There are a few people who have made a lasting impact on the Delaware Canal, not only in its preservation but also in its promotion as a valuable public space.
We are dedicating this issue of our newsletter to two people, who during their long lives, had an enduring enthusiasm and energy for the Delaware Canal State Park.
Remembering Betty Orlemann
“What you do makes a difference and you have to decide what kind of difference you want to make.”
—Jane Goodall
Betty Orlemann, who passed away on April 3,2025, one day after her 97th birthday, founded the Friends of the Delaware Canal in 1982. Even at her advanced age, Betty was still a force of nature.
“Something has to be done.” This short but telling quote from our founder set the tone for the vision and purpose of this organization. In 1977,Betty and her young family moved into an old farmhouse on River Road in Smithtown, adjacent to the Delaware Canal.
Seeing the disrepair and neglect of the canal, bridges, and towpath, Betty Orlemann took action. She organized volunteers to improve the canal and its surroundings, marking the beginning of what
would later become the Friends of the Delaware Canal.
The Friends had their first official meeting in October 1982, and by January 1983, the group was incorporated. One of the first members of this newly formed non-profit was Virginia Forrest.
Betty was also a founder and Board member of the Delaware & Lehigh National Heritage Corridor (D&L) and the creative inspiration behind the Miles of Mules art installation. In 2009, Betty was presented with the first Lifetime Achievement Award from the D&L National Heritage Corridor.
Remembering Will Rivinus
“No harm is done to history by making it some thing someone would want to read.”
—David McCullough
Extensive research and creativity were two hallmarks of Will Rivinus, whose single-minded purpose in documenting a journey along the Delaware Canal will continue to inform and educate
for many generations. Will came to Bucks County and was charmed by the area’s history and natural beauty, as well as the canal and towpath. His first
journey along the towpath took him from Solebury to the Mountainside Inn, where, too exhausted, he
stopped for the evening.
Will would go on to explore the entire 58.9 miles, building his stamina along the way. He started the Canal Walks in 1987, an annual event that helped promote the towpath and the region. His tireless advocacy has been recognized by both the Pennsylvania Senate and the House of Representatives.
Will Rivinus, like Betty, was driven by a deep commitment to improving our Delaware Canal State Park for generations to come. His legacy will continue to have a lasting impact on the park and
its visitors.
Upon the passing of the last of her Canal “elders,” Susan Taylor shares these two stories about them:
Betty Orlemann
Five days into my new job as the Executive Director of the Friends of the Delaware Canal, I was told that a $5,000 match was due on a
grant from the Grundy Foundation. I had two weeks to either find the funds or write a very convincing request for an extension.
Needless to say, I was very jumpy until Betty Orlemann told me, “It will be alright, the Friends have a guardian angel.” I took a bit of comfort in this, but I still needed to do something.
Two days later, the office phone rang. It was a man who immediately started asking about the Canal’s problems and what the Friends did. His final question was “What do the Friends
need?” With the grant match high on my mind, I blurted out “$5,000.” We talked a bit more, and then said goodbye, without me knowing the man’s name.
I didn’t give the conversation a lot more thought. I’d learned early on that many people called to ask about the Canal. And then came an envelope in the mail. Inside was a $5,000 check. After I got over my amazement, my first thought was nice man!” My second thought was “Betty was right; the Friends do have a guardian angel.”
It didn’t take me too long to realize that Betty was really the Friends’ guardian angel—always hopeful, always encouraging, always wise, always diligent, and, if came down to it, always willing to “get her Irish up.” I have every faith that Betty is still on guard.
Will Rivinus
The Delaware Canal was one of Will Rivinus’ passions. As a young man, he walked its 60 miles from Easton to Bristol alone. (Will always used “60 miles” even after the mileage
was measured at 58.9 miles.)
In 1964, he wrote A Wayfarer’s Guide to the Delaware Canal, which, with its maps and descriptions, offered a clear, inviting way to discover the waterway, towpath, and surroundings. He went onto lead the first of the Canal Walks for the Friends of the Delaware Canal in 1988, an ambitious feat undertaken over five successive Saturdays.
In its formative years in the 1980’s, the Friends of the Delaware Canal benefited greatly from Will’s masterful ability to promote causes. He had the knack for identifying opportunities and followed through by communicating the Friends’ mission and activities convincingly. He did this so well that the Friends won two “Take Pride in Pennsylvania” awards and one national “Take Pride in America” award for the organization’s volunteer work. The national award came with an invitation to a reception on the White House lawn, which Will and other Friends proudly attended.
In 1990, my sister-in-law convinced me to do one segment of the walk. At this point, I’m not sure which one, although I do remember that the drops from the towpath down to the
Delaware River were scary. And I met Will and the 90 other walkers.
The crowd was huge because the Delaware and Lehigh National Heritage Corridor was gaining traction. Will was the chair of the Corridor Commission, and people from the National Park Service and other agencies wanted to join the walk to learn about it.
Will led with authority and vigor. He had his Canal information down pat and knew to spice it with humor and the charm of his personal stories. He had a lot to deal with on
that 1990 walk. Navigating that many people down a narrow towpath is no mean feat, and a number of them weren’t used to walking that far. There were several stops along the way,
so that people could change socks and apply moleskin to blisters in the making.
Through the Canal Walk, which is still undertaken each year, and the publication of eight editions of the Guide to the Delaware Canal, Will Rivinus converted people into true believers in the worth of the waterway and towpath. His passion carries on.
