Chesapeake City and the C&D Canal

Very old Chesapeake City lock – west view, circa 1850. Note bare ground, lack of trees.

Lock and the toll house. Henry Norris collected the tolls for the canal company. Joseph Schaefer’s ship’s chandlery was at top right, with Back Creek in the distance.

Henry Norris and his wife in retirement. They lived on the corner of George Street and 4th street, at the site of the current parking lot of Foard’s funeral home

Chesapeake City and the C&D Canal

Chesapeake City and the C&D Canal

 This is an illustration of the actual and proposed routes of the planners when (in the early 1800s) they decided where to dig the canal from the Chesapeake Bay to the Delaware River. You can notice, at top, a small feeder canal that workers began digging in about 1802. The project was discontinued when a racially motivated fight resulted in the death of one of the workers.

Here’s an illustration showing where the canal was dug through Broad Creek into Delaware.

Chesapeake City

Photos of Old Chesapeake City, Pt 32

Before (left) and after (right) photos of the dynamiting of the lift bridge pillars, looking north towards Lock Street and Kitty Maloney’s house.

Which side of town is the real Tick Town? Some creative person thinks it’s the North Side.

Photos of Old Chesapeake City, Pt 31

The Miss Clare tour boat entering Chesapeake City’s “Basin.”

Six-year-old Ralph Hazel, Jr. aboard the Gotham ferry in 1948. Ralph is now (2014) Capt. Hazel of the Miss Clare tour boat out of Chesapeake City’s Pell Gardens. Note lifeboat at the top right of ferry.

Overhead bridge construction in 1948. I watched them build it from my second grade classroom instead of studying. Ahh, second grade . . .  where I spent the best three years of my life! I used to climb the bridge when it looked like this. I’d walk to the middle edge and kneel so I could watch the ships sail below as I waved from my nose the heavy, black smoke that belched from their smoke stacks.

Chesapeake City

Photos of Old Chesapeake City, Pt 30

Lupfer’s classic tow truck, photo taken at the 1986 Firemen’s parade. The truck was later owned by the Loston family. Photo courtesy of Lewis Collins, Jr.

The Gotham ferry. There was no charge so some of my buddies and I would ride it back and forth just for fun. My girlfriend, Dolores Carlton, rode it to school and back. Capt. Ed Sheridan was its main pilot. He could handle the awkward ferry in bad weather while others struggled. Capt. Ed was a supremely accomplished pilot on the canal and the Chesapeake Bay. After the bridge replaced the ferry, he became captain of the Port Welcome, a luxury liner out of Baltimore.

The approach to the North Side Ferry Slip. Note diesel tank at left and building for people waiting for the ferry’s return. Buddy Carlton said he’d sometimes miss the ferry on purpose for an excuse to be late to school. It’s been 65 years since the ferry left and . . . I’m still envious.

Chesapeake City

Photos of Old Chesapeake City, Pt 29

The destruction of Lift Bridge by the freighter, Franz Klassan, on July 28th, 1942. It changed town forever. The current overhead bridge was completed in 1949.

 

The Victory, a boat used to ferry people across canal before the big ferry (Gotham) arrived. It was used from the summer of 1942 until March of 1943.

The Gotham ferry in the North Side slip. Note Lupfer’s garage at left and houses on Biddle Street at top. Photo courtesy of Lee Collins.

The Jefferson house

Photos of Old Chesapeake City, Pt 27

The Jefferson house is still standing on Biddle Street. Capt. Jefferson piloted a steam tugboat and ran a steam hammer, circa 1910. The house is now (Feb. 2014) the home of Allan and Sharon Taylor.

The Pensel/Dickerson House today. In 1908 my grandmother had her wedding reception there and was embarrassed because the floor collapsed under the weight of the dancers.

Famous Chesapeake City master carpenter, Harry Pensel. He built many Chesapeake City houses.

Photos of Old Chesapeake City

Photos of Old Chesapeake City, Pt 26

  

Canal Street at top right, Rio Theater at bottom left, Walt Coleman’s pool hall (now, 2014, the Shipwatch Inn) at bottom middle, Postell’s soda shop and newsstand and Shine Crawford’s Gulf station (both at bottom right). Can you identify any other historic buildings? Circa 1960.

Canal view with Canal Street at top and the Basin at bottom. Note Corps of Engineers’ buildings at middle and Sisters’ orphanage & barn at very top, looking north, circa 1962.

Wide view of Canal Street from the Hollow to the Reynolds’ property. The large, white, square building was the Pryor property (Tyler Hotel at one time).

