Explore the rise of the Pennsylvania Main Line Canal’s Juniata and Western Divisions and how early American trade and transportation shaped the region.
This concise study traces the canal’s origins from colonial trade ambitions to the 19th‑century engineering efforts that connected inland towns to tidewater markets.
The book blends narrative history with documentation of the era’s key contracts, surveys, and maps. It presents the ideas, debates, and technical steps that underpinned the canal’s development, from early proposals to contract details and major infrastructure projects.
Foundational context for the rise of canals after the turn of the 19th century Accounts of planning, surveys, and contracts that built the Juniata and Western divisions Discussion of lock systems, aqueducts, dams, and other key works, with references to primary sources Illustrative maps and profiles that trace the route and design of the canal network Ideal for readers of American transportation history, regional infrastructure, and the evolution of early public works.