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Pennsylvania Canal (West Branch Division)
Encyclopedia
The West Branch Division of the Pennsylvania Canal ran 73 miles (117 km) from the canal basin at Northumberland, Pennsylvania
, at the confluence of the West Branch Susquehanna River
with the main stem of the Susquehanna River
, north through Muncy
, then west through Williamsport
, Jersey Shore
, and Lock Haven
to its terminus in Farrandsville.
At its southern terminus in the Northumberland basin, the West Branch Canal met the North Branch Canal
and the Susquehanna Division Canal
. Through these connections to other divisions of the Pennsylvania Canal
, it formed part of a multi-state water transportation system including the Main Line of Public Works
.
Between Northumberland and Muncy, the canal lay east of the river. Beyond Muncy, where the river makes a right-angle turn, the canal lay to the north. Started in 1828 and completed in 1835, it had 19 lift locks
overcoming a total vertical rise of about 140 feet (42.7 m). The locks, beginning with No. 13, slightly upstream of the Northumberland Canal Basin, and ending with No. 34 at Lockport, across the river from Lock Haven, included two guard lock
s and an outlet lock in addition to the 19 lift locks.
The state intended to extend the West Branch Canal from Farrandsville further upstream along the West Branch Susquehanna River to the mouth of Sinnemahoning Creek
. Plans called for 33 miles (53 km) of canal, but the project was abandoned along with the idea that the West Branch Canal would eventually connect to the Allegheny River
in western Pennsylvania.
along Bald Eagle Creek
. It linked the West Branch Canal to a privately-financed addition, the Bald Eagle and Spring Creek Navigation
, that extended the canal system another 22 miles (35 km) to Bellefonte
along Bald Eagle and Spring
creeks. Beginning in 1837, large quantities of pig iron
and bituminous coal
traveled to distant markets via these canals.
The Lock Haven Dam (also known as the Dunnstown Dam), was built in the 19th century primarily to provide water to the West Branch Canal. Canal boats crossed the pool behind the dam by means of a cable ferry
between Lock No. 35 on the Lock Haven (Bald Eagle Crosscut Canal) side of the river and Lock No. 34 on the Lockport (West Branch Canal) side, about 2000 feet (609.6 m) downriver from the Jay Street Bridge
.
In 1833, the state added a 0.75 miles (1.21 km) canal, the Lewisburg Cut, to connect the town of Lewisburg
, 11 miles (18 km) north of Northumberland, to the system. The privately-financed Muncy Cut, also only 0.75 miles (1.21 km) long, added a branch canal into Muncy
, 20 miles (32 km) north of Northumberland.
, a lock, a canal wall, and a lock tender's house. Part of the Bald Eagle Crosscut Canal still flows along Bald Eagle Creek through Flemington.
Northumberland, Pennsylvania
Northumberland is a borough in Northumberland County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 3,714 at the 2000 census.-History:Northumberland was founded in 1772. The land that became Northumberland was purchased from the Iroquois in the first Treaty of Fort Stanwix in 1768, and the...
, at the confluence of the West Branch Susquehanna River
West Branch Susquehanna River
The West Branch Susquehanna River is one of the two principal branches, along with the North Branch, of the Susquehanna River in the northeastern United States. The North Branch, which rises in upstate New York, is generally regarded as the extension of the main branch, with the shorter West Branch...
with the main stem of the Susquehanna River
Susquehanna River
The Susquehanna River is a river located in the northeastern United States. At long, it is the longest river on the American east coast that drains into the Atlantic Ocean, and with its watershed it is the 16th largest river in the United States, and the longest river in the continental United...
, north through Muncy
Muncy, Pennsylvania
For other places named 'Muncy', please see Muncy .Muncy is a borough in Lycoming County, Pennsylvania, in the United States. The name Muncy comes from the Munsee Indians who once lived in the area. The population was 2,663 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Williamsport, Pennsylvania...
, then west through Williamsport
Williamsport, Pennsylvania
Williamsport is a city in and the county seat of Lycoming County, Pennsylvania in the United States. In 2009, the population was estimated at 29,304...
, Jersey Shore
Jersey Shore, Pennsylvania
Jersey Shore is a borough in Lycoming County, Pennsylvania, United States. It is on the West Branch Susquehanna River, west by south of Williamsport. It is part of the Williamsport, Pennsylvania Metropolitan Statistical Area. In the past, Jersey Shore held farms, railroad shops, cigar factories, a...
