Washington County Maryland--History

A snubbing post acts as a brake for boats locking through the canal. When a boat came into the lock a snubbing rope attached to the boat would be thrown out to the lockkeeper who would wrap the rope around the snubbing post. This would slowly stop the boat inside the lock and keep it steady as the lock was either drained or filled with water. This snubbing post was taken from Lock 44 at Williamsport, Maryland.

Mule bridle with blinkers attached to the cheek pieces and a loose ring snaffle bit with clip on reins. This is a typical piece of tack that would have been used on mules pulling canal boats. The blinkers, or blinders, worked to keep the mule focused on the towpath ahead of them.

Wooden bucket buckets such as these could have been used for washing, holding water, collecting produce and various other chores around the lockhouse. The bucket is made of solid wood that had been steamed and molded to create the round bucket shape. The bands are also made of wood as well as the handles.

Outline Plan of Washington County, Maryland

Scale 3 miles to an inch.

Click on the link to a larger map of each of the districts in Washington County that the canal passes through: C&O Canal Maps and then click on a district to view locations along the canal.

To see all of the districts visit our collection on Digital Whilbr: Washington County Atlas 1877

MAP of the country between WASHINGTON & PITTSBURG refering to the contemplated CHESAPEAKE & OHIO CANAL 
and its GENERAL ROUTE AND PROFILE OCTOBER 1826 

Reduced from the General Map annexed to the Report upon the Contemplated Canal and drawn by 
Lieut. Farley, USA. 

Etched by Wm. Harrison, Georgetown, D.C. 
Lettered by D.R. Harrison

Click image to Zoom in on clearer map. 

This lockhouse was built between the towpath and the river—a position that made it vulnerable to flood waters. Nevertheless, the house survived until the flood of 1936 when it was partially destroyed by a heavy drift. It was built of brick in 1837–38, four years after the lock in front of it was completed. The original house was 20 x 32 feet but at some point an addition had been added to it, as was the case with many of the lockhouses that often proved too small for the families that occupied them.

Ferry Hill, across the river from Shepherdstown, on the top of the hill, was built by John Blackford c. 1813 and was a working farm until the 20th century. Lock 38 was a busy area with traffic from the canal and travelers from West Virginia. The large white house was used as a hotel while down at the lock there was a feed store that was later converted into a bath house before it was destroyed in the 1936 flood.

Mules feeding downstream from lock 38. The water in the canal is very low, so the mules are resting on the tow path, with their troughs nearby. The railroad bridge to Shepherdstown is in the background.

Lock 37 located two and a third miles downstream from the Antietam Aqueduct, is considered one of the most scenic spots along the canal. It was known as Mountain Lock, perhaps because of the beautiful mountain that rises behind it but that required the canal to be built close to the river with rocky cliffs on the berm side for about half a mile downstream. Upstream from the lock is a wide basin for perhaps 75 yards.

At upper lock above Harper Ferry.  Maryland Heights in the distance.

The photograph is taken looking down the canal toward lock 35 which is just above the inlet canal from behind Dam 3.