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Thirty Seconds with Dana Herbert. Plus, a tribute to our rich railroad heritage, the many benefits of June Jam, summer at the beach: by the numbers, Gordon DelGiorno names his favorite flicks, and more.
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Tracking History
Friends group creates a tribute to Wilmington’s rich railroad heritage at the Amtrak station. All aboard.
J. Harry Feldman certainly knows how important the city of Wilmington has been to the evolution of the United States railroad. The problem is, few others do.
“A lot is known about our gunpowder and shipbuilding heritage, but somehow Wilmington’s very significant railroad history has been largely overlooked,” says Feldman, a board member for the Friends of Furness Railroad District. “Most people, for example, have no idea that Wilmington was the largest producer of railroad car wheels at one time. Our city produced cars you can still ride on when you visit the Durango & Silverton line in Colorado.”
In order to prevent Wilmington’s railroad heritage from falling into some black hole of history, the FFRD created a permanent exhibit called “Wilmington’s Railroad Heritage,” which was installed at the city’s revamped Amtrak station in March. The 24-foot-wide display comprises four sections, each illustrating an aspect of the city’s railroad legacy. Feldman hopes it will offer folks a chance to more fully understand Wilmington’s crucial role in railroad history.
“The railroad station was where it all came together: passengers and freight. The arrival of every train was a big deal, and it still has a lasting impact, what with Wilmington hosting between 70 and 80 trains per day, and around 700,000 people getting at our station yearly,” says Feldman. “Wilmington is the nation’s 12th busiest station, and a very important piece of history.” —Nick DiUlio
Page 3: One Thing I Know | Lauren Wilson former WPVI-TV 6 Action News reporter, Wilmington
