Lehigh Canal

The Lehigh Canal was like a special river road built just for boats! It snaked through Pennsylvania for about 72 miles, which is longer than 100 football fields put together. It started near a creek and followed the Lehigh River. This watery path helped boats travel to different towns and cities, making it easier to move things around.

People started building this amazing canal way back in 1818, which is even before your grandparents' grandparents were born! It took a super long time, about 20 years, to finish it. They had to dig and build special gates called locks to help the boats go up and down. It was a huge project that took lots of hard work!

The most important thing these boats carried was something called anthracite coal. This coal was like super-powered fuel back then, the best kind for making heat and power! They also moved pig iron, which is used to make strong metal like steel. These things helped build America and made towns along the canal grow big and strong.

Imagine boats, called barges, floating along this canal. They carried heavy loads of coal and iron. Sometimes, the boats had to leave the canal and go into the river, or vice versa, using special locks. This made the trip a bit tricky for the boat captains, but it was a clever way to use both the river and the canal!