When the Lehigh Canal was made the economy got bigger.
Their vital link was in the restoration, building, and repairing of canal boats along the Lehigh Canal which ran parallel to the Lehigh River.
The town served as the only boat building and repair facility along the Lehigh Canal.
The arrival of the Lehigh Canal, however, expanded the city's commerce and industrial capacity greatly.
The Lehigh River and the Lehigh Canal and towpath provides the western border of the borough.
The Upper Grand Section of the Lehigh Canal was destroyed by severe flooding in the mid-19th century and was eventually replaced by railroads.
Its main purpose, however, was as an extension of the Lehigh Canal to furnish a route for anthracite coal from the Pennsylvania mines to seaboard.
In Allentown, five friends sped down a road beside the Lehigh Canal early Saturday.
The Lehigh Canal also had weigh locks (see photo on right).
Located in the district is the separately listed Lehigh Canal.