Delaware Canal is a photograph by Tom Gari Gallery-Three-Photography which was uploaded on July 13th, 2015.
Delaware Canal
The Delaware Canal originally was 60 miles, approximately 60 feet wide] and depth of about 3 feet. Construction, which was done entirely with hand... more
Title
Delaware Canal
Artist
Tom Gari Gallery-Three-Photography
Medium
Photograph - Photography
Description
The Delaware Canal originally was 60 miles, approximately 60 feet wide] and depth of about 3 feet. Construction, which was done entirely with hand tools using primarily imported labor from Ireland, started in 1829. The state sold the canal to the Lehigh Coal & Navigation Company in 1858. The competition of the railroad led to a decline in barge traffic. By the 1920s, anthracite coal was waning as a source of fuel. The last commercial through traffic traveled the canal in October 1931 and the bankrupt Lehigh Coal and Navigation Company sold the canal back to the state for a nominal fee. In 1933, a private group called The Delaware Valley Protective Association was founded to protect the canal as a historic asset. They lobbied the state to resume maintenance of the canal in 1940, when its towpath became Theodore Roosevelt State Park. The berms were restored and the canal was refilled with water.
Through the 1940s and 1950s, the canal was left mostly untouched. In the early 1960s, however, Pennsylvania officials explored plans to pave over the canal and create a road for cars. Local residents fought for the canal's protection..
Through the 1960s and 1970s, the DVPA and other influential citizens sought to secure federal landmark status to protect the Canal. In 1974, the Canal was placed on the National Register of Historic Places. In 1976, it was designated a National Historic Landmark,[ helping to guarantee its preservation. The towpath itself was named an official National Recreation Trail.
In 1988, the U.S. government created the Delaware and Lehigh National Heritage Corridor, covering a 165-mile north-south swath of eastern Pennsylvania that includes the Delaware Canal. In 1989, Theodore Roosevelt State Park was renamed Delaware Canal State Park.
However, public funding for the canal often has been inadequate and, as in other parts of the country, private non-profit groups have been created to fill the void. In 1983, Bucks County resident Betty Orlemann organized the Friends of the Delaware Canal. They act as a watchdog group, ensuring goals are to met to make the towpath trail walkable over its entire length and to eventually get the canal fully watered from Easton to Bristol.
Uploaded
July 13th, 2015
