How Wilmington Delaware Got Its Name
Wilmington is the largest city in all of Delaware. It’s located within New Castle County of Northern Delaware and borders the Brandywine River, Christina River, and the Delaware River. Wilmington has been a growth city over the years and it is continuing to grow, with projects like the Riverfront Revitalization, the Browntown NVF building turning into apartments, and the Tri-State Mall getting revamped. The city was featured in Philly Mag for its growth.
Wilmington, Delaware serves as the headquarters for countless businesses, because of the tax benefits here. Several Fortune 500 companies have offices here for that purpose alone.
When it comes to the history of Wilmington, Delaware, “the oldest permanent European settlement in the Delaware River valley was established on the site by Swedes in 1638” according to Brittanica. It was Fort Christina when it was first captured by Peter Stuyvesant and his dutch army in 1655. The Dutch called it Altena but then they were overtaken by the English in 1664. Under English regime, Wilmington served as an agricultural hub, and over time developed into a fortunate and prosperous port and market for goods. The Quakers moved and settled in Wilmington in the 1730s, really driving up the growth of Wilmington’s ports and markets.
“Wilmington was granted a borough charter in 1739 by the King of England which changed the name from Willington (after Thomas Willing, the first ‘developer” of the land who organized the area in a grid pattern like Philadelphia) to Wilmington, presumably after Spencer Compton, Earl of Wilmington, a favorite of the King” as sited by the state website.
12 Ideas For Family Fun In Wilmington This Fall
