BGuthrie Photos: MD -- C&O Canal NHP -- Mile 99.6 -- Williamsport (Maryland)

MD -- C&O Canal NHP -- Mile 99.6 -- Williamsport (Maryland):

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[1] WPORTC_030412_003.JPG	[2] WPORTC_030412_006.JPG	[3] WPORTC_030412_021.JPG	[4] WPORTC_030412_024.JPG
[5] WPORTC_030412_031.JPG	[6] WPORTC_030412_045.JPG	[7] WPORTC_030412_051.JPG	[8] WPORTC_030412_059.JPG
[9] WPORTC_030412_073.JPG	[10] WPORTC_030412_079.JPG	[11] WPORTC_030412_089.JPG	[12] WPORTC_030412_099.JPG
[13] WPORTC_030412_106.JPG

Specific picture descriptions: Photos above with "i" icons next to the bracketed sequence numbers (e.g. "[1] ") are described as follows:
1. WPORTC_030412_003.JPG: This is the Conococheague Creek Aqueduct. It was built in 1834. The C&O Canal had eleven of them between Georgetown and Cumberland, each carrying water over water. This was necessary because there were several large streams which would have interrupted the flow of the water and boats on the C&O Canal. In 1920, a canal boat bumped into the wall of the bridge. The wall collapsed into the river and the boat followed it. No one was hurt but the aqueduct was seriously damaged. It was repaired using a wooden wall but that got wiped out in the flood of 1924 which closed the canal for good. This is why you see this picture of the aqueduct minus one whole wall.
2. WPORTC_030412_024.JPG: On the hill beyond the bridge you can see some cannons. These indicated the position that Abner Doubleday's men took in 1863 when trying to prevent the Army of Northern Virginia from getting across the Potomac River after the battle of Gettysburg. The Confederates succeeded.
3. WPORTC_030412_051.JPG: The concrete structure in the foreground is a water pump. It takes the water from the river and pours it into the canal basin. This was done when the park took it over because regulations require that the canal water be cycled through at least every seven days. Otherwise, the water would become stagnant and breed mosquitoes.
4. WPORTC_030412_059.JPG: This is a railway trestle that goes over the canal. The park would like to extend the canal from the basin to the lock which is after this bridge (beyond the lock is a regular road which would have to be raised if the canal was to be restored beyond that point). While the railroad isn't used anymore, it's officially a historic structure so the park service would have to pay to restore the bridge in order to make the canal work. The park estimates that this alone will cost $600,000. The way the railroad bridge worked was rather clever -- the train tracks actually lifted horizontally straight up when a canal boat had to come through.
5. WPORTC_030412_073.JPG: This is lock #44 in the C&O Canal. There were 75 locks throughout the system.
6. WPORTC_030412_079.JPG: The cement factory, towering over the lock house, was added a bit later in the game.
Wikipedia Description: Williamsport, Maryland
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Williamsport is a town in Washington County, Maryland, United States. The population was 1,868 at the 2000 census and 2,203 as of July 2006. ...

History:

History is ingrained in the culture of Williamsport. The town lies on one of the early Native American trails between New York and the Carolinas. In the mid-1700s, tens of thousands of European settlers and pioneer families with their wagons followed the same route on the Great Wagon Road from Pennsylvania to Virginia and points south and west. In 1744, a ferry was established at the present site of Williamsport to carry the traffic across the Potomac River. Today’s travelers make the crossing on Interstate 81 a mile downriver from the town.

Williamsport has been a careful steward of its historical heritage, and the National Park Service contributes with maintenance of the local section of the C&O Canal National Park. Preservation and restoration projects are always in evidence. The manufacture of handmade and "antique" bricks under the 120-year-old Cushwa name is an integral part of Williamsport’s economy.

With the opening of the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal in the area of 1834, Williamsport became a very popular waterfront town which benefited the economy. But then after a large flood the canals were shut down for good in 1924. The overflowing flooding waters of the River prevented General Robert E. Lee's army, on its retreat from Gettysburg, from crossing and making it safely into Virginia for several days.

There are many other attractions in the town of Williamsport. The Spring House on the historic Springfield farm, is located at the Northern end town. It was built by Col. Thomas Cresap in the late 1600's. It is thought and said to be the first and oldest permanent building in Washington County. Springfield Farm features many other historic structures, such as the Springfield Farm Barn, which is the second oldest barn in the state, The Springfield Farm House(Formally known as The Tenant House), which was built in the 1750's and is thought to be the early residence of town founder Otho Holland Williams, and the Still House, which was used to convert local grain into rye whiskey. George Washington stayed at the Spring House and dined at Springfield Farm when he visited the town on October 14, 1791, while he considered Williamsport as a potential site for the United States capital. Washington was drawn to Williamsport by its wide streets and proximity to the Potomac River. Williamsport was not selected, however, because the Potomac River was not deep enough to handle river traffic, and was instead established in a new federal district, Washington, D.C. Along with Washington another famous person stayed in Williamsport. His name is Abner Doubleday and he is often credited as the inventor of baseball, and he was in the area while a captain in the Union Army during the Civil War. He crossed the Potomac at Williamsport and in 1861 built a breastwork now known as Doubleday Hill at the western end of the Riverview Cemetery. Washington County's first permanent resident, Charles Friend settled with his family at the mouth of the Conococheague Creek in 1732.

Along with the many attractions of Williamsport just like any other town it carries legends and stories with it. Stories and legends that have been passed down from generation to generation. One of the most famous is the one told of the "Veiled Lady" who was once said to dress all in black, roam the town at night and chase children off the streets. The "lady" has been part of the town lore for more than 100 years. The story goes back to the original lady who supposedly was a local woman trying to catch her husband in a love affair. She dressed in black and in a veiled hat as a disguise to spy on her straying mate. The lady has been "reincarnated" from time to time and it remains to go on.

The community was named after Revolutionary War Gen. Otho Holland Williams.
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