Although fascinating, canal history remains one of the hidden stories of America's past. Yet canals were integral to the country's growth, providing the first long-distance "highways" that penetrated America's interior. Their importance was short-lived but came at a time when the United States was establishing itself as an industrial power. Without canals and their ability to transfer natural resources, manufactured products, and thousands of immigrants seeking a new life, America's transition from a farm-based economy to one based on heavy industry would have been delayed by several decades.
Museum Monday: 1864 Rules and Regulations of the Lehigh Canal
Posted February 1, 2021 by Daphne MayerAt first glance, carrying cargo up and down the Lehigh Canal seems to be a fairly straightforward operation - but…
"The Handsomest Train in the World"
by NCM Digital Collections and Engagement Specialist, Emily Rose Clayton
For over twenty years, the canals…
The 1948 Presidential Campaign: Editorial Cartoonist Reg Manning in the Allentown Morning Call
Posted January 20, 2021 by Daphne MayerThe 1948 Presidential Campaign: Editorial Cartoonist Reg Manning in the Allentown Morning Call
by NCM Historian Martha Capwell Fox
This cartoon appeared…
The “Switzerland of America” – Ephemera from the Switchback Railway
Posted January 11, 2021 by Daphne MayerThe "Switzerland of America" - Ephemera from the Switchback Railroad
by Digital Collections and Engagement Specialist, Emily Rose Clayton
One hundred years…
Traditional New Year's Greetings
by NCM Historian Martha Capwell-Fox
What New Year’s symbols did you see last week? Top-hatted babies, noise-makers, and…
Weston Dodson Calendar Art
By NCM Historian Martha Capwell-Fox
Click on any of the images below to enlarge
Many of us carry our…
The Canal Symposium Made and Recorded History
by NCM Historian Martha Capwell-Fox
'Twas the night before the Canal History and Technology Symposium,…
"Putz" Houses: A Pennsylvania Holiday Tradition
by Martha Capwell-Fox
Sometimes, dads buy the most inappropriate gifts for their babies.
Hockey skates.
Two-wheel bikes.
These charming…