, and Lock Haven
Lock Haven, Pennsylvania
The city of Lock Haven is the county seat of Clinton County, in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. Located near the confluence of the West Branch Susquehanna River and Bald Eagle Creek, it is the principal city of the Lock Haven, Pennsylvania, micropolitan statistical area, itself part of the...
to its terminus in Farrandsville.
At its southern terminus in the Northumberland basin, the West Branch Canal met the North Branch Canal
Pennsylvania Canal (North Branch Division)
The North Branch Division of the Pennsylvania Canal was an historic waterway that ran along the North Branch Susquehanna River between southern New York and north-central Pennsylvania in the United States...
and the Susquehanna Division Canal
Pennsylvania Canal (Susquehanna Division)
The only canal of the Susquehanna Division of the Pennsylvania Canal ran along the west bank of the main stem of the Susquehanna River between a lock near the mouth of the Juniata River and the canal basin at Northumberland...
. Through these connections to other divisions of the Pennsylvania Canal
Pennsylvania Canal
Pennsylvania Canal refers generally to a complex system of canals, dams, locks, tow paths, aqueducts, and other infrastructure including, in some cases, railroads in Pennsylvania...
, it formed part of a multi-state water transportation system including the Main Line of Public Works
Main Line of Public Works
The Main Line of Public Works was a railroad and canal system built by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania in the 19th century. It ran from Philadelphia west through Harrisburg and across the state to Pittsburgh and connected with other divisions of the Pennsylvania Canal...
.
Between Northumberland and Muncy, the canal lay east of the river. Beyond Muncy, where the river makes a right-angle turn, the canal lay to the north. Started in 1828 and completed in 1835, it had 19 lift locks
Lock (water transport)
A lock is a device for raising and lowering boats between stretches of water of different levels on river and canal waterways. The distinguishing feature of a lock is a fixed chamber in which the water level can be varied; whereas in a caisson lock, a boat lift, or on a canal inclined plane, it is...
overcoming a total vertical rise of about 140 feet (42.7 m). The locks, beginning with No. 13, slightly upstream of the Northumberland Canal Basin, and ending with No. 34 at Lockport, across the river from Lock Haven, included two guard lock
Control lock
A control lock, or guard lock differs from a normal canal lock in that its primary purpose is controlling variances in water level rather than raising or lowering vessels. A control lock may also be known as a tide lock where it is used to control seawater entering into a body of fresh...
s and an outlet lock in addition to the 19 lift locks.
The state intended to extend the West Branch Canal from Farrandsville further upstream along the West Branch Susquehanna River to the mouth of Sinnemahoning Creek
Sinnemahoning Creek
Sinnemahoning Creek is a tributary of the West Branch Susquehanna River in Cameron and Clinton counties, Pennsylvania, in the United States.Sinnemahoning Creek is formed by the confluence of the Bennett and Driftwood Branches at the borough of Driftwood.The tributary First Fork Sinnemahoning...
. Plans called for 33 miles (53 km) of canal, but the project was abandoned along with the idea that the West Branch Canal would eventually connect to the Allegheny River
Allegheny River
The Allegheny River is a principal tributary of the Ohio River; it is located in the Eastern United States. The Allegheny River joins with the Monongahela River to form the Ohio River at the "Point" of Point State Park in Downtown Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania...
in western Pennsylvania.
Extensions
Additions to the West Branch Canal included the Bald Eagle Crosscut Canal, built 4 miles (6.4 km) through Lock Haven and FlemingtonFlemington, Pennsylvania
Flemington is a borough in Clinton County, Pennsylvania, USA. The population was 1,319 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Flemington is located at , along the Bald Eagle Creek and the remnant of the Bald Eagle Crosscut Canal.According to the United States Census Bureau, the borough has a total area of...
along Bald Eagle Creek
Bald Eagle Creek (West Branch Susquehanna River)
Bald Eagle Creek is a tributary of the West Branch Susquehanna River mostly in Centre County, Pennsylvania, in the United States. It runs through the Bald Eagle Valley at the foot of the Bald Eagle Mountain ridge to Lock Haven....
. It linked the West Branch Canal to a privately-financed addition, the Bald Eagle and Spring Creek Navigation
Bald Eagle and Spring Creek Navigation
The Bald Eagle and Spring Creek Navigation Company was a canal company in central Pennsylvania intended to link the iron industry of Bellefonte, Pennsylvania, with the Pennsylvania canal system. Opened for half its length in 1837, the remainder of the canal was not completed until 1848...
