North Murderkill Hundred in Wyoming in Kent County, Delaware — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)
Coming of the Railroad
Photographed by Bill Pfingsten, December 15, 2010
1. Coming of the Railroad Marker
Inscription.
Coming of the Railroad. . Efforts to establish rail transportation in Delaware were realized in 1832 with the completion of the New Castle and Frenchtown Railroad connecting shipping traffic on the Chesapeake Bay and Delaware River. The promise of railroads was clearly demonstrated, and in 1836 the General Assembly chartered the Delaware Railroad for the purpose of building a line from a junction with the New Castle and Frenchtown to the southern border of the state. Due to poor economic conditions construction was delayed until the 1850s. Tracks were extended to this location by early 1856, finally reaching the state line in December 1859. With the culmination of this effort and the subsequent construction of connections with other parts of Delmarva, an era of unprecedented economic prosperity was initiated. New communities such as Wyoming were founded, growing rapidly as a result of agricultural and industrial expansion. With the creation of this new system for transporting people and goods to and from distant locations and the urban centers of the nation, the lives of the peninsula residents were forever changed.
Efforts to establish rail transportation in Delaware were realized in 1832 with the completion of the New Castle and Frenchtown Railroad connecting shipping traffic on the Chesapeake Bay and Delaware River. The promise of railroads was clearly demonstrated, and in 1836 the General Assembly chartered the Delaware Railroad for the purpose of building a line from a junction with the New Castle and Frenchtown to the southern border of the state. Due to poor economic conditions construction was delayed until the 1850s. Tracks were extended to this location by early 1856, finally reaching the state line in December 1859. With the culmination of this effort and the subsequent construction of connections with other parts of Delmarva, an era of unprecedented economic prosperity was initiated. New communities such as Wyoming were founded, growing rapidly as a result of agricultural and industrial expansion. With the creation of this new system for transporting people and goods to and from distant locations and the urban centers of the nation, the lives of the peninsula residents were forever changed.
Location. 39° 7.124′ N, 75° 33.524′ W. Marker is in Wyoming, Delaware, in Kent County. It is in North Murderkill Hundred. It is on Railroad Avenue close to Camden-Wyoming Road. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Camden Wyoming DE 19934, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in the American Mid-Atlantic and on the Delmarva Peninsula. Globally, it is in the North Atlantic Region, North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once New Netherland, one of the original Thirteen Colonies, and the Antebellum South.
Credits. This page was last revised on May 15, 2026. It was originally submitted on January 9, 2011, by Bill Pfingsten of Bel Air, Maryland. This page has been viewed 835 times since then and 8 times this year. Photos:1, 2. submitted on January 9, 2011, by Bill Pfingsten of Bel Air, Maryland.
