Delaware and Hudson Canal
Encyclopedia
The Delaware and Hudson Canal was the first venture of the Delaware and Hudson Canal Company, which later developed the Delaware and Hudson Railway
. Between 1828 and 1899, its barge
s carried anthracite coal from the mines of Northeastern Pennsylvania
to New York City
via the Hudson River
.
This affected both the city and the region, stimulating the former's growth and encouraging settlement in the latter, then sparsely populated. It remained a profitable private operation for most of its existence, unlike other canals of the era. Construction of the canal involved some major feats of civil engineering
, and led to the development of some new technologies, particularly in rail transport
.
For these reasons, the canal was declared a National Historic Landmark
in 1968. Much of it was drained and filled after it was abandoned in the early 20th century. A few fragments of the canal remain in both states today, and are in use as parks and historic sites.
region of the state. He began noticing blackish rock outcroppings, and focused on mapping and researching them, becoming in the process the first explorer of the anthracite fields that have since become known as the Coal Region
. He believed they could be a valuable energy source, and brought samples back to Philadelphia for testing.
Eventually he convinced his brothers Charles and Maurice to come along with him and see for themselves. Starting in 1812, they began buying large tracts of (very cheap) land and were able to extract several tons of anthracite at a time, but lost most of what they tried to bring back to Philadelphia due to the treacherous waterways that were the main method of transportation in the interior. While the southern reaches of the Coal Region were already beginning to supply Philadelphia, they realized that the areas they had been exploring and mining were well-positioned to deliver coal to New York City
, which had experienced an energy crunch following import restrictions on British coal imposed after the War of 1812
. The success of the recently opened Erie Canal
inspired them. If they could build a canal of their own out of Pennsylvania and into New York, through the narrow valley between the Shawangunk Ridge
and the Catskill Mountains
, to the Hudson River
near Kingston
, a route followed by the Old Mine Road
, America's first long-distance transportation route, it would be economical and profitable.
After several years of lobbying by the Wurtses, the Delaware and Hudson Canal Company was chartered by separate laws in the state of New York
and commonwealth of Pennsylvania
in 1823, allowing William Wurts and his brother Maurice to construct the Delaware and Hudson Canal. The New York law, passed April 23, 1823, incorporated "The President, Managers and Company of the Delaware and Hudson Canal Company", and the Pennsylvania law, passed March 13 of the same year, authorized the company "To Improve the Navigation of the Lackawaxen River
". The company hired Benjamin Wright
, who had engineered the Erie Canal, and his assistant John B. Jervis
to survey and plan a route. Many inhabitants of the region the canal passed through doubted the 600-foot (183 m) elevation difference between the Delaware River
at Lackawaxen and the Hudson at Rondout
could be sufficiently overcome. Wright put the estimated cost at $1.2 million, later revised to $1.6 million (in 1825 dollars).
To attract investment, the brothers arranged for a demonstration of anthracite at a Wall Street
coffeehouse
in January 1825. The reaction was enthusiastic, and the stock oversubscribed within hours.
at an area later known as Creeklocks, between Kingston
(where the creek fed into the Hudson River
) and Rosendale
. From there it proceeded southwest alongside Rondout Creek to Ellenville
, continuing through the valley of the Sandburg Creek, Homowack Kill, Basher Kill and Neversink River
to Port Jervis
on the Delaware River
. From there the canal ran northwest on the New York side of the Delaware River, crossing into Pennsylvania at Lackawaxen and running on the north bank of the Lackawaxen River
to Honesdale
.
To get the anthracite from the Wurts' mine in the Moosic Mountains
near Carbondale
to the canal at Honesdale, the canal company built the Delaware and Hudson Gravity Railroad
. The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania authorized its construction on April 8, 1826. On August 8, 1829, the D&H's first locomotive
, the Stourbridge Lion
, made history as the first locomotive to run on rails in the United States.
Business took off as the Wurtses had anticipated, and in 1832 the canal carried 90,000 tons (81,000 tonnes) of coal and three million board-feet
(7,080 m³) of lumber
. The company invested the profits in improving the canal, making it deeper so larger barges could be used.
In 1850, the Pennsylvania Coal Company constructed its own gravity railroad from the coal fields to the port at Hawley and the canal enjoyed increased traffic, carrying over 300,000 tons of PCC coal in the first season. However, the relationship between the two companies soured after the canal attempted to raise tolls under the argument that canal improvements had reduced costs for the PCC. The dispute led to the courts and was decided in 1863, but by that time the Erie Railroad
constructed its extension to Hawley and the PCC moved its shipments to the railroad.
The D&H was also developing railroads, a technology that was continuing to improve and supplant
canal transportation at the time, to extend its reach into other Northeastern markets. The D&H also extended its gravity railroad from Carbondale deeper into the coal fields and expanded its capacity. By the time Maurice Wurts died in 1854, the company was reporting profits
of 10-24% annually and had paid off its original debt to both states.
The completion of the Erie Railroad
through the Delaware Valley in 1848 and its branch to Hawley in 1863 began the end of the canal's days, although it continued to be very successful through the 1870s and '80s. Throughout the rest of the century, canals were perceived as quaint relics of pre-industrial times and began yielding to rail across the country. In 1898, the Delaware and Hudson finally joined them, carrying its last loads from Honesdale to Kingston, as rail could now carry coal more directly to the city, across New Jersey rather than via Kingston. The following year the company dropped the "Canal" from its name, the states authorizing it to abandon the canal if it deemed it suitable and concentrate on its rail interests, which it did.
s and drained the canal. Catskill rail magnate Samuel Coykendall purchased the canal the next summer, reportedly to benefit the Ramapo Water Company for use as a water supply
resource But that never came to pass. Instead, Coykendall used the northernmost section, from Rondout to Kingston, to transport Rosendale cement
and other general merchandise to the river until abandoning that business in 1904. The canal was never used again.
