Chesapeake and Ohio Canal

(Redirected from C&O canal)

Canal at Swain's Lock

The Chesapeake and Ohio Canal, also known as the C&O Canal, operated from 1850 until 1924 parallel to the Potomac River in Maryland from Cumberland, Maryland to Washington, DC. The total length of the canal is about 182 miles (300 km). The elevation change of 605 ft (185 m) was accommodated with 74 lift locks. To enable the canal to cross relatively small streams, over 150 culverts were built. The crossing of major streams required the construction of 11 aqueducts (10 of which remain). The canal also extends through the 3120 ft (950 m) Paw Paw Tunnel. The principal cargo was coal from the Allegheny Mountains. The canal way is now maintained as a park, with a linear trail following the old towpath, the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park.

Civilian Conservation Corps workers restoring the canal in 1939

George Washington had a large part in its creation. George Washington founded the Potomac Company in 1785 to make improvements to the Potomac River in order to improve its navigability. The Potomac Company built a number of skirting canals around the major falls including the Patowmack Canal in Virginia. When completed it allowed boats and rafts to float downstream towards Georgetown. Going upstream was a bit harder. Slim boats could be slowly poled up-river. In 1824, the holdings of the Potomac Company were ceded to the Chesapeake and Ohio Company. Construction began with a groundbreaking ceremony on July 4, 1828 by President John Quincy Adams. Ownership of the Canal transferred to the B&O Railroad in 1889 following a major flood. Operations ceased in 1924 after another flood.

The abandoned canal was purchased in 1938 by the United States Government. On January 8, 1971, it was designated a National Historical Park. Presently the park includes nearly 20,000 acres (80 km²) and receives over 3 million recorded visits each year. Flooding continues to threaten historical structures on the canal and attempts at restoration. The Park Service has re-watered portions of the canal, but the majority of the canal does not have water in it.

External links

The Chesapeake and Ohio Canal

Categories: Canals in the United States | Chesapeake Bay Watershed