The Susquehanna and Tidewater Canal

The Susquehanna and Tidewater Canal (HMAR)

Location: Havre de Grace, MD 21078 Harford County
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Country: United States of America
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N 39° 33.363', W 76° 5.597'

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Inscription
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 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.

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.
Details
HM NumberHMAR
Series This marker is part of the Susquehanna and Tidewater Canal series
Tags
Historical Period19th Century
Historical PlaceRiver
Marker TypeHistoric Structure
Marker ClassHistorical Marker
Marker StyleFree Standing
Marker ConditionNo reports yet
Date Added Tuesday, September 23rd, 2014 at 10:54am PDT -07:00
Pictures
Photo Credits: [1] SEPTEMBERSPARROW1666  
Locationbig map
UTM (WGS84 Datum)18S E 406075 N 4379055
Decimal Degrees39.55605000, -76.09328333
Degrees and Decimal MinutesN 39° 33.363', W 76° 5.597'
Degrees, Minutes and Seconds39° 33' 21.7800" N, 76° 5' 35.8200" W
Driving DirectionsGoogle Maps
Area Code(s)443, 410
Can be seen from road?No
Is marker in the median?No
Closest Postal AddressAt or near Park Dr, Havre de Grace MD 21078, US
Alternative Maps Google Maps, MapQuest, Bing Maps, Yahoo Maps, MSR Maps, OpenCycleMap, MyTopo Maps, OpenStreetMap

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