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[Lock keeper’s house]
Initially believed to be an image of canal lock #1. This was behind the former Grand Theater on Mill Street. The Delaware River is visible in the background.
From Martha Capwell-Fox, National Canal Museum: “If the photo is dated Aug. 20, 1955 that [labeling as Lock #1] cannot be accurate. For one thing, it looks very similar to the two photos we have that we know for sure were taken right after the canal closed.” -
[Image of the Delaware Canal taken from the Forge Bridge at Beaver Street looking toward Washington Street with Grundy Mill in background]
The white structure in the center is the power house and smoke stack, with the seven story Grundy Mill and clock tower. To the right is the Barber & Williamson Radio Factory and Stoneback Lumber. The canal between Beaver and Washington Street has been filled in. -
[Photograph taken from the Mill Street Bridge over the Delaware Canal looking North]
The second lock beyond the tidal lock at the Delaware River is pictured. The lock keeper's house is on the left (red). To the right, across a field is Market Street perpendicular to the canal. In the distance on the right is Leedom’s Mill water tower, and the smokestack and clock tower of the Grundy Mill. -
[“Canal Outlet Lock” at Delaware River, Bristol, PA (later turned into Mill Street parking lot)]
Beyond this lock, there were 24 locks north to Easton, PA, a total of approximately 168 feet elevation difference. The “William Doron” ferry boat, which connected Bristol and Burlington City, NJ, is pictured in the river. -
[Boat “Blue Bell” at two-mile lock, Delaware Lehigh Canal]
The two-mile lock is believed to be the lock between Green Lane and Edgely Road (Lock #4). -
[Sigafoos’ Lock or Lock #1, the first lock after the river inlet gate, part of the Delaware Canal]
The overflow goes into the canal basin. Lock is hidden by trees to right of overflow.
From Martha Capwell-Fox, National Canal Museum: "This is hard to figure, because almost certainly the whole set of waterways through Bristol changed a lot.... It seems likely that the overflow was past the lock, and I would say the lock was right alongside the locktender's house, and just not visible in the photo. On the other hand, the blueprint map, which is hard to date but is most likely a version from the 1930s, shows an overflow BEFORE the lock, dumping from the Canal Basin into the marsh.” -
[Entrance to the inlet lock of the Delaware Canal Basin at Bristol]
Up to 21 canal barges would be tied together and pulled by a tug boat (like this one) down the Delaware River to Philadelphia. The “O” symbol on the barges in this photograph identify them as belonging to the Lehigh Coal and Navigation Company. -
[Delaware Canal tidal lock [#1] where it meets the Delaware River]
Round symbol on the center barge identifies it as property of the Lehigh Coal and Navigation Company. At this point in the canal, the barges were either emptied or tied together and pulled down toward Philadelphia by tugboats. -
[Believed to be canal lock #3 just above Bath Street]
The house on the left was the lock keeper's house. Beyond this lock was Lock #4, located behind what later became Grundy Towers apartment complex. -
[Delaware and Lehigh Canal]
Bridge over the canal is believed to have been the bridge at Green Lane (then called Bloomsdale Road). That bridge was removed in 1932 after the operation of the canal stopped. -
"L. C & N. Co. Basen. [sic] Bristol PA"
Delaware Lehigh Canal Basin where canal boats from Easton, PA ended on the canal in Bristol, PA, before unloading or entering the Delaware River. In the background is the Dorrance Mill [1701] that was at the foot of Pond Street. The canal basin was filled in after the canal closed in the 1930s and later became a parking lot for Mill Street. -
"L.C & N. Co. Lock No. 1 Bristol PA."
This is the tidal outlet lock [aka lock #1] connecting the Delaware Lehigh Canal to the Delaware River. Beyond this lock is the Canal Basin and the Dorrance Mill is visible. Canal operated from 1830 – 1931.
The lock house featured was home to the grandparents of Francis Jason Crum who lived in Bristol until 1966. -
"L.C & N. Co., Canal Lock No. 4 Bristol PA."
The wider water area beyond the lock is the site of Bristol’s elementary school (1999). -
[Canal Barge, “Walter Leedom” photographed on canal near Bristol]
The canal operated between Bristol and Easton from 1827-1931. -
[Lock # 2 house, last lock before the canal basin and tidal lock]
Lock is hidden behind trees to the right. -
"Canal Basin Bristol, PA 1953"
Lock tender’s house at Lock #2 behind Mill Street. Was the lock just before the canal basin, which was the end of the canal. -
[Bridge over Delaware Lehigh Canal from Easton PA to Bristol PA]
Canal operated from 1830 – 1931. -
[Delaware Canal bridge]
Likely further up the canal past Bristol, as these small wooden bridges were common in the rural areas of the canal. -
[Image of the Delaware Canal showing barges with a lock gate open]
Based on the style of house and land beyond the lock, this lock was likely not at one of the Bristol locks. -
[Delaware Canal barges]
Likely in Easton section of canal waiting to be loaded. If they were loaded they would be typically lower in the water than they appear here.
The round symbol on the barges indicate they are property of the Lehigh Coal and Navigation Company. -
[Delaware Canal overflow falls behind what used to be the Grand Theater building in Bristol]
Also shown is the lock keeper's house at Lock #2, the first lock past the tidal lock and exit to the Delaware River. The overflow water went into the tidal marsh and the river. -
[Lock tender’s house at Lock # 2, located just beyond the overflow falls behind the former Grand Theater Building at Mill Street]
To the left was the canal basin which was eventually filled and turned into the Mill Street Parking lot. -
[A flooded Bristol Wharf at the end of Mill Street]
This was likely part of a large flood that took place in 1955 when there was a hurricane and the following storms caused the Delaware River to flood over its banks. -
[Ice on the Delaware River at the Mill Street Wharf]
The large poles on each side of the wharf were tying steamboats that travelled from Trenton to Philadelphia with stops at Bordentown, NJ, Bristol, PA, and Burlington, NJ. On the left, is the ferry boat dock which connected Burlington, NJ and Bristol, PA until 1931 when the Burlington Bristol Bridge was opened. The boat at the dock is the William E. Doron ferry. -
Postcard: "A 2798 Silver Brook Bridge, Bristol, Pa."
Inscription on front reads: "A fine trip up river. Have had lunch and now going to take trolley to Club for supper. Mildred."
Back of postcard reads: "Miss B. Anderson, 3331 Powelton Ave., Philadelphia, Pennsylvania." Stamped Bristol, September 4. -
[Steamboat Twilight stuck in ice believed to be between Florence and Bordentown, NJ, based upon the height of embankment]
The Twilight was a regular steamboat that ferried between Trenton and Philadelphia. Photograph was taken by Charles Scott (1842-1923) who was a banker in Bristol at the Farmers National Bank.