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Authored by Society president George Meiser IX |
Schuylkill Canal
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The Schuylkill Navigation Company operated from 1825 to 1917. The canal stretched from Philadelphia to Port Carbon a distance of 108 miles. Most of the traffic on the canal carried anthracite from the coal region to Philadelphia. There were 92 locks on the canal to overcome a 588 foot difference in elevation. There were numerous dams and locks in Berks County. Most were destroyed during the Schuylkill River reclamation in the 40's and 50's. Fortunately remnants of the canal survive to this day. Miles of canal bed, Felix Dam, remnants of the 1825 canal and several stone aqueducts.
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Several canal boats moored at Jackson's Lock at the foot of South 6th Street. The old gas works can be seen on the right side of the image. |
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A canal boat in the Schuylkill Canal near the old Pennsylvania Railroad Station. The iron truss Penn Street Bridge can be seen in the background. |
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Giles' Lock just west of the Buttonwood Street Bridge. This picture was taken in 1931 after the canal had been abandoned. |
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Kelly's Lock in Muhlenberg Township. One wall of the lock chamber survives to the present. River Road runs just behind the lock. |
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Several boats approach Kelly's Lock. Locks on the Schuylkill Canal were 80 feet long and 17 feet wide. |
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A picture from 1907 shows a canal boat in the lock chamber at Kelly's Lock. The lock lifted the boats to 221 feet above sea level. |
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Captain Duffert. His boat and several others wait their turn to be lifted by the lock in the background. |
Images from the Historical Society of Berks County Pa archives
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