Several early companies, established by members of the du Pont family, operated on the Brandywine Creek in proximity to the mills of E.I. du Pont de Nemours & Co. These businesses included factories that produced tanned leather, woolen and cotton cloth, and yarns. The firms also owned properties that were used by, or sold to, other developers of mills in the region. This collection includes the papers of Du Pont, Bauduy & Company (1803-1815); Du Planty, McCall & Company (1813-1837); Brandywine Mill Seat Company (1798-1854); A. Cardon & Company (1824-1833); and Rockland Manufacturing Company (1825-1856).