1920. With Illustrations. A history of the company written by Bessie Gardner du Pont. E.I. du Pont de Nemours and Company was founded in July 1802 as a gun powder mill by Eleuthere Irenee du Pont on Brandywine Creek, near Wilmington, Delaware. Du Pont later evolved into one of the world's largest chemical companies, and in the 20th century led the polymer revolution by developing many highly successful materials such as nylon, teflon and kevlar.