Bear, Delaware
Bear is a census-designated place (CDP) located in New Castle County, Delaware, situated in the northeastern portion of the state of Delaware. Positioned within the broader Wilmington metropolitan area, Bear serves as a growing suburban community that offers residents access to regional transportation corridors, historical landmarks, and a range of residential neighborhoods. The community has drawn national attention on several occasions, including as the site of a significant presidential visit focused on infrastructure investment, and it remains one of the more recognizable unincorporated communities in Delaware.
Name and Early History
The origin of Bear's name has been the subject of local lore for generations. According to a popular story, the community received its name from a historical incident or observation involving bears in the area, though the precise details of this account vary in the telling.[1] Whether or not this account reflects the literal naming event, the story has become part of the community's local identity and is frequently repeated among residents.
The area that constitutes modern Bear has roots stretching back to the colonial period of Delaware's history, when New Castle County was being settled and developed by European colonists. Over the centuries, the land passed through various uses, transitioning from agricultural tracts to more diversified land use as the region's population grew and transportation links improved. The community's proximity to major roads and, later, rail lines made it an increasingly attractive location for settlement and commerce.
Geography and Location
Bear is situated in northern Delaware, in a region that provides relatively convenient access to several major urban centers along the East Coast. The community's location within New Castle County places it in Delaware's most populous county, which contains the state's largest city, Wilmington, as well as proximity to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, to the north. This positioning has contributed to Bear's growth as a suburban residential area serving commuters and families who work throughout the metropolitan region.
The area's geography is characteristic of the Mid-Atlantic coastal plain, with relatively flat terrain that has facilitated residential and commercial development. As Bear has expanded in population over the decades, infrastructure including roads, schools, and services has grown to accommodate the needs of a larger community.[2]
Historic Landmarks
White Hall
Among the notable historic structures in Bear is a building known as White Hall, which has been recognized for its architectural and historical significance. White Hall was added to a register of historic places acknowledging its importance to the local and regional historical record.[3] The structure represents the kind of built heritage that remains from earlier periods of Delaware's development and provides a tangible connection to the area's past.
Dragon Run Farms
The National Park Service has documented properties in the Bear area as part of the National Register of Historic Places inventory process. One such property involves the Dragon Run Farms site, which the National Park Service describes as combining what had been several distinct agricultural parcels. The property in question features an "L"-shaped, two-story, five-bay structure, reflecting the architectural traditions common to historic farmsteads of the region.[4] Today, the property operates under the name Dragon Run Farms, Inc., which encompasses the historically combined land.
The inclusion of properties from the Bear area in the National Register of Historic Places reflects broader efforts to document and preserve Delaware's architectural and agricultural heritage. These listings help ensure that structures and landscapes significant to the state's development are recognized and considered in future planning and preservation decisions.
Community Character and Development
Bear has developed over the latter decades of the twentieth century and into the twenty-first as a suburban community offering what has been described as a mix of suburban comfort, local history, and convenient access to major cities.[5] The community is home to a range of residential neighborhoods and has attracted families and individuals seeking the amenities of suburban life while maintaining proximity to the employment and cultural resources of nearby urban centers.
The growth of Bear reflects broader demographic and economic trends in New Castle County and in Delaware as a whole. As the Wilmington metropolitan area expanded outward from its urban core during the latter half of the twentieth century, communities like Bear absorbed much of the residential growth that characterized this period of suburban development. The result has been a community with a diverse mix of housing stock, commercial establishments, and community institutions.
Notable Events
Presidential Visit and Amtrak Infrastructure Announcement
Bear, Delaware gained national media attention when President Joe Biden traveled to the community to announce a major federal infrastructure investment. During the visit, President Biden announced more than $16 billion in new funding directed toward 25 passenger rail projects across the country.[6] The announcement underscored the federal government's commitment to expanding and improving passenger rail infrastructure under the infrastructure legislation passed during the Biden administration.
President Biden, long associated with Amtrak and rail travel — having famously commuted between Delaware and Washington, D.C., throughout his decades of service in the United States Senate — chose Delaware as the setting for this announcement, and the visit to Bear specifically highlighted the community's connection to his personal and political history. The event drew coverage from national media outlets and placed Bear in the spotlight as a location connected to significant national policy developments.
Delaware State Police Shooting and Subsequent Lawsuit
In April 2021, Bear, Delaware was the setting of an incident involving a fatal shooting by Delaware state police. A photograph taken at the scene was published by the news agency Reuters, documenting the aftermath of the event on April 23, 2021.[7] Following the shooting, the family of the Black man who was killed brought a lawsuit against the police force, drawing attention to issues of policing and use of force that were prominent topics in public discourse during this period. The litigation was subsequently addressed in the courts, with Reuters reporting that following the filing of the lawsuit, legal proceedings moved forward.
Legal Proceedings in Delaware Chancery Court
Bear also appeared in legal news coverage related to a case heard in the Delaware Court of Chancery, which is recognized as a prominent venue for corporate and civil litigation in the United States. In a case that drew media attention, details emerged involving residents with connections to Bear. According to Reuters coverage, individuals who had been in a relationship moved into a house in Bear, Delaware, in early 2019 after reuniting and beginning to date in late 2018.[8] The case ultimately involved the Delaware Chancery Court and garnered coverage in part due to its unusual subject matter.
Whitmer Kidnapping Plot Trial Connection
Bear was referenced in media coverage of the federal trial related to the alleged plot to kidnap Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer. One of the individuals connected to the case, identified as Croft, was reported to be from Bear, Delaware.[9] The trial, which drew significant national media coverage, involved allegations surrounding a conspiracy to abduct the sitting governor of Michigan. The connection to Bear, Delaware, brought the community's name into coverage of this high-profile federal case during 2022.
Notable People
Bear, Delaware has been identified as the home community of several individuals who have appeared in regional and national news coverage. As noted in reporting on the Whitmer kidnapping plot trial, at least one defendant in that federal case had roots in Bear.[10]
The community has also been home to residents whose lives and passing have been noted in public records and obituary publications. The death of Mr. Curtis W. Jones, age 68, of Bear, Delaware, was reported in November 2025; he passed away peacefully on Sunday, November 9, 2025, at the Inpatient Accentcare Hospice, Christiana Care.[11] Such records reflect the lives of ordinary residents who make up the fabric of the community.
Transportation
Bear's location in northern New Castle County places it within reasonable distance of major transportation infrastructure serving the broader Wilmington and Delaware region. The community's accessibility via regional road networks has contributed to its attractiveness as a residential destination for commuters. The significance of passenger rail to the region was highlighted by President Biden's visit to Bear in connection with his announcement of federal Amtrak infrastructure funding, underscoring the relevance of rail transportation to residents and communities throughout Delaware and the surrounding mid-Atlantic area.[12]
See Also
- New Castle County, Delaware
- Wilmington, Delaware
- Delaware Court of Chancery
- National Register of Historic Places