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.
Life Along the Canal: The Flora Henry Letters
by NCM Digital Collections & Engagement Specialist, Emily Rose Clayton
While the last mule-drawn…
National Canal Museum Archives Collections List
Posted November 9, 2020 by Daphne MayerThe National Canal Museum Archives contains an extensive collection of materials relating to the Delaware & Lehigh National Heritage Corridor,…
50th Anniversary Reflections: 20 Years of Canal Festivals
Posted October 7, 2020 by Daphne MayerOn June 29, 1980, a conch horn blast by former mule boy, boat captain and locktender Ted Sherman opened the…
Kids on the Canal
Posted September 14, 2020 by Daphne MayerThe National Canal Museum is a fun and educational place for families. Every day, there's always something to delight and…
What did Canal Mothers and Daughters Think about Voting?
We Don’t Know—they were too busy working
The eighteen hours a day, six…
50th Anniversary Reflections: The Early Days of Canal Museums
Posted July 22, 2020 by Gianna CarusoBlog by: Martha Capwell Fox, Historian and Archives Coordinator
Until well into the 1920s, people who lived in the cities, towns,…
Where Creativity Flows: Two Centuries of Art Inspired by Our Canals
Posted July 6, 2020 by Gianna CarusoTo celebrate the last months of Where Creativity Flows, we invite you to join our
Community Exhibit Photo Contest, and Canal Creations…
Independence and Industry: A 4th of July Canal Milestone
Posted July 4, 2020 by Gianna CarusoBlog post by: Martha Capwell Fox, Historian and Archives Coordinator
This Fourth of July is the 180th anniversary of the birth…
