Bugle belonging to Robert L. Hebb

This bugle belonged to Robert Luther Hebb (1873 – 1936) of Sharpsburg. The bugle was used to alert the locktender that a boat was approaching the lock, so that the lock was ready to receive a boat. Some boatmen used horns, others shouted, but the purpose was the same - to have the tender at the lock ready to open and close gates and facilitate the passage of the boat on its way.

Robert Hebb was the brother of Augustus A. Hebb. Captain Bob ran Boat # 28 on the canal. After the canal closed he hauled coal from the Norfolk & Western Railroad station outside of Sharpsburg (Norris, 40-41).