The canal builders took advantage of the natural gap in the
ridge running between today's Bayonne and Jersey City. This
gap later became the target of the railroad line that ran across
Newark Bay. After the canal was closed, local merchants
envisioned a ship canal through the gap, connecting Newark
and New York Bays. These hopes ended some forty years later
when the State of New Jersey ran the Newark Bay Extension of
the New Jersey Turnpike.
ridge running between today's Bayonne and Jersey City. This
gap later became the target of the railroad line that ran across
Newark Bay. After the canal was closed, local merchants
envisioned a ship canal through the gap, connecting Newark
and New York Bays. These hopes ended some forty years later
when the State of New Jersey ran the Newark Bay Extension of
the New Jersey Turnpike.
The Canal came down in steps from
Lake Hopatcong to Jersey City and
never went back up. The engineering
timidity here is in stark contrast to the
construction boldness to the west
where the canal climbed over 900
feet. However, inspection of
topographic maps reveals that
virtually all of the Jersey City section
of the canal was constructed through
lands with an elevation of 10 feet or
less above sea level. The deepest cut
was through the 20-foot hills next to
Currie's Woods.
Lake Hopatcong to Jersey City and
never went back up. The engineering
timidity here is in stark contrast to the
construction boldness to the west
where the canal climbed over 900
feet. However, inspection of
topographic maps reveals that
virtually all of the Jersey City section
of the canal was constructed through
lands with an elevation of 10 feet or
less above sea level. The deepest cut
was through the 20-foot hills next to
Currie's Woods.
The remains of Lock 21 East and its pumping station can be
found on the banks of the Hackensack River just south of
Communipaw Avenue (Route 1-9); the remains of Lock 22 East
on the Hudson River have been completely covered by Dudley
Street just north of the Portside apartment complex. The canal
that ran between the locks saw its last mule-drawn boat around
1912, and was closed and drained in 1924.
found on the banks of the Hackensack River just south of
Communipaw Avenue (Route 1-9); the remains of Lock 22 East
on the Hudson River have been completely covered by Dudley
Street just north of the Portside apartment complex. The canal
that ran between the locks saw its last mule-drawn boat around
1912, and was closed and drained in 1924.
the Morris Canal
The canal's eastern terminal was located on the shores of the Hudson River at the northwest corner of the
Morris Canal Little Basin near the intersection of Washington and Dudley streets (mile 0.0). From this point
it proceeded west 1.6 miles - parallel to and a short distance south of Grand Street. It then turned to the
southwest running parallel to and south of Garfield Avenue., made a 120 degree turn to the north in the
vicinity of Interchange 14A of the NJ Turnpike, ran along the Bayonne/Jersey City border and the edge of
Country Village, and continued along the east side of NJ 440 until just before Communipaw Avenue, where
it turned west and crossed the Hackensack River.
Morris Canal Little Basin near the intersection of Washington and Dudley streets (mile 0.0). From this point
it proceeded west 1.6 miles - parallel to and a short distance south of Grand Street. It then turned to the
southwest running parallel to and south of Garfield Avenue., made a 120 degree turn to the north in the
vicinity of Interchange 14A of the NJ Turnpike, ran along the Bayonne/Jersey City border and the edge of
Country Village, and continued along the east side of NJ 440 until just before Communipaw Avenue, where
it turned west and crossed the Hackensack River.