Many insiders know that your Rehoboth Beach
experience is not truly complete until you have called on Muriel
Crawford and Anyda Marchant, two of our most interesting citizens.
The couple has been together for over
fifty-four years and can tell a tale or two about how our city has
evolved. Muriel and Anyda can be found in their home on Laurel Street,
relaxing with friends and visitors at cocktail hour on most Saturdays.
You never know whether you’ll run into local historian Evelyn
Thoroughood, Steve Elkins and Murray Archibald, or a well-connected
day-tripper. I sat down with them to talk about their relationship,
careers, and, of course, Rehoboth Beach.
Mark: How did you meet?
Muriel and Anyda: We met at the end of
the Second World War in 1948 in Washington, D.C. We were both with the
Law firm of Covington and Burling, Dean Acheson’s former law firm
before becoming Secretary of State. Muriel was a secretary to Graham
Claytor, who was senior partner before becoming President of Southern
Railway and later Amtrak, and I was an Associate.
Mark: How did you celebrate your 50th
anniversary?
Muriel and Anyda: The venue was All
Saints’ Parish Hall. There
were about 80 people present. Every variety of people were there, the
town librarian, Marge LaFond, and Representative John Schroeder were
there. All Saints’ people and a good many people like Steve Elkins and
Murray Archibald were also there. It was a very big party and very
representative of Rehoboth.
Mark: You once lived in Washington, D.C.
What was that like then?
Muriel and Anyda: It was a very different
place then. Muriel is a native Washingtonian. I grew up from my teens
there. It was originally a southern town. It was the Second World War
that made it change significantly. DC had its own peculiarities because
it was a seat of government. But, it had a large population that was
native to Washington. Since then that population has vanished.
Mark: When did you settle in Rehoboth
Beach?
Muriel and Anyda: Muriel knew Rehoboth
Beach before I did. She used to come here in the 1940s with her aunt.
First we stayed in motels for vacations. Then we bought a little house
on Annie B. Street in Dodds Addition to Rehoboth, once the Dodds farm.
After that, we bought this Laurel Street house in 1965. We moved here
permanently in 1972 when we retired. I can’t remember when we started
having parties on our porch, but they have become an institution on
Saturdays in the summer time.
Mark: What drew you to Rehoboth Beach?
Muriel and Anyda: It’s unique. There is
no other place like it on the coast. It’s a very beautiful place. In
those days it was a lot quieter, more bucolic. For instance, when we
first bought our house, Rehoboth Beach was completely surrounded by
farms. We feel very comfortable here.
It has a remarkable combination. It has a
sufficient sophistication so that there is a cultural
interest. But, it also has the better
qualities of a small town. You can walk many places. We just like to
live here.
Mark: Tell me about your writing and
publishing business?
Anyda: I write lesbian feminist novels
under the pseudonym Sarah Aldridge. I was with the World Bank for 18
years in their legal department. When I first retired in1972, Muriel and
I began Naiad Press, which was the largest lesbian publishing house in
the world a couple of years ago. It was founded at a time when there was
a small press revolution. We were one of the few survivors. Since then,
we have had our own A&M Books. We are trying to preserve the ideals
that were lost through the commercial success of the previous company.
Mark: What was it like when the larger
community discovered you were lesbians?
Muriel and Anyda: Most of our working
lives we were in the closet. We were of the generation that you kept
your personal lives out of the picture. We had been here for 30 years.
Gary Soulsman, a reporter with the News Journal, interviewed me in 1993.
At that time I decided to join those with status and let people know
that it was time for gays to speak up.
We haven’t put a sign on the front
lawn, but otherwise we are pretty open about our orientation. I was
proud to cut the ribbon on the opening of the Lambda Rising Bookstore in
Rehoboth in 1991.
Mark: Having many different friends is
important to you, why?
Muriel
and Anyda: Because we feel that gay people should not be segregated. We
don’t believe in ghettos. It’s time for the world to recognize gays
as the same as other people except that they have a private life that is
different from other people. That is the idea of our Saturday afternoon
parties. We bring all kinds of people together, gays and straights.
It’s what we do. We want to reduce the level of prejudice.
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