The Lost Town of Uhlersville

The Lost Town of Uhlersville. . , "There is altogether more taste displayed than usual in a country , village, and the buildings denote convenience and comfort." , M. S. Henry , in praise of Uhlersville in 1851., The fate of the town of Uhlersville was sealed in 1929 when a spark from a welder's torch ignited a fire that destroyed the mill while it was being renovated by yet another new owner., Some structures were destroyed when the trolley line and Route 611 were constructed. The disappearance of others is a mystery. All that remains today are the canal lock, the locktender's house, a few building foundations, a water tower, and the ruins of Peter Uhler's dam., THE RISE OF UHLERSVILLE , It's hard to imagine today, but Uhlersville-a bustling town of 200 people-once surrounded this lock., The construction of the Delaware Canal in the late 1820s spelled opportunity to Peter Uhler, a 17-year-old local farmer. The canal waterway and the first two locks south of Easton cut through his land. On either side, Uhler developed houses and businesses., THE DECLINE , Uhlersville grew and prospered until the late 1860s when the canal trade slowed. Whiskey was heavily taxed. Most of the trees had been cut down reducing the supply of lumber for the paper mill and sawmill. Quality limestone was no longer available., In 1877, Peter Uhler died a rich and influential man, but his good fortune was not carried on by his son. The 27-acre property and remaining mill were sold to a paper manufacturing company in 1890. Never successful, the mill changed owners and uses many times., [Illustration captions, top to bottom, read] , . This 1867 map shows the town's many ventures, commercial, residential, and services., . Uhlersville's main street ran along the Delaware River., . The paper mill was located just across the canal. Rowhouses provided lodging for the workers.