UPPER DELAWARE MAGAZINE

The Upper Delaware: Rich in innovation and resources

By JIM McKEEGAN
Posted 10/8/24

UPPER DELAWARE RIVER — The Delaware River Valley is rich in history and each year inspires thousands to explore the area. Two of our most visited historical sites are Fort Delaware in …

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UPPER DELAWARE MAGAZINE

The Upper Delaware: Rich in innovation and resources

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UPPER DELAWARE RIVER — The Delaware River Valley is rich in history and each year inspires thousands to explore the area. Two of our most visited historical sites are Fort Delaware in Narrowsburg, NY and the Roebling Bridge in Minisink Ford, NY. They have a river in common and share an overlapping history marked by periods of competition for the region’s resources. 

Before visiting, you’ll want to check out some of the many websites devoted to our area. But here is some background to get you started. 

Early settlers

The lands along the Delaware River were first settled by Indigenous peoples over 10,000 years ago. Europeans entered the area in the 17th century, drawn by abundant wildlife and the fur trade. 

Within 200 years or so, many of the original tribes were pushed further west as European colonists arrived and built forts and small communities. One such settlement was Cushetunk, named after the Lenape word for the area. This settlement is depicted at Fort Delaware today.

Cushetunk consisted of 30 families or so, mostly English from the colony of Connecticut. The bulk of the settlers arrived in the 1750s. The Delaware River provided sustenance in the form of copious fish, predominantly shad, while the shores were rich with trees for lumber. 

Fish and lumber became important local industries. Some colonists grew rich by providing products to the larger colonies downriver. 

Timber became essential to Cushetunk’s economy, especially white pine. These trees were tall, strong, and straight—just what was needed to construct masts in the shipyards of Trenton and Philadelphia. 

Since the massive logs couldn’t be transported over primitive or nonexistent roads, the settlers floated them en masse down the Delaware River. But even this method was unwieldy. In 1764, one of the original Cushetunk residents, Daniel Skinner, came up with an ingenious solution. Skinner built large timber rafts, and “sailed” them downstream to waiting shipyards. This became the main means of transporting local logs for many years, lasting into the early 20th century.

King Coal

With time came change, though. Cushetunk was largely abandoned following the Revolutionary War. Many of its residents were supporters of the English crown. After the war, some moved to Canada or other Loyalist strongholds. Those who sided with the Patriots stayed, but spread out among neighboring communities. 

Although the timber industry remained, it soon faced stiff competition from another local resource—coal.

Trade between America and Britain was disrupted by the war of 1812. With no British coal, the United States turned to its own coal fields in Pennsylvania. The Delaware & Hudson Canal Company (D&HCC) was instrumental in providing American coal to fuel the new reliance on steam-powered industries. Founded in 1828, the company became extremely important in the developing U.S. capitalist economy. 

Enter John Roebling

The D&HCC not only controlled the mining of coal, but also its transport. Initially, before railroads were widespread, getting the coal to market required towing barges full of coal overland through a series of man-made canals. Coal was mined in Carbondale, PA, transported by gravity railroad to Honesdale, PA, then taken by barges over 100 miles to Rondout, NY. From there it was sailed down the Hudson River to New York City.

Somewhat ironically, this water route was impeded by the Delaware River. Crossing the Delaware required the construction of a shallow dam near where the Roebling Bridge now sits. Overhead cables were used to tow coal barges from one side of the river to to the other. As you might imagine, this created conflicts with timber rafters who were used to having an uninterrupted journey south.

An aqueduct to take barges over the river was proposed, but such an aqueduct was problematic. At the time, any bridge supporting such an aqueduct would require massive supports in the river itself, blocking the easy passage of watercraft. And given the construction technology of the time, such a structure wouldn’t be high enough above the river’s surface, further hindering boats and timber rafts.

This is where John Roebling entered the story. Roebling was German, and was trained during a period when European engineers were experimenting with so-called “suspension” bridges. As the name suggests, these bridges were suspended below ropes hung between frameworks of stone and wood. They were lighter, stronger and required a smaller footprint. The materials of the time, though, weren’t always up to the task. Suspension bridges had an unfortunate tendency to fall down.

To successfully build his bridge across the Delaware River, Roebling innovated in several ways. First, he developed a new process for twisting metal wire into extremely strong braids. Thick metal cables took the place of the woven ropes used previously. 

Roebling also came up with a process for spinning the metal cables in place. Since suspension bridges essentially are built from the top down, this process eliminated the need to lift the heavy cables overhead during construction. 

Another innovation was how the cables were anchored. Even if the local bedrock was unsuitable, as it was in this case, it could be reinforced with special concrete. Roebling’s creation of an artificial anchorage allowed the heavy metal cables to be adequately supported. 

Many of the techniques developed in the building of the bridge in Minisink Ford, NY would be used by Roebling again. His company would go on to build the most famous of his structures, the Brooklyn Bridge in New York City.

Construction on the Roebling Bridge began in 1847, and opened to canal traffic in 1849. Roebling’s design had fewer and smaller supports, and thus blocked less of the Delaware River. It also was higher above the water, and allowed taller watercraft to pass underneath. Important to remember, though, is that this really wasn’t a “bridge” and never went by that name in its heyday. The “Delaware Aqueduct,” as it was known, connected canals on either side of the river. Although you can drive across it today, the structure was filled with water at the time.

You easily can visit these historic sites in one day. Both are found along NY Route 97 in Sullivan County. The Fort Delaware Museum of Colonial History is in Narrowsburg. It’s a reconstruction of the Cushetunk settlement, just a few miles from the original site. Reenactors in period dress are on hand to guide you through the daily lives of the early settlers. Fort Delaware is open mid May through Columbus Day, October 14. For more information, contact the Fort at 845/252-6660 or visit https://thedelawarecompany.org/fort-delaware-museum/.

The Roebling Bridge is located along a particularly scenic stretch of the Delaware River, 15 miles south of Fort Delaware. The aqueduct was restored in the 1980s and 1990s. It’s now a one-lane bridge connecting Minisink Ford with Lackawaxen, PA. Bring a camera! You can visit the website maintained by the National Park Service at www.nps.gov/upde/learn/historyculture/roeblingbridge.htm. 

A wonderfully detailed model of Roebling’s aqueduct can be viewed at the Delaware & Hudson Canal Interpretive Center in Summitville, NY. The center’s website is sullivanny.us/Departments/ParksRecreation/DelawareHudson.

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