Final Report Historical Structures Assessment Report for the Muddy ...

Historic Structures Assessment Report for the Muddy Run Pumped Storage Facility Project Relicensing Application
Lancaster and York Counties, Pennsylvania
The Federal and Antebellum Periods (1783-1840)
Castle Fin Forge, located in the southern portion of Lower Chanceford Township, York County on
Muddy Creek, opened in 1810 and was also known as Palmyra Forge (Sheets 1991:56). Lower
Chanceford Township was also the home of York Furnace, which was located on Otter Creek and was in
operation from 1830 to 1875. Sometimes called “Speck,” the furnace produced cannons during the Civil
War (Sheets 1991:57). By the end of the nineteenth century, Lancaster County furnaces and forges on the
Conowingo and Octoraro Creeks were no longer running (Clare 1892:1).
On the western side of the river, in spite of concerted efforts, early settlers in the Peach Bottom area of
York County did not have much luck with growing either rye or wheat. These crops, as well as barley,
grew better in other parts of York County (Sheets 1991:134–137). The abundance of rye and corn in the
surrounding area did, however, give rise to the production and sale of whiskey in York County. In fact,
from 1800–1830, the county led all of Pennsylvania in whiskey production (Sheets 1991:61).
The advent of canals was significant for the shipping industry. In the nineteenth century, canals and later
railroads connected inland cities to those on the coast, fostered western expansion, and encouraged greater
industrial production by facilitating transportation of more goods and raw materials. Large amounts of
coal and lumber were transported on canals in the nineteenth century.
The Susquehanna Canal, also known as the Maryland, Port Deposit, and Conowingo Canal, was opened
to traffic in 1803 and was located on the east bank of the Susquehanna. It ran from the Pennsylvania-
Maryland border south to the outskirts of Port Deposit in Cecil County. It is noted as contributing greatly
to the growth of towns along the Susquehanna, including Port Deposit. (MHT, NHRP Detail Report, Port
Deposit Historic District, CE-1291) The canal included nine locks. In spite of the corporation holding
exclusive rights to the canal and any gristmills or water works built upon it, the canal was not financially
successful (Wilner 1984:5). It was bypassed frequently on the river heading downstream, so not enough
tolls were collected to maintain it properly. The canal was sold at auction in 1817 and was abandoned
when the Susquehanna and Tidewater canal opened in 1840. (Shank 1988)
The Susquehanna and Tidewater Canal (Figure 3-1) was the most significant canal for the area, with a
charter that was approved on April 18, 1835 by the Pennsylvania and Maryland legislatures. In operation
by 1840, it was located on the west bank of the river and went as far north as Wrightsville on the west
side of the Susquehanna in York County, terminating at its southern end at Havre de Grace in Harford
County (Smeltzer 1963:13). Most of the traffic on this canal was going to Baltimore, Philadelphia, and
New York (Smeltzer 1963:42). There was a two-tiered towpath built on the canal; the mules on the lower
walkway went east and the mules on the upper walkway traveled west (Smeltzer 63: 43).
In 1843, groceries were the largest item traveling up the Susquehanna, and to a lesser extent iron
products, coffee, bricks, and dry goods. Coal was the most significant product going down river, in
addition to lumber, bacon, tobacco, and whiskey. The canal had steady traffic; in 1850, there were 1,640
boats towed to Baltimore and 2,560 towed to Philadelphia from Havre de Grace (Shank 1988:6). A count
of four dams, five culverts, 18 overhead bridges, 33 waste-weirs, and six aqueducts were located on the
canal (Shank 2001:71). By 1870, the traffic on the canal began to decline, mostly due to competition
from the railroad (Shank 1988:7).
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