Photo of the Month

September, 2002

ROUTE OF THE NORTH BRANCH CANAL FROM BLOOMSBURG THROUGH RUPERT, PENNSYLVANIA

Circa late 1800s

Pennsylvania in the early 1800s saw a major outlay of funds, by private investors as well as state appropriations, to build an extensive canal system. Its promoters argued that this new transportation network was crucial in stimulating the state’s economic growth and to be competitive with New York’s canal system. The North Branch Canal was one of these projects financed by the state and begun in 1828. It would ultimately follow the North Branch of the Susquehanna River from Northumberland, passing through Athens near the New York line, where it connected to a canal that ran to Elmira. From there the boats used Seneca Lake to reach Geneva, and then using the Cayuga Canal to finally enter the Erie Canal at Montezuma.

The major promoters of the canal were business interests in the Wilkes-Barre area. These individuals believed the canal was an absolute necessity if they were to get their anthracite coal to the various markets. The canal’s first building phase began with a festive celebration on July 4, 1828, at Berwick. Initially, it ran forty-two miles along the north bank of the river from West Nanticoke to Northumberland. By the fall of 1831 canal boats could travel the entire distance. However, it took many more years, not until 1856, before the canal was finally opened from Northumberland to New York.

In this unique and rare photograph one can easily see the canal route passing to the south of Bloomsburg near what is now Eighth Street. Port Noble, the canal port, was at the end of Railroad Street, below the present day intersection with Ninth Street. The Susquehanna River is to the right side. The canal used an aqueduct, north of the Covered Bridge, crossing Fishing Creek to Rupert, running parallel to Fishing Creek before it followed the river road to Danville.