As part of their American History Speaker Series, Milford Museum will present “Disaster Along the Brandywine: Explosions at the DuPont Powder Mills: on Saturday, January 10 at 1 PM at the Milford Public Library.
“This will be presented by Richard Templeton who lives in Wilmington,” Tom Summers, Executive Director of the museum said. “he works as a tour guide at the Hagley Museum and Library which is on the site of the original DuPont black powder factory. Templeton is also a pyrotechnician, setting up automated fireworks displays for the First Family of Fireworks, the Gruccis of Long Island, New York.”
Over its 124-year history, the DuPont powder mills produced millions of pounds of materials that helped build America. The mills were located on the Brandywine Creek which provided power to them. The mills created wealth for a family that would become synonymous with innovation in the chemical world.
However, the mills also have a devastating history, despite its location along a beautiful bubbling creek. The mills created hundreds of widows and orphans when, during the 18th and 19th century, almost 300 explosions tore apart the buildings, the surrounding forest and the lives of workers whose job it was to work with powder that was often volatile and unpredictable.
Sponsored by the Milford Museum, these monthly programs focus on a variety of topics concerning local, state, and national history. These presentations are held on the second Saturday of each month, at 1:00 p.m., in the Milford Public Library. The library is located at 11 S.E. Front Street in Milford, Delaware. For more information, please contact the Museum at (302) 424-1080, [email protected]. These programs are offered through a generous grant from The Delaware Heritage Commission.