As the 20th century began, the company used some of the canal right-of-way for its expanding rail operations; some of the rest was sold to various private companies, mainly other, smaller railroads. Developing communities along the route also filled it in as necessary to expand their own neighborhoods, or for safety reasons as when a Port Jervis
man supposedly drowned in 1900.
In the early 21st century residents of the town of Deerpark
, north of Port Jervis, complained that the canal had been leaking water and causing flooding in the neighborhoods near Cuddebackville in recent years. Orange County, which maintains it in that area, met with town officials and local residents to discuss possible solutions.
has an extensive education program and hosts hundreds of area students each season. The Neversink Valley Area Museum was formed in Orange County New York in 1968 and the National Park Service
recognized the canal site in Orange County as a National Historic Landmark
. In 1969, New York's Sullivan County
bought a 4 acres (16,187.4 m²) portion to develop as a park. Many other buildings and sites associated with the canal have been added to the National Register of Historic Places
and state and local landmark lists.
took it over elevation changes totaling 1,075 feet (328 m), more than the Erie Canal's 675 feet (206 m). The channel was four feet (122 cm) deep (eventually increased to six feet (2 m)) by 32 feet (10 m) wide. It was crossed by 137 bridges and had 26 dams, basins and reservoirs. Originally it crossed the four rivers along its course — the Lackawaxen, Delaware, Neversink
and Rondout Creek — via slackwater dams. Aqueducts were built over the rivers to replace them by John Roebling in the 1840s, cutting a few days from canal travel time and reducing accidents that were occurring at the Delaware crossing with loggers rafting their harvest downstream.
Barges were pulled by mule
s along the adjacent towpath
, a power source employed even after the development of steam engine
s, since the bow wave from a faster steamboat would have damaged the channel. Children were often hired
to lead the mules at first; in the canal's later years grown men were employed. They had to walk 15-20 miles (24-32 km) a day, pump out the barges and tend the animals. For this they were paid about $3 a month.
The canal was divided into three sections for operational purposes: the Lackawaxen, from Honesdale to the Delaware; the Delaware, along the river from there to Port Jervis; and then the Neversink, from Port Jervis to Kingston. A trip along its length took, initially, a week. It was closed on Sundays, and would suspend operations each winter when the canal froze up or was likely to.
Its primary business was the transport of coal and lumber from the interior to the river. There was little traffic to Pennsylvania other than empty barges. The company tried offering passenger service at one point, and Washington Irving
, a friend of Hone's, made the trip in the 1840s, but it was ultimately given up as unprofitable.
, served a term as the city's mayor
during the canal's construction. Later, John Roebling's experience building the canal served him well in designing the Brooklyn Bridge
.
On the Pennsylvania end, the interior anthracite regions were able to grow and develop from the rough wilderness
they had been when William Wurts traveled them and mapped the coal deposits. The viability of its anthracite led to other markets opening up, sustaining the region economically well into the 20th century.
Along its route, the canal created many small boomtowns at frequent stops. Many towns took their names from canal executives. Honesdale took its name from Philip Hone
, the company's first president. The village of Peenpack, New York, renamed itself Port Jervis after the engineer shortly after incorporating in 1853. Further along, the Wurtses are remembered by Wurtsboro, New York
. A number of other New York communities with "port" in their name (Phillipsport, Port Orange and Port Jackson, now Accord
) reflect their origins as canal towns. Summitville in turn takes its name from being the highest point along the canal route.
As automobiles began to displace the railroads that had once done the same to the canal, its corridor and towpath saw new life as highway routes. US 6
and PA 590
follow part of the route between Honesdale and Hawley
, with 590 running along the towpath and now-dry bed as it continues east along the Lackawaxen. The New York section of US 209
links the same communities in that state as the canal did, and intersects or runs closely parallel to its remnants in several areas. Within towns, Canal Street follows the route in Port Jervis, as does Towpath Road in Ellenville
and the Town of Wawarsing
.
The canal led to improvements in other technologies as well. The Rosendale cement
discovered while excavating
the canal bed near that town
in 1825 would not only provide the canal itself with a cheap building material but created an industry that sustained the region
for some time. Jervis turned his expertise to designing locomotive
s, and the 4-2-0
type is commonly called the "Jervis" in his honor.
what remained of the canal in the late 1960s. The canal, its infrastructure and associated buildings survive in many areas along its length.
.
Delaware and Hudson Railway
The Delaware and Hudson Railway is a railroad that operates in the northeastern United States. Since 1991 it has been a subsidiary of the Canadian Pacific Railway, although CPR has assumed all operations and the D&H does not maintain any locomotives or rolling stock.It was formerly an important...
. Between 1828 and 1899, its barge
Barge
A barge is a flat-bottomed boat, built mainly for river and canal transport of heavy goods. Some barges are not self-propelled and need to be towed by tugboats or pushed by towboats...
s carried anthracite coal from the mines of Northeastern Pennsylvania
Northeastern Pennsylvania
Northeastern Pennsylvania is a geographic region of Pennsylvania that includes the Pocono Mountains, the Endless Mountains and the industrial cities of Scranton, Wilkes-Barre, Pittston, Hazleton and Carbondale....
to New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
via the Hudson River
Hudson River
The Hudson is a river that flows from north to south through eastern New York. The highest official source is at Lake Tear of the Clouds, on the slopes of Mount Marcy in the Adirondack Mountains. The river itself officially begins in Henderson Lake in Newcomb, New York...
.
This affected both the city and the region, stimulating the former's growth and encouraging settlement in the latter, then sparsely populated. It remained a profitable private operation for most of its existence, unlike other canals of the era. Construction of the canal involved some major feats of civil engineering
Civil engineering
Civil engineering is a professional engineering discipline that deals with the design, construction, and maintenance of the physical and naturally built environment, including works like roads, bridges, canals, dams, and buildings...
, and led to the development of some new technologies, particularly in rail transport
Rail transport
Rail transport is a means of conveyance of passengers and goods by way of wheeled vehicles running on rail tracks. In contrast to road transport, where vehicles merely run on a prepared surface, rail vehicles are also directionally guided by the tracks they run on...
