Delaware and Raritan Canal - Hardcoverby Linda J. Barth (Author) For nearly one hundred seventy years, the Delaware and Raritan Canal has meandered across the narrow waist of New Jersey through bustling cities, suburban towns, and rural landscapes. One of the most successful towpath canals in the United States, the Delaware and Raritan carried more tonnage in 1866 than the famous Erie Canal. Transporting mainly anthracite coal, the Delaware and Raritan also stimulated industries as