The Delaware Public Archives will open Tracks, Towns, and Transformation: How the Railroad Changed Delaware at 1:30 p.m. on Thursday, September 10, 2026. The opening takes place exactly 194 years after the New Castle and Frenchtown Railroad made its first locomotive-drawn journey on September 10, 1832, marking an early milestone in Delaware’s railroad history. 

Spanning nearly two centuries, the exhibit explores how Delaware’s strategic location connected its residents, farms, and businesses with Philadelphia, Baltimore, and markets throughout the region. Through maps, photographs, records, and objects, visitors can trace the development of Delaware’s railroad network, see how railroads changed communities across the state and explore their impact on agriculture, industry, travel, and everyday life. 

Local organizations have also helped bring the story to life. The Greater Harrington Historical Society loaned several objects for the exhibit, including a Pennsylvania Railroad lantern, a conductor’s uniform, and an original Delaware Railroad Company stock certificate. The First State Model Railroad Club also adapted and customized one of its model railroad displays for the exhibit, creating a Delaware-focused installation that helps bring the state’s railroad history to life in miniature. 

Tracks, Towns, and Transformation: How the Railroad Changed Delaware is free and open to the public at the Delaware Public Archives and will remain on display through July 2027. 

For more information about the Delaware Public Archives or to learn more about upcoming events and programs, visit archives.delaware.gov. 

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