Towpaths and Aqueducts

 

Perry County enjoys more water frontage than any other county in Pennsylvania.  It is not surprising that nearly 200 years ago Perry County became the central hub of the massive inland waterway system known as the Pennsylvania Canal.  Many engineering marvels of the time were located where the Juniata and Susquehanna Rivers meet.  The longest covered bridge in the world, the Clarks Ferry Bridge, crossed the Susquehanna to Duncan’s Island.  Just two miles north at the junction of the Juniata and Susquehanna Divisions of the canal near Amity Hall was the 600 foot aqueduct that allowed the canal to cross the Juniata River.  The canal caused an economic boom for river towns like Newport, New Buffalo, and Liverpool and changed the region forever.  Towpaths and aqueducts connected the eastern United States to the vast unsettled lands to the west and Perry County played an important role.  Now the canals have eroded from our memories and the boats have long since rotted away, but they will always be an important part of our rich Perry County Heritage.

canal

 

8 1/2" x 11" 209 pages