, that extended the canal system another 22 miles (35 km) to Bellefonte
Bellefonte, Pennsylvania
Bellefonte is a borough in Centre County, Pennsylvania, United States. It lies about twelve miles northeast of State College and is part of the State College, Pennsylvania Metropolitan Statistical Area...
along Bald Eagle and Spring
Spring Creek (Pennsylvania)
Spring Creek is a tributary of Bald Eagle Creek in Centre County, Pennsylvania, in the United States.Spring Creek passes through a water gap in Bald Eagle Mountain and joins Bald Eagle Creek at Milesburg....
creeks. Beginning in 1837, large quantities of pig iron
Pig iron
Pig iron is the intermediate product of smelting iron ore with a high-carbon fuel such as coke, usually with limestone as a flux. Charcoal and anthracite have also been used as fuel...
and bituminous coal
Bituminous coal
Bituminous coal or black coal is a relatively soft coal containing a tarlike substance called bitumen. It is of higher quality than lignite coal but of poorer quality than Anthracite...
traveled to distant markets via these canals.
The Lock Haven Dam (also known as the Dunnstown Dam), was built in the 19th century primarily to provide water to the West Branch Canal. Canal boats crossed the pool behind the dam by means of a cable ferry
Cable ferry
A cable ferry is guided and in many cases propelled across a river or other larger body of water by cables connected to both shores. They are also called chain ferries, floating bridges, or punts....
between Lock No. 35 on the Lock Haven (Bald Eagle Crosscut Canal) side of the river and Lock No. 34 on the Lockport (West Branch Canal) side, about 2000 feet (609.6 m) downriver from the Jay Street Bridge
Jay Street Bridge
The Jay Street Bridge crosses the West Branch Susquehanna River between Lock Haven on the south bank and Lockport on the north. The original structure, completed for the Lock Haven Bridge Company by the E. Kirkbride Company in 1852, was a covered bridge about long. A two-story toll house, long...
.
In 1833, the state added a 0.75 miles (1.21 km) canal, the Lewisburg Cut, to connect the town of Lewisburg
Lewisburg, Pennsylvania
Lewisburg is a borough in Union County, Pennsylvania, United States, south by southeast of Williamsport and north of Harrisburg. In the past, it was the commercial center for a fertile grain and general farming region. The population was 5,620 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Union...
, 11 miles (18 km) north of Northumberland, to the system. The privately-financed Muncy Cut, also only 0.75 miles (1.21 km) long, added a branch canal into Muncy
Muncy, Pennsylvania
For other places named 'Muncy', please see Muncy .Muncy is a borough in Lycoming County, Pennsylvania, in the United States. The name Muncy comes from the Munsee Indians who once lived in the area. The population was 2,663 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Williamsport, Pennsylvania...
, 20 miles (32 km) north of Northumberland.
Locks
| No. | Lift | Canal mile River mile In the United States, a River mile is a measure of distance in miles along a river from its mouth. River mile numbers begin at zero and increase further upstream. The corresponding metric unit using kilometers is the River kilometer... (km) |
Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0.0 miles 0.0 km |
Northumberland Northumberland, Pennsylvania Northumberland is a borough in Northumberland County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 3,714 at the 2000 census.-History:Northumberland was founded in 1772. The land that became Northumberland was purchased from the Iroquois in the first Treaty of Fort Stanwix in 1768, and the... Canal Basin |
||
| 13 | 7.75 feet (2.4 m) | 0.6 mile (0.965604 km) | |
| 14 | 5.94 feet (1.8 m) | 6.5 miles (10.5 km) | |
| 15 | 8 miles (12.9 km) | Lewisburg Lewisburg, Pennsylvania Lewisburg is a borough in Union County, Pennsylvania, United States, south by southeast of Williamsport and north of Harrisburg. In the past, it was the commercial center for a fertile grain and general farming region. The population was 5,620 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Union... Cut outlet |
|
| 16 | 8.2 miles (13.2 km) | Guard lock near Lewisburg Dam | |
| 17 | 6.12 feet (1.9 m) | 10.2 miles (16.4 km) | Milton Milton, Pennsylvania Milton is a borough in Northumberland County, Pennsylvania, on the Susquehanna River, north of Harrisburg. Settled in 1770, it was incorporated in 1817, and is governed by a charter that was revised in 1890... |
