This month, our interview is with Donald Wilgus, a real estate developer in Sussex County.
Don just had a knee replaced and is “off the course” for the foreseeable future, including the day of this interview. We met at Don’s home. He was stretched out on a sofa, fussed over by his wife, Jane, and I sat on a chair, also being fussed over by Jane. It was very much like home.
Next on the schedule, after the interview, was an intense therapy session. With a tournament coming up in mid-June, Don was chomping at the bit to get ready; impatient, but still exhibiting his characteristic calmness, charm and, of course, totally polite manner.
Many of us who are now north of 55 years old tend to become a bit retrospective at times. We look back and ponder what the report card looks like. How productive have we been? What do our friends and business associates think of us? Have we been good mates and parents, and have we accomplished anything of lasting value?
“Pro Talk” took Don Wilgus through just that exercise! Happily, Don gets high marks on the report card — accomplishing much, saying little, bragging none, and respected by all. Interestingly, he gives most of the credit for his success to others, while recognizing “the good Lord was watching over me.”
The most tangible sign of Don’s success lies at the top of the hill in Sussex County. Admittedly, it is a small hill, at just 28 feet above sea level, but it may be the highest point in the county. It is also the highest point in Don’s career.
That hill on Irons Lane now leads to the entrance of the Cripple Creek Golf and Country Club. Don visualized using that property for a premier community, to be anchored by a then-unique, for Sussex, 18-hole golf course. Don and his partners proceeded to carve out the dream from 195 acres of former strawberry and wheat fields, and woods.
Don recalled, “Bunting Nursery raised and sold strawberry plants in the fields where fairways 1 and 2 are now located. They also sold those plants to Sears and Roebuck for the catalog.”
The dream was big. CCG&C was to feature, in addition to the 18-hole golf course, a clubhouse, pool, tennis courts, and eventually, upscale housing for 152 families. Ultimately, 22, sometimes very difficult, years elapsed from start to final build-out of the last condominium building. Today, a portrait of a smiling, younger, Don Wilgus hangs in the Club — predictably, near the Pro Shop.
According to Don’s recollections, that should be a group portrait, including all of the many people who participated in the venture. The “Club” now has a budget of more than $2 million dollars per year. Additional jobs, taxes and commercial opportunities extend from the 152 homeowners to the Sussex County area.
The Wilgus family actually arrived in Sussex in the late 1600’s. They weren’t “Wilgus” at that time, as the name has undergone Americanization over the centuries. Don’s family constituted the “northern” Wilguses, settling in Dagsboro and Roxana.
Don’s mom, the former Zada Walston, was from Campbelltown, Md., while his dad was from Lizard Hill, out by Bayard. They were married in 1931; Don was born in 1933. Mr. Wilgus, who had a bent for business, started an insurance agency around 1945. That business continues today and still owned by a Wilgus. Mr. Wilgus Sr. passed away in 1970 at age 63.
Zada Wilgus is another story. At the time of our interview, she was 101 years old, still spry, and looking forward to her 102nd birthday, on July 7, 2006. She made it to that mark before she passed away in December 2006, at the age of 102.
Don and his brother Gerald stuck close to home. Lord Baltimore provided Don’s education, grades one through 12, plus the love of his life. (Apparently, Don was not the “ideal” student.” In fact, his body language seemed to say something entirely different, but he did not elaborate. I suspect it could be fun talking to some of Don’s schoolmates.)
Graduating in 1951, Don tried a bit of college, but states categorically, “I did not belong there at the time.” Six months in the Merchant Marines, crewing on a Sun Oil Co. tanker opened his eyes. His dad knew the Goldey Beacon Business School people in Wilmington, so off to school went Don, again, but sticking it out — this time gaining specific business skills and knowledge that served him well in later years.
For those of you who know Don, the cool, composed, in-control developer, and the charmingly practical Jane, it may be hard for you to believe “The Jane and Don Love Story.”
Jane and Don knew each other from childhood in Bethany and at Lord Baltimore — just school mates who passed in the hallways or kicked sand on the beach. For Jane, Lord Baltimore has special meaning, as her dad, Brooks Snyder, a mason, relocated from Philadelphia to Frankford, Jane’s birthplace, to work on construction of the school building. Without that construction job, there may not have been a “love story” to tell.
After graduation, Jane went to Philadelphia to study nursing at Jefferson Hospital, while Don finally joined his dad and Gerald in the insurance business. In the summer of 1955, Jane came home for vacation. Lightning struck.