.
For these reasons, the canal was declared a National Historic Landmark
National Historic Landmark
A National Historic Landmark is a building, site, structure, object, or district, that is officially recognized by the United States government for its historical significance...
in 1968. Much of it was drained and filled after it was abandoned in the early 20th century. A few fragments of the canal remain in both states today, and are in use as parks and historic sites.
Before the canal
In the early 19th century, Philadelphia businessman William Wurts often would leave his affairs aside for weeks at a time to explore the then-sparsely populated northeasternNortheastern Pennsylvania
Northeastern Pennsylvania is a geographic region of Pennsylvania that includes the Pocono Mountains, the Endless Mountains and the industrial cities of Scranton, Wilkes-Barre, Pittston, Hazleton and Carbondale....
region of the state. He began noticing blackish rock outcroppings, and focused on mapping and researching them, becoming in the process the first explorer of the anthracite fields that have since become known as the Coal Region
Coal Region
The Coal Region is a term used to refer to an area of Northeastern Pennsylvania in the central Appalachian Mountains comprising Lackawanna, Luzerne, Columbia, Carbon, Schuylkill, Northumberland, and the extreme northeast corner of Dauphin counties....
. He believed they could be a valuable energy source, and brought samples back to Philadelphia for testing.
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, which had experienced an energy crunch following import restrictions on British coal imposed after the War of 1812
War of 1812
The War of 1812 was a military conflict fought between the forces of the United States of America and those of the British Empire. The Americans declared war in 1812 for several reasons, including trade restrictions because of Britain's ongoing war with France, impressment of American merchant...
. The success of the recently opened Erie Canal
Erie Canal
The Erie Canal is a waterway in New York that runs about from Albany, New York, on the Hudson River to Buffalo, New York, at Lake Erie, completing a navigable water route from the Atlantic Ocean to the Great Lakes. The canal contains 36 locks and encompasses a total elevation differential of...
inspired them. If they could build a canal of their own out of Pennsylvania and into New York, through the narrow valley between the Shawangunk Ridge
Shawangunk Ridge
The Shawangunk Ridge , also known as the Shawangunk Mountains or The Gunks, is a ridge of bedrock in Ulster County, Sullivan County and Orange County in the state of New York, extending from the northernmost point of New Jersey to the Catskill Mountains.The ridgetop, which widens considerably at...
and the Catskill Mountains
Catskill Mountains
The Catskill Mountains, an area in New York State northwest of New York City and southwest of Albany, are a mature dissected plateau, an uplifted region that was subsequently eroded into sharp relief. They are an eastward continuation, and the highest representation, of the Allegheny Plateau...
, to the Hudson River
Hudson River
The Hudson is a river that flows from north to south through eastern New York. The highest official source is at Lake Tear of the Clouds, on the slopes of Mount Marcy in the Adirondack Mountains. The river itself officially begins in Henderson Lake in Newcomb, New York...
near Kingston
Kingston, New York
Kingston is a city in and the county seat of Ulster County, New York, USA. It is north of New York City and south of Albany. It became New York's first capital in 1777, and was burned by the British Oct. 16, 1777, after the Battles of Saratoga...
, a route followed by the Old Mine Road
Old Mine Road
Old Mine Road is a road in New Jersey and New York said to be one of the oldest continuously-used roads in the United States of America. At a length of 104 miles, it stretches from the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area to the vicinity of Kingston, New York.Among the theories regarding the...
, America's first long-distance transportation route, it would be economical and profitable.
After several years of lobbying by the Wurtses, the Delaware and Hudson Canal Company was chartered by separate laws in the state of New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
and commonwealth of Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
in 1823, allowing William Wurts and his brother Maurice to construct the Delaware and Hudson Canal. The New York law, passed April 23, 1823, incorporated "The President, Managers and Company of the Delaware and Hudson Canal Company", and the Pennsylvania law, passed March 13 of the same year, authorized the company "To Improve the Navigation of the Lackawaxen River
Lackawaxen River
The Lackawaxen River is a tributary of the Delaware River in northeastern Pennsylvania in the United States. The river flows through a largely rural area in the northern Pocono Mountains, draining an area of approximately ....
". The company hired Benjamin Wright
Benjamin Wright
Benjamin Wright was an American civil engineer who served as Chief Engineer of both the Erie Canal and Chesapeake and Ohio Canal. In 1969 he was declared the "Father of American Civil Engineering" by the American Society of Civil Engineers.Wright was born in Wethersfield, Connecticut to Ebenezer...
, who had engineered the Erie Canal, and his assistant John B. Jervis
John B. Jervis
John Bloomfield Jervis was an American civil engineer. He was America's leading consulting engineer of the antebellum era . Jervis was a pioneer in the development of canals and railroads for the expanding United States...
to survey and plan a route. Many inhabitants of the region the canal passed through doubted the 600-foot (183 m) elevation difference between the Delaware River
Delaware River
The Delaware River is a major river on the Atlantic coast of the United States.A Dutch expedition led by Henry Hudson in 1609 first mapped the river. The river was christened the South River in the New Netherland colony that followed, in contrast to the North River, as the Hudson River was then...
at Lackawaxen and the Hudson at Rondout
Rondout, New York
Rondout was a village located on the north side of Rondout Creek near its mouth on the Hudson River in Ulster County and includes the Rondout-West Strand Historic District....
could be sufficiently overcome. Wright put the estimated cost at $1.2 million, later revised to $1.6 million (in 1825 dollars).
To attract investment, the brothers arranged for a demonstration of anthracite at a Wall Street
Wall Street
Wall Street refers to the financial district of New York City, named after and centered on the eight-block-long street running from Broadway to South Street on the East River in Lower Manhattan. Over time, the term has become a metonym for the financial markets of the United States as a whole, or...
coffeehouse
Coffeehouse
A coffeehouse or coffee shop is an establishment which primarily serves prepared coffee or other hot beverages. It shares some of the characteristics of a bar, and some of the characteristics of a restaurant, but it is different from a cafeteria. As the name suggests, coffeehouses focus on...
in January 1825. The reaction was enthusiastic, and the stock oversubscribed within hours.
