Existing comment:
Construction and Operation of the Chesapeake & Ohio Canal
Construction of the canal began in 1828. Thousands of men, primarily immigrants, performed the backbreaking, dangerous work of digging and blasting through soil and rock. The skilled laborers, including stonemasons, carpenters, and blacksmiths created the dams, locks, culverts, aqueducts, and the Paw Paw Tunnel. Though each section of the canal started operating as it was completed, the entire route between Cumberland and Georgetown officially opened on October 10, 1850. After years of decreasing profits and devastating floods, operation of the canal ceased in 1924.
The Potomac River was both friend and foe. Built in the river's floodplain to take advantage of the constant water supply, the canal also suffered devastating damage during floods. Shortly after two such floods in 1924, the canals closed for good.
The New Deal Program gave the canal new life. Aimed at creating work opportunities for young men, the Public Works Administration (PWA) and Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) restored the first 22 miles of the canal.
In 1954, Justice William O'Douglas [sic] invited the editors of the Washington Post and others to hike the full length of the canal. The eight-day hike spurred the popular movement to preserve the canal and in 1971, it became a National Historic Park. |