Iron Hill

Iron Hill. . , Originally called "Marettico", meaning hill of hard stone, by the Indians who inhabited this area. Known as Iron Hill as early as 1661 when three Englishmen were reportedly killed there by Minquas Indians. Indians frequented Iron Hill to obtain Jasper to manufacture their tools., Iron Hill takes its name from the presence of iron found in the hills. Ore was extracted and smelted by early Welsh settlers who had received a grant from William Penn in 1701 to the "Welsh Tract", an area of about 30,000 acres which included Iron Hill. The remains of an old forge built by Sir William Keith, a Colonial Governor of Delaware and Pennsylvania, are located along the west bank of the Christina at the foot of Iron Hill., In later years, ore was shipped to Principio Furnace near North East, Maryland. Mining operations were conducted in the last century until about 1891 by the McConaugheys, the Coochs, and, lastly, the Whitakers. The ore pits remain clearly visible., On August 27, 1777, Generals George Washington, Nathaniel Green, and Lafayette rode to the Summit of Iron Hill to observe the movements of the British Army which had landed at the head of Elk River. The Battle of Cooch's Bridge, the only Revolutionary War engagement between the British and American Armies on Delaware soil, took place at nearby Cooch's Bridge on September 3, 1777, at the foot of Iron Hill. Considerable evidence and tradition support the claim that the Stars and Stripes were first carried in this Battle. British and Hessian troops were stationed on Iron Hill from September 3 to 8, 1777., Caesar A. Rodney and his troops camped on Iron Hill during the War of 18 12., About 300 acres of surrounding land and forest have been protected by New Castle County as parkland in commemoration of the 200th Anniversary of American Independence.