Construction
Ground was broken on July 13 of that year. After three years of labor by 2,500 men, the canal was opened to navigation in October 1828. It began at Rondout CreekRondout Creek
Rondout Creek is a tributary of the Hudson River in Ulster and Sullivan counties, New York, USA. It rises on Rocky Mountain in the eastern Catskills, flows south into Rondout Reservoir, part of New York City's water supply network, then into the valley between the Catskills and the Shawangunk...
at an area later known as Creeklocks, between Kingston
Kingston, New York
Kingston is a city in and the county seat of Ulster County, New York, USA. It is north of New York City and south of Albany. It became New York's first capital in 1777, and was burned by the British Oct. 16, 1777, after the Battles of Saratoga...
(where the creek fed into the Hudson River
Hudson River
The Hudson is a river that flows from north to south through eastern New York. The highest official source is at Lake Tear of the Clouds, on the slopes of Mount Marcy in the Adirondack Mountains. The river itself officially begins in Henderson Lake in Newcomb, New York...
) and Rosendale
Rosendale, New York
Rosendale is a town in the center of Ulster County, New York, United States. It once contained a village of the same name, which was dissolved through a vote. The population was 6,075 at the 2010 census.- History :...
. From there it proceeded southwest alongside Rondout Creek to Ellenville
Ellenville, New York
Ellenville is a village in Ulster County, New York, United States. The population was 4,135 at the 2010 census. The postal ZIP code is 12428. The telephone exchange is predominantly 647 and an overlaid 210 in the 845 area code.- Geography :...
, continuing through the valley of the Sandburg Creek, Homowack Kill, Basher Kill and Neversink River
Neversink River
The Neversink River is a tributary of the Delaware River in southeastern New York in the United States...
to Port Jervis
Port Jervis, New York
Port Jervis is a city on the Delaware River in western Orange County, New York, with a population of 8,860 at the 2000 census. The communities of Deerpark, Huguenot, Sparrowbush, and Greenville are adjacent to Port Jervis, and the towns of Montague, New Jersey and Matamoras, Pennsylvania face the...
on the Delaware River
Delaware River
The Delaware River is a major river on the Atlantic coast of the United States.A Dutch expedition led by Henry Hudson in 1609 first mapped the river. The river was christened the South River in the New Netherland colony that followed, in contrast to the North River, as the Hudson River was then...
. From there the canal ran northwest on the New York side of the Delaware River, crossing into Pennsylvania at Lackawaxen and running on the north bank of the Lackawaxen River
Lackawaxen River
The Lackawaxen River is a tributary of the Delaware River in northeastern Pennsylvania in the United States. The river flows through a largely rural area in the northern Pocono Mountains, draining an area of approximately ....
to Honesdale
Honesdale, Pennsylvania
Honesdale is a borough in and the county seat of Wayne County, Pennsylvania, United States. It is located northeast of Scranton. The population was 4,874 at the 2000 census....
.
To get the anthracite from the Wurts' mine in the Moosic Mountains
Moosic Mountains
Moosic Mountains is a range in Jefferson Township, Pennsylvania which extends above sea level. Its highest point is Pocono Plateau, ranking 27th highest in Pennsylvania....
near Carbondale
Carbondale, Pennsylvania
Carbondale is a city in Lackawanna County, Pennsylvania, United States. Carbondale is located approximately 15 miles due northeast of the city of Scranton in Northeastern Pennsylvania...
to the canal at Honesdale, the canal company built the Delaware and Hudson Gravity Railroad
Delaware and Hudson Gravity Railroad
The Delaware and Hudson Canal Company Gravity Railroad was a historic gravity railroad in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania....
. The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania authorized its construction on April 8, 1826. On August 8, 1829, the D&H's first locomotive
Locomotive
A locomotive is a railway vehicle that provides the motive power for a train. The word originates from the Latin loco – "from a place", ablative of locus, "place" + Medieval Latin motivus, "causing motion", and is a shortened form of the term locomotive engine, first used in the early 19th...
, the Stourbridge Lion
Stourbridge Lion
The Stourbridge Lion was a railroad steam locomotive. It was not only the first locomotive to be operated in the United States, it was also one of the first locomotives to operate outside of England, where it was manufactured in 1828....
, made history as the first locomotive to run on rails in the United States.
Success and decline
Board foot
The board-foot is a specialized unit of measure for the volume of lumber in the United States and Canada. It is the volume of a one-foot length of a board one foot wide and one inch thick....
(7,080 m³) of lumber
Lumber
Lumber or timber is wood in any of its stages from felling through readiness for use as structural material for construction, or wood pulp for paper production....
. The company invested the profits in improving the canal, making it deeper so larger barges could be used.
In 1850, the Pennsylvania Coal Company constructed its own gravity railroad from the coal fields to the port at Hawley and the canal enjoyed increased traffic, carrying over 300,000 tons of PCC coal in the first season. However, the relationship between the two companies soured after the canal attempted to raise tolls under the argument that canal improvements had reduced costs for the PCC. The dispute led to the courts and was decided in 1863, but by that time the Erie Railroad
Erie Railroad
The Erie Railroad was a railroad that operated in New York State, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana, and Illinois, originally connecting New York City with Lake Erie...
constructed its extension to Hawley and the PCC moved its shipments to the railroad.
The D&H was also developing railroads, a technology that was continuing to improve and supplant
Disruptive technology
A disruptive technology or disruptive innovation is an innovation that helps create a new market and value network, and eventually goes on to disrupt an existing market and value network , displacing an earlier technology there...
canal transportation at the time, to extend its reach into other Northeastern markets. The D&H also extended its gravity railroad from Carbondale deeper into the coal fields and expanded its capacity. By the time Maurice Wurts died in 1854, the company was reporting profits
Profit (accounting)
In accounting, profit can be considered to be the difference between the purchase price and the costs of bringing to market whatever it is that is accounted as an enterprise in terms of the component costs of delivered goods and/or services and any operating or other expenses.-Definition:There are...
of 10-24% annually and had paid off its original debt to both states.
