Pennsylvania Canal
Harrisburg, Dauphin County, Pennsylvania
Marker Inscription
A State-owned canal system, built 1826-34, to connect Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Lake Erie. The first lock on the canal to be dedicated March 13, 1827, was "Penn Lock," 150 yards east. It was replaced in 1859 by Locks No. 10 and 11.
Erected by Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission
The Story
In the 1820s and 30s, states raced to build canals that could move freight faster than any road. Pennsylvania answered with an ambitious state-owned system, constructed between 1826 and 1834, meant to link Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, and Lake Erie across the mountains. The first lock dedicated here in 1827 was christened "Penn Lock," later superseded by newer locks as the network matured.
Why it matters
The Pennsylvania Canal was a bold public gamble on transportation that briefly bound the state together — until the railroads it helped inspire swept it aside.
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