Lehigh Canal

The Lehigh Canal, a navigation waterway along the Lehigh River in eastern Pennsylvania, was begun in 1818 to carry anthracite coal from the Mauch Chunk area to market. Construction of the lower sections started in 1827 under the supervision of engineer Canvass White, and regular coal shipments began within two years. The Walnutport section between Lehigh Gap and Walnutport includes seven locks, a guard lock and a dam, along with 3.77 miles of canal bed and towpath. Locks 23 and 24 stand in the town of Walnutport, and the canal bed there is water-filled. The town itself grew from the canal and was once the centre of a canal boat building and repair industry. Commercial traffic on the canal ended in 1931, after the Lehigh Navigation and Coal Company ceased to make a profit. The section was nominated for its association with the coal transport industry and the canal's role in shaping towns along the river, and its relatively intact physical remains.