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Lock 44 after the 1889 flood

Collection Name

Chesapeake and Ohio (C & O) Canal in Washington County

About

Locks

Media Items

Lock 44 after 1889 Flood, homes destroyed in background and debris in canal
wcco041s.jpg
ItemID
wcco041
IDEntry
5773
Rights
Public domain
Date
1889-06-03
Collection Location
Hagerstown, Maryland
Subject
Chesapeake and Ohio Canal--Maryland
Washington County Maryland--History
Coverage
Maryland, 1824-1938

LOCK 44 AFTER THE 1889 FLOOD
The 1889 flood broke records for previous floods in the historic period. The same storm that would breach a former canal dam in Pennsylvania to create the Johnstown flood, did enormous damage in the Potomac valley as well. The C&O Canal Company, unable to make the costly repairs, went into bankruptcy and in 1890 the bankruptcy court appointed receivers to repair and operate the canal. The canal would not reopen until September, 1891 and would be operated under the receivership until it closed permanently in 1924.

Notes

From the collection of John Frye

See also The Flood at Home, Hagerstown Mail, June 6, 1889.