The Canal At Northumberland PA - Where West Met North

 
The Canal at Northumberland, Northumberland County Pa

"Here met two famous channels of trade, with the Port of Sunbury on the opposite east bank of ..the river and the  [canals] West Branch Division and North Branch Division tied into one at a basin. "

Canal Boat at the Northumberland Covered Bridge

I have a much longer post covering the west branch canal, but here's a closer look just at the Canal in the borough of Northumberland, where the North Branch Canal joined the West Branch Canal.  At Northumberland, the North Branch of the Canal actually runs East, and is labeled as the East Branch Canal on some maps.  The West Branch, runs North, veering west along with the river near Muncy, running all the way to Lock Haven.

1885 map showing the canal, and the river, around Northumberland

Sketch of the Canal at Northumberland

"But not all the trade passing through Northumberland moved southwards.  Diverted through its basin and adjunct locks were numerous cargoes for West Branch and North Branch towns: hides from down river, dry goods from Philadelphia, hardware and cutlery from Williamsport, marble for the east, iron pigs out of the Juniata Valley for manufacture into rails and railroad irons up the North Branch at Danville, agricultural implements for farmers, merchandise, groceries, salt, bacon, fish, and fruit for all comers." Hubertis M. Cummings, Pennsylvania:Network of Canal Ports

Here's a wider view of the same area shown in the top photo.  This photo is from about 1900.  I would guess - and it's only a guess - that this photo was taken from the area of the old Shikellamy Hotel.  The hotel burnt down in 1898, but the ruins remained into the 1960s, and later became part of the Shikellamy State Park overlook.

1900 Photo

Showing the West Branch Canal running across the middle of the photo, and a little of the North Branch Canal, on the right hand side.  Both covered bridges are shown, as well.

Birds Eye View From Blue Hill

The Covered Bridge between Northumberland and Blue Hill remained until 1923, when it burned down.

Here's the view from the overlook, in 2021

This is the photo from the top of the page, to refresh your memory, before we look at the Sanborn fire maps.

1885 Sanborn Fire Map of the same area shown in the above black and white photo.

1896 Map

The water shown at the bottom is the canal, NOT the river, and the canal bridge shown to the left here would be just out of view to the left in the black and white photo above.  The brick building in the black and white photo is the D.L. & W R.R. Roundhouse

Looking North on the canal from Northumberland, 1889

Canal Boats At Northumberland, 1907

"Outlet lock into the West Branch, 

upstream and westwards from it a towpath bridge for mules to tow boats across the slackwater of upper Shamokin Dam,

 weigh lock in the basin, boats moored in that,

 stables, warehouses, and factories grouped near by, 

provided among them a picturesque hub of commerce" H.M. Cummings

Canal Boats At Northumberland

Note the view of the covered bridge in the background.

The North Branch Of The Canal, at Northumberland

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READ MORE

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More about the West Branch Canal

https://susquehannavalley.blogspot.com/2020/10/when-susquehanna-valley-had-canal-west.html

More about the Shikellamy hotel

https://susquehannavalley.blogspot.com/2020/10/the-hotel-shikallamy-1891-1898.html

More About The Northumberland Covered Bridge

https://susquehannavalley.blogspot.com/2019/10/when-northumberland-covered-bridge.html

See the Susquehanna Branch of the Canal(between Selinsgrove and Shamokin Dam) , here:

https://susquehannavalley.blogspot.com/2021/04/the-pennsylvania-canal-susquehanna.html

"Here met two famous channels of trade, with the Port of Sunbury on the opposite east bank of the main current of the river. West Branch Division and North Branch Division tied into one at a basin. Outlet lock into the West Branch, upstream and westwards from it a towpath bridge for mules to tow boats across the slackwater of upper Shamokin Dam, weigh lock in the basin, boats moored in that, stables, warehouses, and factories grouped near by, provided among them a picturesque hub of commerce. 

To it converged by several canalways the coal of Nanticoke and the iron products of furnaces along distant Bald Eagle Creek, brought down to Lock Haven and there locked into the West Branch pool below another towpath bridge for passage across the river and entrance into the West Branch Division Canal and descent on it through Williamsport, Muncy Pool, Watsontown, and Milton. 

Here came timber cut above Williamsport, at Dunnstown, jersey Shore, Linden, and other sites, and sawed into lumber at hundreds of mills all the way to Northumberland. 

Hither patient mules towed the riches of the forests, initially brought out of the hills of Buffalo Valley along Buffalo Creek and subsequently planed into boards and planks at the Port of Lewisburg on the west side of the West Branch for loading into boats and carriage across the river into the Side-Cut Canal on the east bank and forwards in that into the commerce of the Pennsylvania Canal. 

To Northumberland descended for many decades on the North Branch Canal the products and manufactures of Pittston, Wilkes-Barre, Nanticoke, Shickshinny, Berwick, Bloomsburg, and Danville. A great tonnage of anthracite for Philadelphia and New York was drawn "

 Hubertis M. Cummings, Pennsylvania:Network of Canal Ports