Union Canal (Pennsylvania) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Union Canal
Map of historic Pennsylvania canals and connecting railroads
Specifications
Locks	93
Status	Abandoned except for historic interest
History
Original owner	Union Canal Company
Principal engineer	Canvass White
Construction began	1811
Date completed	1828
Date closed	1885
Geography
Start point	Reading
End point	Middletown
Branch(es)	Branch Canal to Pinegrove
Connects to	Schuylkill Canal, Pennsylvania Canal (Eastern Division)

The Union Canal was a special waterway built in southeastern Pennsylvania, USA, during the 1800s. It was a towpath canal, meaning boats were pulled by animals walking on a path next to the water.

The idea for the canal started way back in 1690. It aimed to connect Philadelphia with the Susquehanna River. The canal itself stretched about 82 miles. It ran from Middletown on the Susquehanna River to Reading on the Schuylkill River.

Building the canal began in 1792, but it took a long time to finish. It finally opened in 1828. People called it the "Golden Link" because it was a super important way to move anthracite coal and lumber east to Philadelphia. The canal closed in the 1880s. Today, you can still see parts of it. The most famous part is the Union Canal Tunnel. This tunnel was built by hand and is the oldest transportation tunnel in the United States. It's even a National Historic Landmark!

Planning the Union Canal

The idea to connect the Schuylkill River and Susquehanna River with a canal began with William Penn in 1690. Penn was the founder of Pennsylvania. He wanted to create a "second settlement" on the Susquehanna River, much like Philadelphia. He shared this plan in England. Penn's first idea was to build a road, not a canal, to connect the rivers.

Early Canal Ideas

Later, in 1789, a group called the Society for the Improvement of Roads and Inland Navigation formed. They thought about building canals. Robert Morris, a famous money expert from the American Revolution, was their president. In 1791, this group suggested connecting Philadelphia all the way to Lake Erie with a canal system.

One part of their big plan was a canal segment. It would go from the Schuylkill River to Tulpehocken Creek. Then it would cross a high point near Lebanon. From there, it would follow the Quitapahilla and Swatara creeks to the Susquehanna River.

This led to the creation of the Schuylkill and Susquehanna Navigation Company in 1791. Their goal was to connect the Schuylkill and Susquehanna rivers. The canal would run from Reading to Middletown. Robert Morris was also the president of this new company.

Building Challenges

The first plan for the canal was to improve the Schuylkill River up to Reading. Then, a canal would stretch from Reading to the Susquehanna River, passing through Lebanon. This part of the canal would need to cross a high area, called a "summit-level canal." This means the canal would go up and then down, connecting two different river valleys. It would have been the first summit-level canal in the United States.

The canal was planned to be 80 miles long. It would rise 192 feet from the Susquehanna River side. Then it would drop 311 feet to the Schuylkill River side. This section was meant to be the "golden link" between Philadelphia and the vast lands inside Pennsylvania.

Engineering Difficulties

Building this summit crossing was a huge challenge for engineers in the 1700s. They needed to design a water system where water was scarce. Also, the area had many sinkholes, which made it hard to keep water in the canal. By 1796, the company's project failed. There wasn't enough water for the summit crossing. The technology to prevent water loss was not good enough yet. This meant Philadelphia lost its early lead in water transportation.

New Beginnings: The Union Canal Company

Even though construction stopped in 1796, the company held onto its land and water rights. In 1809, the company decided to merge with another canal company. In July 1811, the two companies officially joined to form the Union Canal Company. This new company was allowed to extend the canal to Lake Erie. They could also build roads next to the canal.

Funding the Canal

Building a big canal like this needed a lot of money. At the time, regular taxes weren't enough to pay for such large projects. One way to raise money for important public projects was through lotteries. In 1795, the state allowed the Union Canal's earlier companies to raise $400,000 through lotteries.

Lotteries and Funding Problems

Many different lotteries were held to raise money for the Union Canal. However, it was hard to sell enough tickets. For example, a lottery started in 1795 to raise $400,000 only managed to raise $60,000 after 16 years! This was because many other lotteries were happening at the same time, making it hard for the Union Canal lottery to succeed.

