Delaware began its history as the European s earliest settlement in 1638 when a Swedish warship landed at the Christina River. New Sweden soon passed into Dutch and then English control. E.I. Dupont opened his black gun powder mill. Financial institutions, mainly credit card banks, began moving into Delaware because of business-friendly laws. Many American corporations are incorporated in Delaware and are officially headquartered there.
Shopping centers abound from upscale boutiques to outlet centers.
The regional malls of Concord and Christiana have many fine stores with apparel, shoes, jewelry, cards, books, gifts, china, cookware and many others items. The Centerville and Greenville town centers offer a variety of small specialty shops, galleries and restaurants to patronize. The city of Wilmington has gone under a renaissance in the Waterfront area with the creation of the outlet center plus the opening of USA Riverfront Art Center and the Blue Rocks Minor League Baseball stadium. Save everyday at hundreds of manufacturer s outlets within a 2-mile stretch of Route One in Rehoboth Beach. Nearby Southern Chester County, Pennsylvania, offers many historical and cultural sites such as the Brandywine River Museum, Longwood Gardens, and Brandywine Battlefield.