Delaware’s history is long and storied, and much of it gets passed over in our history classes. With so much to cover, it’s easy to see why most people don’t hear about major events in Delaware history until they do some digging on their own. A perfect example is below! While most of us remember the destruction from the Ash Wednesday Storm, a vast majority of locals may have no idea that the tiny community of Woodland Beach, Delaware, was once a major resort town before two turn-of-the-century storms took their toll.

Woodland Beach was once a top Delaware destination, and visitors flocked from all over to spend their summers at this seaside resort.
Delaware Public Archives
Today, however, Woodland Beach is not exactly a population hub.
Woodland Beach Delaware/Facebook
This tiny town is home to a handful of residents, a small beach, and a fishing pier that is the main reason visitors drive all the way out here. So, what exactly happened to this once-booming seaside getaway?
The first blow to Woodland Beach occurred in 1878 when an October Hurricane leveled the town.
Wikimedia Commons
Much of the Woodland Beach was washed away by an enormous tidal wave.
Delaware Public Archives
Nearly ten feet of water rushed onshore, from Collins Beach to Bombay Hook, destroying everything in its path. Woodland Beach was not spared.

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Still, Woodland Beach was a desirable location, and the area was rebuilt.
Delaware Public Archives
The town soon included a boardwalk, pavilion, amusements, and everything else needed to make it one of the top coastal resorts in Delaware.
Now, observant readers may realize that the Woodland Beach of today is nothing like a local resort town. Sadly, nature took another swing in 1914.
Facebook / Woodland Beach Delaware
Woodland Beach's location made it a prime target for yet another storm. This winter nor'easter in 1914 truly finished what the 1878 storm did not, and nearly every building in town was damaged or destroyed. Woodland Beach never quite recovered.
destineddrifter/TripAdvisor
Today, Woodland Beach is best known as a fishing spot, and a photographer's paradise for the stunning sunrises it offers.
Woodland Beach Delaware/Facebook
Most people who stroll the sand here have no idea that they're standing on Delaware's lost town — a once mighty resort, reduced by two storms into a tiny fishing village that still, somehow, seems frozen in time.

The history of Woodland Beach, Delaware, isn’t as widely known as that of some of our state’s other historic towns. Have you ever heard the tale of Woodland Beach before?

Of course, these two storms are not the most famous to destroy the Delaware coastline. Sadly, that honor still belongs to the terrifying, deadly storm that struck Delaware in 1962. Fortunately, Delaware has plenty of natural beauty and beachy goodness to enjoy and make joyful family memories! Check out this beach house in Milford to start making some of your own.

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Woodland Beach, Delaware

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Woodland Beach, DE 19977, USA