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The presence of Canal Towage Company boats tied up at the Cushwa basin and wharf in this photo, tells us that it dates from after 1902 when the CTC was established by the receivers and Consolidation Coal Company. The CTC supplied boats, teams, and equipment, and hired the crews for its boats. It also cut freight rates and controlled the distribution of cargos, all of which essentially put the private boat owner out of operation. Note the small launch tied up in the middle of the freighters and the fifth freighter that has virtually closed off the canal, making it difficult if not impossible for a boat to get by. All of this suggests that boating on the canal is either halted or at a minimum and the large number of boats moored here may be waiting for it to resume.
99.72 Mile
NPS File 1138
Boat basins along the canal served as areas in which business between the canal boats and industry along the canal could occur without obstructing the flow of traffic along the canal. They were also places in which canal boats could dock for the night or wait for a turn through a lock or across an aqueduct. Many industries had access to boat basins such as at Antietam Village, Millers Saw Mill, Lock 38, Cushwa Warehouse, and many others.