Stokely Brothers & Company cannery in 1931

The Stokely Brothers & Company purchased a cannery along the Lewes-Rehoboth Canal just south of Rehoboth Avenue Extended in 1927 for $15,500. Originally established as Atlantic Canning Company in 1911 by John G. Townsend, the operation was strategically placed along the canal with access to the railroad, which ran to the property from the north along what is now the Junction & Breakwater Trail. Visible on the opposite side of the canal in this 1931 photograph is a portion of the original Rehoboth Beach Country Club along State Road. Rehoboth Avenue can be seen in the upper left of the photo. Kentucky-based Stokely Brothers & Company acquired Van Camp Packing Company in 1933 and changed its own name to Stokely-Van Camp in 1944. Stokely-Van Camp sold the property in 1964. The buildings then reportedly fell into disrepair before burning down Aug. 19, 1971. Stokely-Van Camp was acquired by the Quaker Oats Company in 1983. Quaker Oats was acquired by PepsiCo in 2001. The former site of the cannery is now home to the Canal Landing townhouse community. According to a 2001 Cape Gazette article, Canal Landing was developed by real estate agent Wayne Mitchell. The community comprises 70 three-story townhouse units.