Where Menhaden Was King: The Lewes Fishing Industry 1883–1966
(Lewes Historical Society, 2022)

Saturday, September 24, 2022
3:00 PM
Rollins Community Center and Lewes History Museum

Presented in partnership with the Lewes Historical Society.

About the book
With the support of town officials and the sweat of African American seamen and factory workers, the Lewes menhaden enterprise thrived, reaching its height in the 1950s. With landings of more than 200 million pounds of fish annually, Lewes laid its claim as the number one fishing port in the country. When the fish businesses hired locals to provision the ships and mess halls and to furnish skilled labor for the repair and maintenance of the physical factory complex, the impact rippled through the Lewes economy. 

About the author
Thomas Elton Brown, Ph.D. had a 30-year career at the National Archives. He has served on the Delaware Heritage Commission and volunteered as a docent, processing archivist, and researcher for the Lewes Historical Society, where he was a trustee from 2011 to 2017.

Brown was in conversation with Trina Brown-Hicks at the event.

Trina Brown-Hicks was born and raised in Lewes. She serves on the Lewes African American Heritage Commission and the Lewes Ad-hoc Police Committee. Her father worked on the menhaden net reel for almost two decades.

Purchase the book
Please help support local independent bookstores by purchasing this book at Browseabout Books, official bookseller of the History Book Festival. Online sources and digital versions are tempting; however, supporting local brick and mortar shops helps to preserve our vibrant main streets. Drop by Browseabout, order books online, or call the store at 302-226-2665. You also may purchase a copy at biblion in Lewes.

About the Festival
With the help of our presenting sponsors—Delaware Humanities and The Lee Ann Wilkinson Group, Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices I PenFed Realty—as well as our community partners and volunteers, the 2022 History Book Festival was full of great discussions with authors of newly published narrative nonfiction and historical fiction.

Special thanks to Lewes Public Library, for venue and assistance with event promotion; to Browseabout Books in Rehoboth, our official bookseller; and to the Cape Gazette and Delmarva Public Media, our media partners.

Mark your calendars for the 2023 History Book Festival. Join our authors, interviewers, and other attendees at live events throughout the weekend of September 29, 30, and October 1.