This image is the cover for the book Bethany Beach, Brief History

Bethany Beach, Brief History

The fascinating origins of this once peaceful resort town are explored in Michael Morgan's Bethany Beach.


Before a 1901 ceremony opened the peaceful resort town, the wild dunes of Bethany Beach were part of the rough-and-tumble New World and the deadly land wars between Delawareans and Marylanders. The twentieth century brought crowds eager to partake of a healthy saltwater bath and chicken-and-waffle socials. Local author Michael Morgan chronicles the history of this "quiet" resort with stories of rumrunners who concealed their illicit goods in local chicken coops, World War II residents who anxiously kept a weather eye on the Atlantic and the devastating 1962 nor'easter. Join Morgan as he deftly narrates the storied history of this beloved Delaware beach town.

Michael Morgan

Michael Morgan has been writing freelance newspaper articles on the history of Rehoboth Beach and the mid-Atlantic region for over three decades. He is the author of the "Delaware Diary," which appears weekly in the Delaware Coast Press, and the "Sussex Journal," which is a weekly feature of the Wave. Morgan has also published articles in the Baltimore Sun, Maryland Magazine, Chesapeake Bay Magazine, Civil War Times, World War II Magazine, America's Civil War and other national publications. A frequent lecturer in the coastal region, Morgan's look at history is marked by a lively, storytelling style that has made his writing and lectures popular. Michael Morgan is also the author of Pirates and Patriots: Tales of the Delaware Coast, which captures the broad panorama of the history of the coastal region.

The History Press