The Schuylkill ("school-kill") River is 125 miles long, and its watershed covers 2100 square miles in southeastern Pennsylvania, in the United States of America. Its origin lies north and west of the city of Philadelphia. The east and west branches come together at the town of Schuylkill Haven. The source of the east (main) branch is a series of springs in the hills of Tuscarora near the town of Tamaqua. It is the largest tributary of the Delaware River, which it joins at Philadelphia, before emptying into Delaware Bay.
The view above is from the bank of the river at Towpath Park in Parker Ford, about halfway down the length of the river. The river is wide, lazy and shallow here. In times past, when bridges were few, travellers crossed the river at this ford. Nearby is Frick's Lock, another historic site on the river. Frick's Lock was only one of many on the series of canals that, together with the river, were known as the Schuylkill Navigation. Both the ford and the lock remind us of the important role the river played in early transportation.
Before the Europeans arrived in the New World the Schuylkill valley was a peaceful, forested area. The Lenni Lenape of the Unami sib (tribe) occupied the region. They were fishers, trappers, gatherers and farmers. They had permanent settlements, but migrated up the river in summer in pursuit of the shad when those fish swam upstream to spawn - shad are anadromous, like salmon. (.It is said that the waters were so pure and the conditions so perfect for the fish that they travelled upstream by the thousands - so many that it looked like you could walk across their backs to the other side of the river!)
The Lenape called the Schuylkill "Ganshowahanna" or "falling waters", after the falls at what is now the western border of Philadelphia. It was also known as "Manayunk", or "where we drink", and a section of Philadelphia still goes by that name. The Lenape were not natives to the area themselves, as their legends recorded their arrival from a place with a much larger river (the Mississippi) many years before.
The first European who is known to have seen the river was Arendt Corssen, who explored it for the Dutch East Indies Company. He named the river "hidden creek", or "Schuyl Kil", as its confluence with the Delaware at League Island was nearly hidden by dense growths of vegetation.
The river
Today there is little left to mark the presence of the early Dutch and Swedish settlers. Nor are there many signs of the Lenape. Their settlements were swept away by the British colonial settlers. In fact the region now bears little resemblance to the pristine woodlands that greeted the first Europeans. One of the few reminders we have of the Lenape are our old country highways, which often follow the same routes as the natives' paths - and often along our waterways! The Minsi Path, which became Bethlehem Pike, connecting Philadelphia to Bethlehem, is the oldest road in the United States. PA Routes 309 and 412 now follow near its path, connecting the towns of the Lehigh Valley to the city of Philadelphia.
Following their arrival the Europeans ushered in a dizzying three hundred years of rapid change and development. The region was at one time both the industrial and energy capitals of the world. Philadelphia was "workshop of the world". This web site attempts to offer a perspective on our heritage, our forebears, and our current situation. Much has come and gone, and a review of our history shows some stark contrasts.
Before the colonists arrived this region was a pristine wilderness, home to perhaps only two to five thousand Lenape. Now it is a major educational and industrial center, is among the most polluted regions of the country, and is home to several million people. As the human communities have changed so have the biological communities of the watershed. Some of these changes are dramatic, others are important but not so obvious. While you are here you are invited to explore the region's communities and how they have changed over the years.
If you are really interested in the Schuylkill and its future you may want to contact the Schuylkill River Development Council.
Welcome to the Schuylkill Valley, and enjoy your visit!
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