The Morris Canal of New Jersey: the Preservation of a Dry Canal

A brief history of the mountain-climbing canal of New Jersey, followed by a description of current efforts to create a greenway along the original route of the Morris Canal.

Transcript

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4. “Mountain Climbing Canal”

   Plane 11E in Bloomfield
   

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5. Scientific
   American
   1883
   

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6. Summit of Plane 4W
   

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7. Plane 7W - Washington
   

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9. Morris Canal data

   

   Length of main canal: 102 mi / Pompton Feeder 4+ miles

   23 planes / 23 lift locks / 11 guard locks

   Elevation gain: 754 ft + 912 ft

   Original canal: 32 ft wide on top, 20 ft wide at bottom, 4 ft deep

   Enlarged canal: 40 ft wide on top, 25 ft wide at bottom, 5 ft deep

   Power source: 2 mules / 5 days for one-way trip

   Original locks: 9x75 ft / Enlarged locks 11x90 ft

   Original boats: 10-25 ton

   1845 section boats: 44 ton

   1860 section boats: 70 ton

   

   

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10. New York Times, March 17, 1912
    

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11. Morris Canal Greenway
    • NJTPA (North Jersey Transportation Planning Authority)
    • Warren County
    • Morris County
    • Passaic County
    • Essex County
    • Jersey City
    • CSNJ (Canal Society of New Jersey)
    • Other Stakeholders
    

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17. Plane 9W
    

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18. Bread Lock Park
    

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19. Plane 5W – Port Murray
    

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20. Thatcher Avenu in New Village, Meadow Breeze Park in Brass Castle, Bowerstown (culvert
    underneath Plane 7W), sleepers
    

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21. Towpath clearing
    

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23. Saxton Falls and Guinea Hollow (Musconetcong River)
    

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24. Waterloo Village
    

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25. Stanhope
    

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26. Wharton
    

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27. Wharton
    

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28. Lock 2E in Wharton

    1903 – 2010 - 2015
    

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29. Plane 7E in Boonton
    

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30. Pompton Feeder
    

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31. Paterson
    

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32. Clifton
    

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33. Bloomfield
    

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34. Newark
    Plane 12E – Raymond Blvd.
    

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37. Jersey City
    

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38. Jersey City
    

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39. Jersey City
    

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41. Websites:

    www.canalsocietynj.org

    www.morriscanalgreenway.org

    www.morriscanalguide.com
    

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