Dewey Beach: A Way of Life in 1940s
The Dewey Beach way of life in the 1940s was likely much different from how it is today, 75-plus years later. Although Dewey Beach wasn’t officially incorporated until 1981, the small beach town has welcomed families for much, much longer.
These photos sent in by Harry Humes show cottages on Rodney Avenue (1948) and Dickinson Street (1940).
In the photo of the Dickinson homes, James E. Humes’ house is on the left and the Gooden house is on the right. Notice the outhouse behind the Humes cottage.
In the photo of the Rodney Avenue homes, the white house belonged to Lou Miller while the other was owned by Al Humes.
While most of the cottages of yesteryear are now gone, there are still a few sprinkled throughout the town.
Nick Roth is the news editor. He has been with the Cape Gazette since 2012, previously covering town beats in Milton and Lewes. In addition to serving on the editorial board and building pages, Nick is responsible for the weekly Delaware History in Photographs feature and enjoys writing stories about the Cape Region’s history. Prior to the Cape Gazette, Nick worked for the Delmarva Media Group, including the Delaware Wave, Delaware Coast Press and Salisbury Daily Times. He also contributed to The News Journal. Originally from Boyertown, Pa., Nick attended Shippensburg University in central Pennsylvania, graduating in 2007 with a bachelor’s degree in journalism. He’s won several MDDC awards during his career for both writing and photography. In his free time, he enjoys golfing, going to the beach with his family and cheering for Philadelphia sports teams.
