Battle at Point of Rocks

Battle at Point of Rocks (HM4R1)

Location: Point of Rocks, MD 21777 Frederick County
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Country: United States of America
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N 39° 16.424', W 77° 32.601'

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Inscription
This [railroad] company was met by the most decided and inveterate opposition, on the part of the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal Company.
Philip E. Thomas, President, Baltimore and Ohio Railroad Company

The proximity of railroad tracks by the canal belies the intense battle over the right-of-way between the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad and the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal. The idea route west lay on this narrow strip of land between the river and the mountains. Both the canal and the railroad were convinced that the land should belong to them.

A bitter four-year battle followed that divided the citizens of Point of Rocks and other towns along the river. Merchants and townspeople were forced to choose between the canal and the new and unproven railroad. Citizens participated in boycotts, refused to sell land, or demanded outrageous purchase prices for their property. By the time the courts finally ruled in the canal's favor in 1832, the canal company had almost gone broke with legal fees. Strapped for cash, the canal company agreed to a compromise. In exchange for funds to continue canal construction, the company allowed the railroad to build next to the canal between Harper's Ferry and Point of Rocks.
Details
HM NumberHM4R1
Series This marker is part of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad (B&O) series, and the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal series.
Tags
Placed ByChesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historic Park - National Park Service - Department of the Interior
Marker ConditionNo reports yet
Date Added Monday, September 22nd, 2014 at 1:22pm PDT -07:00
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Locationbig map
UTM (WGS84 Datum)18S E 280603 N 4350237
Decimal Degrees39.27373333, -77.54335000
Degrees and Decimal MinutesN 39° 16.424', W 77° 32.601'
Degrees, Minutes and Seconds39° 16' 25.44" N, 77° 32' 36.06" W
Driving DirectionsGoogle Maps
Area Code(s)301
Closest Postal AddressAt or near 15025 US-15, Point of Rocks MD 21777, US
Alternative Maps Google Maps, MapQuest, Bing Maps, Yahoo Maps, MSR Maps, OpenCycleMap, MyTopo Maps, OpenStreetMap

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