This is the tale of Bridgewater—a small, western Pennsylvania town located along the shores of the Beaver River.

From its beginnings in pioneer times, to the booming canal years, to the years of decline, near extinction, and rebirth, Bridgewater has seen it all. Surviving flood after devastating flood, the loss of industry, and the indiscriminate wrecking ball of so-called progress, Bridgewater today is redefining itself as a destination for recreation and entertainment. The story of this tiny river town is one of ambition, ingenuity, and longevity, and its people are defined by their strong character, determination, and neighborly way of life.

Valentine J. Brkich has always had a close connection with Bridgewater. Much of his youth was spent here visiting his grandparents, and today he makes Bridgewater his home, living in the same house where his father grew up. Throughout the book, Brkich weaves his own family’s history into that of the town’s as he touches on the meaning of place in one’s life. The result is a personal, narrative history of a town through the eyes of one of its own.