The completion of the Erie Railroad
Erie Railroad
The Erie Railroad was a railroad that operated in New York State, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana, and Illinois, originally connecting New York City with Lake Erie...
through the Delaware Valley in 1848 and its branch to Hawley in 1863 began the end of the canal's days, although it continued to be very successful through the 1870s and '80s. Throughout the rest of the century, canals were perceived as quaint relics of pre-industrial times and began yielding to rail across the country. In 1898, the Delaware and Hudson finally joined them, carrying its last loads from Honesdale to Kingston, as rail could now carry coal more directly to the city, across New Jersey rather than via Kingston. The following year the company dropped the "Canal" from its name, the states authorizing it to abandon the canal if it deemed it suitable and concentrate on its rail interests, which it did.
Post-closure
After the end of the 1898 season, the company opened all the waste weirWeir
A weir is a small overflow dam used to alter the flow characteristics of a river or stream. In most cases weirs take the form of a barrier across the river that causes water to pool behind the structure , but allows water to flow over the top...
s and drained the canal. Catskill rail magnate Samuel Coykendall purchased the canal the next summer, reportedly to benefit the Ramapo Water Company for use as a water supply
Water supply
Water supply is the provision of water by public utilities, commercial organisations, community endeavours or by individuals, usually via a system of pumps and pipes...
resource But that never came to pass. Instead, Coykendall used the northernmost section, from Rondout to Kingston, to transport Rosendale cement
Cement
In the most general sense of the word, a cement is a binder, a substance that sets and hardens independently, and can bind other materials together. The word "cement" traces to the Romans, who used the term opus caementicium to describe masonry resembling modern concrete that was made from crushed...
and other general merchandise to the river until abandoning that business in 1904. The canal was never used again.
As the 20th century began, the company used some of the canal right-of-way for its expanding rail operations; some of the rest was sold to various private companies, mainly other, smaller railroads. Developing communities along the route also filled it in as necessary to expand their own neighborhoods, or for safety reasons as when a Port Jervis
Port Jervis, New York
Port Jervis is a city on the Delaware River in western Orange County, New York, with a population of 8,860 at the 2000 census. The communities of Deerpark, Huguenot, Sparrowbush, and Greenville are adjacent to Port Jervis, and the towns of Montague, New Jersey and Matamoras, Pennsylvania face the...
man supposedly drowned in 1900.
In the early 21st century residents of the town of Deerpark
Deerpark, New York
Deerpark is a town in the western part of Orange County, New York. The population was 7,858 at the 2000 census. As of July 2009, population at 8,524. The center of population of New York is located in Cuddebackville, a hamlet in Deerpark.__toc__...
, north of Port Jervis, complained that the canal had been leaking water and causing flooding in the neighborhoods near Cuddebackville in recent years. Orange County, which maintains it in that area, met with town officials and local residents to discuss possible solutions.
Preservation as historic site
The ruins of the canal and its associated structures remained standing. The Delaware & Hudson Canal Historical Society was formed in 1967; its museumDelaware and Hudson Canal Museum
The Delaware and Hudson Canal Museum is a museum in High Falls, New York, United States specializing in the history and culture of the Delaware and Hudson Canal. It is located in a Gothic Revival chapel built in 1885 which was purchased by the Delaware & Hudson Canal Historical Society in 1975...
has an extensive education program and hosts hundreds of area students each season. The Neversink Valley Area Museum was formed in Orange County New York in 1968 and the National Park Service
National Park Service
The National Park Service is the U.S. federal agency that manages all national parks, many national monuments, and other conservation and historical properties with various title designations...
recognized the canal site in Orange County as a National Historic Landmark
National Historic Landmark
A National Historic Landmark is a building, site, structure, object, or district, that is officially recognized by the United States government for its historical significance...
. In 1969, New York's Sullivan County
Sullivan County, New York
Sullivan County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2010 census, the population was 77,547. The county seat is Monticello. The name is in honor of Major General John Sullivan, who was a hero in the American Revolutionary War...
bought a 4 acres (16,187.4 m²) portion to develop as a park. Many other buildings and sites associated with the canal have been added to the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
and state and local landmark lists.
Canal
The finished canal ran 108 miles (174 km), from Honesdale to Kingston (counting the tidewater portions of the Rondout where the canal joined the creek at Eddyville). Its 108 locksLock (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...
took it over elevation changes totaling 1,075 feet (328 m), more than the Erie Canal's 675 feet (206 m). The channel was four feet (122 cm) deep (eventually increased to six feet (2 m)) by 32 feet (10 m) wide. It was crossed by 137 bridges and had 26 dams, basins and reservoirs. Originally it crossed the four rivers along its course — the Lackawaxen, Delaware, Neversink
Neversink River
The Neversink River is a tributary of the Delaware River in southeastern New York in the United States...
and Rondout Creek — via slackwater dams. Aqueducts were built over the rivers to replace them by John Roebling in the 1840s, cutting a few days from canal travel time and reducing accidents that were occurring at the Delaware crossing with loggers rafting their harvest downstream.
Barges were pulled by mule
Mule
A mule is the offspring of a male donkey and a female horse. Horses and donkeys are different species, with different numbers of chromosomes. Of the two F1 hybrids between these two species, a mule is easier to obtain than a hinny...
s along the adjacent towpath
Towpath
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 power source employed even after the development of steam engine
Steam engine
A steam engine is a heat engine that performs mechanical work using steam as its working fluid.Steam engines are external combustion engines, where the working fluid is separate from the combustion products. Non-combustion heat sources such as solar power, nuclear power or geothermal energy may be...
s, since the bow wave from a faster steamboat would have damaged the channel. Children were often hired
Child labor
Child labour refers to the employment of children at regular and sustained labour. This practice is considered exploitative by many international organizations and is illegal in many countries...
to lead the mules at first; in the canal's later years grown men were employed. They had to walk 15-20 miles (24-32 km) a day, pump out the barges and tend the animals. For this they were paid about $3 a month.
