The Port Clinton Hotel, served as a stagecoach stop between Sunbury and Philadelphia in the early 1800’s. Stagecoaches stopped at the Port Clinton Hotel, which was a great social center where news from other states and even foreign countries was exchanged. In fact, it became customary when signing the hotel register to add any news that they thought might be of common interest. The hotelkeeper and his family cared for the driver and passengers stabled the horses and entertained with a fiddler and dances.
The hotel’s birthname was the “Gately Hotel” and is now named the “Port Clinton Hotel”. Situated in southern Schuylkill County, the unique little town clings on the hillside and embraces the peninsula between the Little Schuylkill and the main river. Port Clinton takes its name from De-Witt Clinton on the Erie Canal, and was laid out in 1829. A thriving community for many years for large shipments of coal which was brought to Port Clinton by the primitive railroads and was loaded on canal boats for shipment. The Schuylkill Canal passed through Port Clinton and many of the residents of the little borough received employment on the railroad and the canal. The Schuylkill Canal centered around two major terminals, Port Clinton on the north side of the Schuylkill Gap and Kernsville on the south side. The last boat to leave Port Clinton’s once crowded basin was the Mary Rose, which took a load of coal to the state sanatorium at Hamburg just before the outbreak of World War II in 1939.
In the flood of 1850, Port Clinton suffered heavy damage. The heavy bridge carrying the tracks of the Philadelphia and Reading Railroad was completely carried away. And in 1854, The Auburn and Port Clinton Railroad Company was chartered.
Many of the canal boat crews lived at the Port Clinton Hotel in the months when the canal was frozen over. Canal navigation usually began on St. Patrick’s Day and continued until the early part of December. During the winter the boats were laid up and the entire family lived on them. A school was conducted for children and the boatmen worked at odd jobs or sat about in taverns.
Today, the Port Clinton Hotel is located in the Borough of Port Clinton, PA and is located on Route 61 (formerly Route 122 which was divided by 2 to name the new State Road) just a minute north of Cabela’s 250,000 sq. ft retail store – World’s Foremost Outfitter of Hunting, Fishing and Outdoor Gear. During the spring and fall season, many of our guests are Appalachian Hikers who stop by to refresh, chat and have a good meal as they venture the trail from Maine to Georgia.
Welcome to the Port Clinton Hotel – a unique casual dining experience, serving lunch and dinner 6 days a week and known for “the biggest and best portions in the area”!
Please stop by and say “Hello” – A gathering place for friends and families – We welcome your visit!
