Swimming quietly over a blanket of Wrightsville's fallen yellow leaves, mallard ducks are the only signs of activity now.
The Susquehanna and Tidewater Canal was much busier when completed in 1840, but its heyday lasted only a few years. Competition from railroads, which transported much of the same freight the canals did-- and cheaper and quicker-- the Civil War and bad weather sped the canal's failure.Click here for another site.
"This canal served as an extension to tide-water of the Pennsylvania canal system. Two distinct companies were organized for this purpose, one in the State of Pennsylvania (the Susquehanna Canal Company), the other in Maryland (Tide-water Canal Company); but the first of these absorbed the second by stock purchase, so that the Susquehanna Canal Company was the real owner of both lines.
The maximum tonnage of 528,000 was in 1864, and since that time the railroad competition caused steady decrease in tonnage till the canal was abandoned in 1895.
During the latter years of this canal, it was operated by the Philadelphia and Reading Railroad Company, which leased the canal in 1872 at an annual rental of $7,000, plus the interest on the canal bonds, plus one-half the net revenue of the canal, with three per cent guaranteed on the capital stock." from http://www.history.rochester.edu/canal/bib/whitford/old1906/vol2/Part4-1-1.htm
Photo taken at 1/30, f16, 400 ISO and 300mm.
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