| 18 | 5.2 feet (1.6 m) | 14.6 miles (23.5 km) | Watsontown Watsontown, Pennsylvania Watsontown is a borough in Northumberland County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 2,255 at the 2000 census. It was named for John Watson, a local landowner.-Geography:Watsontown is located at .... |
| 19 | 7.2 feet (2.2 m) | 22 mi | Montgomery Montgomery, Pennsylvania Montgomery is a borough in Lycoming County, Pennsylvania, in the United States. The population was 1,695 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Williamsport, Pennsylvania Metropolitan Statistical Area.-History:... |
| 20 | 5.4 feet (1.6 m) | 22.9 miles (36.9 km) | Muncy Muncy, Pennsylvania For other places named 'Muncy', please see Muncy .Muncy is a borough in Lycoming County, Pennsylvania, in the United States. The name Muncy comes from the Munsee Indians who once lived in the area. The population was 2,663 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Williamsport, Pennsylvania... Dam Lock |
| 21 | 5.5 feet (1.7 m) | 24 miles (38.6 km) | |
| 22 | 5.5 feet (1.7 m) | 26.2 mi | Muncy |
| 23 | 6.5 feet (2 m) | 28.8 miles (46.3 km) | Wash Taylor's Locks |
| 24 | 5.07 feet (1.5 m) | 29 miles (46.7 km) | Near Hall's Station |
| 25 | 6.12 feet (1.9 m) | 33.2 mi | Joe Phillips Lock |
| 26 | 4.83 feet (1.5 m) | 35.4 mi | Head of White Water |
| 27 | 6.3 feet (1.9 m) | 36.2 mi | Montoursville Montoursville, Pennsylvania Montoursville is a borough in Lycoming County, Pennsylvania, in the United States. As of the 2000 census, the borough population was 4,777. It is part of the Williamsport, Pennsylvania Metropolitan Statistical Area. It was named for Madame Montour, a Native American leader and skilled interpreter... |
| 28 | 41.2 mi | East of Lycoming Creek Lycoming Creek Lycoming Creek is a tributary of the West Branch Susquehanna River located in Tioga and Lycoming counties in Pennsylvania in the United States.-Geography:... aqueduct |
|
| 29 | 50.2 mi | Near Thomas Smith tract | |
| 30 | 51.7 mi | Wild Man's Lock | |
| 31 | |
53.9 mi | Larry's Creek |
| 32 | |
56.4 mi | Jersey Shore Jersey Shore, Pennsylvania Jersey Shore is a borough in Lycoming County, Pennsylvania, United States. It is on the West Branch Susquehanna River, west by south of Williamsport. It is part of the Williamsport, Pennsylvania Metropolitan Statistical Area. In the past, Jersey Shore held farms, railroad shops, cigar factories, a... |
| 33 | |
66.4 mi | Guard lock below Lock Haven Lock Haven, Pennsylvania The city of Lock Haven is the county seat of Clinton County, in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. Located near the confluence of the West Branch Susquehanna River and Bald Eagle Creek, it is the principal city of the Lock Haven, Pennsylvania, micropolitan statistical area, itself part of the... Dam |
| 34 | |
68.4 mi | Lockport |
| |
73.4 mi | Terminus at Farrandsville |
Remnants
Remnants of the canal exist along the West Branch Susquehanna River between Northumberland and Lock Haven. Canal walls made of stone still stand near Muncy, while other canal and lock remnants are preserved near Lock Haven. Archaeological work and restoration began in 2005 at the Muncy Canal Heritage Park and Nature Trail, 11 acres (4.5 ha) including remains of a towpathTowpath
A towpath is a road or trail on the bank of a river, canal, or other inland waterway. The purpose of a towpath is to allow a land vehicle, beasts of burden, or a team of human pullers to tow a boat, often a barge...
, a lock, a canal wall, and a lock tender's house. Part of the Bald Eagle Crosscut Canal still flows along Bald Eagle Creek through Flemington.
Points of interest
| Feature | Coordinates | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Farrandsville | 41°10′30"N 77°30′45"W | Populated place at the northern terminus |
| Williamsport Williamsport, Pennsylvania Williamsport is a city in and the county seat of Lycoming County, Pennsylvania in the United States. In 2009, the population was estimated at 29,304... |
41°14′40"N 77°01′15"W | City near the mid-point of the canal |
| Northumberland Northumberland, Pennsylvania Northumberland is a borough in Northumberland County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 3,714 at the 2000 census.-History:Northumberland was founded in 1772. The land that became Northumberland was purchased from the Iroquois in the first Treaty of Fort Stanwix in 1768, and the... |
40°53′30"N 76°47′51"W | Town at the southern terminus |
Works cited
- McCullough, Robert, and Leuba, Walter (1973) [1962]. The Pennsylvania Main Line Canal. York, Pennsylvania: The American Canal and Transportation Center.
- Shank, William H. (1986) [1981]. The Amazing Pennsylvania Canals (150th Anniversary Edition). York, Pennsylvania: The American Canal and Transportation Center. ISBN 0-933788-37-1.