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.
Frequent, ferocious floods seemed to come one after another on the Lehigh River in the early years of the 20th…
Life Along the Canal: The Flora Henry Letters
by NCM Digital Collections & Engagement Specialist, Emily Rose Clayton
While the last mule-drawn…
Happy Birthday to Erskine Hazard, co-founder of Lehigh Coal & Navigation
Posted November 30, 2020 by Daphne MayerThis #MuseumMonday, we pay tribute to Erskine Hazard, who co-founded Lehigh Coal & Navigation at the side of the more…
The Greatest Native American Athlete: Jim Thorpe (Wa-tho-Huk)
Posted November 25, 2020 by Daphne MayerHave you ever heard of Wa-tho-Huk, the greatest Native American athlete of all time?
Maybe his Catholic baptismal name will help:…
Death of a Giant: 25th Anniversary Commemoration of the “Last Cast” at Bethlehem Steel
Posted November 18, 2020 by Daphne MayerOn today's #WaybackWednesday, we're commemorating the 25th anniversary of the "Last Cast" at Bethlehem Steel, which marked the beginning of…
On this Veterans Day, we salute the men and women who served as members of the United States Armed Forces. …
Museum Monday: Diving into the Life of a Railroad Worker
Posted November 9, 2020 by Daphne MayerIt's #MuseumMonday! As part of an ongoing NEHGrant project, we're diving into the archival collections here at the National Canal…
National Mule Day: Mules Victorious!
Today, October 26, is National Mule Day. Like our beloved “boys” George and Hank, most mules…
