New Book Explores History of Schuylkill River through Vintage Photos

Authors have scheduled a book signing at Pottstown’s Schuylkill River Festival on October 10.

The Schuylkill River Heritage Area has announced the release of Along the Schuylkill River, a book of historic photographs that tells the story of the Schuylkill River, the canal and the communities along it.  The newly released book was published by Arcadia Publishing as part of its popular Images of America series.

Along the Schuylkill River was authored by Schuylkill River Heritage Area (SRHA) Executive Director Kurt Zwikl and Staff Writer Laura Catalano, who researched photograph collections of numerous historical societies, museums and private collectors to find the oldest, rarest and most interesting images of the river and the region.

The book will be sold at Pottstown’s Schuylkill River Festival in Riverfront Park on Saturday October 10, and the authors will be available from 12:00-3:00 p.m. in the welcome tent to sign books. The welcome tent will be located outside the Schuylkill River Heritage Area headquarters on 140 College Drive.

Included in the book are some of the earliest photographic images of the river, some of which have never before been published.

Multiple images of the Schuylkill Canal are a highlight of the book, including old canal barges, mules, boatmen and locks—all part of an infrastructure that was once vital to the region, and of which there are only scant remains.

Zwikl and Catalano set out to write the Along the Schuylkill River in an effort to tell the rich, compelling story of the Schuylkill River.

“As a National and State Heritage Area, one of our goals is to educate people about the river as a valuable resource that played a key role in the development not only of this region, but also of our nation,” said Zwikl. “We wrote this book with that goal in mind. It provides a tool for us to introduce the history of the entire river in a way that is interesting and accessible to many people.”

The book contains images from virtually every major town and city along the Schuylkill River, as well as most of the smaller communities. It includes photos of numerous “firsts” in America: the first wire suspension bridge, opening day of America’s first zoo, the first tunnel in North America and the country’s first vineyard—to name a few. It also tells the story of the river’s role in the Industrial Revolution, with pictures of iron and steel mills, textile plants and other factories that give a glimpse into what life was like across the region from the mid-19th to the early 20th centuries.

The book is now available for sale at area bookstores, and can also be purchased directly from the SRHA by calling 484-945-0200, or online at www.schuylkillriver.org.

Zwikl and Catalano have also scheduled book signings at the following locations:

* Sat. October 10, 2009, Noon-3 p.m.—Schuylkill River Festival, Riverfront Park, 140 College Drive, Pottstown, PA
* Sun. October 18, 2009, 1-3 p.m.—Schuylkill Canal Association Open House, Lock 60 Locktender’s House, 400 Towpath Rd, Mont Clare, PA  19453

The Schuylkill River National and State Heritage Area is a non-profit organization that uses conservation, education, recreation, tourism, and cultural and historic preservation as tools for community revitalization and economic development. For more information visit www.schuylkillriver.org.

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