Images from the
Free Library of Philadelphia
Print and Picture Department
Castner Collection

Delaware River -- Smith and Windmill Islands

Thanks to Karen Lightner, head of the collection, for permission to use these images here. Please contact her at (215) 686-5405 for permission to reuse these images in any form.

These islands (or island, depending on the time period and the source) stood off Philadelphia's Market Street in the Delaware River. Well-known as recreation destinations, Smith Island in particular had an amusement park and baths in the 1880s. In the 1890s both islands were deemed a hazard and obstruction to shipping traffic in the river, and were removed. For more images of these islands from other collections, click here. To read a newspaper articles about Ridgway Park on Smith Island, from the Castner Scrapbooks, click here.

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Descriptions are repeated on the full-sized images, which can be accessed by clicking the thumbnails.

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Smith Island, in the Delaware River off Philadelphia. Unknown artist. 1848

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Smith and Windmill Islands, by F. Gutekunst. 1890

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Smith Island. 1869

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Smith Island. 1869

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Smith Island, Beer Garden. 1880 ca.

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Smith Island, Hotel. 1880 ca.

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Ridgway Park, on Smith's Island. 1880 ca.

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Plan of Farrand & Sharp's Proposed Bridge, over a part of the Delaware, near Philadelphia. 1820 ca. [Shows the islands as one continuous island that it does not name]but does not give them names

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Obstructions in the Delaware. Beginning of Scientific American article, with a diagram showing "Improvements in the Delaware," identical to Cas20_57.jpg (see below). 1888 ca.

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Windmill and Smith's Islands, to be removed to open channel in Delaware River. Illustration for Scientific American article. 1888 ca.

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Hotel, Smith Island. 1880 ca.

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"Entrance for Families." Smith Island. 1880 ca.

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"Entrance for Families." Smith Island. 1880 ca.

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Diagram showing proposed extension of Port Warden's Line. [Shows proposed removal of part of Petty's Island and total removal of Windmill and Smith's islands.] 1888

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Map of the water frontage of the port of Philadelphia. 1876 (See identical map, with better resolution, by clicking here.)

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Smith's Island, opposite Philadelphia. S McMullin Photographer, 128 South Ninth Street, Phila.

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Smith's Island, opposite Philadelphia. S McMullin Photographer, 128 South Ninth Street, Phila.

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Smith Island bathing pavilion.1880 ca.

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Smith Island ferry landing, with the ferry 'John Smith'. 1880 ca

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Page last modified March 8, 2006 / Updated April 3, 2015