The canal was divided into three sections for operational purposes: the Lackawaxen, from Honesdale to the Delaware; the Delaware, along the river from there to Port Jervis; and then the Neversink, from Port Jervis to Kingston. A trip along its length took, initially, a week. It was closed on Sundays, and would suspend operations each winter when the canal froze up or was likely to.
Its primary business was the transport of coal and lumber from the interior to the river. There was little traffic to Pennsylvania other than empty barges. The company tried offering passenger service at one point, and Washington Irving
Washington Irving
Washington Irving was an American author, essayist, biographer and historian of the early 19th century. He was best known for his short stories "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" and "Rip Van Winkle", both of which appear in his book The Sketch Book of Geoffrey Crayon, Gent. His historical works...
, a friend of Hone's, made the trip in the 1840s, but it was ultimately given up as unprofitable.
Legacy
Besides its historical firsts, the canal's most significant impact was to stimulate the growth of New York City along with the other anthracite canals. Fueled by the cheap and plentiful coal barged up the canal and down the river, the city was able to develop and industrialize at the same pace as other Eastern cities. There would be other benefits to the city as well. The company's first president, Philip HonePhilip Hone
Philip Hone was Mayor of New York from 1826 to 1827. He was most notable for a detailed diary he kept from 1828 until the time of his death in 1851. His recorded diary is said to be the most extensive and detailed of his time in 19th century America.Son of a German immigrant carpenter, Hone became...
, served a term as the city's mayor
Mayor of New York City
The Mayor of the City of New York is head of the executive branch of New York City's government. The mayor's office administers all city services, public property, police and fire protection, most public agencies, and enforces all city and state laws within New York City.The budget overseen by the...
during the canal's construction. Later, John Roebling's experience building the canal served him well in designing the Brooklyn Bridge
Brooklyn Bridge
The Brooklyn Bridge is one of the oldest suspension bridges in the United States. Completed in 1883, it connects the New York City boroughs of Manhattan and Brooklyn by spanning the East River...
.
On the Pennsylvania end, the interior anthracite regions were able to grow and develop from the rough wilderness
Wilderness
Wilderness or wildland is a natural environment on Earth that has not been significantly modified by human activity. It may also be defined as: "The most intact, undisturbed wild natural areas left on our planet—those last truly wild places that humans do not control and have not developed with...
they had been when William Wurts traveled them and mapped the coal deposits. The viability of its anthracite led to other markets opening up, sustaining the region economically well into the 20th century.
Along its route, the canal created many small boomtowns at frequent stops. Many towns took their names from canal executives. Honesdale took its name from Philip Hone
Philip Hone
Philip Hone was Mayor of New York from 1826 to 1827. He was most notable for a detailed diary he kept from 1828 until the time of his death in 1851. His recorded diary is said to be the most extensive and detailed of his time in 19th century America.Son of a German immigrant carpenter, Hone became...
, the company's first president. The village of Peenpack, New York, renamed itself Port Jervis after the engineer shortly after incorporating in 1853. Further along, the Wurtses are remembered by Wurtsboro, New York
Wurtsboro, New York
Wurtsboro is a village located on U.S. Route 209 in the town of Mamakating in Sullivan County, New York, United States, near its junction with New York State Route 17...
. A number of other New York communities with "port" in their name (Phillipsport, Port Orange and Port Jackson, now Accord
Accord, New York
Accord is a hamlet in Ulster County, New York, United States. The population was 622 at the 2000 census.Accord is located in the eastern part of the Town of Rochester along US 209...
) reflect their origins as canal towns. Summitville in turn takes its name from being the highest point along the canal route.
As automobiles began to displace the railroads that had once done the same to the canal, its corridor and towpath saw new life as highway routes. US 6
U.S. Route 6 in Pennsylvania
U.S. Route 6 travels east–west near the north edge of the U.S. state of Pennsylvania from the Ohio state line near Pymatuning Reservoir east to the Mid-Delaware Bridge over the Delaware River into Port Jervis, New York. It is the longest highway segment in the Commonwealth. Most of it is a...
and PA 590
Pennsylvania Route 590
Pennsylvania Route 590 is a long state highway located in Lackawanna, Wayne, and Pike counties in Pennsylvania. The western terminus is at PA 435 in Elmhurst Township. The eastern terminus is at PA 434 in Lackawaxen Township....
follow part of the route between Honesdale and Hawley
Hawley, Pennsylvania
Hawley is a borough in Wayne County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 1,211 at the 2010 census.- History :The borough was named for Irad Hawley, first president of the Pennsylvania Coal Company. Early industry centered around the transportation and support of nearby coal mining...
, with 590 running along the towpath and now-dry bed as it continues east along the Lackawaxen. The New York section of US 209
U.S. Route 209
U.S. Route 209 is a long U.S. highway in the states of Pennsylvania and New York. Although the route is a spur of U.S. Route 9, US 209 never intersects US 9, making the connection via U.S. Route 9W instead. The southern terminus of the route is at Pennsylvania...
links the same communities in that state as the canal did, and intersects or runs closely parallel to its remnants in several areas. Within towns, Canal Street follows the route in Port Jervis, as does Towpath Road in Ellenville
Ellenville, New York
Ellenville is a village in Ulster County, New York, United States. The population was 4,135 at the 2010 census. The postal ZIP code is 12428. The telephone exchange is predominantly 647 and an overlaid 210 in the 845 area code.- Geography :...
and the Town of Wawarsing
Wawarsing, New York
Wawarsing is a town in Ulster County, New York, United States. The population was 13,157 at the 2010 census. The name means "a place where the stream bends" in the Warwarsink language and refers to the geography of the land; particularly the joining of the Ver Nooy Kill and the Rondout Creek. The...
