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Bristol in Bucks County, Pennsylvania — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)
 

The Bend before the End

 
 
The Bend before the End Marker image. Click for full size.
Photographed By Devry Becker Jones (CC0)
1. The Bend before the End Marker
Inscription.
At this point, a canal boatman coming from the north concentrated on stopping. The boat basin and Delaware River were just ahead. The route of the Canal purposefully made a turn toward the River. This change in direction slowed the water flowing into the basin and allowed excess water to be released over a falls into the Bristol Marsh. To make the turn, the boat crew braked by throwing ropes around short wood posts, called snubbing posts, that lined the bank.

A Well-Deserved Break
If a canal boat had taken on an 80-ton load of anthracite coal at Mauch Chunk (now Jim Thorpe, PA), the crew and its mule teams would have traveled 105 miles and passed through 67 lift locks in less than a week by the time they arrived in Bristol. For the moment, the long work days from 4 a.m. to 10 p.m. could be forgotten.

[Captions:]
The Locktender's House by Lock 1 stood just south of the bend in the Canal. Some of the Canal's water overflowed into the Bristol Marsh at the northern end of the bend.

The Hotel Closson, located just north of the bend, was a popular stop for canallers at the end of their journeys.

 
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Waterways & Vessels. In addition, it is included
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in the Delaware Canal (AKA Delaware Division of the Pennsylvania Canal) series list.
 
Location. 40° 5.744′ N, 74° 51.637′ W. Marker is in Bristol, Pennsylvania, in Bucks County. Marker is on Canals End Road just west of Nichols Memorial Drive, on the right when traveling west. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 1 Pond St, Bristol PA 19007, United States of America. Touch for directions.
 
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Lock 1 (within shouting distance of this marker); The Locktender's House at Lock 1 (within shouting distance of this marker); Lock 2 (about 700 feet away, measured in a direct line); Marsh Ecology in an Urban Setting (approx. 0.2 miles away); In the Basin (approx. 0.2 miles away); Fueling the Economy (approx. 0.2 miles away); Working with the Tide (approx. 0.2 miles away); S/Sgt. James B. Boyle (approx. 0.2 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Bristol.
 
The Bend before the End Marker image. Click for full size.
Photographed By Devry Becker Jones (CC0), November 14, 2020
2. The Bend before the End Marker
 
 
Credits. This page was last revised on November 14, 2020. It was originally submitted on November 14, 2020, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. This page has been viewed 115 times since then and 10 times this year. Photos:   1, 2. submitted on November 14, 2020, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia.

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Mar. 28, 2024