William Francis Books

For centuries, the Christina River, an approximately 35-mile-long tributary of the Delaware River that cuts across northern Delaware, has played a role in the development of Newark, Christiana, Newport, and Wilmington. Near its mouth, it welcomed European settlers from Sweden and Finland. The Port of Wilmington, opened in 1923, handles international cargo and trade. The river was home to shipbuilding operations that once made Wilmington the busiest shipbuilding city in the United States. The river encouraged people to open businesses in the area, and industries like the Krebs Pigment Plant, Jackson & Sharp railroad manufacturers, and Pusey & Jones shipbuilders flourished. Farther downstream, in Newark, the river's history includes the only Revolutionary War battle fought on Delaware soil. Through vintage photographs, Along the Christina River shares the river's rich heritage and traces the history of this great waterway.

The Kirkwood Highway is an almost six-mile portion of State Route 2 in New Castle County, Delaware. Built as a bypass of Marshallton after the opening of Delaware Park at Stanton in 1937, it was meant to provide Wilmington-area horse-racing fans a straighter and faster route to the track. It is named after a distinguished officer of the American Revolution, Robert Kirkwood Jr., who was born at his family's farm along Polly Drummond Hill Road in Newark in 1756. Since it opened to automobile traffic, the highway has undergone numerous renovations and the scenery along its route has changed dramatically. Today, it is the fifth-busiest roadway in the state and is lined by shopping centers, national retailers, fast-food and chain restaurants, gas stations, subdivisions, and historic sites. Through vintage photographs, Along the Kirkwood Highway takes a nostalgic look back at the travel corridor, its cross streets, and familiar sites along its path.