Flat Rock was the original name given to this section of the Schuylkill River, but at a community meeting of the newly-formed town the name was changed to Manayunk, a Lenape Indian word meaning "where we go to drink." By 1820 Manayunk had its first mill and by 1823 the Manayunk Canal

System was completed, sparking the development of industry. The canal made the river passable and at the same time made water power available. Water power was a new concept in manufacturing, initiating the industrialization of the United States.