"...Even if it's as Big as a Mountain!"
The first railroad to circumvent the Allegheny Mountains, the Allegheny Portage Railroad was the finishing piece of the Pennsylvania Mainline Canal. "The Portage," opened in 1834, marking the first time that there was one, direct route between Philadelphia and Pittsburgh. All things to all people, it served merchants, passengers, slaves in pursuit of freedom, and soldiers from the Mexican War.
Did You Know?
The dam at South Fork, PA, that broke causing the Johnstown Flood of 1889 was originally built for the Mainline Canal System. The Allegheny Portage Railroad was an important part of the Mainline, so the stories are interconnected.