Near Weatherly in Carbon County, Pennsylvania — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)
A Revolution in Canal Technology
1838-1862
Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, August 25, 2019
1. A Revolution in Canal Technology Marker
How a Lock Works
1. Upper valves are opened and water in lock is raised to level of upstream canal. Upper gate is lowered and boat enters lock. Upper gate is closed.
2. Valves in lower gates are opened, allowing water to empty from lock. The boat is lowered slowly as the water in the lock drops to level of downstream canal.
3. Lower gates are opened and boat proceeds on lower level of canal.
The 29 high lift locks of the Upper Grand Division of the Lehigh Canal performed like no other locks in the world. Designed by Edwin A. Douglas in the 1830s, the locks lifted and lowered wooden canal boats from 10 feet to as much as 30 feet.
The Lehigh Canal's co-founder and creative managerial genius, Josiah White, wrote in his journal, "One of our locks is 30 ft lift and fills or emptes [sic] in less than 3 minutes. On applying to Engineers to carry out this plan, they one and all objected... until I came to E.A. Douglas... & at once I employed him."
Along its 26 miles, the canal's locks compensated for a drop in elevation of 600 feet. Twenty dams maintained water supply and created slackwater for easy navigation. This section of the Lehigh
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The Lehigh Canal between Mauch Chunk (present-day Jim Thorpe) and White Haven became known as the Upper Grand Section, and the canal from Mauch Chunk to Easton, the Lower Section.
In early June of 1862, 30 hours of heavy rainfall sent hundreds of thousands of cut logs into the river. Raging uncontrollably down stream, they battered and destroyed the locks and dams of the "Upper Division" of the Lehigh Canal. Newly constructed rail line then replaced the damaged canal. All along the Lehigh River channel, the canal's ruins silently remind us of a vanished way of life.
Erected by Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources.
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Disasters • Waterways & Vessels. In addition, it is included in the Lehigh Canal series list. A significant historical month for this entry is June 1862.
Location. 40° 59.319′ N, 75° 42.827′ W. Marker is near Weatherly, Pennsylvania, in Carbon County. It can be reached from Rockport Road one mile east of
2. Marker detail: How a Lock Works
Regionally, this marker is in Pennsylvania’s Anthracite Coal Region and in the Pocono Mountains. It is also in the American Northeast, in the Mid-Atlantic, in Appalachia, and specifically in Northern Appalachia. Globally, it is in North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) Confederacy and also one of the original Thirteen Colonies.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 5 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: Disaster at Mud Run (here, next to this marker); Engineering Marvel (about 400 feet away, measured in a direct line); From Rails to Trails (approx. 2.6 miles away); Lehigh Gorge State Park (approx. 2.6 miles away); Audubon Spoke for the Trees (approx. 2.6 miles
3. Marker detail: Lehigh Canal Elevation Chart
More about this marker. There are two identical instances of this marker on the Lehigh Gorge Trail. In addition to this one, there is a duplicate located 13 miles farther south at Oxbow Bend. Access to the markers is via bicycle, horseback, kayak/canoe, or foot.
Also see . . .
1. The Lehigh Canal. The Lehigh Canal was known as a “towpath canal” as a towpath ran parallel to the canal and was located on the west bank of the canal, between the canal and the river. Two mules were used to pull each canal boat. The mules were driven by a mule tender that walked along behind the mules to keep them moving and to attend to their needs. More often than not, the individual attending to the mules was the young son of the “canawler”, as the boatmen were called. Mules pulled barges at a speed of 1½ to 3 miles per hour. (Submitted on July 24, 2020, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)
2. Lehigh Canal.
Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, August 25, 2019
4. A Revolution in Canal Technology Marker
The canal's collapse began when a wet spring in 1862 repeatedly overfilled embankment dam reservoirs until the dam above White Haven failed, triggering a cascade of failing dams in a flood on June 4. Between 100 or 200 lives were lost in the villages and canal works below, the number varying by source. The Pennsylvania legislature forbade the rebuilding of the upper canal. The canal was used for transportation until the 1940s, and it was North America's last fully functioning towpath canal. In 1962, most of it was sold to private and public organizations for recreational use. (Submitted on July 24, 2020, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)
Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, August 25, 2019
5. A Revolution in Canal Technology Marker
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Credits. This page was last revised on June 6, 2024. It was originally submitted on July 23, 2020, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. This page has been viewed 572 times since then and 38 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. submitted on July 24, 2020, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.
