Cuddebackville, NY Come join us in examining the great rival to the Delaware and Hudson Canal… the Lehigh Navigation. The Lehigh was built a few years before the completion of the D&H and carried a significant amount of anthracite to tide-water: the Hudson and Delaware. Comparing the engineering of the Lehigh to the innovations of the D&H will provide us with insights pertaining to each canal. The D&H and Lehigh were rivals and provide us with differing business models. For example, the Lehigh smelted iron ore whilst the D&H never became involved in that line of business.
The Lehigh Coal and Navigation Company was a prominent coal mining and shipping company first established in 1820 with the merger of the Lehigh Coal Mining Company and the Lehigh Navigation Company, both of which operated in the Lehigh Valley area of Pennsylvania beginning in 1818. The Company-owned and operated an extensive system of coal mines in Pennsylvania’s Carbon and Schuylkill Counties, two canals, and several railroads and railways.
The Lehigh Coal and Navigation Company is credited with shaping the course of the American industrial revolution in Pennsylvania, as it contributed to innovation in transportation, manufacturing, and use of natural resources. The story of the Lehigh Navigation encompasses geology, geography, and human genius. The geology was the massive field of anthracite coal hidden under the mountains of northeastern Pennsylvania. The geography includes those mountains and the Lehigh River that carved a path through the mountains and created a fertile valley to the south. The genius was the group of extraordinarily creative, energetic, and persistent men who founded the anthracite empire and built a brilliant yet simple transportation network to carry the anthracite to market. The Lehigh Navigation was the result of a unique confluence of natural resources and forces, sharp intelligence, and focused energy--both mineral and human-- that ultimately ignited the American Industrial Revolution on the banks of the Lehigh River.
This History Talk will be held on Wednesday, August 14th, 2019 at 7 PM at the D&H Canal Park Visitor’s Center at 58 Hoag Road (just off Route 209) in Cuddebackville, NY 12729. It is a benefit for The Neversink Valley Museum of History and Innovation and lite refreshments will be served. A donation of $5 for Members and $7 for Non-Members is suggested.
For more information about the museum, its mission to preserve local history or any events, call (854) 754-8870, email at nvam@frontiernet.net or visit our Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Neversink-Valley-Museum-of-History-Innovation.
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