Heritage

	Old DuPont Road The DuPont Road was initially constructed to aid in the transportation of powder kegs from the Brandywine Mills to the Christina River. Prior to 1854, the black powder produced by the E. I. du Pont de Nemours Co. was carried on wagons from the mills to the shipping piers on the Delaware River through Wilmington, where small boats brought the kegs to larger coastwise steamers bound for Philadelphia and New York. A fatal explosion in 1854 led to legislation forbidding the transportation of powder through the city, which forced the company to find alternate routes to get their powder to the steamers. The result was the construction of a wharf at the Christina River, and subsequently the paving of the road leading to the wharf from the mill with crushed stone. This road came to be known as the DuPont Road, the name it still holds today. (Image courtesy of Bob Meadows, DNREC)
	Coopers Island Coopers Island is a small island located in the Christina River just west of the mouth of Little Mill Creek and east of the I-95 overpass. A wharf on the island dates back to 1881 when an access road was constructed through the marsh to the island. Although the access road in the marsh is no longer evident, remnants of the wharf are still visible on the island especially on its south side. As the name implies, the island was used as a site to make and store barrels and casks used in shipping. (Image courtesy of Bob Meadows, DNREC)
	Interstate 95 The construction of Interstate 95 in the mid-1960’s had a major impact on portions of the marsh. Material excavated for the I-95 alignment through the Christina River marshes was pumped into a disposal cell located in the marsh causing an increase in elevation in the western portion. The deposition of this excavated material altered the tidal flow in and out of the marsh and eliminated a large complex of interconnecting channels. As a result, the number of desirable plant species such as cattail, bullrush and smartweed were greatly reduced and the growth of the undesirable common reed or Phragmites was enhanced. (Image courtesy of Bob Meadows, DNREC)
	Old Train Bridge The fragment railroad bridge shown above on the left is the former Pennsylvania Railroad (PRR) bridge, now owned by Norfolk Southern (NS). “Bridge 2,” as it was once referred to, carried PRR train cars over the Christina River for decades, however, it has been out of operation for over 20 years. (Image courtesy of Jim White, DNS)
	Former Dump-Site Once the site of a former dumping ground, this restored natural landscape consisting of both native and non-native plant species has replaced industrial waste and urban pollution.Image (courtesy of Jim White, DNS)
	Smoke Stack 10,000 people a day worked to build ships for the U.S. Navy at the Dravo Corporation in the 1940s, where this smokestack was part of the N26 Building, also called the Heating Plant. (Image courtesy of Jim White, DNS)
	Norfolk Southern Railroad Track Each day, one freight train passes through the Refuge on the Norfolk Southern Railroad track, which spans the wildlife refuge. The track allows freight trains to enter the Port of Wilmington at the mouth of the Christina River, as well as access the main rail corridor that runs parallel to the Amtrak passenger rail line just west of I-95. Norfolk-Southern owns the property on the north side of the track and has worked with the Riverfront Development Corporation to make it a part of the refuge. The Norfolk Southern Railroad serves the eastern half of the U.S. Visitors to the refuge are warned to stay away from the track at all times. (Image courtesy of Jim White, DNS)
	Christina River The Christina River, a tributary of the Delaware River named for Queen Christina of Sweden, is approximately 35 miles long and flows through northern Delaware, southeastern Pennsylvania and northeastern Maryland. Fort Christina, the first permanent European settlement in Delaware, was established at the confluence of Brandywine Creek and the Christina River in 1638 as a part of the Swedish colony of New Sweden. The Port of Wilmington, opened in 1923 at the Christina confluence with the Delaware River, handles international cargo and trade. (Image courtesy of Rod Hampton)
	Dravo Shipyard and Crane In 1927 the Dravo Corporation, a ship building company from Pittsburgh, purchased the shipyard where Dravo Plaza now sits. Dravo used the site and its cranes for assembling and launching harbor and river craft. After Pearl Harbor, the Navy expanded capacity at the Dravo Shipyard, building new facilities at the site to meet the country’s need for war ships. Dravo is best remembered for its World War II assembly line ship building techniques that led to the production of a record 200 ships between 1940 and 1945 – including 48 in 1944 alone. In 1943, more than 11,000 workers were employed at the shipyard. (Image courtesy of Jim White, DNS)
	Amtrak Rail Line The Amtrak rail line is located just west of I-95. Amtrak’s Acela Express offers hourly service between New York and Washington, DC, with stops in several intermediate cities such as Wilmington, as well as connecting service between New York and Boston. The Acela travels at speeds of up to 150 mph. The passenger rail corridor between Philadelphia and Baltimore was first established in 1838 and is now the most heavily traveled route in Amtrak’s system. Wilmington’s Amtrak Station is located near the eastern end of the Riverwalk. (Image courtesy of Jim White, DNS)
	Dikes In the late 1600’s, earthen dikes were constructed around the marsh to control water levels and enable the marsh to be farmed for hay. This practice caused alterations in the natural flow of tidal water, as well as the dominant plant and animal communities that resulted. Salt hay harvesting was an integral part of the early history of Delaware Bay’s tidal communities. In order to restore tidal flow into parts of the marsh and enhance desirable habitat the dikes have been breached in several locations and concrete “tide gates” have been installed to restore natural tidal flushing of these former tide lands. (Image courtesy of Bob Meadows, DNREC)
	New Castle County Sewer Line New Castle County owns and operates the underground sewer line that transects the marsh. The sewer line is part of an underground pipeline network that serves 112,000 customers in the County and helps transport 60+ million gallons of sewage each day to the Wilmington Wastewater Treatment Plant at 12th Street and Hay Road, several miles east of the refuge. Because the pipeline is buried underground it does not affect the tidal flow, vegetation or animals within the marsh. (Image courtesy of Jim White, DNS)