Tinicum Twp Historical Society DelCo

06/20/2026

Flea Market Lost and Found items
;
a pair of black rimmed readers; a Corksickle mug with straw.
Are they yours?

06/20/2026

Came across this interesting book on my shelf. NO DATE. It was put out by Gulf.

06/18/2026

06/16/2026

I wasn't able to walk to take pix of the car show. Will you please post yours if you have ANY! either on SwampRats or email me at templin400@comcast,net. Thank you in advance. I'd so appreciate even one!

06/15/2026

Not Tinicum, but close enough. My Uncle Andy worked there but heard rumors and didn't go to work that day. The smoke could be seen from here.

Most Pennsylvanians have never heard the name Eddystone. But on April 10, 1917, it became the site of one of the deadliest industrial disasters in the state's history. 💥

The Eddystone Ammunition Corporation in Delaware County was producing artillery shells for the Allied forces in World War I. The plant employed thousands of workers, many of them women and recent immigrants who had come to Pennsylvania looking for steady wages. At 9:46 in the morning, a massive explosion tore through the loading room. Within seconds, 133 people were dead. Hundreds more were injured. The cause was never fully determined.

What's interesting is how quickly the story disappeared. The country had just entered the war four days earlier. The government needed morale, not headlines about dead munitions workers. The names of those 133 people, many of them young women from the surrounding communities, were recorded and then largely forgotten. Pennsylvania lost 133 of its own that morning, and the state barely marked it. Have you ever heard of the Eddystone explosion? 🕯️

06/15/2026

BREAKING: Mystery Boom Shakes Delco Overnight

Residents across Delco were jolted late last night by a massive blast that echoed from Tinicum to Ridley, Prospect Park, Glenolden, Morton, Secane and even parts of Southwest Philly. Hundreds took to Facebook asking the same question: “Did you just hear that?”

Turns out it was a scheduled dredging blast in the Delaware River, taking place between Tinicum Island and Paulsboro, NJ. The underwater charge was part of a federally approved deep channel project, and while controlled, these blasts can create shockwaves that travel miles across the water.

The noise is tied to a major $480 million dredging and modernization project on the Delaware River underway in 2025. The goal is to deepen and widen the main shipping channel, increase cargo capacity and improve safety for larger vessels entering Philly and South Jersey ports.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and port authorities say the upgrades will allow super-sized container ships to access the river all year long which will drive massive economic expansion for the region.

Some sections of the riverbed near Tinicum contain dense rock formations that can’t be removed by normal dredging equipment, which is why controlled blasting is occasionally used to fracture the material before excavation.

More nighttime work may continue in the coming weeks, depending on river traffic and weather conditions. Stay tuned

06/15/2026

BELOW THE CITY LINE MEANS it was in TINICUM, at or near where the new cruise terminal is

PFD History
On the evening of Tuesday April 9, 1974 the area of Southwest Philadelphia around Philadelphia International Airport was rocked by a tremendous explosion shortly before 10:00 PM. Box 6323, the ARCO Fort Mifflin Marine terminal was transmitted at 9:52 PM and companies were responding towards a huge glow in the sky behind the Airport. At 9:59 PM Engine 69 requested a 2nd Alarm, reporting that a tanker had exploded and it had broken in two and was fully involved. Commissioner Rizzo hearing the initial report ordered 2 additional rescue squads, 2 remaining fire boats and additional foam units. With very few hydrants in the area Commissioner Rizzo requested the 3rd Alarm at 10:07 PM & the 4th Alarm at 10:16 AM. Car 1 placed the fire under control at 11:59 PM and turned the scene over to Delaware County fire companies since the fire was outside the city limits. The ship was the 650 foot 60, 000 ton Greek tanker Elias. 10 crew members, the Captain and his wife were killed.