Saint Johnstown, Delaware facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Saint Johnstown, Delaware
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 Saint Johnstown, Delaware
Location in Delaware
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| Country | United States |
| State | Delaware |
| County | Sussex |
| Elevation | 52 ft (16 m) |
| Time zone | UTC-5 (Eastern (EST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-4 (EDT) |
| Area code(s) | 302 |
| GNIS feature ID | 217429 |
Saint Johnstown was once a small community in Delaware, USA. It was an important stop along the Queen Anne's Railroad. This railroad line is no longer in use today. Because the railroad closed, Saint Johnstown and other small towns like it disappeared.
What Was Saint Johnstown?
Saint Johnstown was an unincorporated community located in Sussex County, Delaware. An "unincorporated community" means it was a group of homes and businesses. However, it did not have its own local government, like a city or a town does. Its main purpose was to serve as a stop on a busy railroad line.
The Queen Anne's Railroad
The Queen Anne's Railroad was a railway line that ran through Delaware. Saint Johnstown was a stop between the towns of Ellendale and Greenwood. Railroads were very important a long time ago. They were the main way people traveled and how goods were moved across the country.
Why Did Saint Johnstown Disappear?
The Queen Anne's Railroad eventually closed down. When a railroad closes, it means the tracks are removed and trains no longer run on them. This is called becoming "defunct." After the railroad closed, all the land it owned was given back to its original owners. Since Saint Johnstown was built around the railroad stop, it lost its main reason for existing. Without the railroad bringing people and goods, the community slowly faded away. Many small towns that grew up around railroad stops disappeared when the trains stopped running.
