The Susquehanna and Tidewater Canal

The Susquehanna and Tidewater Canal. . , The 45-mile long Susquehanna (PA) and Tidewater (MD) Canal ran from Wrightsville, Pennsylvania to Havre de Grace, Maryland. The canal was built between 1835 and 1839 in order to improve commerce on the Susquehanna River. The new canal would connect the extensive Pennsylvania canal system with tidewater ports, primarily Baltimore and Philadelphia. , The canal opened for business in May 1840. Raw materials such as coal, iron ore, flint, lumber, and grain were taken to navigable water. Products including groceries, dry goods, and agricultural supplies were sent back., The flat-bottomed canal boats averaged 65 feet in length and hauled as much as 150 tons. A pair of mules walking in single file would pull a boat at a maximum of 4 mph. At greater speeds the vessel’s wake would cause damage to the canal walls. , Sign prepared by the staff of Greenways and Resource Planning. Narrative written by Richard J. Sherrill. , Traffic on the canal was very heavy, reaching its peak in 1864. Unfortunately, the canal was plagued by ongoing problems including lack of sufficient funds, legal disputes, railroad competition, and storm-related damage. Eventually the ravages of nature and the cost of repairs made continuation impractical. Pennsylvania’s Susquehanna Canal never reopened after a May 1894 flood. Maryland’s Tidewater Canal continued operation for local traffic until about 1900., [Captions:] , Barge going down the canal from the Deer Creek area. Photo from DNR Scenic River Files., Towpath, mules, and a pair of barges in Lock #4, heading north toward Pennsylvania. Photo by Bertram N. Stump, courtesy Todd Holden., The Tidewater Canal in Maryland , Section of "Map and Profile of the Canal from Columbia to Tides" (1830s) from the Susquehanna Museum of Havre de Grace, Section of (1841) "Map of the State of Maryland" by Fielding Lucas, Jr.