Christmas House Tour

Plans are already well underway for the Christmas House Tour,

which will be held on December 8th, 2007 between the hours of

1:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m. The cost for the tour is $15.00, with the

revenue raised going to the Historical Society to help fund our operation.

Soon, there will be a list of the houses on this year's tour.

 

ANNUAL 2008 LUNCHEON AND MEETING SCHEDULE

The 2008 annual meeting and luncheon has not yet been scheduled.

Please check this page periodically for more information,

which will be posted early 2008.
 

BHS BOARD MEETING

NEXT MEETING: Tuesday, September 11th, 2007.

LOCATION: THE MUSEUM, 102 E. 2ND ST. BERWICK

MEETING BEGINS AT 7:00 P.M.

Tow-Path Trail Proposed from Berwick-Nescopeck Bridge to PPL Riverlands

Establishing a tow-path trail and conserving the remains of the North Branch Canal is a worthy project that will provide an additional recreational resource and preserve an important piece of the historical fabric of the Berwick-Beach Haven area.

Remarkably, at this late date, along the Susquehanna River through Berwick, much of the original canal and its associated tow-path still exists. The segment from Berwick east is in good shape and can easily be cleared of brush and small trees for use as a bike and hiking trail. Howard Beach has already cleared about a mile of canal and tow-path that could connect with the Warrior Trail being constructed from Wilkes-Barre to the Riverlands park at Hicks Ferry (north of Berwick). On the west & south, it could connect with a rail-to-trail project planned by Columbia County from Eyers' Grove to Catawissa and with other trails proceeding south along the Susquehanna River.

Much of the remaining towpath and canal is in Salem Township, Luzerne County, and is generally treated as a part of their own property by the owners of homes on Front Street and farther up along the river. However, the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation is thought to own the canal right-of-way, which the State sold to the railroad in the late 19th century to rid itself of the money losing canal operation. They seem to be very supportive of the idea of a towpath hiking trail project. In Columbia County, SEDA-COG owns the land all the way to the river as far as the incinerator at the test track. BIDA and the Borough own the land in that area.

In addition to the grants that are available for both planning and development of such a project, the Pennsylvania Environmental Council has offered to help with all the paperwork, provided that we have a group in place that wants to spearhead the project.

Meanwhile, the trail can be cleared. Few tools besides loppers are required. It is not dangerous or heavy work, and would represent a community commitment and cooperative effort that will aid in meeting the grant criteria. The Borough, Township and County might be willing to contribute CBDG funds. The Wellness Foundation might also supply seed money. Money seems to be the least of our problems----the key to the success of such a project being to find a small group of people who understand it, and are willing to commit their efforts to it for one or two years.

I believe the big benefit from this project is the community involvement that it will generate. There is considerable interest in improving Test Track Park, and the Tow-Path project would be a complimentary and logical extension of that worthy project, and a most valuable resource for our future.

A Short Canal History

Construction of the North Branch Canal was completed in 1826, extending Pennsylvania's Canal system through Montour, Columbia and Luzerne Counties. Completing the canal encompassed far more than just digging the "ditch" in which the boats would travel. Locks were built to lift and lower boats between sections of the canal with different elevations. Weigh stations were built for the weighing of canal boats to assess the proper tolls for canal use. Basins were dug where boats could tie up and be repaired. Aqueducts were required to carry the canal over rivers. And equally important, a tow-path was constructed along the entire length of the canal for the horses and mules that pulled the barges,.

Lumber and anthracite, which abounded in the region but were largely worthless without efficient transportation to markets elsewhere, provided the initial incentive to build the canal for the movement of freight. Quickly, however, the popularity of moving passengers on the canal freight boats increased, until the first boat designed exclusively for passenger travel was built. Named Gertrude, the boat was pulled by six large horses and made its first voyage on a peaceful afternoon in 1835.

Even though the 24-mile trip on the canal was slow, a mere 6 mph, the route's beautiful mountain scenery, and the excellent accommodations on board the boats (by the standards of that day), drew many travelers to enjoy an afternoon picnic, which usually included libations of a spiritus character. There were no DUI checkpoints on the canal.

As the 1880s came to a close, however, traffic on the canal began to decline. It soon became apparent that the same travelers who had formerly enjoyed the leisurely pleasures afforded by the canal, were now enticed by the high speed adventures awaiting them on the railroads.

Faced with competition from the Pennsylvania Railroads Wilkes-Barre, Hazleton & Sunbury division on the south side of the Susquehanna River, and the Delaware, Lackawanna & Western's Scranton to Northumberland branch on the north side (the present North Shore Railroad), this chapter in Pennsylvania transportation history came to a close on a sunny spring morning on April 11, 1901, when the final voyage was made between Nanticoke and Bloomsburg. Thereafter, the North Branch Canal was officially abandoned.