Chesapeake City

Photos of Old Chesapeake City, Pt 25

The building that is now the Tap Room (south west corner of Bohemia Avenue and Second Street) was once a thriving bakery own by William Queck. It was also Brambles and for a long while the lower, attached part was Martin’s Tavern. In the early fifties a small restaurant was in the large, main building on the corner. The cook was Howard Carter, who served the best Chili I had ever tasted. Disobeying the rules, we high school students would sneak down there during lunch period so that we could eat Howard’s hot dogs, hamburgers, and Chili. He also served cokes and milk shakes. It was our half-hour gathering place. I played the pinball machine often, and ended up “tilting” it most of the time. The building was probably built in the mid-1800s. About 1915, when they were young boys, my father and Cousin John Sager used to play marbles in the alley right up against the bakery wall. John told me that they liked it there because it was warm and that they enjoyed the aroma from the baking bread. Photo courtesy of Kathy Vaughan Malone.

Charles Queck with his bread wagon, circa 1895. Charles owned a bakery in Elkton and delivered his baked goods in the Elkton area. Can anyone identify the buildings in the background? Photo courtesy of Kathy Vaughan Malone.

Photos of Old Chesapeake City, Pt 25

The building that is now the Tap Room (south west corner of Bohemia Avenue and Second Street) was once a thriving bakery own by William Queck. It was also Brambles and for a long while the lower, attached part was Martin’s Tavern. In the early fifties a small restaurant was in the large, main building on the corner. The cook was Howard Carter, who served the best Chili I had ever tasted. Disobeying the rules, we high school students would sneak down there during lunch period so that we could eat Howard’s hot dogs, hamburgers, and Chili. He also served cokes and milk shakes. It was our half-hour gathering place. I played the pinball machine often, and ended up “tilting” it most of the time. The building was probably built in the mid-1800s. About 1915, when they were young boys, my father and Cousin John Sager used to play marbles in the alley right up against the bakery wall. John told me that they liked it there because it was warm and that they enjoyed the aroma from the baking bread. Photo courtesy of Kathy Vaughan Malone.

  

Charles Queck with his bread wagon, circa 1895. Charles owned a bakery in Elkton and delivered his baked goods in the Elkton area. Can anyone identify the buildings in the background? Photo courtesy of Kathy Vaughan Malone.

Photos of Old Chesapeake City, Pt 24

Queck’s Hotel in 1896, now the site of the Bayard House. The building was constructed about 1780, thus making it the oldest building in Chesapeake City. It had numerous owners, including Bill Harriott, the Fithian family and the Albert Battersby family. In the modern era, famous bartender, Birdie Battersby, worked there for many years. Photo courtesy of Kathy Vaughan Malone.

Bill Queck and family on a Sunday horse-and-buggy ride in 1895. Note the Ericsson Line building and Joseph Schaefer’s ships’ chandlery at left. Mr. Queck was the great grandfather of the current Chesapeake City Vaughns. His bakery is now the site of the Tap Room and will be shown in my next week’s posting. Photo courtesy of Kathy Vaughan Malone.

Canal Street - Old Chesapeake City

Photos of Old Chesapeake City, Pt 23

Canal Street houses, L to R: Toy property, Krastel apartments (Birdy Battersby was born in the right side), Schrader property, Wharton’s, Reynolds’ – circa 1964. Photo courtesy of Lee Collins.

Another view of Canal Street from a painting – L to R: Toy house, Krastel’s, Schrader’s, Wharton’s, Reynold’s.

East End of Canal Street – L to R: Thornton house, Double house (Getchow, Dixon and Au tKate Lloyd), Snyder apartments, Birdy Battersby’s family house. Looking East, circa 1945. Photo courtesy of Lewis Collins, Sr.

Photos of Old Chesapeake City, Pt 21

Photos of Old Chesapeake City, Pt 21

Taggard apartments and Archie Crawford’s Texaco service station in the background - Biddle Street, circa 1960.

Archie Crawford’s service station – note firemen in parade uniforms and the 1924 American La France fire truck, circa 1955. (courtesy of Lewis Collins, Jr.)

Fire at Taggard’s Apartments – note Archie’s Texaco Station at right, circa 1977.

Photos of North Chesapeake City, part 20

Historic Photos of North Chesapeake City, part 20

  

Lift Bridge tender, Edgar Rhoades, circa 1932 – note required uniform. He’s holding daughter, Fay Rhoades. Photo from his son, Freddy. 

Our wonderful teacher, Helen Titter, on the Lift Bridge, circa 1939. She taught me in 6^th grade in the Chesapeake City Elementary School. At that time (1948) the high school was on the 2^nd floor of the same building. She played the piano for us and had us sing along, but I hated those Friday spelling tests! Of coarse, I did learn to spell corectly because of them!

The Girls’ Basketball team, 1948 - Chesapeake City High School, Jeanette Sheridan with ball, Gertrude Sykes at far left and Janet Krastel at far right. Can you name any of the other girls?