The Industrial Track Trail

The Industrial Track Trail. . , The Rise of Delaware's Railroads , The 19th century saw railroad expansion all over the country. In Delaware, railroads connected New Castle County and Wilmington to points north, south and west. Yet, the need for a direct line between New Castle County and Wilmington was undeniable. Riverfront industries required coal to power their machinery, the numerous mills had goods to transport and the residents of rural New Castle County needed an easier route to Wilmington., The New Castle and Wilmington Railroad was chartered in 1839 and opened in 1854, linking these two locations and providing a connection with other railroads. In 1891, it was sold to the Delaware Railroad. The New Castle and Wilmington Railroad was abandoned in sections from 1972 to 1984 until its tracks were finally removed in the mid-1990s., A Pedestrian-Friendly Trail Is Built , Today, the Industrial Track Trail follows almost exact corridor of the former New Castle and Wilmington Railroad. What was once a track of steel and smoke is now a lush 3.8-mile trail that connects the historic town of New Castle with the Wilmington Riverfront. It's a truly unique trail where history, nature and entertainment meet., Did you know? , Bicycling is the most energy-efficient form of transportation ever invented., A Link to History and Nature. , The Industrial Track Trail follows the old westward extension of the now-abandoned New Castle and Wilmington Railroad. It also borders the 100-acre Herman M. Holloway Campus, the administrative headquarters for many divisions of Delaware Health and Social Services., The New Castle County Airport Lines , In 1839, the New Castle and Wilmington Railroad line was chartered to provide easier passage between the two growing cities. The route included a small branch line that accessed the New Castle Airport. Owned by the Reading Railroad, it served as a trolley and freight line that helped build northwest New Castle and the airport back in the early 1900s. Operations along this branch ceased in 1975., Joe-Pye Weed , Joe-Pye Weed is an architectural giant, growing up to eight or more feet and found in thickets and woodlands. Its large clusters of pink-purple flowers, reaching 18 inches across, provide ample amounts of sweet butterfly-attracting nectar. The flower was named for an Indian healer from New England who used the plant medicinally to treat a variety of ailments, from fever to typhus., Delaware's Turtles , Delaware is home to 15 species of turtles. This includes sea turtles, freshwater turtles and one land turtle, the eastern box turtle, which can live up to 100 years, though 50 or 60 is more typical. Many of Delaware's turtles are on the federal "threatened" species list. However, large numbers of the loggerhead sea turtle can be found in the Delaware Bay and the northern red-bellied cooter can be found in all parts of Delaware., Did you know? , Delaware has more than 1,500 species of native plants and 25 percent are rare! , Trails and Greenways Are Great Ways To Enjoy Delaware's Natural Beauty. , Hike, Bike, Run, Walk, Explore! , Trails and greenways bring people of all ages closer to nature and their community. They are safe recreational paths that connect parks, preserves, attractions, and cultural areas throughout Delaware. Carefully constructed to leave natural areas undisturbed, trails, and greenways promote healthy living while preserving much-needed open spaces for Delaware's diverse wildlife, plants and trees., Discover Delaware And Beyond , Delaware supports the East Coast Greenway, an alliance working to create a continuous trail system spanning nearly 3,000 miles from Calais, Maine, to Key West, Florida., Parks, Trails and Potential Greenways Corridors , Follow a north-south path from Wilmington to the Delaware beaches or branch out west to Newark, Dover or Seaford., For more information, including maps of Delaware's greenways, visit www.delawaregreenways.org or www.destateparks.com, Did you know? , Outdoor exercise requires your body to use more muscles than comparable to gym-based exercises , which results in more calories burned.