| Beaver and Erie Canal | |
|---|---|
 Map of historic Pennsylvania canals | |
| Specifications | |
| Locks | 137 |
| Status | Historic, abandoned |
| History | |
| Original owner | Commonwealth of Pennsylvania |
| Construction began | 1831 |
| Date completed | 1844 |
| Date closed | 1872 |
| Geography | |
| Start point | Beaver, Pennsylvania |
| End point | Erie, Pennsylvania |
| Branch(es) | Beaver, Shenango, and Conneaut Divisions |
| Branch of | Pennsylvania Canal |
| Connects to | Ohio River, Sandy and Beaver Canal, Pennsylvania and Ohio Canal, French Creek Feeder, Lake Erie |
| Designations: | |
| Designated | 1948[1] |
The Beaver and Erie Canal, also known as the Erie Extension Canal, was part of the Pennsylvania Canal system and consisted of three sections: the Beaver Division, the Shenango Division, and the Conneaut Division. The canal ran 136 miles (219 km) north–south near the western edge of the state from the Ohio River to Lake Erie through Beaver County, Lawrence County, Mercer County, Crawford County, and Erie County, Pennsylvania.
The southern terminus of the canal was the confluence of the Beaver River with the Ohio River in Beaver County about 20 miles (32 km) downstream from Pittsburgh, and the northern terminus was the city of Erie, in Erie County. The canal needed a total of 137 locks to overcome a change in elevation of 977 feet (298 m).[2]
- ^ "PHMC Historical Markers Search". Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Archived from the original (Searchable database) on 2016-03-21. Retrieved 2014-01-25.
- ^ Shank, William H. (1986). The Amazing Pennsylvania Canals, 150th Anniversary Edition. York, Pennsylvania: American Canal and Transportation Center. ISBN 0-933788-37-1.