The Town of Bowers was incorporated on March 9, 1907, and was established as an early settlement along the Delaware Bay. Named Whitwell’s Delight in 1675, the town was renamed Bowers in 1734. Nestled between the mouths of the St. Jones and Murderkill Rivers and the Delaware Bay, it developed as a maritime community that supported industry and tourism as early as the 18th century. As the first sandy beach encountered by visitors from the north, Bowers became a stop for the Steamboat Frederica, which brought tourists from Philadelphia to enjoy the beach while loading cargo including oysters, a major export at the time.