Photos: Hagley Museum and Library in Wilmington, Delaware

I recently visited the Hagley Musuem and Library -- a non-profit educational institution located along the Brandywine River in Wilmington, Delaware.

The museum goes into the history of the famous du Pont family, heirs to the DuPont chemical company. The grounds include the original du Point mills, estate and gardens. There are exhibits on the engineering and technological history of Delaware.

Guides give free demonstrations. Our guide gave a gunpowder making demonstration at a restored gunpowder mill. The black powder mills were powered by water and used to make explosives, which was a very dangerous profession, with many accidental deaths over the years.

Another guide gave a demonstration of the machinery in Hagley's workshop.

I highly recommend a visit to the Hagley Museum and Library for an up close and personal experience of an important chapter in the history of Delaware and the nation.

Photos: