http://apps.dnrec.state.de.us/Tanneries/contents.aspx (You must use IE to open this page. It is not written to work in Firefox.)
Wilmington, DE was once the second largest producer of tanned hides on the Eastern Seaboard. It's location between the major markets of the industrial northeast and the supply sources of the south and access to the chemical industries of Delaware and New Jersey made it an ideal location for this type of industry. Unfortunately, this industry came at a high cost to the environment. Arsenic and other heavy metals were instrumental in the tanning process and their waste products have created some environmental issues for the city.
However, this has also necessitated a high quality survey of the tanneries of Wilmington, DE that was completed in 2002. This in turn allowed for an excellent website to be created about this industry in Wilmington and it's well worth investigating.
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