Both the ford and the lock remind us of the important role the river played in early transportation . Before the Europeans arrived in the New World the Schuylkill valley was a peaceful, forested area. They were fishers, trappers, gatherers and farmers. The first European who is known to have seen the river was Arendt Corssen, who explored it for the Dutch East Indies Company. The river was first shown on a map by Peter Lindestrom in his drawing of New Sweden in 1644.
Today there is little left to mark the presence of the early Dutch and Swedish settlers.
Nor are there many signs of the Lenape. Their settlements were swept away by the British colonial settlers. In fact the region now bears little resemblance to the pristine woodlands that greeted the first Europeans. The Minsi Path , which became Bethlehem Pike, connecting Philadelphia to Bethlehem, is the oldest road in the United States. PA Routes 309 and 412 now follow near its path, connecting the towns of the Lehigh Valley to the city of Philadelphia.