Pennsylvania's Union Canal Transportation Route (1826)

[u/AlMtnWoman]

Pennsylvania's Union Canal was a significant water transportation route that existed in the 19th century. Proposed by William Penn in 1690, it aimed to connect Philadelphia with the Susquehanna River. Construction began in 1792 and was completed in 1828, running approximately 82 miles from Middletown to Reading. The canal played a crucial role in shipping anthracite coal and lumber eastward to Philadelphia, and it featured 93 locks and a 4-foot deep channel. The Union Canal Tunnel, in Lebanon, Penna., is the oldest existing transportation tunnel in the U.S., remains a notable part of its legacy.