Coming of the Railroad

KC-99:

Delaware rail transit began in 1832, when the New Castle & Frenchtown Railroad connected shipping traffic on the Chesapeake Bay and Delaware River. In 1836, the General Assembly chartered the Delaware Railroad to build a line from the New Castle & Frenchtown to the state’s southern border. After financial delays, tracks reached here in 1856 and the southern state line in December 1859. Later Delmarva Peninsula connections led to unprecedented prosperity and new communities such as Wyoming. Fueling expansion of agriculture, industry and human travel, the railroad forever changed American life.

Installed in 2006. Reinstalled in 2024.

Original Marker Text:

Efforts to establish rail transportation in Delaware were realized in 1832 with the completion of the New Castle and Frenchtown Railroad connecting shipping traffic on the Chesapeake Bay and Delaware River. The promise of railroads was clearly demonstrated, and in 1836 the General Assembly chartered the Delaware Railroad for the purpose of building a line from a junction with the New Castle and Frenchtown to the southern border of the state. Due to poor economic conditions construction was delayed until the 1850s. Tracks were extended to this location by early 1856, finally reaching the state line in December 1859. With the culmination of this effort and the subsequent construction of connections with other parts of Delmarva, an era of unprecedented economic prosperity was initiated. New communities such as Wyoming were founded, growing rapidly as a result of agricultural and industrial expansion. With the creation of this new system for transporting people and goods to and from distant locations and the urban centers of the nation, the lives of the peninsula residents were forever changed.

Sponsors:

The Honorable Gerald A. “Jerry” Buckworth, Delaware House of Representatives, 2006

State of Delaware Historical Markers Program, 2024

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