A comprehensive guide to one of America's unique national parks,The C and O Canal Companion takes readers on a mile-by-mile, lock-by-lock tour of the 184-mile Potomac River waterway and towpath that stretches from Washington, D.C., to Cumberland, Maryland, and the Allegheny Mountains. Making extensive use of records at the National Archives and the C and O Canal Park Headquarters, Mike High demonstrates how events and places along the canal relate to the history of the nation, from Civil War battles and river crossings to the frontier forts guarding the route to the West. Using attractive photographs and drawings, he introduces park visitors to the hidden history along the canal and provides practical advice on cycling, paddling, and hikingall the information needed to fully enjoy the park's varied delights. Thoroughly overhauled and expanded, the second edition of this popular, fact-packed book features updated maps and photographs, as well as the latest information on lodgings and other facilities for hikers, bikers, and campers on weekend excursions or extended outdoor vacations. It also delves deeper into the history of the upland region, relaying new narratives about Native American settlements, the European explorers and traders who were among the first settlers, and the lives of slaves and free blacks who lived along or escaped slavery via the canal.Visitors to the C and O Canal who are interested in exploring natural wonders while tracing the routes of pioneers and engineersnot to mention the path of George Washington, who explored the Potomac route to the West as a young man and later laid out the first canals to make the river navigablewill find this guide indispensable.
Preface to the 2015 Edition Acknowledgments Maps, Mileages, and Method One. Historical Sketch I. The Potomac Frontier to 1784 1. Early Exploration and Settlement 2. The Ohio Company Expands the Frontier 3. The French and Indian War 4. War for Independence II. Opening the Route to the West, 17841859 1. Washington Founds the Patowmack Company 2. The Patowmack Company in the Era of ""Internal Improvements"" 3. Building the C&O Canal, 18281850 4. The Canal and the Antebellum River III. The Civil War along the Canal and the River, 18591865 1. Lock Tender and Spy, 18581859 2. Harpers Ferry, Bull Run, and Ball's Bluff, 1861 3. Antietam and J. E. B. Stuart's Second Ride aroundMcClellan, 1862 4. Gettysburg and the Great River Crossings, 1863 5. Jubal Early and Phil Sheridan, 1864 6. War's End, 1865 IV. The Railroad Era and the Decline of the Canal, 1865to the Present 1. Reconstruction on the Potomac 2. Railroad Wars and Boom Times for the Canal 3. The B&O Railroad Takes Over the Canal, 18891892 4. From Coxey's Army to Jim Crow 5. Gould and Rockefeller Build a New Route to the West, 19021912 6. The Last Flood Suspends Canal Operations, 19241938 7. The Douglas Walk Leads to a National Park, 19451971 Two. Trail Guide I. The Falls Region II. The Piedmont and the Sugar Lands III. The Blue Ridge and the Great Valley IV. The Endless Mountains Three. Structures and Industry along the Canal I. The Canal Prism II. Locks 1. Levels and Lift Locks 2. Lockhouses 3. Other Structures III. Maintaining the Level 1. Feeder Dams and Guard Locks 2. Flumes and Waste Weirs 3. Stop Gates and Spillways IV. Intersections 1. Aqueducts 2. Culverts 3. Bridges and River Locks V. Moving Parts 1. Canal Boats 2. Mules VI. Water Industry 1. Ferries 2. Mills 3. Cement and Lime Industry 4. Ironworking A Note on Sources Suggested Further Reading Quick Reference to Canal Landmarks and Access Points
