The Latimers were intimately involved with the port of Wilmington. Mr. Latimer’s brother, and his son, John, were involved in the China trade, and may have brought vessels full of silk, china, and tea into the port, although most of their trade was likely in Philadelphia. Other ships also came into the port of Wilmington, and turnpikes built between 1808 and 1815 allowed them to ship their goods inland. The port was also where many immigrants came into Wilmington, like Mrs. Ulman, the Latimer’s neighbor, who came from Strasbourg, and a number of French Caribbean immigrants.
The Latimers probably knew the owners of a number of businesses that relied upon the port. A nail factory and a lumber yard were right near the water. Paper, gunpowder, and grain mills probably also benefited from the proximity of the port, so that they could import supplies and export goods. The port would have been a bustling, noisy place, and the economic heart of Wilmington.
an aerial view of
the port of Wilmington today