Morris Canal

The Morris Canal was a canal and series of water-driven inclined plane railroads that ran across northern New Jersey in the United States from the middle of the 19th century until the 1920s.

Related Topics:
Canal - Water-driven - Inclined plane railroad - New Jersey - United States - 19th century - 1920s

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One of the most significant transportation projects in U.S. history, it stretched from Phillipsburg on the Delaware River on its western end to Jersey City on the Hudson River on its eastern end. Completed in 1831 as a private venture with state sponsorship, it greatly facilitated the transportation of coal from the Lehigh Valley of Pennsylvania to New York City at time when the city was experiencing great industrial growth. Starting in the 1850s the canal was gradually eclipsed by the construction of railroads, although it remained in heavy use throughout the 1860s. It was formally abandoned in 1924. Although it was largely dismantled in the following five years, portions of the canal and its accompanying feeders and ponds are preserved along the rivers of northern New Jersey. It was considered a technical marvel for the height differential it surmounted through the New Jersey mountains. At its greatest extent, it was 109 mi (175 km) long.

Related Topics:
Phillipsburg - Delaware River - Jersey City - Hudson River - 1831 - Coal - Lehigh Valley - Pennsylvania - New York City - 1850s - Railroad - 1860s - 1924

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