale State Forest Picnic Facility located on DuPont Boulevard 0.5 mile (0.80467 km) south of Main Street in Ellendale is on the National Register of Historic Places and is the last of its kind left in existence. Built in 1936 by the Civilian Conservation Corps
Civilian Conservation Corps
The Civilian Conservation Corps was a public work relief program that operated from 1933 to 1942 in the United States for unemployed, unmarried men from relief families, ages 18–25. A part of the New Deal of President Franklin D...
, a work relief program for young men established in March 1933 during President Franklin D. Roosevelt
Franklin D. Roosevelt
Franklin Delano Roosevelt , also known by his initials, FDR, was the 32nd President of the United States and a central figure in world events during the mid-20th century, leading the United States during a time of worldwide economic crisis and world war...
's first hundred days in office, part of the New Deal
New Deal
The New Deal was a series of economic programs implemented in the United States between 1933 and 1936. They were passed by the U.S. Congress during the first term of President Franklin D. Roosevelt. The programs were Roosevelt's responses to the Great Depression, and focused on what historians call...
. The Ellendale State Forest was recently merged with the Redden State Forest to create the largest state forest in Delaware. This state forest includes 44 miles (71 km) of trails frequently used for hiking, horseback riding, bicycling, and bird watching. The large forests are also used every year for deer and small game hunting. The Headquarters Tract on East Redden Road includes a limited number of primitive camping sites, a catch-and-release fishing pond, and a natural resource education facility, formerly a historic carriage house, which opened in 2000, and the historic Redden Lodge, renovated in 1996, which is open to the public for camping at a small charge. The Redden/Ellendale Forest Legacy Area is one of four legacy areas in the State of Delaware. Approved in 1998, it is one of the areas with the highest concentration of forests in the state. The forests have their share of ghost tales as well. Tales include that of a headless figure that has been seen walking along the highway, US 113, that runs through the park between Ellendale and Georgetown. No one knows who the ghost is, but there is high rate of accidents reported along this road by the police. When driving along this stretch of US 113, you may notice the traffic fatality signs posted where numerous people have been killed by drunk drivers. It is also reported that in a deserted section of the forest lies a ranger's house that is supposedly haunted by a woman who died within the house.
The War Memorial for soldiers from Ellendale killed in the line of duty in the armed forces is located on McCaulley Avenue between Short's Alley and Willow Street next to the Town Hall/Police Department and Town Park and one block from the Ellendale Town Square located at Main Street and McCaulley Avenue.
There are several historical markers in Ellendale. The Cedar Creek Hundred Historical Marker and Georgetown Hundred Historic Markers are located on DuPont Boulevard across from the Ellendale State Forest. The Ellendale Railroad Square Historical Marker is located at Main Street and East Railroad Avenue. The Ellendale Town Historic Marker unveiled during the towns 100th Anniversary festivities is located at the Town Square at Main Street and McCaulley Avenue.
Notable people from Ellendale
- Dorothy Oliver of Ellendale served as treasurerTreasurerA treasurer is the person responsible for running the treasury of an organization. The adjective for a treasurer is normally "tresorial". The adjective "treasurial" normally means pertaining to a treasury, rather than the treasurer.-Government:...
of the NAACP. - Earl Isaacs of Ellendale was a delegateDelegateA delegate is a person who speaks or acts on behalf of an organization at a meeting or conference between organizations of the same level A delegate is a person who speaks or acts on behalf of an organization (e.g., a government, a charity, an NGO, or a trade union) at a meeting or conference...
to the 1952 Republican National Convention1952 Republican National ConventionThe 1952 Republican National Convention was held at the International Amphitheatre in Chicago, Cook County, Illinois from July 7 to July 11, 1952 and nominated the popular general and war hero Dwight D...
in ChicagoChicagoChicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
. - Air ForceUnited States Air ForceThe United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...
MajorMajor (United States)In the United States Army, Air Force, and Marine Corps, major is a field grade military officer rank just above the rank of captain and just below the rank of lieutenant colonel...
Sonnie Bates of Ellendale was given an honorable discharge in March 2000, after becoming the highest-ranking officer of Armed Forces to refuse to take the expiremental anthrax vaccineAnthrax vaccineAnthrax vaccines are vaccines against the infectious disease anthrax. Anthrax is caused by the spore-forming bacterium Bacillus anthracis, that most commonly occurs in wild and domestic mammals. Anthrax also occurs in humans when they are exposed to infected animals, hides, or tissue from infected...
in the Anthrax Vaccine Immunization ProgramAnthrax Vaccine Immunization ProgramThe Anthrax Vaccine Immunization Program , is the name of the policy set forth by the Federal government of the United States to immunize its military and specific civilian personnel with the anthrax vaccine. It began in earnest in 1997 by the Clinton administration...
ordered by President Bill ClintonBill ClintonWilliam Jefferson "Bill" Clinton is an American politician who served as the 42nd President of the United States from 1993 to 2001. Inaugurated at age 46, he was the third-youngest president. He took office at the end of the Cold War, and was the first president of the baby boomer generation...
. At the time Major Bates was also the President of the Ellendale Town Council. - Theodis Bowe of Ellendale was drafted by the Cincinnati RedsCincinnati RedsThe Cincinnati Reds are a Major League Baseball team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are members of the National League Central Division. The club was established in 1882 as a charter member of the American Association and joined the National League in 1890....
as a center fielder in the 21st round on Day 2 of the 2008 Major League Baseball Draft2008 Major League Baseball DraftThe 2008 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft continued Major League Baseball's annual amateur draft of high school and college baseball players, and was held on June 5 and 6, 2008.-First round selections:* Did not sign...
. - Curtis Ennis of Ellendale was the 28th president of the Delaware Volunteer Firemen's AssociationDelaware Volunteer Firemen's AssociationThe Delaware Volunteer Firemen's Association is an organization established to assist the volunteer fire companies of the state of Delaware.- History :...
. - Elmer Ennis of Ellendale was the 1996 Delaware Volunteer Firemen's Association Fireman of the Year and is a member of the Delaware Volunteer Firemen's Hall of Fame.
- Norman Jones is a member of the Delaware Volunteer Firemen's Association Hall of Fame and was the 1996 Fire Policeman of the Year.
- Dean Stockman is a member of the Delaware Volunteer Firemen's Association Hall of Fame and was the 1984 Heroic Fireman of the Year.
- Theodore Walius is a member of the Delaware Volunteer Firemen's Association Hall of Fame and was the 1982 Heroic Fireman of the Year.
- Robert Lord was the Delaware Volunteer Firemen's Association 1984 Heroic Fireman of the Year.
- M. Richard Walls was the Delaware Volunteer Firemen's Association 1987 Fire Policeman of the Year.