W3R-DE continues to strengthen public awareness of the Washington-Rochambeau Revolutionary Route National Historic Trail through community outreach, historic site engagement, and new interpretive display opportunities across Delaware.
On Memorial Day, W3R-DE President Bill Conley visited several small food shops along the Trail in Wilmington, Delaware, near the new W3R Welcome Center at 18th and Market Streets. During the visits, local business owners warmly welcomed the opportunity to share the Trail Map with their customers.
Conley also spoke with shoppers and community members along the streets, many of whom were unfamiliar with the Trail’s story and its connection to Wilmington. This kind of direct public engagement will remain an ongoing mission for W3R-DE during the 250th anniversary commemorations in Delaware.
W3R-DE’s outreach also extended to Newark, Delaware, where Conley had the opportunity to meet with the 28th Pennsylvania Civil War Regimental Band as the group rehearsed at the 1777 Cooch’s Bridge Battlefield. The battlefield lies along the W3R National Historic Trail and remains one of Delaware’s most significant Revolutionary War sites.
The band has agreed to perform in Wilmington’s Colonial Brandywine Village, another important community along the Trail, in September 2026. The performance will help connect music, public history, and Trail communities during the broader 250th anniversary commemorations.
In Wilmington, the Ministry of Caring’s newest 3-story high-rise retirement home at 18th and Market Streets has also expressed interest in creating a Trail display in its new lobby. The building stands directly along the Trail, making it a fitting location to share the story of Delaware and Wilmington’s role in the Revolutionary War.
W3R-DE has offered a sign depicting Delaware’s major Revolutionary War history and the W3R Trail route through Wilmington as the centerpiece of the proposed display.
Together, these efforts reflect W3R-DE’s continuing work to bring the Trail story directly into the communities it passes through, connecting residents, businesses, visitors, and historic sites with the legacy of the American and French march to Yorktown.
Photos by Bill Conley, W3R-DE President.
