The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1870-06-25
Sketch Of Port Deposit.

MI. "A. .. BarDer, editor OF the C0nStttn-
tion, IN. j. has been paying Port Deposit
a visit, recently, and gives the following
handsome sketch of the town, its trade and
history
Nesting low down at the mouth of the
noble Susquehanna, just as it debouches
into the Chesapeake, the town stretches
along the shore of the river two and half
miles or more, with a precipitous bluff tow
ering $50 to 200 feet above the wharves,
whose sides clothed with verdure reveal in
exhaustible quantities of granite. On the
opposite shore, seven-eighths of a mile
across are seen the grand old hills and wales
of Hartford, in all the beauty of their vari-
gated verdure of forest and cultivated fields,
dotted with farm-houses. During this, the
rafting season, look when you may, a con-
tinuous stream of RATS Of lumber, some
times numerous fiotillas of them together,
are seen descending the river. And at
night the shad fishermen bespangle its
broad surface with their floating lights.
In our inquiries respecting the origin and
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following facts and incidents, for the most
of which we are indebted to the kindness
of one Of its old and most enterprising cit
liens. 1t may interest the readers of the
river town, where so large portion of the
lumber used in New Jersey is obtained.
Port Deposit is situated at the mouth of
the Susquehanna River, four and half
miles north of Havre de Grace. 1t is, and
has been for the last fifty years, an immense
lumber depot. Prior to 1887, all the iron,
-four, grain, whisky, coal, &C., intended
for market along the coast, was run down
the Susquehanna in RATS, arks, and long
boats, to this place, whence it was shipped
on board Of vessels to Baltimore, Philadel-
phia, New York, Boston, and to all the
towns and cities on the Chesapeake Bay
and its tributaries, as well as to Delaware
Bay. Previous to the war of 1912 with
Great Britain, the village was in its infancy
There were at that time not more than
three houses on this shore. 1t was then
generally known as Creswelrs Ferry, named
after the owner and proprietor, Col. John
Creswell, grandfather of the present Post
Master General. At that time all the RATS,
arks and boats, coming down the river,
followed the natural courses of the current
which led them to the opposite shore, to a
place known as Bells Ferry-now Lapi-
dunn. All the transhipping was done at
that place, although at that early day bust
ness men were attracted to this, the east
side Of the river, on account Of there being
In 1888 there was a charter granted to
company to make canal, called the Sus-
quehanna Canal Company, from this point,
Port Deposit, to the Pennsylvania State
Line, with extraordinary privileges. Though
the company was organized soon after, it
was not until 1909 that the canal was so far
constructed as to permit boats 10 feet wide
to pass through it, thus avoiding many of
the rapids and dangerous falls in this part
Of the river. This improvement drew the
shipping trade to this point, although the
company could not put their canal in the
order required to do the business, which
was all descending trade. The ascending
trade was worth nothing, the experiments
with steam power to ascend all failing.
During the war in 1914, the enemy came
up to Havre lie Grace and burnt several
buildings. They also came up to Bells
Ferry, just opposite Port, where they burnt
a warehouse. Our informant says, there
was then small mud fort at this place
The British intended to come ever to this
side, but owing to ruse practised by an
old gentleman by the name of Johnson,
who was good deal of a wag, they were
dissuaded. He rolled out barrel of whis-
ky, knocked out the head, and invited all
the red coats to come and help themselves,
and then told them not to 90 across the
river to this place, as there was sharp
shooter behind every rock, who could pick
pigeons eye at 300 yards. And sure
enough they didn't come.
After the war it took some time to start
the place. One of the greatest branches of
business, pursued for years, was quarrying
stone to build Notifications. Nearly all the
stone used to build the Rip Raps at the
mouth of James River, and the works at
Fortress Monroe and Gosport Navy Yard,
at Norfolk, were quarried from the side of
these bluffs. This cutting away of the
high bluffs and filling up the river in front,
afforded some room for building. The
town was incorporated about 1920, at which
time cart could not be driven down the
river below where the Farmers and Com
mercial Hotel now stands nearly central in
the town. The only road ran up the hill
side at the above point, out through the
farms beyond. The quarrymen, in 1924,
for their own convenience, made a pass
along the shore as far down as the property
OF John L. Nanneman. In 1928 law was
passed and commissioners appointed to lay
out public highway along the river to
Cully's Run.
All the land lying south of the present
Odd Fellows Hall, was claimed by Mrs.
Sarah Thomas, at whose death the property
was divided, and the hillside down the
of 40 feet front on both sides of the street ::
those on the river were truly water lots,
being almost wholly covered by the river
Those on the hillside were little more than
precipice. The lots lying above or north
of the Hall were laid out 60 feet front, by
Col. John Creswell, long before 1928. But
in that year there were only three houses
Oh the river side Of the street, and not more
than six on the east side of the street.
About this time the Susquehanna Canal
had been put in good manageable order,
and the locks enlarged SO as to pass arks or
RATS 16 feet wide and 90 feet long. The
descending trade became so much increased
that at times it would be filled with arks
and RATS from one end to the other-eight
miles-so that person could walk on RATS
or arks the whole way, except the locks
There were nine lift locks on the canal, six