Following the Schuylkill Navigation (Canal)

The Schuylkill Navigation system was 108 miles and stretched from Port Carbon to Philadelphia in its heyday. Join me and my good friend and uber drone operator Dave as we travel the length of the canal stopping and a few points of interest along the way
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[@4ajustpeace]

Wonderful video! Several years ago my 2 sons and I joined a river sojourn from Schuylkill Haven to Philly in honor of 2 of my great-grandfathers and a couple other relatives who were boatman on the Schuylkill Navigation. Most of what you show I don't remember or we didn't see. So many people's lives are threaded through our PA rivers. I'll be looking at your video many times and sharing with family. Thank you for making it.

[@downhexhighway6024]

Glad you enjoy it stay tuned I’m doing a follow up with more stops!

[@4ajustpeace]

@@downhexhighway6024 One of the eeriest places was a walk in between the ruined walls of the canal in a dark woods thick with ferns. I would look up from the bottom of the canal and it was like looking up through the water at the bottom of a canal boat silently floating by. Looking forward to your next video.

[@larrytucker2938]

Really interesting, thanks for your efforts. Grew up in W. Conshohocken but didn't know of the existence of Navigation System till 50 years later. Now I live in Nevada's high dessert area and can't check things out for myself.

[@SeanCurrier]

Very cool video! I grew up in Norristown/Bridgeport (Now I am in Nj) and have always been fascinated with the history in the Greater Philadelphia/Schuylkill area. I always walked along the bank in B-port and now looking back it is much more interesting knowing this.

[@downhexhighway6024]

I grew up in the middle of it in Berks, between the transportation history, revolutionary war history and everything else is a great place to live if your a history nut. Stay tuned i’m planning a trip coming back the other way and visiting more places that I discovered researching it

[@SeanCurrier]

@@downhexhighway6024 Awesome it is great knowing you are putting the effort into it love seeing the area and hearing the history 👍

[@choctaw111]

Nice video. There are several structures in the Birdsboro area that still exist. The most noteworthy is the remnants of the Hay Creek aqueduct, the longest on the Navigation. Up until the flood of '57, it was used as a community swimming pool next to the Bird mansion. It was stated that the Girard section of the Navigation could have been completely restored up until that flood. There is also another long forgotten aqueduct that I've seen near the Blackwood Golf Course during my exploration of the Girard section about 15 years ago.

[@downhexhighway6024]

Awesome thanks for the info! Since our trip I gathered info on a handful of places that we didn't see and am planning on doing a second trip before the leaves obscure some of the ruins.

[@choctaw111]

@@downhexhighway6024 Let me know how it goes

[@sandysorlien6688]

So amazing you guys made this whole trip in one day and went to so many lock sites! Took me six years haha. But you still have to go back to Fairmount and walk just a bit farther, to look over the dam and see the beautiful Fairmount Water Works. At low tide, you can see some rocky ruins of the last lock in the Navigation, #71 or 72 depending on the map, on the west side below the dam. Anyway, great stuff. Loved the drone shot of Allegheny Aqueduct. It was sad to see the fence around my hometown Lock 68, but it's time. The Philadelphia Water Department is going to save those gears you showed, and place them close to the trail so everyone can see. Then I believe the whole sluice house will be removed. They will dredge the muddy silted-in area and there will be a new modern sluice house to restore river flow through the lock and into the canal. Right now, it's just stormwater in there, not very clean. Let's meet back there in a couple years for an update!

[@downhexhighway6024]

Planning a reverse trip this fall when the weeds are down

[@onesandzeros]

I didn't realize the building you point out at 8:00 was related to desilting. I remember its counterpart at the Kernsville dam back when that area was still open. I assumed it was related to maintenance of the dam itself. I wonder if that building will be preserved. Only relevant I guess if area is reopened after the removal of the dam.

[@downhexhighway6024]

Unfortunately so much has already been lost on the Navigation system, I think that building at the Kernsville dam will survive (I hope) but other places like the gated sluicegate house (the fenced in ruin near the end of the video) are slated to be demolished and lost to history

[@rikspector]

I'll give you an A for effort and a d for delivery. So much history and so many lives were associated with those canals so why not show more interest instead of joking so much! Rik Spector

[@mrsweetcorn4131]

Good work keep it up also please do more exploring in Pottsville saint clair and just skuylkill area would be awesome

[@downhexhighway6024]

Appreciate it! Fall I switch into more hiking/exploring because the brush goes away. I have alot of things in the works in Berks and Schuylkill, Stay Tuned!

[@paulgolfetto3966]

There is an old canal that is located near Laurel Locks Farm just up river from Frick's Lock. Was this part of the same navigation system? Also if you look closely along US422 between 724 and 100 you can make out part of the canal.