Everything about The Chesapeake And Ohio Canal National Historical Park totally explained
The
Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park is a
United States National Historical Park located in the
District of Columbia and the states of
Maryland and
West Virginia. The park was established as a
National Monument in 1961 by President
Dwight D. Eisenhower in order to preserve the neglected remains of the
Chesapeake and Ohio Canal along the
Potomac River along with many of the original
canal structures. The canal and
towpath trail extends from
Georgetown, Washington, D.C. to
Cumberland, Maryland, a distance of 184.5 miles (296.9 km).
The Chesapeake and Ohio Canal
Construction on the
Chesapeake and Ohio Canal (also known as "the Grand Old Ditch" or the "C&O Canal") began in
1828 but wasn't completed until
1850. Even then, the canal fell far short of its intended destination of
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Instead, the canal terminated at
Cumberland, Maryland for a total distance of approximately 184.5 miles (295.2 km). The canal was already considered obsolete by the time it was completed because a
railroad line had arrived in Cumberland eight years before the canal was finally finished. The C&O Canal operated from
1836 to
1924 and served primarily as a means to transport
coal from the
Allegheny Mountains to Washington D.C. The canal was closed in
1924 in part due to several severe
floods that had a devastating impact on the financial condition of the canal.
Creation of the national park
The abandoned canal was purchased in
1938 by the
United States Government and placed under the care of the
National Park Service, which planned to restore it as a recreation area. Although the bottom 22 miles of the canal were repaired and rewatered, the project was halted when the United States entered
World War II and resources were needed elsewhere. After the war, Congress expressed interest in developing the canal and towpath as a
parkway. However, the idea of turning the canal over to automobiles was opposed by some, including
United States Supreme Court Associate Justice William O. Douglas. In March
1954, Douglas led an eight-day hike of the towpath from Cumberland to D.C. Although 58 people participated in one part of the hike or another, only nine men, including Douglas, hiked the full 182 miles. Popular response to and press coverage of the hike turned the tide against the parkway idea and, on January 8,
1971, the canal was designated a
National Historical Park.
The park today
Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park now receives more than three million recreation visits annually. The National Park Service operates
visitor centers at six different locations along the canal:
Georgetown,
Great Falls Tavern,
Brunswick,
Williamsport,
Hancock, and
Cumberland. These visitor centers have displays and interpretive exhibits on the history of the C&O Canal.
Visitors can also experience the canal by taking a ride on one of the park's two mule-powered canal boats. These restored boats operate during the summer months at both Great Falls and Georgetown.
The old canal towpath now provides a way for hikers and bikers to see the beautiful Potomac River Valley. A small portion of the towpath near
Harpers Ferry National Historical Park doubles as a section of the
Appalachian Trail.
Flooding continues to threaten historical structures on the canal and attempts at restoration. In January
1996, a major flood of the Potomac River inflicted extensive damage on the canal and some of the associated structures. The Park Service has rewatered portions of the canal, but the majority of the canal doesn't have water in it.
Photo gallery
Image:canal_swains_lock_20040911_121236_2.jpg|Canal at Swain's Lock
Image:CandOCanalBoat.jpg|Canal boat along the C&O Canal near Great Falls
Image:C&O Canal - Lock 28.jpg|Lock 28 near Point of Rocks, Maryland
Image:C&O Canal - Lock 33.jpg|Lock 33 near Harpers Ferry, West Virginia
Image:C&O Canal - Cushwa Visitor Center.jpg|Cushwa Basin and Visitor Center at Williamsport, Maryland
Image:C&O Canal - Conococheague Creek Aqueduct.jpg|Conococheague Creek Aqueduct in Williamsport, Maryland
Image:C&O Canal - Paw Paw Tunnel.jpg|Paw Paw Tunnel near Paw Paw, West Virginia
Image:C&O Canal - Town Creek Aqueduct.jpg|Town Creek Aqueduct in Allegany County, Maryland
Image:C&O Canal - Lock 69 Pool.jpg|Lock 69 pool at Oldtown, Maryland
Further Information
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