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An act to incorporate the Washington Canal Company, 1822 (Courtesy of the Library of Congress)
Aerial Photograph of the Washington Canal by Michael Jiroch (www.michaeljiroch.com)
Photographs of the Washington Canal by kayak showing the original wood pilings at low tide, courtesy of Jason Slesinski
THE WASHINGTON CANAL
The Washington Canal was dug during the height of America's "canal fever." Completed in 1831, it shortened the route from the villages of Old Bridge and Washington (present-day Borough of South River) to the Raritan River. Both of these small ports initially exported timber and produce, primarily to New York City. By the middle of the 19th century, the Washington Canal promoted and facilitated the shipment of clay, sand, and bricks from industries up and down the South River.