River Facts

The Susquehanna river is 444 miles long.

The first settlers in the Wyoming Valley were the Susquehannock Indians who moved north from Virginia in the late 1600's. 

In 1675 the Iroquois from upper NY waged war on the Susquehannocks and took control of the Wyoming Valley.

The Shawnees were invited by the Iroquios in 1701 and settled near Plymouth. The last of the Shawnees moved out in the 1740's

The Nanticokes came form the eastern shore of Maryland in 1748 and stayed 5 years. 

The Tuscaroras came from North Carolina and spent time near Pittston before joining the Iroquois as the sixth nation of the confederation.

In 1754 Teedyuscung the "King of the Delawares", also known as the Lenni Lenape Indians came to the Wyoming Valley.

As early as the 1770's public funds had been used to improve the river system of PA by building canals. When NY built the Erie Canal in 1825, PA already had an extensive but not comprehensive set of canals.

By 1828 a 55 mile two ditch canal with eight locks connected Nanticoke with Sunbury; and by 1834 this system had been extended to Pittstonn.