General History | Reigart’s Landing | Graeff’s Landing | First Lock | Second Lock | Third Lock | Fourth Lock | Fifth Lock | Sixth Lock | Seventh Lock | Eighth Lock | Ninth Lock | Slackwater Navigation Adventure
Graeff’s Landing
You may know this spot as Engleside…or the Dirty Ol’ Tavern…or Willow Street Pike south of the City. In the early 1800s, this was another loading/unloading spot for passengers and cargo traveling on the canal boats. With the towpath being always on the downriver-left side, you’d have to use a bridge to cross the Conestoga. No photos of the original, but there have been plenty of subsequent versions of bridges.
Hourly transportation to and from the center of the City was provided via a horse-drawn omnibus. Consider also how still and wide and deep the Conestoga was back then. It was more of a lake than a river. The formation of ice wasn’t rare, like today. People recreated here in the winter with enormous crowds ice-skating. Curling and ice-harvesting were common practices here as well.
Previous Page: Reigart’s Landing| Next Page: First Lock