The Chesapeake and Ohio Canal was a crucial part of an economic network stretching from Cumberland to the tidewater ports of Georgetown and Alexandria. Its financial security depended on the prosperity of nearby towns, businesses, and industries, so a poor crop in the Potomac Valley or a miner's strike in the Cumberland coal fields reduced revenue from transporting flour or coal. At the same time, towns along the canal route such as Hancock, Maryland relied on the canal for employment and supplemental income, while regular purchases of food, supplies, and feed by canallers boosted the local economy.
