Learn about the Delaware & Raritan Canal at the Scotch Plains Public Library

Did you know that for more than 170 years, the Delaware and Raritan Canal has meandered across the narrow waist of New Jersey? Did you know that the D&R was one of our nation’s most successful towpath canals, carrying more tonnage in 1866 than the more famous Erie Canal? Did you know that Johnson & Johnson, Roebling, and Fleischmann’s Distillery all had their start along the D&R? And did you know that the canal provides the people of central New Jersey with both a water supply and a premier recreational facility?

On Monday, October 17 at 7:00 pm at the Scotch Plains Public Library, Linda J. Barth will provide a closer look at the rich history of this Central NJ gem and what it still provides for our area today. Please register in advance.

A retired fourth grade teacher, Barth is active in D&R Canal Watch, a group that helps to protect the historical Delaware & Raritan Canal in central New Jersey. She is the author of numerous travel articles and books including The Delaware and Raritan Canal, The Delaware and Raritan Canal at Work, and Bridgetender’s Boy. She also volunteers her time at the American Canal Society and the League of Historical Societies of New Jersey.

This program is free and open to interested members of the public. For more information or to register for this program, go to www.scotlib.org, email library@scotlib.org, call (908) 322-5007 x 204 or stop by the Reference Desk. The Scotch Plains Library is located at 1927 Bartle Avenue, one block from Park Avenue in the center of town.