Below Antietam

Canal Boat 8

The Canal Towage Company, which was a subsidiary of the Consolidation Coal Company, was organized in 1902 in order to regulate and economize the trafficking of coal down the canal. Before 1902 each canal boat was privately owned by either the captain or an independent contractor that would deal with the coal companies and the canal. When the Canal Towage Company was organized all the boats on the canal were bought by the CTC and given numbers instead of names. In addition to the boats becoming the property of the Canal Towage Company, boatmen became employees working for the towage company.

This picture was taken by Joel L. Griffith during the Shawnee Canoe Club’s family trip down the canal by packet boat. Boatmen, whether by packet or freight, would sometimes together to keep company at night when they would tie up or, in rare cases, when the family was large enough to run two boats.