Washington County Maryland--History

Washington Aug. 9, 1840
No. 1158

Nine Months after date

THE CHESAPEAKE & OHIO
CANAL COMPANY

Promise to pay on Demand at their Office in the City of
Washington to T. Fillebrown Jr. or Bearer


FIVE DOLLARS with Interest from date.


Thm. Turner Clerk Francis Thomas Prest.

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The $10 note is payable at the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal office in Frederick.

CANAL SCRIP
We are informed that funds have been placed in the Hagers-town Bank, for the payment of the Scrip issued by the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal Company, with interest. Payment will be made, on demand.

Family of Sam Taylor, lockkeeper and resident at lock 49 from 1889-1924.

The community of Four Locks rose out of the canal’s establishment of four locks (47-50) and associated business where the canal took a short cut through Prather’s Neck. Construction work took place from February 1836 through May 1839. Family names included Flory, Flynn, Snyder, Meyers, Taylor, Fernsner, Bower, Mouse, Hart, Mosier, Crawford, Prather and Hassett. The last two families played prominent roles at the founding of the community and held leadership roles at various times (Mastrangelo).

The canal reached the little town of fewer than 400 residents, Hancock, in April of 1839. At the arrival of the canal mills, warehouses and stores opened in hopes of taking advantage of the new trade. P.T. Little’s store would have done business in the local area along with canal trade.

This view is from the old river bridge looking east. The building downstream from the white building along the water's edge is one of the the C&O Canal carpentry shops. The furthest building along the canal is P. T. Little’s warehouse and general store.

Shanties and warehouses often dotted the canal on both the towpath and berm side. This photograph illustrates the sometimes crowded canal area. The mules are driven in tandem with a single swing tree connected both harnesses to the towrope attached to the canal boat. When boats traveling opposite directions met the lighter boat would swing over to the berm side and unhook their mules from the tow rope. The loaded boat would stay near to the towpath and travelled over the light boat tow rope.

The water towers of the Western Maryland railroad are in the background. The man walking along the canal is possibly John Mosier (Moser). The 1880 Census lists 34 year old John Mosier as a boatman in the Indian Spring area. Twenty years later he is listed as a locktender in the Hancock District.

Hancock after 1839 was a growing community full of businesses that targeted the canal for business and transportation. The materials on the towpath were likely waiting for shipment up or down stream or could have possibly been used for the repair of canal boats that travelled up and down the waterway. The building in the foreground is thought to be a canal company carpentry shop. The building in the center background is the warehouse and store of Philip Thomas Little.