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MAP #: 323L5

CARTOGRAPHER : LUCAS, FIELDING, JR.

DATE: 1823

SHORT TITLE : A TOPOGRAPHICAL MAP OF THE ROUTE OF A PROPOSED CANAL

REMAINING TITLE & ID : AND THE COUNTRY BETWEEN CONEWAGO AND BALTIMORE. DRAWN BY DIRECTION OF THE CANAL COMMISSIONERS BY F LUCAS Jr. (NO CARTOUCHE, TOP RIGHT QUARTER). SCALE OF 15 MILES (BOTTOM RIGHT CORNER). "PROFILE OF Mr. POPPLETON'S SERIES OF LEVELS FROM BALTIMORE TO YORK HAVEN (LEFT 1 1/2" OF THE MAP, ORIENTED WITH THE BOTTOM OF THE PROFILE TO THE LEFT). A NOTE ON THE "LENGTH OF THE CANAL." IN ITS THREE SECTIONS (TOP, LEFT OF CENTER). THERE IS NOTHING IN THE MARGINS OF THE MAP. THE MAP IS IN OUTLINE COLORING EXCEPT THAT THE WATER AREAS ARE SHOWN COMPLETELY COLORED IN BLUE. THE ROUTE OF THE PROPOSED CANAL IS COLORED IN RED. THE REVERSE SIDE IS BLANK. LONGITUDE (NOT SHOWN). LATITUDE (NOT SHOWN).

DATE OF PUBLICATION : S1823
PLACE OF PUBLICATION : BALTIMORE
PUBLISHER : FIELDING LUCAS, JR.
LANGUAGE(S) : EN
SIZE (HEIGHT X WIDTH) : 47.3 X 40.2 CM.
SIZE - OTHER DATA : 49.8 X 43.6 CM. OM
SCALE - (RF) 1: : 230,400
SCALE - OTHER DATA : 15 MILES = 10.5 CM.
LIB. OF CONGRESS # : -
Md. HALL OF RECORDS # 1 : G1399-664
HUNTINGFIELD ACQ. # 1 : HR013-IGU*
REGION CATEGORY : COVERS SOME DETAILED PORTION OF THE MD/CHESAPEAKE AREA (2)
SPECIAL CATEGORY(IES) : CANAL MAP (21)
# SHEETS TO MAP : 1
MAP ORIENTATION : N IS AT THE TOP OF THE MAP.
RELIEF SHOWN ? : YES
HYDROGRAPHIC DATA : NONE.
CARTOUCHE : NONE (1)
BORDER : PLAIN (2)
PRIME MERIDIAN(S) : NONE.
SEE ALSO MAP #s : 323S5.
BEST INFO SOURCE : THE COMMISSIONER'S REPORT IS THE BEST FOUND.
DESCRIPTION : THIS MAP, COVERING THE AREA FROM MIDDLETOWN, PA. ON THE SUSQUEHANNA RIVER TO THE ENTRANCE OF THE PATAPSCO RIVER AND FROM ELK RIVER TO REISTERTOWN, MD., IS APPENDED TO THE REPORT BY THE MARYLAND COMMISSIONERS ON A PROPOSED CANAL FROM BALTIMORE TO CONEWAGO, BALTIMORE, FIELDING LUCAS JR., 1823. THE COMMISSION WAS APPOINTED PURSUANT TO A RESOLUTION PASSED AT THE DECEMBER SESSION OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 1822. THE COMMISSION WAS "DIRECTED TO LAY OUT, AND SURVEY A ROUTE FOR A CANAL, WHICH WILL CONNECT THE WATERS OF THE SUSQUEHANNA WITH THE CITY OF BALTIMORE, BEGINNING AT THE CONEWAGO FALLS, OR ON A POINT OF SAID RIVER WHICH THE COMMISSIONERS MAY DEEM THE MOST PRACTICABLE; AND SHALL ALSO BE DIRECTED TO LAY OUT, AND SURVEY A ROUTE FOR A CANAL FROM THE SAME POINT, ON THE SUSQUEHANNA, OR CONEWAGO FALLS, TO THE HEAD OF THE TIDE WATER, ON THE SUSQUEHANNA; AND REPORT ON THE PRACTICABILITY, THE EXPENSE AND OTHER NECESSARY CIRCUMSTANCES ATTENDING THE SAME TO THE NEXT GENERAL ASSEMBLY." THE COMMISSIONERS APPOINTED WERE THEODORICK BLAND, GEORGE WINCHESTER AND JOHN PATTERSON.

IN AN ATTEMPT TO SHOW WHY A STRAIGHT CANAL COULD NOT BE DONE DIRECTLY SOUTH FROM YORK HAVEN TO BALTIMORE (BY FAR THE SHORTEST DISTANCE) BUT MUST PARALLEL THE SUSQUEHANNA TO OPPOSITE PORT DEPOSIT, THEN TO BALTIMORE, THE COMMISSIONERS HAD THIS MAP DRAWN BY FIELDING LUCAS, JR. THE MAP IS DESCRIBED IN THE REPORT AS ONE ON WHICH "WE HAVE CAUSED TO BE LAID DOWN THE RESULTS OF OUR ACTUAL SURVEYS, WITH SUNDRY OBSERVATIONS DERIVED FROM SUCH INFORMATION AS WE FELT WE MIGHT PLACE THE MOST IMPLICIT CONFIDENCE [IN]." THEY POINTED OUT THE HIGH RIDGE OF HILLS BETWEEN YORK HAVEN AND BALTIMORE AND EXPLAINED THE IMPRACTICALITY OF THE DIRECT ROUTE. THE MAP IS IN OUTLINE COLORING, WITH THE PROPOSED ROUTE OF THE CANAL MARKED IN RED.