Jane’s version is, “I looked into his eyes and knew he was the one.” That must have been the case for Don, too. After a “prolonged” courtship, which started on a Friday and lasted just eight days, they were married on the following Saturday — nine days total. A slight complication remained for Jane: she had to return to Philadelphia to school and to tell her steady boyfriend that she was now married.
Wanting to expand the insurance business led Don and Gerald into real estate. After apprenticing under the legendary Mae Hall McCabe, the boys, in 1968, became brokers. Wilgus Associates Insurance and Real Estate was born.
Their first big opportunity came about in 1969 and 1970, when the State of Delaware bought the land north of the Indian River Inlet, which was occupied by fishing shacks. The state then promptly evicted everyone.
Don and Gerald had purchased 400 acres in Muddy Neck, Ocean View, to develop a mobile home park. Their development was attractively priced and just what the evicted fisherman needed. The first 105 lots sold out in a flash. “Plantation Park” is still there, with Don’s “Ocean East Corp.” retaining a property interest.
Going their separate ways, Don and Gerald split up in 1981. Don joined Jack Hickman Real Estate — yes, the same Jack Hickman of Bay Colony fame. Jack’s company owned the Clarence Holt family property, including142 acres across from today’s Bay Colony, now the site of CCG&CC.
Seeing potential in Don and his vision, Jack and his partner, George Albert Wharton, sold him the 142 acres. The deal was “special,” as only good friends might do then but perhaps not in today’s world. Nothing down, interest payments only, the first six months’ interest forgiven and no principal payments until sold gave Don a good start on the project.
Clayton Ringler, Bethany’s Baltimore Trust manager loaned Don $3.15 million to fund the start-up. Bay Colony released land as development progressed. “Without the help and trust of Jack Hickman, George Albert Wharton and Clayton Ringler, I could not have done the deal.” The limited partnership was formed in 1982.
Don recalled, “The development needed credibility, and that meant getting the golf course under way.” Enter one Algie M. Pulley, noted golf course designer. Algie, according to Don, is a character, and a genius, having designed many of the signature golf courses around the country — those courses just didn’t have Algie’s name on them.
“Algie and I struck a deal for him to look at the property, and design the course if he thought it would work. It turned out that Algie did much more than just design the course,” Don said.
After looking the site over, Algie told Don he needed more land. The Murray family had an adjoining parcel by the lagoon, which was approved for 94 lots, and it was available. Algie said, “Buy it!” Don said, “No.” So Algie bought the land.
Settlement day arrived and Don got a phone call from Algie, who broke the startling news that he didn’t have the money to go through with the deal — could Don come up with the cash? Don did the deal with a one-year option to buy the land from Algie. He eventually ended up with 195 acres, a lot of debt, and, unfortunately, a falling real estate market.
Don lamented, “There was a lot of uncertainty in Washington about tax and interest deduction on second homes. On top of that, interest rates were climbing to unheard of highs.” The market stalled just as Don was in ramp-up mode. Pulley got the first nine holes in, but Don recalls, “They were a mess at first, and my groundskeeper wasn’t helping.”
“I sold eight townhouse units the first year, but sales sank to five the following year,” he said.
Nearly bankrupt, Don was extremely fortunate to find two new general partners, August Kramm and Don Selway. “I owe everything to August and Don. Without them, I would not have made it.”
Things changed at Baltimore Trust too. Don’s type of business fell from favor, requiring him to find another bank. Harold Slatcher of Sussex Trust stepped in with badly needed capital, saving Don’s business.
Reading the market, Don and his new partners changed the plan. The three-story townhomes were downsized to two stories – a provision in the original design. Next, it was apparent that selling the approved 244 townhomes was not in the cards, so 90 building lots were created, thus explaining the current makeup of CCG&CC: part townhomes and part individual residences.
Don stated, “Don’t give me credit for foresight. I was invited to participate in Bay Colony, which returned far more to the developers than Cripple Creek.” He continued, “No one was hurt by the project, but considering the time and effort, the return was not what it should have been.”
Would he do it again? Don said, “No.”
What are his feelings about the project and the accomplishment? Don hesitated, so Jane provided the answer: “He is really proud of it.”
And so he should be. Incidentally, so are we, the residents of Don’s community. As a lasting side benefit, Don has a great golf course to play every day and it is right outside his door.
Remember, if you are a “pro” with an interesting story, I would like to talk to you. E mail victorlc@382juno.com.