Editing Marcus Hook, Pennsylvania (section)

===18th century===
Marcus Hook became a prosperous community and market town and in 1708 was of equal prominence to nearby [[Chester, Pennsylvania]], with each location having approximately 100 houses.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Ashmead|first1=Henry Graham|title=A History of Delaware County, Pennsylvania|date=1884|publisher=L.H. Everts & Co.|location=Philadelphia|page=456|url=https://archive.org/stream/cu31924006215655#page/n595/mode/2up/search/chichester|access-date=17 December 2017}}</ref>

In the early 1700s, Marcus Hook was a haven for [[pirate]]s who plagued the lower [[Delaware River]].  The market at Marcus Hook provided the pirates a place to sell plundered goods and re-supply away from the authorities and custom officials in [[Philadelphia]]. Early maps of Marcus Hook show the current Second Street was originally named "Discord Lane", since it was the location of the pirates' revelry when they were in town.<ref name="The Plank House">{{cite web|title=The Plank House|url=http://www.marcushookps.org/house.php|website=www.marcushookps.org|access-date=17 December 2017}}</ref>

Marcus Hook Plank House reportedly was once the home of a Swedish mistress of the pirate [[Blackbeard]], named Margaret.<ref name="The Plank House"/><ref>{{cite book|last1=Ashmead|first1=Henry Graham|title=A History of Delaware County, Pennsylvania|date=1884|publisher=L.H. Everts & Co.|location=Philadelphia|pages=[https://archive.org/details/cu31924006215655/page/n596 457]–458|url=https://archive.org/details/cu31924006215655|access-date=20 December 2017}}</ref>

By the mid-18th century, Marcus Hook became a major regional center for the building of wooden sailing ships and remained so until the late 19th century. By that time, larger tonnage ships became more popular than the [[sloops]] and [[schooners]] built in Marcus Hook.<ref name="The Plank House"/>

During the [[American Revolutionary War]], two tiers of underwater ''[[Cheval de frise|chevaux-de-frise]]'' obstacles were placed across the Delaware River at Marcus Hook to provide a first line of defense of Philadelphia against British naval forces.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Martin|first1=John Hill|title=Chester (and Its Vicinity,) Delaware County, in Pennsylvania|date=1877|publisher=Wm. H. Pile & Sons|location=Philadelphia|page=175|isbn=9785871484241 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=5Kg-AAAAYAAJ&q=albert+o.+deshong&pg=PA357|access-date=12 January 2018}}</ref>  Marcus Hook also served as a training center for the [[Pennsylvania militia]].  The [[Continental Army]] was stationed at Marcus Hook during the fall of 1777. As the town was bombarded by British warships, there are very few pre-Revolutionary houses in Marcus Hook.<ref name="marcushookps.org">{{cite web|title=The Plank House|url=http://www.marcushookps.org/house.php|website=www.marcushookps.org|access-date=31 December 2017}}</ref>