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.