We’re enjoying a great Labor Day Weekend here at the top of the Chesapeake Bay. With temperature in the low 80s and brilliant Sunshine, we took the opportunity to drive around some old beaches and harbors at the top of the bay. Betterton Beach had a great crowd out enjoying the perfect Sunday, but back to Cecil County. White Crystal Beach was one of the shore resorts that drew crowds from the nearby urban areas for a large part of the 20th century. Here’s a telephone directory advertisement for the beach from the 1940 Cecil County Directory. Below that you will see a photo of the Manor House at White Crystal Beach. Click here for an additional images
Thanks for the old photos!
For more photos and stories about Crystal Beach Manor, follow the link below.
http://crystalbeachreunion.blogspot.com/
Jim Fox
Jim:
Thanks for letting me know about the Crystal Beah Reunion Blog. I’ll put an announcement up on this blog about it shortly. Very nice work with that and it’s so important to share these sorts of things. Of ocurse, blogs make it so easy to do today.
Good work and thanks. I’ll add some links and an announcement shortly.
Mike
That would be great to add a link. I’ll let the lady that hosts the blog know. Her name is Debbie. One has to go back to older posts in the “guestbook” section to read about stories and memories of our old gang of beachbums. Likewise in the photos… lots of old pics.
Our reunion is over… we ought to change the name, maybe make it a website to get more activity.
Thanks, Mike.
– Jim Fox
Jim:
Do encourage them to turn that into a digital or virtual museum. It’s something I’m trying to get other historical societies to do for it’s the way to share historical info today. You folks did a great job of putting that together so it’ll be good to have it out there. And you’re right, might be a good idea to change the name to reflect where things stand now.
Have yo collected any oral histories?
Thanks for letting me know about it.
Mike
I Currently have a place at White Crystal beach (the priate side, or as some locals call it, the compound). I’ve been collecting information on it’s history a lot lately and have been speaking with the owers who I am very close friends with. They are very elderly and may not be around much longer. I was thinking about getting them to talk about the history on tape so it’s not lost. They have told me a lot already, there more history there than I thought…
I am related to the family that owned Crystal Beach back before the current owners. Their names were Anna and Jim Donnelly. I would be very interested in finding out any information you may have on the beach back then and are there any pictures. Family photos and such were scattered amongst many relatives. I am working on my family tree and any help you can give would be great.
Hi,
My grandparents owned cottage number 48 at White Crystal Beach back in the 60’s. I was a little girl the last time I was there. I remember Mrs Green and the boardwalk. Are there still cottages and are any of them rentals? I would love to make a trip out and take a stroll down memory lane.
Thanks for sharing your memories Petrec.
Definitely get them top talk to you and record the conversations so you can capture that aspect of the past at White Crystal Beach. It is so good to gather this data as you’re doing.
Mike
FYI: The top photo and advertisement is for White Crystal Beach. The photo of the Manor House is in Crystal Beach Manor. Two very seperate and diferent places. They just happen to be next to each other.
Thanks for the info Elaine.
Hello, This reply is for “White Crystal Beach” (Greens beach) I grew up about 2mi. from white crystal, lived near there in the 4os and 50s rode the school bus with the Greens kids,Gene-Dicky-Betty-Margey also The Crumps Kids. I also worked at all of the amusement stands there that were owned by “Sharpe”- The Arcade-Binggo-Ball stand-The slot car-The Spin the wheel (horses) Penny pitch- and Shooting gallery-also in back of the boardwalk running the merry go round and sometimes the little Boat rides. Before working at these early in the spring before beach opened “Sharpe” would pick us boys up after school to clean and shellec the bowling alleys at the end of the boardwalk next too the bath houses. I worked as a pin boy there before working at the concession stands. was there the day a bad storm came across the bay and blew the roof off the end where all the games were. Off all the stands the ball stand was the most favorite of the “Farmer boys” who would show up almost every evening after working on there farms. Three balls for a dime,knock over the five bottles and win a cane. Must have given out a Thousand canes to those farmer boys. I am now 74yrs old, That was a long time ago. (Boots) 2/18/2012
Boots, I know you probably won’t see this reply, but my mother worked with you at WCB at the bowling lanes. Her name was Nancy Pickell. She said that her and Audrey Carper and Agnes Grugan all worked together there. She is now 86. She’s not sure you will remember her, but she really was happy when I read your post to her. I’ve heard many stories. It sounded like a lot of fun.
Hey Rick, ask your mom about my mom, Dorcas Crump. Sadly she passed a few years back, but all of the ladies you mentioned were friends. Not sure if I have any pics of them, as my mom had a bad house fire some years back and lost most of that.
Elaine, My mom remembers Dorcus very well. When they were kids they used to deliver newspapers together at WCB and the Manor. She says they all used to hang out together. When my grandfather built our cabin at the far end of the beach, it was one of the first ones (I’m guessing in the 1940s) and they had to walk on planks to get to it. I remember growing up there in the 60s and 70s with great fondness.
Manly. Thanks so much for sharing the details of the Beach in those days. Fascianting information and fascinating story. Feel free to share any other stories that come to mind. It’s nice to get these sorts of things out there.
Our family had a cottage at Crystal Beach Manor, and in the fifties we were free to walk between CBM and White Crystal. The usual pattern in summer evenings was to go to “The Stand” at CBM awhile… walk over to White Crystal for an hour or two, and come back to the CBM “stand”.
Not sure what year White Crystal closed itself off, but it was disappointing. Continued to use the gas dock for our boat into the seventies. The family sold the cottage and bought a larger boat (31′ Ventor) in ’72. Cruised all over the upper bay.
So many great memories and friends from CBM days! … and from our cruising days.
There is a facebook page for CBM… go to Crystal Beach Manor, MD.
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Crystal-Beach-Manor-MD/243756222315126
– Jim Fox
age 64 … H.S grad ’65.
Thanks for sharing your memories about the Beach and also for letting us know about the Facebook. I just checked it out. You have some great photos and old postcards on the site.
I spent my summers from 1960 to 1967, from about twelve to twenty years of age. Some of the best times in my life spent at Crystal Beach and in my boat on the Chesapeake Bay. Our house was on Florida Ave, we had a slip in the boat basin, and I had a Glass Spar Lido. Dancing every night of the week, and friends with whom I still am in touch.
ajm112446
Thanks so much for sharing your memories at Crystal Beach.
Does anyone have information about Crystal Beach in the 1920s? My mother’s family, the William Fullertons, spent their summers there. I am hoping to find some information. thank you.
I do not. But I see this sight confuses White Crystal Beach and Crystal Beach Manor. They lay side by side on the Elk R across from Turkey Point but are different beaches. We have a facebook page about Crystal B Manor that may help a little. On the page there are a lot of generally posted photos but be sure to click on “photos” and then “albums”. A few of White Crystal are there as well. link: https://www.facebook.com/Crystal-Beach-Manor-MD-243756222315126/
– Jim Fox contactfoxy@yahoo.com
Thank you. I am thinking it was more White Crystal Beach, definitely not the manor. I have pictures of the “camp ” my grandfather would put together each year for 18 yrs. they did not ever stay in a bldg. thank you again. I will keep investigating.
MY FAMILY HAD A COTTAGE AT WCB YEARS AGO,I UNDERSTAND THEY STILL RENT CABINS AND I WOULD LIKE TO SPEND A WEEK THERE, ANY INFO WOULD BE APPRECIATED. THANKS