.
The canal led to improvements in other technologies as well. The Rosendale cement
Rosendale cement
Rosendale cement refers to a type of natural cement produced in and around Rosendale, New York from argilaceous limestone. The fast-setting Rosendale natural cement mortars proved to be more efficient than the traditional mortars based on lime and sand...
discovered while excavating
Earthworks (engineering)
Earthworks are engineering works created through the moving or processing of quantities of soil or unformed rock.- Civil engineering use :Typical earthworks include roads, railway beds, causeways, dams, levees, canals, and berms...
the canal bed near that town
Rosendale Village, New York
Rosendale Village is a hamlet and census-designated place within the town of Rosendale in Ulster County, New York, United States, with a population of roughly 1,500 people...
in 1825 would not only provide the canal itself with a cheap building material but created an industry that sustained the region
Snyder Estate Natural Cement Historic District
The Snyder Estate Natural Cement Historic District is located in the Town of Rosendale, New York, United States. It is a tract roughly bounded by Rondout Creek, Binnewater and Cottekill roads and Sawdust Avenue...
for some time. Jervis turned his expertise to designing locomotive
Locomotive
A locomotive is a railway vehicle that provides the motive power for a train. The word originates from the Latin loco – "from a place", ablative of locus, "place" + Medieval Latin motivus, "causing motion", and is a shortened form of the term locomotive engine, first used in the early 19th...
s, and the 4-2-0
4-2-0
Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, 4-2-0 represents the wheel arrangement of four leading wheels on two axles, two powered and coupled driving wheels on one axle, and no trailing wheels...
type is commonly called the "Jervis" in his honor.
The canal today
Following its National Historic Landmark designation, interest grew in preservingHistoric preservation
Historic preservation is an endeavor that seeks to preserve, conserve and protect buildings, objects, landscapes or other artifacts of historical significance...
what remained of the canal in the late 1960s. The canal, its infrastructure and associated buildings survive in many areas along its length.
Pennsylvania
- Honesdale: The terminal basin site has a state historical marker, and traces of the gravity railroad route can still be seen. Some stretches of the bed are visible along Routes 6 and 590 as they approach town from the south.
- Lower Lackawaxen valley: Route 590 follows the bed and towpath in some areas, and Towpath Road picks up the route in Pike CountyPike County, Pennsylvania-National protected areas:* Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area * Middle Delaware National Scenic River * Upper Delaware Scenic and Recreational River -Demographics:...
's Lackawaxen TownshipLackawaxen Township, PennsylvaniaLackawaxen Township is the largest and northernmost township in Pike County, Pennsylvania. The population was 4,994 at the 2010 census. The Delaware River, which marks the eastern boundary of the township, joins the Lackawaxen River at Lackawaxen Village...
.
- Lackawaxen and Barryville, New YorkBarryville, New YorkBarryville is a hamlet in Highland, Sullivan County, New York. It is named for William T. Barry, postmaster general under President Andrew Jackson. The community grew up around the D&H Canal, which opened in 1828 and operated until 1898...
: Roebling's Delaware AqueductRoebling's Delaware Aqueduct-External links:...
, the only one of the four on the canal still in use today and a National Civil Engineering Landmark as the oldest wire suspension bridgeSuspension bridgeA suspension bridge is a type of bridge in which the deck is hung below suspension cables on vertical suspenders. Outside Tibet and Bhutan, where the first examples of this type of bridge were built in the 15th century, this type of bridge dates from the early 19th century...
in the United States, was restored by the National Park ServiceNational Park ServiceThe National Park Service is the U.S. federal agency that manages all national parks, many national monuments, and other conservation and historical properties with various title designations...
and still carries automobiles over the Delaware between the two states. Just north of the bridge, a former company officeDelaware and Hudson Canal Company OfficeThe D&H Canal Co. Office, now known as the Roebling Inn, is located on Scenic Drive in Lackawaxen, Pennsylvania, United States. It is a mid-19th century wooden house in the Greek Revival architectural style....
has been convertedAdaptive reuseAdaptive reuse refers to the process of reusing an old site or building for a purpose other than which it was built or designed for. Along with brownfield reclamation, adaptive reuse is seen by many as a key factor in land conservation and the reduction of urban sprawl...
into a bed and breakfastBed and breakfastA bed and breakfast is a small lodging establishment that offers overnight accommodation and breakfast, but usually does not offer other meals. Since the 1980s, the meaning of the term has also extended to include accommodations that are also known as "self-catering" establishments...
.
New York
- Port Jervis: A portion of the old towpath near Park Avenue (NY 42New York State Route 42New York State Route 42 is a north–south, discontinuous state highway in the Catskill Mountains region of New York in the United States. The southernmost of the highway's two segments begins at an intersection with U.S. Route 6 and US 209 in Port Jervis and ends at a junction with...
/97New York State Route 97New York State Route 97 is a north–south scenic route in southern New York, United States. It runs from U.S. Route 6 and US 209 in Port Jervis to NY 17 in Hancock. Its most famous feature is the Hawk's Nest, a tightly winding section of the road along the Delaware River,...
) on the north end of the city has been paved and is used as a city park. Canal Street is the former bed, now filled. Fort DeckerFort Decker"Fort Decker" is a stone house built in 1793 from the remains of the fort of that name. It is located on West Main Street in Port Jervis, New York, the oldest building in that city, which it predates by several decades....
, the oldest building in the city, was used to house canal workers during construction.
- Cuddebackville: Orange CountyOrange County, New YorkOrange County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. It is part of the Poughkeepsie–Newburgh–Middletown, NY Metropolitan Statistical Area and is located at the northern reaches of the New York metropolitan area. The county sits in the state's scenic Mid-Hudson Region of the Hudson Valley...
has developed a county park along the Neversink here, just south of Hamilton Bicentennial Elementary School off Route 209. The footings of Roebling's aqueduct still stand, and a portion of the bed and towpath persist in the adjacent woods. The Neversink Valley Museum, also located in the park, has some exhibits related to the canal.
