The old towpath for the canal at Muncy is now a peaceful trail that meanders along the defunct waterway. Sprout-Waldron, founded in 1866 in Picture Rocks, moved to Muncy in the 1870s so it could ship its products down the canal.

Kathleen Eirman, a Lycoming College student, joins the summer dig as a volunteer and shows young children how to screen for artifacts.

The 2007 Lycoming College archaeology field crew uncover the brick floor of the summer kitchen that once adjoined the Lock Tender's house at Lock 21 of the West Branch Canal at Muncy. Above is Keith Boyer and Sara Smith.

Kathleen Eirman and Gil Thompson of the 2007 Lycoming College archaeology field crew excavate the south wall of the new excavation unit.

structure remained at the site all summer.

Lycoming College students cleared the ground where the kitchen garden that belonged to the Lock Tender's house once was planted. They staked three excavation units in the summer of 2006.

Lycoming College students April Bentz and Stephanie Ross screen for artifacts in 2005. Amy Schriever sets up the camp.

Muncy Historical Society Builds
Heritage Park, Nature Trail
Thousands visit archaeology excavation

MUNCY, Pa.--Muncy Historical Society continues to develop its Heritage Park and Nature Trail along the West Branch Canal and the West Branch of the Susquehanna River. Since 2005, thousands of visitors and volunteers have helped to investigate history and identify and preserve the natural resources at the park.

The 11-acre park will feature exhibits that feature life and labor in historic Muncy. The nature trail will loop through a botanically rich area and interpretative signs will educate visitors about the diversity of plants and wildlife located in the area.

Lycoming College has used its archaeology site as a field school and Penn College of Technology's students have learned hands-on lessons in forestry management. Other students from a variety of schools, colleges and universities have worked at the park on independent research projects.

Archaeology is a hands-on way to introduce individuals and families, including children, to history and the importance of preservation. Artifacts recovered are used for research and in exhibits developed by Muncy Historical Society's Museum of History.

Additional educational components include the society’s Canal Packet Boat traveling exhibit, its canal presentations, and the newly acquired water exhibits from the Pennsylvania Canal Museum. The “Last Raft” documentary, a one-hour "living history" documentary film, complements its latest initiative. The film explores the raft’s tragic journey in March 1938, using rare photos, new and archival footage, artifacts and news coverage. The Heritage Park and Nature Trail includes an overlook at the site with signs describing the rafting tragedy at the railroad bridge.

Funding for the project has been provided, in part, by the Muncy Historical Society, the Margaret Waldron Memorial Trust Fund, First Community Foundation, the Pennsylvania Humanities Council, the Degenstein Foundation, the Pennsylvania Historical Museum Commission, the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, and the Lumber Heritage Region of Pennsylvania. Master plan development of the Muncy Heritage Park and Nature Trail has been provided by SEDA-COG.

More information is available by calling Muncy Historical Society volunteers at 546-5502, e-mailing MuncyHistorical@aol.com. To become a member of the historical society, CLICK HERE.

More information about archaeology is available by contacting Robin Van Auken, www.RobinVanAuken.com, RobinVanAuken@gmail.com.

Milton Lock No. 17 - Looking South
This picture was taken after the West Branch Canal closed.
The lockkeeper's house on the right is similar to the one
that existed at the Muncy Lock No. 21. The West Branch
Division of the Pennsylvania Canal System was completed from
Northumberland to Muncy on Oct. 2, 1830 and was closed in 1901.

PA Canal Boat No. 502 unloads coal at the
Sprout-Waldron Company plant in Muncy in 1891.

History of Port Penn, Muncy Cross Cut Canal
In the 19th century, Pennsylvania residents realized the importance of the area’s waterways, capitalizing on the Susquehanna’s channels, which had been cleared to Lock Haven. By 1834, the last section of the West Branch Canal was finished.

John P. Schuyler and Joshua Alder purchased 50 acres of land in Muncy, speculating that its resale would ultimately be a sound business investment. This land, known as Port Penn, would first be dissected by the canal and, later, the railroad -- both important to Muncy’s growth.

Manufacturing flourished and the small business community would support a large variety of trades, products and businesses. Local carpenters worked in the Port Penn boat building facility and hotels and taverns provided housing and food for boatmen, timber raftsmen and canal travelers. Other occupations were represented here as well, including a blacksmith, saddler, miller, grocer and butcher, weaver, boot manufacturer, wagon maker, ice dealer, school teachers, masons and general merchant.

Port Penn had a dark side as well. Barney McCue stabbed a neighbor in 1870, and then took his friend’s life in 1874; Ellis Deeter killed a neighboring man in 1909. Many children drowned in river and canal accidents, some residents were killed or seriously maimed in railroad accidents and, in March 1938, seconds after passing the entrance to the Port Penn canal, the “Last Raft” hit the railroad bridge, sending its 45 passengers into the river. Seven died.

The canal in Muncy became a great business thoroughfare. The chief products exported to points south were hogs, wheat, flour, lumber, dried and salted meats, leather and whiskey. At the time, there were 13 distilleries in the area with an estimated output of 1,200 to 1,500 gallons of whiskey a day. There were numerous sawmills, shingle and gristmills along the canal bed. Imported cargo made its way into warehouses then moved to downtown Muncy and to non-river towns, like Hughesville and Picture Rocks.

Port Penn once was described as “a small suburb of Muncy ... a freight depot and the point at which passengers boarded the packet boats. A great many boats, both packet and cargo, were built here during the canal days and the village grew to a population of 300 people. (By 1900) it is now a quiet and secluded outlying section between Muncy and the Susquehanna ...”

This old postcard is an illustration of a typical canal boat
with passengers both inside and seated on the roof

Creekview Country Cottages Bed & Breakfast
Creekview Country Cottages B&B is a romantic and interesting hideaway with a "Green" attitude. Located in eastern Lycoming County, North Central Pennsylvania, it is the perfect retreat for nature lovers and couples seeking privacy in a woodsy natural setting. There is a variety of birds, deer, turkey, fox, hawks and other wild creatures. Even with all this nature nearby, we are not far from many local attractions: Walking in the Town of Muncy, Muncy Historical Society, Ricketts Glen State Park, Lycoming County Fair.

Governor Shulze House Bed & Breakfast
Built by Pennsylvania Governor John A. Shulze in the 1830's, the Governor Shulze House in Montoursville, PA, has been restored to its original splendor, and affords guests the beauty and charm of the Victorian era today.

Bodine House Bed & Breakfast
The Bodine House Bed and Breakfast is located on a tree-lined street in historic Muncy, Pennsylvania in the Susquehanna River Valley, about 10 minutes drive from Interstate 80 via Interstate 180. Built in 1805, The Bodine House has been authentically restored and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Many of the furnishings throughout the house are antiques.

Regular Hours: Mondays and Fridays, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
March through November ** except holidays **
and by special appointment.
Hours are subject to change
Check schedule by calling (570)546-5917