Pencader Hundred developed through early Native American use, colonial settlement, industry, transportation, and war. Native Americans camped, harvested crops, milled maize, and mined jasper on Iron Hill from circa 10,000 B.C. to 1700 A.D., trading jasper widely. In 1701 William Penn granted 30,000 acres to David Evans, William Davis, and William Willis and their followers from southern Wales, who sought religious freedom and established the Welsh Tract Church congregation, building a log church in 1703 and replacing it with a brick church in 1746. The grant also established land titles and water rights that encouraged mills along the Christiana River. Milling expanded from early Native American methods through Swedish and Finnish improvements beginning in 1638, and after the destruction of most mills in the Battle of Cooch's Bridge in 1777, a major milling period began in 1794 when William Cooch built a new mill with assistance from Benjamin Latrobe and Oliver Evans. Flour from this system became known as "Kings Flour" and helped make the Christiana Watershed a leading milling center for more than 100 years. Roads developed in the eighteenth century to connect bridges, mills, taverns, and ports, and later turnpikes linked New Castle, Frenchtown, Elkton, and other points for travelers and commerce. Iron ore discovered by early Swedish settlers led to unsuccessful early forge operations at Keithsboro and by the Abington Partnership, while nearby Principio made extensive use of Pencader ore. The New Castle and Frenchtown Railroad, begun in 1831 and carrying passengers from February 28, 1832, became an early successful passenger railroad before being overtaken by competition in 1843. Canal plans also reshaped the area: an initial Benjamin Latrobe route begun in 1803 failed, but a new route begun on April 15, 1824 opened on October 17, 1829 as the C and D Canal, greatly improving inland travel and commerce. In September 1777, General Howe's army invaded through the area, fought American sharpshooters in the skirmish and battle at Cooch's Bridge, and then moved on toward Brandywine and Philadelphia.