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I have a picture of my mom as a teenager in 2 piece swim suit on your front lawn from Aug, 1939. I am 69 and still think the 2 weeks every summer in the main house were the best. Iron water [cold], lumpy mattresses. Wonderful sun porch that was taken down years ago. Old furniture [grand piano], china and stuffed birds. Loved the bear rug and screen enclosed porch. Funny smell of back porch, dinky stove, day lilies, wasps in the group of outhouses. Each year some cottages got painted, linoleum floors and all. Sounds from Aberdeen Proving Ground... went with my grandparents usually. James Wilson and Annie F. Mackay. From Upper Darby,Pa. A Mrs. Henry stayed all summer. Skin leather brown. Just there thru 50's. Email scoleansATyahoo.com

We lived across from Evergreen Knoll as a child. I spent my summer days playing with the children staying at the cabins for the summer! Mrs. Stahr and I were super close and I loved her dearly! We also spent our days down the beach making forts and pretending to be ship wrecked! I was searching for info on the Stahr cabins to see what became of them and came across this site! How awesome to relive some memories with someone who knew Ethel and appreciated her uniqueness and her beautiful house. We moved in with her and lived with her for awhile before we left Maryland. She was an awesome lady at an awesome spot! Thanks so much for sharing!!! Those were the days!!!!

Ethel Stahr was my Great Great Aunt. I remember visiting her in my younger years. I remember the main house, but it gave me the creeps! In the winter she would close off the main part of the house and live on the porch. She used a kerosene heater for warmth. The house didn't have central heat. I also recall over the years of staying in "Stahr's Cottages. Back in the 60's, some of cottages got destroyed by storms. We would visit Aunt Ethel frequently as my Maternal Grandparents, Jack & Sally Owens lived in Chestertown (Tolchester Beach) . We had a Owens family reunion back in 2000, the same year my Grandmother passed away. We stayed in the cottages next door to Aunt Ethel ' s house. The current owner of the home let us use the house for our gathering. The porch was long gone. Aunt Ethel passed away in 1976. She was quite a character. My Grandparents told me she kept a loaded shotgun under her bed for security. They also told me that up into her 80's she swam in the Chesapeake everyday, even in the winter!

I just returned last week from a trip down memory lane, staying at Evergreen Knoll in Cottage #11, lovingly called "The Honeymoon Cottage". The last time I stayed in that cottage was September 1984, when my now 34 year old daughter was 18 months old. Now 22 years later, myself, my daughter and my 20 month old grand daughter spent 5 wonderful days there. Ethel Stahr was my great aunt, sister to my grand mother and for whom I was named after. It was great to see her old house, from across the lawn at Evergreen Knoll. My hosts Susie Gerstung - Nelson, and her husband Mark, told me about this site that Scott had published and knew I would enjoy reading all the stories that were shared. Having grown up every summer, some at Evergreen Knoll, and some in either the Big House at Aunt Ethel's and on occasion in one of her cottages, H.Stahr, Dawn, Idle Hour or Seagull to name a few I can remember, Betterton was always my happy place as a child and teenage. Making summer friendships with the Snyder Girls, Thomson boys, Karwacki kids, Gerstungs "Susie, Matthew, Christina, Margaret and little Alice", my own cousins, Ricky, Susie & Johnny Owens, who also stayed for multiple weeks during the summer with my sisters Marlene and Barbie Owens. Our father's were brothers, who would send us kids, along with our mothers down for 4 - 6 weeks, coming on the weekends, until their own 2 week vacations usually at the end of our vacation time there. Then when summer was over, tons of weekly letter writing to our "bff" of that season (I remember a Dorrie from Folcroft one summer) sharing all of our memories of that season in Betterton that had passed. I cannot wait to go back, hopefully this fall with my cousin's, and sisters for a mini weekend reunion would be great. Thanks for this site Scott! Doris Christine Owens - Bassion

My family came down to Mrs. Stahr's every Summer. We spent2-3 weeks. The Mitchells...There are 6 of us. Ricky, Susan, Michael Tracy Terry and my Mom and Dad. The best memories of my life were spent there. The cottages, Cold iron water, getting washed in the Bay, Big Betterton and all the rides and french fries....water skiiing.....Fishung, crabbing, the cottage smell and the front lawn where we just sat in those hot iron chairs....Mrs. Stahr would come out of her house looking real pretty in her makup and her "blush" all over her cheeks, with her shoes that were cut out for her toes. Her fingernails were always painted. I remember her parrot that she had and he would curse........The best time of my life!!!!!!

Oh my goodness, I am just reading Susan and Dorie's comments now...I guess on a cold winter day in Pennsylvania we go back to childhood dreams of Betterton. Susan, I remember you and your siblings...the Mitchell kids, especially you and Ricky. Wasn't your youngest nick named "boo-boo". I will definitely now look you both up on facebook. Dorie, of course I would remember you! - Doris Christine Owens - Bassion ee

Our grandparents (Chester & Evelyn Griest) rented the Wild Duck for the Summer season for years in the late 70s. Would stay for weeks and weeks playing in the marsh out back, fishing & crabbing off the little pier and swimming. Evening were usually fish fry dinners from our catch of the day and catching fire flies at night. Would really like to come back and stay for a week sometime. Thank you for creating this page.