William Rowe was born in Ireland in 1828 and moved with his family to Delaware sometime before 1850. Both William and his father William, Sr. worked for DuPont. William, Jr. began working in the powder yards in 1843.
William married Susan Fisher (b. ca. 1830) on 30 June 1853 at St. Joseph on the Brandywine Catholic Church, located near the DuPont powder yards. Susan and William had thirteen children between 1854 and 1870. The family lived their entire lives in the nearby Henry Clay community attending St. Joseph Church. Susan Fisher Rowe died on 23 February 1880.
Image: Fort Delaware aerial view. Taken by J. Victor Dallin in 1924 (Hagley Digital Archives)