Susquehanna and Tidewater Canal

The Susquehanna and Tidewater Canal between Wrightsville, Pennsylvania, and Havre de Grace, Maryland, at the head of Chesapeake Bay, provided an interstate shipping alternative to 19th-century arks, rafts, and boats plying the difficult waters of the lower Susquehanna River. Built between 1836 and 1840, it ran 43 miles along the west bank of the ri…
The Susquehanna and Tidewater Canal between Wrightsville, Pennsylvania, and Havre de Grace, Maryland, at the head of Chesapeake Bay, provided an interstate shipping alternative to 19th-century arks, rafts, and boats plying the difficult waters of the lower Susquehanna River. Built between 1836 and 1840, it ran 43 miles along the west bank of the river and rendered obsolete an older, shorter canal along the east bank. Of its total length, 30 miles were in Pennsylvania and 13 miles in Maryland. Although rivalry between Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and Baltimore, Maryland, delayed its construction, the finished canal brought increased shipments of coal and other raw materials to both cities from Pennsylvania's interior. Competition from railroads was a large factor in the canal's decline after 1855. Canal remnants, including a lock keeper's house, have been preserved in Maryland, and locks 12 and 15 have been preserved in Pennsylvania.
  • Locks: 29
  • Status: Abandoned except for recreation and historic interest
  • Original owner: Susquehanna Canal Company and Tidewater Canal Company
  • Construction began: 1836
  • Date completed: 1840
  • Date closed: 1894
  • Start point: Wrightsville, Pennsylvania
Data from: en.wikipedia.org