Friends of the Delaware Canal

  • HOME
  • FRIENDS
    • About the Friends
    • The Friends Celebrate 40 Years
    • Board Members
    • Current Efforts + Plans
    • Friends History
    • Locktender’s House
  • NEWS
    • Breaking News
    • Coming Events
    • Towpath Talk
    • Current Newsletter
    • Newsletter Archive
  • THE CANAL
    • About the Canal
    • Maps
      • Mile Markers
      • Landmarks and Mileage
      • Historical Map
      • Political Boundaries
    • How Does a Lock Work?
    • Canal Mules
    • Historical Scenes
    • Films, Oral Histories and Additional Reading
    • Delaware Canal Jigsaw Puzzles
    • Flora and Fauna Atlas
      • Distribution Maps
      • Photo Galleries
      • Submit a Finding
      • Resources
    • Related Links
  • VISIT
    • Visit the Canal
    • The Towpath Trail
    • Sharing the Towpath Trail
    • Loop Trails
    • Recreational Options
      • Hiking + Jogging
      • Biking
      • Boating
      • Fishing
      • Horseback Riding
      • Nature Watching
      • Skiing + Skating
    • Nearby Points of Interest
  • HELP
    • Make a Year-End Gift
    • Please Contribute to the Friends and Help Us Do More
    • Help the Canal
    • Canal Tenders
    • Canal Action Team
  • JOIN / RENEW
    • Join the Friends
    • Renew Membership
    • Business Memberships
    • Give the Gift of Membership
    • FODC Shameless Commerce Shop
    • Legacy Fund
    • New Hope for Our Canal
You are here: Home / About the Canal

A Brief History of the Delaware Canal

3 Palisades-Near-Riegelsville-galleryIn the early 1800’s, America was growing rapidly. Its population was increasing, westward migration had begun, and business was booming. Poor roads and unnavigable rivers could no longer meet the young nation’s needs. Legislators and entrepreneurs looked to canals. These man-made waterways had been used successfully in Asia and Europe for centuries, as a way to provide better, faster, and cheaper transportation.

Inspired by the tremendous success of New York state’s Erie Canal, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania began building a 1,200-mile system of canals to connect Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, and Lake Erie. These new transportation routes would carry the raw materials and manufactured products that would power this country’s industrial revolution.

The 58.9-mile-long Delaware Canal is part of this great network. Completed in 1832, it runs from Bristol to Easton, where it connects with the Lehigh Canal. The primary purpose of these two waterways was to transport anthracite coal from the northeastern Pennsylvania coal regions to the cities on the eastern seaboard.

In the most productive years just prior to the Civil War, over 3,000 mule-drawn boats traveled up and down this route, moving over one million tons of coal a year. Smaller quantities of goods such as lumber, building stone, lime, and produce were also carried.

Life was hard for the men, women and children who worked on the canals. A typical day started before 4 a.m. with the grooming and harnessing of the mule-team. It ended at 10:00 p.m. or later, when the lock tenders stopped operating the locks and the boats could go no further. A mule-powered boat loaded with 80 tons of cargo traveled 30 miles or more each day.

Over its course of 60 miles, the Delaware Canal drops 165 feet through some twenty-three locks. Ten aqueducts carry the waterway over small valleys and streams. Including its towpath and berm bank, the canal is approximately 60 feet wide and originally was five feet deep.

Times change

As railroads began to seriously compete for freight contracts, canal-generated revenues to the Commonwealth dropped. In 1858, the decision was made to sell the Delaware Canal to private operators. From 1866 to 1931, the Delaware Canal was run by the Lehigh Coal and Navigation Company, which also owned of the Lehigh Canal.

Canal traffic and revenue declined until the “iron horse” finally beat the mule, when the last paying boat locked through in October 17, 1931. The same day, 40 miles of the Delaware Canal was deeded to the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. It was named Roosevelt State Park by Governor Gifford Pinchot, to commemorate his fellow preservationist, Theodore Roosevelt.

It was not until 1940 that the Commonwealth finally acquired all 60 miles of the canal. By popular demand, the park was renamed Delaware Canal State Park in 1989. The significance of the Delaware Canal was recognized in 1978, when it was designated a National Historic Landmark. It is preserved today as the last towpath canal in America capable of being fully-watered and restored.

Connect & Follow

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

THE DELAWARE CANAL

  • About the Canal
  • Mile Markers
  • Landmarks and Mileage
  • Historical Map
  • Political Boundaries
  • How Does a Lock Work?
  • Learn About Canal Mules
  • Historical Scenes
  • Films, Oral Histories and Additional Reading
  • Canal Jigsaw Puzzle
  • Flora and Fauna Atlas
  • Flora and Fauna Maps
  • Flora and Fauna Galleries
  • Flora and Fauna Findings
  • Flora and Fauna Resources
  • Related Links
friends of the delaware canal logo

Contact Us

Contact Us

Friends of the Delaware Canal
145 South Main Street
New Hope, PA 18938
Phone: 215.862.2021
Michael Ginder, Executive Director

Help the Canal

Help the Canal

Helping on Canal Clean-up Day is just one way you can get involved and help to restore, preserve and improve the Delaware Canal. Big or small, the perfect job for you awaits – all you need to do is get involved! FIND OUT MORE

Get Email Updates

Menu

  • Home
  • The Friends
  • Breaking News
  • About the Canal
  • Visit the Canal
  • Help the Canal
  • Join the Friends
  • Contact Us

Copyright © 2023 · Friends of the Delaware Canal · All Rights Reserved. · Website by Sircely Marketing and Design