Cumberland Terminus: Yesterday and Today

Cumberland Terminus: Yesterday and Today (HM2L7Y)

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N 39° 38.908', W 78° 45.738'

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Inscription
Independence Day, July 4th, 1828, would be an important day for Cumberland, Maryland. On that day, far to the east, the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal and the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad both broke ground. The finish line of these companies' race was the Ohio River. The prizes were markets for coal, lumber, and farm goods.

The canal followed the Potomac River for 184.5 miles, gaining 605 feet in elevation from Georgetown to Cumberland, as it headed for Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

In 1850 the canal finally reached Cumberland; the railroad had already arrived eight years earlier. Beaten by the railroad and financially exhausted by floods, the canal closed in 1924. Although it never linked with the Ohio River, for 74 years the canal provided an outlet for local products and labor, and helped build Cumberland into Maryland's second-largest city, rivaled only by Baltimore. Evidence of the canal's contributions surround you.

(captions)
The spires of Cumberland, "Queen City," of the Potomac, greeted arriving boatmen around 1898.

The Canal's Cumberland terminus in 1896.

Coal from the surrounding mountains rode the rails to meet canal boats at Cumberland. From here boatmen towed it downstream to Georgetown, about a week's journey.

Many Cumberland residents made a living



from the canal, finding work building and repairing boats. Residents also were employed at the Footer's Dye Works, towering in the distance.

For Your Safety
Bicyclist should not exceed 16 miles per hour.
Stay to the right except when passing.
Sound bell or horn within 100 feet of approaching traffic ahead.
Ride single file.
Yield to pedestrians.
Wear a helmet as required by local law.
Keep pets on a leash.
Canal or river swimming is prohibited.
Fishing is regulated by state law.
In an emergency dial 911 or the 24-hour park emergency phone number, 301-739-4206.
Details
HM NumberHM2L7Y
Series This marker is part of the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal series
Tags
Placed ByChesapeake & Ohio Canal National Historical Park, National Park Service
Marker ConditionNo reports yet
Date Added Thursday, September 26th, 2019 at 2:04am PDT -07:00
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Locationbig map
UTM (WGS84 Datum)17S E 691994 N 4391134
Decimal Degrees39.64846667, -78.76230000
Degrees and Decimal MinutesN 39° 38.908', W 78° 45.738'
Degrees, Minutes and Seconds39° 38' 54.48" N, 78° 45' 44.28" W
Driving DirectionsGoogle Maps
Closest Postal AddressAt or near , ,
Alternative Maps Google Maps, MapQuest, Bing Maps, Yahoo Maps, MSR Maps, OpenCycleMap, MyTopo Maps, OpenStreetMap

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