North Branch Canal
| North Branch Pennsylvania Canal | |
 North Branch Canal near Shickshinny in about 1900
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| Country | United States |
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| State | Pennsylvania |
| Branch of | Pennsylvania Canal |
| Connected to | Junction Canal, Susquehanna Division Canal, West Branch Canal |
| Northern end | Chemung River |
| - location | near Athens, Bradford County |
| - elevation | 754 ft (230 m) |
| - coordinates | 42°00′00″N 76°33′31″W / 42.00000°N 76.55861°W |
| Southern end | Susquehanna River |
| - location | Northumberland, Northumberland County |
| - elevation | 420 ft (128 m) |
| - coordinates | 40°52′55″N 76°47′51″W / 40.88194°N 76.79750°WCoordinates: 40°52′55″N 76°47′51″W / 40.88194°N 76.79750°W |
| Length | 169 mi (272 km) |
| Original owner | Commonwealth of Pennsylvania |
| Construction began | 1828 |
| Date completed | 1856 |
| Number of locks | 43 |
| Status | Historic, abandoned |
 Map of historic Pennsylvania canals
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The North Branch Division of the Pennsylvania Canal was a historic waterway that ran 169 miles (272 km) along the North Branch Susquehanna River between southern New York and north-central Pennsylvania in the United States. At its southern end, the canal connected with the West Branch Canal and the Susquehanna Division Canal at Northumberland, while on the north it connected with the Junction Canal and the New York canal system. Built between 1828 and 1856, the North Branch Canal was part of a large transportation network that included Pennsylvania's Main Line of Public Works.
The first segment of 55 miles (89 km) was begun in 1828 and completed in 1831 to Nanticoke Falls. In 1834, a project called the Wyoming Extension increased the canal's length by 17 miles (27 km) past Wilkes-Barre to Pittston. A final extension of 97 miles (156 km) from Pittston to the New York state line was started in 1836 and finished in 1856.
The complete canal had a total of 43 locks that overcame 334 feet (102 m) of elevation between its end points. The southern end was 420 feet (130 m) above sea level, and the northern end was at 754 feet (230 m).
The privately built Junction Canal of 18 miles (29 km) linked the North Branch Canal to Elmira. There the Junction Canal connected with the Chemung Canal, which led north to Seneca Lake and the Erie Canal. Through these connections, boats using the Pennsylvania Canal system were able to travel as far as Buffalo and Lake Champlain.
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