The Delaware River brought Philadelphia to life

The Delaware River brought Philadelphia to life. . , From the very beginning, the Delaware River brought life and wealth to Philadelphia. Early settlers, followed by waves of immigrants, sailed up the river to build their fortunes here. Generations of fishermen and shipbuilders found work on the river and along its shores. Philadelphia became a thriving port as sailing ships, then steamships, then oil tankers, came and went over the centuries., With the coming of the industrial age, the city prospered as the river and its tributaries powdered mills and factories. The river continues to play a vital role here, providing most of the city's drinking water and supporting trade and commerce., Centuries of commerce and industry took their toll on the Delaware, as the river became an open sewer., In 1972, the Clean Water Act spurred a cleanup of the river. Since then, fish returned to the cleaner waters, greenways were built, and the riverfront is once again a thriving place to live, work and play., [Captions:] , These sewers were taking a chance. By 1918, the river was a breeding ground for disease., Today, as in centuries past, commerce thrives along the Delaware River.