The Penn's Grove record., 1885-03-21
Scraps Ofthe Early History
Of Salem County.
PENN'S NECK CANAL.

EENN . NGNh SHfNNAs
The canal is two miles and sever
rods in length, from Salem creek, t.
lIighwater mark on the River Delaware,
and L ms across the Townships OF Low
er and Uppe: Penn's Neck, ia Salem
county.
II begins at the creek about q hall
mile belowEHawks' Bridge, aud some
twenty miles from the creeks mouth,
and enters into the river II little below
Deep Water Point. This is perhaps
II Of the earliest undertakings of tbs
kind n the country. 1t has been but
a few years since David Petit had in
his possession a subscription paper
dated ITO, which stated tho object
vas to raise money to dig this canal,
which at that time was merely
for the purpose of navigation, and SIT
forth the great amount Of prnducts,
consisting Of wood, lumber, sraves &C,
to be transported from the head of the
creek navigation, but said nothing
about the products Of the soil.
How things have cha ged within the
last century. Now there is none OF conf
paralively 10 lumber TO be sent out of
Il Q canal, but large quantities brought
III, to BE used where formerly it was
shipped from.
Atti,is time the trade out of the creek
is mainly truck and vegetables of all
kinds, which exceeds i'll qnanitv the
shipments along The river as far up as
Oldmlns cleek. Fhe shipment of
rain is not one teLth part it Was twen-
ty years ago.
The next effort 10 dig the canal was
N 1900. A charter WAS granted 10y the
Legislature tor the Penn's Neck Canal
Compalif and all the necessary puWe. s
,onferred, Tut a sufficient Il ouut of
siock was not taken, and nothing was
done At that time.
About The year 1881 another effort
was made { o accomplish the object aid
more was done tnan at any previous
effort. Mel were employed To dig the
canIl with shuvel5 and barroMS, and
sucCerded III di-g Nc Il large ditch sufi-
cIenCiy de- p To II iat ii small baleau
through from the or, ELK 10 the river.
About II ur Is years after an other
rffort wa made 10 accomplish tie Oh
Iect, but abandoned after spending a
IeN iuadled dollars.
Fma iy, 1868, an act vas passed iy
the Legislature authorized the taXat ch
OF meadow and low lands bordering Oh
sab Ia creek, 10 detray the expense of
constructing this canal. The main
object was to drain he meadows along
he creek.
The company vas organized by the
election of Elisha Basset, David Pet
TIT, and John Bassel OF Huntington,
md William Summrrill, George Bid
die, and Robert Walker, of Upper
Penns Neck, and Robert Seagra.es , of
Lower prnns Mex, as managers.
They immediately commenced the
AUrk, 10y making a contrac. with TIE
American Dredging Co., o Philadel-
phia, to dig the canal "a feet wide
through the uplant at "a per rod, and
Is feet wide through the meadow, at
Si6 per rod, leaving "a depth Of water
when finished of five feet.
The company commenced the work
he latter part of the year 1870 with
one or their ordinary sized d.edge and
dug 56 rods and stopped, saying they
would have to build IL larger and more
| .lowerful machine with which To do
the work. In May 1871 the company
| commenced the work with the dredge
.Salem' a new and powerful machine
1uiit expressly for tn work, and in
February OF the nuXt year completed
ne cut the entire length, but before
The creek was damned off, and tho
water let into The canal, the part
through the upland had cavcd il and
aud had not the required depth of wat.
II, aid a second cut had to De dug at a
cost of 81. 80 per rod. The cost of dig
lug the canal, damn.ing off the cretk,
4ud wing back The dit from lie
dye of the bank amounted 70 nearly
hifty i've thousand dollars.
The short, mug of the navigation
through The canal is IF vast imp 1T
| .unce to land owners above the dam,
md the draining Of the low land a
benefit to those below.