Perry County enjoys more water frontage than any other county in
Pennsylvania. It is not
surprising that nearly 200 years ago Perry County became the central
hub of the massive inland waterway system known as the Pennsylvania
Canal. Many engineering
marvels of the time were located where the Juniata and Susquehanna
Rivers meet. The longest
covered bridge in the world, the Clarks Ferry Bridge, crossed the
Susquehanna to Duncan’s Island.
Just two miles north at the junction of the Juniata and
Susquehanna Divisions of the canal near Amity Hall was the 600 foot
aqueduct that allowed the canal to cross the Juniata River.
The canal caused an economic boom for river towns like
Newport, New Buffalo, and Liverpool and changed the region forever.
Towpaths and aqueducts connected the eastern United States to
the vast unsettled lands to the west and Perry County played an
important role. Now the
canals have eroded from our memories and the boats have long since
rotted away, but they will always be an important part of our rich
Perry County Heritage.
8 1/2" x 11" 209 pages