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Lehigh Canal
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The Lehigh Canal as seen from Guard Lock 8 & Lockhouse, Island Park Road, Glendon, Northampton County, PA
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Lower division of the Lehigh Canal, from Jim Thorpe, PA to Easton, PA
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| Location: | Lehigh River |
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| Built: | 1819 |
| Architect: | Canvass White, Josiah White |
| Governing body: | Local |
| NRHP Reference#: | 78002437, 78002439, 79002179, 79002307, 80003553[1] |
| Added to NRHP: | Earliest October 2, 1978 |
The Lehigh Canal was constructed by the Lehigh Coal & Navigation Company to carry anthracite from the upper Lehigh Valley to the urban markets of the northeast, especially Philadelphia. With the discovery of large deposits of anthracite coal, the Lehigh Coal Mine Company was formed to transport the coal down the Lehigh River to the Delaware River and on to the growing consumer markets in Philadelphia via a connection with the Pennsylvania Canal (Delaware Division) in Easton.
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The Lehigh Canal, designed by Canvass White, an engineer of New York's Erie Canal, was constructed between 1827 and 1829. The enlarged Lehigh Navigation extended 46 miles (74 km) between Mauch Chunk, Pennsylvania (present-day Jim Thorpe) and Easton with 52 locks, eight guard locks, eight dams and six aqueducts, allowing the waterway to overcome a difference in elevation of over 350 feet (107 m). A weigh lock determined canal boat fees a half mile (1 km) south of Mauch Chunk. A connection across the Delaware River to the Morris Canal through New Jersey allowed the coal from the Lehigh Canal to be shipped more directly to New York City.
During the 1830s, an extension of 26 miles (42 km) to White Haven, Pennsylvania, which included 20 dams and 29 locks, was constructed, covering a difference in elevation of over 600 feet (183 m) to Mauch Chunk.
In 1855, the canal reached its peak of more than one million tons of cargo. However, competition from railroads and the catastrophic flood of June 4, 1862, were all steps towards the canal's demise. The canal was used as a means of transportation until the 1940s (about a decade after other similar canals ceased operations), making it the last fully functioning towpath canal in North America. In 1962, most of it was sold to private and public organizations for recreational use.
Several segments of the canal are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. An 8-mile (13 km) segment of the canal towpath has been converted into a multi-use trail that runs from Freemansburg through Bethlehem to Allentown. The trail runs along the river and active railroad tracks. A section near Jim Thorpe is accessible to recreational users. The final section in Easton is maintained and operated by the National Canal Museum. Other short sections are accessible, but there are parts of the canal towpath that have been worn by the elements and are not safe to access.
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