- Town of MamakatingMamakating, New YorkMamakating is a town in Sullivan County, New York, United States. The population was 11,002 at the 2000 census.The Town of Mamakating is in the southeast part of the county.- History :...
: Sullivan CountySullivan County, New YorkSullivan County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2010 census, the population was 77,547. The county seat is Monticello. The name is in honor of Major General John Sullivan, who was a hero in the American Revolutionary War...
maintains the largest remaining fragment of the canal, some of which is still wet, as Delaware and Hudson Canal Linear ParkLinear parkA linear park is a park that is much longer than wide. It is often formed as a part of a rails-to-trails conversion of railroad beds to rail trail recreational use...
. Hiking, cross-country skiingCross-country skiingCross-country skiing is a winter sport in which participants propel themselves across snow-covered terrain using skis and poles...
and jogging and fishingAnglingAngling is a method of fishing by means of an "angle" . The hook is usually attached to a fishing line and the line is often attached to a fishing rod. Fishing rods are usually fitted with a fishing reel that functions as a mechanism for storing, retrieving and paying out the line. The hook itself...
are permitted along the 3.5 mile (5.6-km), 45 acre (18 ha) section near Summitville, north of Wurtsboro. Much of the land is beginning to return to its natural state due to the long years since the canal was abandoned. Some locks and other structures can be found from two different access points along Route 209
- WoodridgeWoodridge, New YorkWoodridge is a village in Sullivan County, New York, United States. The population was 902 at the 2000 census.The Village of Woodridge is in the Town of Fallsburg at the junction of Routes 53, 54, 58, and 158. The postal code is 12789.- History :...
: Silver Lake DamSilver Lake DamSilver Lake Dam is located off Silver Lake Road, just outside the village of Woodridge, New York, United States. It was built in the 1840s to regulate Sandburg Creek, which provided water to the summit of the Delaware and Hudson Canal 10 miles to the southeast...
, some distance from the canal mainline, was built during the 1840s expansion to provide a reliable reservoirSilver Lake (Woodridge, New York)Silver Lake, one of three by that name in Sullivan County, New York, United States, is located just southeast of the village of Woodridge. It was created in the 1840s when Sandburg Creek was dammed to provide reliable water for the "summit", or highest-elevation, section of the Delaware and Hudson...
for the summit section of the canal.
- Ellenville: Towpath Road follows the old route from Route 209 south of the village to Canal Street (NY 52New York State Route 52New York State Route 52 is a long state highway in the southeastern part of New York in the United States. It generally runs from west to east, beginning at the Pennsylvania state line in the Delaware River near Narrowsburg, crossing the Hudson River on the Newburgh-Beacon Bridge, and ending...
) within it, and a wet section of the bed remains just north of Canal in the woods off Berme Road just opposite the village's firehouse.
- NapanochNapanoch, New YorkNapanoch is a hamlet in Ulster County, New York. It is at the junction of routes 209 and 55. It is on the Shawangunk Ridge National Scenic Byway, and is part of the Hudson River Valley National Heritage Area....
: A dry section of bed is located between Eastern Correctional FacilityEastern Correctional FacilityThe Eastern Correctional Facility is a maximum security prison in New York in the USA. The prison is in Ulster County, New York. The prison was at one time called the "State Institution for Male Defective Delinquents". The Delaware and Hudson Canal, and later the New York, Ontario and Western...
and the Rondout, right next to the old Ontario and Western railroad stationOntario and Western Railroad Passenger StationThe New York, Ontario, and Western Railroad Passenger Station is located on Institution Road, between Eastern Correctional Facility and Rondout Creek, near Napanoch, New York, USA.-Beginning:...
.
- High FallsHigh Falls, New YorkHigh Falls is a hamlet in Ulster County, New York, United States. The population was 627 at the 2000 census.High Falls is located in Marbletown, near the town boundary with Rosendale.-Geography:...
: Several old locks are located here, near the site of the last of Roebling's aqueducts, as well as the canal museum. The downtown areaHigh Falls Historic DistrictThe High Falls Historic District corresponds roughly to the downtown section of the hamlet of that name in Marbletown, New York, United States. It is a area around the intersection of state highway NY 213, Main Street, Mohonk Road The High Falls Historic District corresponds roughly to the...
was heavily developed as a result of the canal. - RosendaleRosendale, New YorkRosendale is a town in the center of Ulster County, New York, United States. It once contained a village of the same name, which was dissolved through a vote. The population was 6,075 at the 2010 census.- History :...
The empty bed of the canal runs parallel to NY 213New York State Route 213New York State Route 213 is a state highway located entirely in Ulster County. It runs from the eastern Catskills to downtown Kingston....
between its crossing of the Rondout and Rosendale VillageRosendale Village, New YorkRosendale Village is a hamlet and census-designated place within the town of Rosendale in Ulster County, New York, United States, with a population of roughly 1,500 people...
. - Creeklocks: The northernmost lock still exists, as does the final section before the canal flowed into the Rondout.
- Kingston: The former port of RondoutRondout, New YorkRondout was a village located on the north side of Rondout Creek near its mouth on the Hudson River in Ulster County and includes the Rondout-West Strand Historic District....
, the north end of the barges' route, has been recognized as the Rondout-West Strand Historic DistrictRondout-West Strand Historic DistrictSEE ALSO Rondout, New YorkThe Rondout–West Strand Historic District is a historic district located on the shore of Rondout Creek along the southern boundary of the city of Kingston, New York, USA...
and revitalized, still in use as a waterfront and a draw for visitors to the city.
External links
- Neversink Valley Area Museum, located in Cuddebackville at canal park
- Delaware and Hudson Linear Park
- D&H Canal Park
- Route of the D&H Canal
- Historic American Buildings Survey: