At the time of contact the Nisqually Tribe lived in relative peace and prosperity in their aboriginal homeland of about two million acres (810,000 ha) near the present-day towns of Olympia, Tenino, and DuPont, and extending to Mount Rainier.

Tribal life changed radically with the advent of Euro-American settlement about 150 years ago.

Forced to compromise its interests and rights over the years, the Tribe always sought to maintain its integrity and dignity.

[9] Charles Wilkes of the United States Exploring Expedition held the first American Independence Day celebration west of the Mississippi River in the present-day DuPont area on July 5, 1841.

A few of the farmers urged Congress to remove the fort as well as the Puget Sound Agricultural Company from the Pacific Northwest.

[1] During its nearly 70-year history, the plant produced dynamite for the U.S. military as well as for the construction of various civilian projects including the Grand Coulee Dam, the Alcan Highway, and the Panama Canal.

[1] The original company town, roughly bounded by Santa Cruz St, Penniman St, Brandywine Ave, and DuPont Ave, was added to the National Register of Historic Places as the DuPont Village Historic District in 1987.

[14] The dynamite plant was shut down in 1975 and the land was subsequently purchased by the Weyerhaeuser company for $12 million.

The initial plan was to use the 3,000 acres (1,200 ha) of land to construct a lumber export plant, but the company eventually decided to further develop the town under a New Urbanism model.

[16] In recent years, DuPont has undergone a transformation with the realization of the modern planned community of "Northwest Landing".

DuPont features trails and green belts throughout, and is about 95% built-out according to the master plan.

[18] On December 18, 2017, an Amtrak train derailed near DuPont, killing three people and injuring more than 100 others.

The creek corridor hosts hundreds of species, including bald eagles, hawks, McKay's bunting, song birds, herons, ducks, owls, frogs, salamanders, snakes, beaver, raccoons, coyotes, deer, and rabbits.

The waters off Sequalitchew Beach are inhabited by harbor seals, marbled murrelet and gray whales.

[20][21] DuPont's other trails and its parks offer similar access to wildlife and exceptional opportunities for outdoor activity.

The trail and greenbelt system provides a wide cross-section of DuPont's geographic and natural environments, while maintaining an urban feel.

Full maps can be obtained from the visitor center, city hall, and the history museum.