Page "Delaware and Raritan Canal" Paragraph 9

The canal's greatest usage occurred during the 1860s and 1870s, when it was used primarily to transport coal from Pennsylvania to New York City, which had entered the Industrial Revolution.

On May 18, 1872, the D & R Canal Company was merged with several parallel railroads into the United New Jersey Railroad and Canal Company, and leased by the Pennsylvania Railroad.

Over time, the importance of the D & R Canal waned as railroads were used to perform, more rapidly, the same function as canals, but it remained in operation until 1932.

Years later, the section between Trenton and Bordentown was filled for various road and rail projects, leaving the feeder waters to solely supply the main canal from Trenton northwards to New Brunswick.

Two other sections of the canal were piped underground: one in Trenton when the Trenton Freeway ( U. S. Route 1 ) was constructed in 1952, and the other in New Brunswick when the Elmer Boyd Parkway Extension ( Route 18 ) was constructed in 1984.