Pennsylvania Canal (Western Division)
Leechburg, Armstrong County, Pennsylvania
Marker Inscription
A state-owned canal system, built 1826-34, to connect Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, and Erie. This 104-mile division ran from Johnstown to Pittsburgh and was part of the canal's mainline. In 1827, Dam #1 was constructed at Leechburg, and it supplied the remainder of the route to Pittsburgh with water and 7 miles of slack water navigation to Apollo, Pa. The dam remained in operation until 1865 and washed away in the Johnstown Flood of 1889.
Erected by Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission
The Story
Built between 1826 and 1834, the state-owned Pennsylvania Canal was an ambitious bid to knit Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, and Erie together by water. This 104-mile Western Division ran from Johnstown to Pittsburgh, and Dam #1, raised at Leechburg in 1827, fed the route and created seven miles of slackwater navigation toward Apollo. The dam served until 1865 and was finally swept away in the catastrophic Johnstown Flood of 1889.
Why it matters
Pennsylvania's canal system was a landmark public works gamble in the young nation's transportation revolution, briefly linking east and west before railroads overtook the waterways.
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Related events
- · Johnstown Flood of 1889
Themes & tags
Nearby & related markers
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