During the past 250 years, Newark has transformed from a tiny farming community into a thriving small city. Its history includes the arrival of a variety of industries—including paper, woolen, and fibre mills and an automobile manufacturing plant—that have expanded the city's commercial and economic opportunities. Newark has also been home to the University of Delaware from its beginnings as a small academy in 1767. As a result, Newark's history is interwoven with that of the university. Although many of the industries that once thrived in Newark have closed because of technological advances and shifting economies, the city continues to grow. Main Street is now the retail hub of the city, and stores reside in what were private residences. Despite all of the changes brought on by industry and the passage of time, Newark has maintained its small-town feel.