MATHEWS NOTES THAT A LINE OF LEVELS WAS CARRIED BY MR. POPPLETON FROM TIDEWATER AT BALTIMORE ALONG THE YORK PIKE TO YORK, PA., THENCE VIA YORK HAVEN TO THE HEAD OF THE CONEWAGO FALLS AND THENCE UP THE RIVER TO HARRISBURG. AT THE SAME TIME A SERIES OF LEVELS FROM THE HEAD OF CONEWAGO FALLS DOWN THE RIGHT BANK OF THE SUSQUEHANNA TO TIDE AT LAPIDUM, OPPOSITE PORT DEPOSIT. ALSO, THE COUNTRY BETWEEN HAVRE DE GRACE AND BALTIMORE WAS SURVEYED ALONG THE UPPER EDGE OF THE COASTAL PLAIN. THESE VARIOUS SURVEYS ADDED CONSIDERABLE INFORMATION REGARDING THE TERRITORY OF HARFORD AND BALTIMORE COUNTIES, WHICH HAD RECEIVED LITTLE ATTENTION SINCE THE TIME OF HERRMAN. THE DATA OBTAINED WERE INCORPORATED INTO LUCAS' MAP.

THE MAP IS ONE OF THE FIRST TO REPRESENT THE ACCURATE SOURCES OF SEVERAL OF THE STREAMS OF THIS REGION. ALTHOUGH AN IMPROVEMENT OVER PRECEDING MAPS IN ITS DELINEATION OF THE INTERIOR, IT IS FAR BELOW THEM IN THE ACCURACY OF THE SHORE LINE.

THE PROPOSED CANAL WOULD HAVE BEEN 92 3/4 MILES LONG, AT A TOTAL COST OF $2,626,000. THE 41+ MILE SECTION FROM YORK HAVEN TO THE PENNSYLVANIA LINE WAS PROJECTED AT $1,220,265; THE 14+ MILE SECTION FROM THE PENNSYLVANIA LINE TO HAVRE DE GRACE WAS $564,471; AND THE 36+ MILE SECTION FROM HAVRE DE GRACE TO BALTIMORE WAS $841,263.

THE CANAL WAS DEFENDED ON ECONOMIC GROUNDS OF SUBSTANTIAL TIME AND COST SAVING ON TRANSPORTATION BOTH UP AND DOWN THE SUSQUEHANNA, THE LIKELIHOOD THAT IT WOULD OPEN UP A 24,500 SQ. MILE AREA TO GREATER AND MORE RAPID DEVELOPMENT, AND THAT MUCH OF THE DEVELOPMENT WOULD THEN OCCUR THROUGH THE PORT OF BALTIMORE.

DATA IS FROM THE COMMISSIONERS REPORT AND FROM EXAMINATION OF THE COPY OF THE MAP IN THE HUNTINGFIELD COLLECTION.

EDITION & STATE INFO : THERE WAS ONLY A SINGLE EDITION AND STATE OF THIS MAP, WHICH WAS APPENDED TO THE COMMISSIONER'S REPORT IN 1823.

HFC OWNERSHIP DATA : THE HUNTINGFIELD COLLECTION HAS A COPY OF THIS MAP IN OUTLINE COLORING EXCEPT FOR THE WATER AREAS, WHICH ARE IN FULL BLUE COLOR. THE MAP IS BECOMING DETACHED AT THE FOLDS AND IS NOW BACKED WITH LINEN. PRINT THROUGH IS EVIDENT ON THE MAP WHERE THE SURFACES HAVE BEEN FOLDED AGAINST EACH OTHER. THERE IS A TEAR, NOW REPAIRED, ON THE RIGHT SIDE ABOVE THE CENTER, WHERE IT APPARENTLY WAS ATTACHED TO THE REPORT. IT ALSO HAS A COPY OF THE REPORT BY THE MARYLAND COMMISSIONERS ON THE PROPOSED CANAL, PUBLISHED BY F. LUCAS, JR. IN BALTIMORE IN 1823. THE MAP HAS BEEN DETACHED FROM THE REPORT AND SEPARATELY MOUNTED IN PLASTIC FOR CONSERVATION PURPOSES. IT HAS AN ACQ. # OF HR013-IGU* AND A MDHR # OF G1399-664.

BIBLIGRAPHICAL REFS. : REPORT BY THE MARYLAND COMMISSIONERS ON A PROPOSED CANAL FROM BALTIMORE TO CONEWAGO, FIELDING LUCAS, JR., BALTIMORE, 1823; MATHEWS, EDWARD BENNETT, "THE MAPS AND MAP-MAKERS OF MARYLAND", MARYLAND GEOLOGICAL SURVEY SPECIAL PUBLICATION VOLUME II, PART IIIb, THE JOHNS HOPKINS PRESS, BALTIMORE, 1898, PP. 408-9.

March 23, 1989


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