Sunbury was once called "Shamokin". In 1830, a dam was built on the river, and the area across the river is, still today, known as "Shamokin Dam".
The Dam is frequently referred to as "The Eel Dam".
According to an 1831 Letter To The Editor reprinted in the United States Gazette, Philadelphia:
"The first dam was wretchedly executed. It was never properly finished, nor filled in with stone; and a great portion of it was therefor swept off by the first ice freshnet of the spring. The present dam was built last summer [the summer of 1830] and better done but pard of it was built on the underwork of the first, and not sufficiently prepare and secured. There, and there only, a breach was made of about 200 feet by ice and flood last [1831] spring. But the rest of the dam stands firm, erect, and level, without material injury, extending upon the solid foundation of a range of rock in a straight line across the main river. Its base is 26 feet broad, and further enlarged by spars: its length, besides the chute, 2730 feet - including that 2810 feet. The water is raised by it six feet above love water surface in the river, to the level of canal navigation - five feet at Sunbury and four at Northumberland Point, slacking the current for five or six miles above the dam in both branches of the river, and forming a navigable basin at Sunbury of uncommon beauty, half a mile wife and nearly three miles in length, from the dam to Northumberland.
The chute for rafts and arks, as well as the dam, is now under improvement and will probably be perfectly safe in a short time. Notwithstanding the nowise raised about the danger there last spring, only one ark was wrecked with agricultural produce and it is believed that accident arose from mere imprudence."
Several breaches made in the Dam in the flood of January 1832
On Thursday April 17th 1831, Sheriff Hass and Captain Hummel were standing on the bank of the river, near the Shamokin Dam. The men counted 128 rafts and 27 arks descend between one pm and two pm that day.
A coal wharf along the river
[photo and explanation from David Moyer]
Approximately late 1850s, taken near church street.
The “eel” dam was built to impound water for the steamships to navigate the river and to regulate water depths for the canals on both banks of the river. I Attached a picture of one of several coal wharves along the Sunbury Canal and/or river. The Philadelphia and Sunbury Railroad serviced at least one of these wharves. The rail cars are in the background, to be pushed onto the tipples. Canal boats are on the river side to be loaded and coal chutes to fill wagons are on the bank. Apparently this picture predates the P&R bridge going to the West Bank of the river.
Sign at bottom of photo appears to say Packer Street Basin
1855 canal map
Explanation again from David Moyer:
The left end came to a stone abutment and then an open spillway for log rafts and other river born transportation. The break in the river bank above the guard lock of the Pa. Canal system is a stream outlet , the stream comes down south along Rt 15 and goes under the Routes 11&15 highway in front of W&L Nissan, cuts southernmost and comes into the river.
Since the stream is not shown feeding into the canal I would assume there was a low narrow aqua-duct there crossing over it. Also above the guard lock it shows a bridge whether for man, beast or wagons crossing over a waterway that would help to keep a constant level in the canal south of the locks. The drawing does not have it marked as such but I would assume the right or east side of the canal had the towpath.
The public road to Northumberland is on the left. Shown coming off of that is the Shamokin Dam 7th avenue street which still crosses over to the river and the Fabridam Park. The park is on fill that once was the canal.
7th avenue goes up and over the railroad spur that fed coal cars into the PP&L power plant nowadays, as soon as you cross the old rail bed look to your right, that low swampy area is the old canal. If you go up that road and under the bridge you can get out and walk toward the left and see the canal bed. As you are going west towards Shamokin Adam from Sunbury on the new bridge where the overhead direction signs standards are you can look to your right and still see the canal bed pictured below you.
On March 13th 1874, the Sunbury Gazette reported that the feat recently performed by John Garinger in going over the dam in a a common foot boat was one that had never been performed before. And it was likely not to ever happen again, at least not by Mr Garinger, if he could help it. Garinger was rowing to Sunbury to attend the market when ice carried him across the dam. He clung to the boat until he reached shallow water, then stood until he was rescued by those who saw his situation from the shores.
On the river north of Shamokin Dam, showing ferry transporting merchant wagons, including Yerger of Mt. Pleasant Mills, to Sunbury on the east side. Also seen is Clement's steam boat leaving the dock, and the Phila and Reading RR bridge, further north.
The dam was destroyed in the flood of 1904.
The Montour American reported that there was a chance of the Canal Company making repairs, but that did not happen.
The observation deck however, shown on the right in the above photo, still remains today.
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Signatures Carved In The Rocks Of the Observation Deck
The Observation deck for the dam still stands today, on the Sunbury side of the river. A number of names are carved into it. See more about those here:
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READ MORE
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The United States Gazette, September 1831
February 1832
March 1832
April 1873
New Fish Law prohibited fishermen from catching Shad from the Delaware and Susquehanna Rivers between June and August. Four fishways, or ladders, were to be constructed for the passage of fish over the dams at Clarks Ferry, Shamokin Dam, Columbia Dam, and one over the dam at the Juniata River.
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