In This Place…

In This Place…. Duck Creek Farming and Shipping.
Smyrna Shipping:
Starting around the mid-1800's, export of agricultural commodities produced in Duck Creek Hundred - by way of steamships serving Wilmington, Philadelphia and other markets, and later, via emerging railroad lines across the northeast - turned the town of Smyrna into a thriving port of trade. Note the winding path of Duck Creek in the background (above left) and the train steaming from Woodland Beach to Clayton Station. In addition to shipyards, stores and warehouses along Duck Creek, a prosperous early 1900's fertilizer plant (upper right) produced 100 pounds of bone meal fertilizer daily for shipping out of Smyrna.

Peach Produce Central:
During the mid-to-late 1800's, Delaware became the leading exporter of peaches in the nation, with Duck Creek orchards leading the way. Picture vast peach orchards on the landscape where you now stand. The mid-1900's photo above shows off-loading of peach wagons for shipment out of Smyrna Landing.

Trade in peaches and other goods also benefited from a late 1800's railroad spur connecting Smyrna to Woodland Beach, where a pier provided access for steamship transport up and down the Delaware.

A "float" system was later developed to ferry rail cars across the Bay to a New Jersey terminus at Bayside, from which cargo could be easily transported by rail to New York City, Boston and other northeast destinations.

Making Hay in the Marshlands
Harvest of salt hay (right) from Duck Creek marshes also provided a source of income to local farmers in the old days.

Along with its varied uses, harvesting hay brought its own set of challenges, as captured in this quote from old-timer Jim Conard (Florio, 2002):

"…used teams of horses…when the flies wuz real bad they'd lay burlap sacks over their backs, soaked in coal oil…used it fer beddin' fer stock…shipped it ta Jersey fer to pack china with…I even seen 'em ship carp to Philadelphia, packed in we salthay."