I found this intriguing today that after living here for some years now my random googling led me to learn the first railroad in the country along with the first steam locomotive ran from Frenchtown to New Castle right behind our property.
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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Castle_and_Frenchtown_Turnpike_and_Rail_Road
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"A historical marker in nearby Packet Alley lists some of the more notable passengers willing to speed down the tracks at fifteen miles an hour surrounded by flying sparks. One of them was Daniel Boone who wrote of the experience in his diary."
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http://wikimapia.org/6568443/Frenchtown-Railroad-New-Castle-Terminus-Station
"There is still evidence of it in western New Castle County, where there is a road named Frenchtown Road that runs along the old course of the railroad."
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MAPS
(OPEN IN IE) Oldest Map I could find online with greatest detail - Circa 1861
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AWESOME!
http://www.elkton.org/about-our-town
The forts were right around us!
http://wikimapia.org/#lat=39.5879966&lon=-75.8429146&z=15&l=0&m=a&v=2
http://www.pencaderheritage.org/main/landmarks/phland_p18.html
http://www.hmdb.org/marker.asp?marker=1526
http://www.hmdb.org/Marker.asp?Marker=1564
http://www.hmdb.org/Marker.asp?Marker=3549
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