Washington County Maryland--History

Hagerstown Weekly Mail
09-25-1874

Child Drowned—A distressing incident.

—Early on Friday morning of last week, Wm. Sherman Benner, about 9 years old, the son of Mr. Frank Benner, of Sharpsburg, fell from his father's boat into the canal near Weverton, and was drowned. Mr. Benner had told the little boy to go in to the feed room of the boat for something, and on running in he struck his head against the top of the door with such force as knocked him overboard.

Photograph of the B&O Railroad Bridge across the Potomac River at Harpers Ferry. The Canal can be seen on the Maryland shore with Lock 33 to the left side of the tunnel portal.
 

Road notice
Notice is hereby given, that application will be made to the County Commissioners for Washington County, after publication of this notice three weeks for the opening of the following road from Antietam to Harper's Ferry, to the Basin on the Canal at Lock No. 37 and likewise room to turn a wagon at said Basin, on the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal, and room to load and unload a wagon at said Basin. Feb 18, 1852.

Photograph of the steam loader used by Cushwa’s Warehouse for the unloading of coal from boats coming from Cumberland. Canoeists, like those in the foreground, enjoyed the flat water canal for recreation. Residents along the canal could rent canoes and packet boats for sightseeing trips down the canal.

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.

The Cushwa Warehouse was constructed circa 1800. By the late 1830s, the warehouse's main commodity was coal which was sold in the local economy and for transport down to Georgetown where there was a huge demand. The building has seen multiple floods, recessions, and even Civil War battles during its time on the side of the canal.
 

A variety of boats on the canal served their owners for recreational or administrative purposes. The canal company often employed a paymaster to whom they made available a boat for his monthly trips up and down the canal to pay the company’s employees. Boats such as that were powered by steam—or in later years gas or diesel engines—and were sometimes able to operate in the river as well as the canal.

During most of the canal operating years this canal wharf area was known as Sharpsburg Landing, as it was only 1.7 miles from downtown Sharpsburg—closer by nearly one and a half miles than was Lock 38 at the crossing to Shepherdstown. A swinging pedestrian bridge crossed the canal here, built high enough to allow the passage of boats underneath. The wharf on the berm side served as a coal depot along with the Snyder warehouse used to store coal, grain, and other cargos that had arrived or would be shipped by the canal.

Valuable Personal Property at Sheriff’s Sale!

By virtue of an Order of the Circuit Court of Washington County, passed in virtue of sundry writs of attachment against Joseph H. Piper, I will proceed to sell on Friday the 14th day of November next, at 10 o’clock A.M. at Mercerville, commonly called Piper’s Landing, near Sharpsburg, the following valuable personal property, to wit:

To Farmers, Millers and Others
The subscriber respectfully informs the Millers and Farmers and the public generally that he has his Warehouse (on the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal) in complete order for the reception of Flour, Grain or any other article of produce destined for the District Markets, and all Produce entrusted to his care will be forwarded by the earliest opportunity in the Spring.

He will also bring up, to order, Plaster, Salt, Fish, or any other Merchandize.