Morris Canal History Will Be Explored Next Month

The Montville Township Historical Society will be hosting a special presentation next month looking back at the history of the Morris Canal.

"Morris Canal, Yesterday & Today" will include discussion by speaker Phil Jaeger, who authored Montclair: A Postcard Guide to Its Past and Cedar Grove. Jaeger is a trustee of the Cedar Grove Historical Society and a former trustee of the Passaic County Historical Society. He also formerly served as a director for the Canal Society of New Jersey and was a member of the Metropolitan Railroad Club.

"The Morris Canal, which was abandoned and drained in 1924, served northern New Jersey for over 100 years. On its 102-mile journey from Delaware River at Phillipsburg to the Hudson River at Jersey City it rose and fell almost 1700 feet," according to a press release for the event. "This program follows the canal eastward and compares scenes over a century ago to the same scenes today."

Montville, specifically, has a large portion of the Morris Canal located within the township, as the canal reaches to Boonton and Lincoln Park. The township is home to three inclined planes and a good amount of physical remains of the canal are in Montville, with portions owned by the township.

The presentation will be held on Sept. 9 at 7:30 p.m. at the Montville Township Senior House.