Despite these challenges, the Union Canal Company was allowed to continue raising money through lotteries until 1833. Between 1811 and 1833, the company ran about 50 different lotteries. They gave out over $33 million in prizes! Even with all this, the company struggled to get enough money to finish the canal and keep it in good repair.

Building and Expanding the Canal

Cities on the East Coast faced an "energy crisis" in the early 1800s. There wasn't enough wood nearby for fuel. People needed a new energy source. They started importing Bituminous Coal from England and Virginia, but it was smoky. A new, cleaner fuel was needed: anthracite coal. Large amounts of anthracite were found in Pennsylvania, but it was expensive to move by land.

Industrialists, like Josiah White, pushed for canal funding. They needed fuel for their factories. Construction on the Union Canal started again in 1821. This was partly because the Lehigh Canal had successfully started delivering anthracite coal to cities.

The Union Canal Tunnel

One of the biggest challenges was building a 729-foot (222 m) tunnel. This tunnel went through a ridge, connecting two creeks. Workers dug the tunnel by hand, using gunpowder to blast through rock. It was very slow work, only about 15 feet (4.5 m) per week. It took over two years to finish the tunnel!

Another problem was getting enough water for the canal at its highest point. The ground leaked, so they needed a special pumping system to keep the water flowing.

Canal Completion and Branch

The Union Canal was finished in 1828. Canvass White, a famous canal engineer, led the project. When it was done, the canal was 8.5 feet (2.6 m) wide and had 93 locks. Locks are like water elevators that help boats move up and down hills.

In 1832, a 22-mile (35 km) branch canal was built. It went north from the main canal to Pine Grove. This branch helped supply water to the canal. It also allowed coal from the mountains to be transported, which became the canal's main source of income.

Connecting to Railroads

The canal company was allowed to build small railroad lines. These lines would connect the canal to coal mines. In 1830, they built a 3.5-mile (5.6 km) line to Lorberry Junction. Horses pulled the coal cars on this line. This connected the canal to other coal railroads. Later, in 1844, a different railroad company leased the track. They improved it and started using steam locomotives around 1850.

Canal Improvements

By the 1840s, the Union Canal's locks were too narrow. They couldn't fit the larger barges used on other canals. So, from 1841 to 1858, the canal was made wider. It became 17 feet (5.2 m) wide. This allowed bigger boats, carrying 75 to 80 tons of cargo, to pass through. During this work, the tunnel was also shortened to 600 feet (180 m). The wider canal brought a short period of success in the late 1850s and early 1860s.

End of the Canal Era

In June 1862, a big flood damaged the western part of the canal. The Pine Grove feeder, which brought in most of the canal's money, was completely destroyed. The repairs were very expensive. Also, the canal continued to have problems with its water supply.

The railroad that connected to the canal was leased to the Philadelphia and Reading Railroad in 1862. It was sold to them completely in 1866. A new railroad, the Lebanon Valley Railroad, opened in 1857. This railroad took away a lot of the canal's business. Because of these problems, the Union Canal closed in 1881.

Preserving History

Union Canal Tunnel
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
U.S. National Historic Landmark
South entrance
Location in Pennsylvania Show map of Pennsylvania Location in the United States Show map of the United States
Nearest city	Lebanon, Pennsylvania
Built	1826
Architect	Canvass White, John B. Ives
NRHP reference No.	74001792
Significant dates
Added to NRHP	October 1, 1974
Designated NHL	April 19, 1994

In April 1950, the Lebanon County Historical Society bought the Union Canal Tunnel. The tunnel was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1974. It was also named a Historic Civil Engineering Landmark in 1970. In 1994, it became a National Historic Landmark. Today, you can visit the tunnel at the Union Canal Tunnel Park.

A part of the canal along Tulpehocken Creek has been restored. It is now part of the Union Canal Towpath Park in Wyomissing. This section has a restored lock (Lock 49E). The old towpath is now a fun trail for walking and biking.

Another part of the canal is preserved at Swatara State Park. Here, you can still see parts of 7 locks, a towpath bridge, and sections of the towpath. The canal was never rebuilt in this area because the railroad took over transportation.

Places to See

Images for kids

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  Bond of the Union Canal Company of Pennsylvania from the 1st November 1853