MAP #: 324T5
CARTOGRAPHER : TANNER, HENRY SCHENK
DATE: 1824
SHORT TITLE : MAP OF THE COUNTRY CONTIGUOUS TO THE CHESAPEAKE
REMAINING TITLE & ID : & DELAWARE CANAL (NO CARTOUCHE, CENTER RIGHT). "DRAWN & ENGRAV'D BY H.S. TANNER" (INSIDE LONGITUDE BORDER LINE IN THE RIGHT BOTTOM CORNER). SCALE OF 12 MILES (BELOW TITLE). NOTHING IS IN THE BORDER. THE REVERSE SIDE IS BLANK. THE MAP EXTENDS THROUGH THE LATITUDE SCALE IN THE TOP LEFT AND THROUGH THE NEAT LINE IN THE BOTTOM LEFT AND IN THE TOP RIGHT. LONGITUDE EAST FROM WASHINGTON (TOP AND BOTTOM BORDERS). LATITUDE (RIGHT AND LEFT BORDERS).
THE MAP, DRAWN AND ENGRAVED BY HENRY SCHENK TANNER, EXTENDS FROM LANCASTER AND PHILADELPHIA IN THE NORTH TO BALTIMORE AND CHESTERTOWN IN THE SOUTH AND FROM PHILADELPHIA IN THE EAST TO BALTIMORE IN THE WEST. PHILADELPHIA, BALTIMORE AND CHESTERTOWN ALL EXTEND THROUGH THE GEOGRAPHICALLY FUNCTIONAL BORDER AND THE FIRST TWO ALSO ARE THROUGH THE NEAT LINE. THE PURPOSE OF THE MAP IS TO ILLUSTRATE THE ROUTE FROM THE SUSQUEHANNA RIVER AND FROM BALTIMORE TO PHILADELPHIA VIA THE CHESAPEAKE AND DELAWARE CANAL. IT IS AN ATTEMPT TO SHOW POTENTIAL SUPPORTERS IN PHILADELPHIA THE ADVANTAGE THAT THE CANAL WOULD REPRESENT TO THE COMMERCE OF PHILADELPHIA. TOWNS ARE SHOWN SYMBOLICALLY BY STREET GRIDS. MAJOR ROADS AND CREEKS ARE INCLUDED. THERE ARE NO COUNTY LINES GIVEN, ALTHOUGH STATE BOUNDARIES ARE SHOWN BY LINES OF ALTERNATE DOTS AND DASHES.
THE BULK OF THE WORK WAS COMMENCED IN 1825 AND IT WAS COMPLETED IN 1829. THE REPORT RECOMMENDED THAT THE CANAL BEGIN NEAR NEWBOLD'S LANDING ON THE DELAWARE RIVER WHERE AN ARTIFICIAL HARBOR AND TIDE LOCK MUST BE PROVIDED AND CUT THROUGH ST. GEORGE'S MEADOWS TO ST. GEORGE'S DAM, THEN BE LIFTED BY A LOCK OF EIGHT FEET. FROM THERE IT WOULD GO THROUGH ST. GEORGE'S MILL-POND, THROUGH THE DIVIDING RIDGE OF THE PENINSULA (SHOWN AS 76.5 FEET ABOVE SEA LEVEL AT ITS HIGHEST), THROUGH TURNER'S MILL-POND TO A SIX FOOT LOCK AT TURNER'S MILL-DAM. FROM THERE IT WOULD GO ALONG BROAD AND BLACK CREEKS TO A TIDE LOCK NEAR THE MOUTH OF LONG CREEK. IT REPORTS THAT THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS CONSIDERED THIS RECOMMENDATION ON THE 21st OF JANUARY, ADJOURNED TO STUDY IT FURTHER AND UNANIMOUSLY ADOPTED THE ROUTE WHEN THE BOARD RECONVENED ON JANUARY 26th. A MAXIMUM COST OF $1,354,364.64 WAS ESTIMATED FOR THE PROJECT.
THE REPORT CONCLUDES, "WE CANNOT INDULGE IN THESE VIEWS WITHOUT PERCEIVING THE UNCALCULABLE IMPORTANCE OF THE CHESAPEAKE AND DELAWARE CANAL TO THE INTERESTS OF AGRICULTURE, COMMERCE, AND MANUFACTURES. THEY LEAD US, MOREOVER, TO THE IRRESTIBLE CONCLUSION, THAT THIS CANAL IS DESTINED TO BECOME THE THEATRE OF VERY ACTIVE AND VERY EXTENSIVE BUSINESS- AND THAT WE SHALL, AT NO DISTANT DAY, BE MOST AMPLY REWARDED FOR OUR ANXIETIES AND TOILS, NOT ONLY BY A RICH RETURN OF BENEFITS AND PROFITS, BUT BY THE GRATIFYING REFLECTION THAT WE SHALL HAVE ACHIEVED A GREAT PUBLIC GOOD." IT WAS SIGNED BY JAMES C. FISHER, PRESIDENT OF THE CANAL COMPANY. THE PROJECT WAS CARRIED TO COMPLETION BUT IT WAS NOT A FINANCIAL SUCCESS. THE CANAL WAS EVENTUALLY TAKEN OVER BY THE U.S. GOVERNMENT AND CONVERTED INTO A SEA-LEVEL CANAL.
EDITION & STATE INFO : ONLY A SINGLE EDITION AND STATE WAS PUBLISHED.
HFC OWNERSHIP DATA : THE HUNTINGFIELD COLLECTION HAS A FAIR BLACK AND WHITE COPY WHICH HAS BEEN DETACHED FROM THE VOLUME IN WHICH IT APPEARS FOR CONSERVATION PURPOSES. IT HAS A TEAR OF APPROXIMATELY 1" IN THE BOTTOM RIGHT CORNER, WHERE IT WAS ATTACHED. A SECOND TEAR IS 1/2" THROUGH THE NEAT LINE AT THE BOTTOM NEAR CHESTERTOWN. THERE ARE OTHER SMALL MARGINAL TEARS, NOT AFFECTING THE DATA. IT HAS AN ACQ. # OF CL013-HDH* AND A MDHR # OF G1399-667.
BIBLIGRAPHICAL REFS. : WILLIAM DARBY, GEOGRAPHICAL, HISTORICAL AND STATISTICAL REPOSITORY, VOL. I - NO. II, PHILADELPHIA, OCTOBER, 1824.
March 23, 1989
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