1924: Canal Goes Out of Business

Lock 3 and empty basin, East & West parallel to M Street Northwest, Washington, D.C.

Courtesy of the Library of Congress.

After taking over creditorship of the Chesapeake and Ohio (C&O) Canal, the Baltimore & Ohio (B&O) Railroad continued to operate the Canal for a little over 30 years (Canal History: Decline and Eventual Closing of the C&O Canal. (n.d.) and Today in History - October 10: The C&O Canal, (n.d.)). However, in 1924, another costly flood caused enough damage to discontinue boating operations entirely. With the increased interest in trucks and railroads as the favored choice of transportation, the coal industry in Western Maryland began to decline and failed to turn a profit (Canal History: Decline and Eventual Closing of the C&O Canal. (n.d.)). This led the B&O Railroad to abandon the C&O Canal (Today in History - October 10: The C&O Canal, (n.d.)).

 

For more information about flooding at the C&O Canal and specifically the 1924 Flood, visit:

• Flooding - Chesapeake & Ohio Canal National Historical Park
• Canal History: Flooding and Its Effects on the Canal
• Flood of 1889 and New Creditorship - Chesapeake & Ohio Canal National Historical Park
• Newspaper Reports – C&O Canal Association
  • Canal Trade - 1924

 

Action Challenge:

Other than trucks, what other types of transportation during this time would have contributed to the decline of the canal?

Research transportation during the 1920s & 1930s or use the links in the resources below and share a picture of the mode of transportation with us on social media, using #FindYourPark, #candocanal and tag us @COcanalNPS.

 

References

Canal History: Decline and Eventual Closing of the C&O Canal. (n.d.). Retrieved from Canal Trust: https://www.canaltrust.org/about-us/about-the-co-canal/history/canal-history-decline-and-eventual-closing-of-the-co-canal/

Today in History - October 10: The C&O Canal. (n.d.). Retrieved from Library of Congress: https://www.loc.gov/item/today-in-history/october-10

Historic American Buildings Survey, C., Wright, B., Fisk, C. B., Washington, G., Mercer, C. C., Adams, J. Q. [...] Gwin, W. R., Eisenman, G., photographer. (1933) Chesapeake & Ohio Canal, Georgetown Section, East & West parallel to M Street Northwest, Washington, District of Columbia, DC. Washington D.C. Washington, 1933. Documentation Compiled After. [Photograph] Retrieved from the Library of Congress, https://www.loc.gov/item/dc0053/.

Transportation - The Great Depression (1929-1939)