 |
0 |
02-Aug-98 |
Tidewater lock, Georgetown. Under construction when I was there, and
inaccessible. |
 |
0.3 |
02-Aug-98 |
Me, in front of the Georgetown Area sign. |
 |
0.38 |
02-Aug-98 |
Lock No. 1, Georgetown. |
 |
0.42 |
02-Aug-98 |
Looking towards Locks 2 and 3. Object in the water is probably the support for
the boat during the winter. |
 |
0.79 |
02-Aug-98 |
"The Georgetown" and its mules. |
 |
0.84 |
02-Aug-98 |
Footbridge over canal. |
 |
3.13 |
02-Aug-98 |
Abner Cloud house, one of the oldest structures along the canal, constructed in
1801. |
 |
4 |
02-Aug-98 |
One of the original mile markers, next to one of the new ones. Carved on the
stone is"[4] Miles to W[ashington]. C[ity]." Other mile markers can be found at Miles 9 and
22. |
 |
4 |
02-Aug-98 |
View of the Potomac near Mile 4. |
 |
5.02 |
02-Aug-98 |
Inlet Lock No. 1, and Lock No. 5. Cornerstone of Lock 5 was laid by President
John Quincy Adams in 1829. |
 |
0 |
02-Aug-98 |
Shadow of a tree on the algae covering the canal. |
 |
7 |
02-Aug-98 |
Lock 7 (?), with drop-type gate. |
 |
9 |
02-Aug-98 |
Old Mile Marker 9; inscription reads 9 Miles to W[ashington]. C[ity]. |
 |
11 |
02-Aug-98 |
View of Potomac through the trees, around Mile 11. |
 |
13.74 |
02-Aug-98 |
Stop lock, constructed in 1852, restored in the fall of 1972. The rest of the
planks for the stop lock are to the left of the towpath. When flood threatens, the planks can
be placed in the grooves to either side of the lock, and the flood waters are diverted away from
the
downstream canal. |
 |
14 |
02-Aug-98 |
The Potomac, just below Great Falls. In times of low water, as this was, it is
possible to walk through the channel to the islands on the right of the picture. |
 |
14.17 |
02-Aug-98 |
Lock 19 (?), just below Great Falls Tavern. |
 |
14.3 |
02-Aug-98 |
Great Falls Tavern, constructed c. 1828-29. In the foreground is "The Canal
Clipper," to the left of the picture is Lock 20. |
 |
15 |
02-Aug-98 |
Scenery reflected in the canal somewhere near Mile 15. |
 |
17.54 |
03-Aug-98 |
View of the canal and towpath from the bridge of the WSSC plant. |
 |
18.86 |
03-Aug-98 |
Sharp bend in the towpath around rocky cliff. |
 |
19.63 |
03-Aug-98 |
Pennyfield Lock (No. 22). President Cleveland stayed here often, as this area
was one of his favorite locations for bass fishing. |
 |
22.12 |
03-Aug-98 |
Violette's Lock (Lock No. 23) and Inlet Lock No. 2. |
 |
22.82 |
03-Aug-98 |
Riley's Lock (Lock No. 24). On weekends during the warmer months, local girl
scouts give guided tours of the lock house, which has been restored to its original condition. |
 |
22.82 |
03-Aug-98 |
Ornamental stone cap on lower end of Seneca Aqueduct. Inscription reads
"1889 Jun[e] 2, J W Fisher." The inscription was made by the lock tender to mark the high water
mark of the flood that year. |
 |
22.82 |
03-Aug-98 |
Seneca aqueduct. Constructed of red Seneca sandstone, quarried just upstream
from here. The far end of the aqueduct was destroyed by high water and debris on 11 September
1971.The Park Service stabilized the aqueduct after this flood, and it was not damaged
by hurricane Agnes in 1972. |
 |
30.64 |
04-Aug-98 |
Goose Creek River Locks. The locks here provided access to the canal from
the Potomac, and from Goose Creek on the Virginia side. According to Hahn, there is no record
of any canal boat passing into the Potomac through this lock. |
 |
30.84 |
04-Aug-98 |
Ruins of a canal country store, closed in 1906. |
 |
30.84 |
04-Aug-98 |
Lock house at Edwards Ferry (Lock No. 25). |
 |
31.94 |
04-Aug-98 |
Broad Run Trunk. Originally designed as a double culvert, which was
destroyed by flood in 1846. The Canal Co. replaced it with an aqueduct made of wood. Known to
the Park Service as the "Mystery Aqueduct," since it was not officially designated as one. |
 |
35.49 |
04-Aug-98 |
Remains of iron and wood bridge over the canal at Whites Ferry. Built in 1855
or 1856, and rebuilt in 1876. Before then, access to the ferry was provided via a culvert under the
canal. |
 |
35.49 |
04-Aug-98 |
Cars crossing on the Jubal A. Early at Whites Ferry. This is the last regular
ferry operating on the Potomac. |
 |
41.46 |
04-Aug-98 |
Lock No. 27 (Spinks Ferry), probably completed in 1831 and stabilized in
1985. |
 |
42.19 |
04-Aug-98 |
Monocacy Aqueduct (No. 2). One of the most beautiful structures along the
C&O, now encased in a metal truss to stabilize it. Construction began in 1829 and completed
in 1833. |
 |
42.19 |
04-Aug-98 |
A view of the Monocacy Aqueduct, showing the iron railing on the right. The
wooden planks on the towpath are part of the metal truss. |
 |
47.65 |
05-Aug-98 |
Sun shining through the trees at Calico Rocks campground. |
 |
48.2 |
05-Aug-98 |
Remains of the old pivot bridge at Point of Rocks. The bridge could turn out of
the way on its central pier. Nothing remains of the pivot mechanism. Built in the 1830s, rebuilt in
1844 and 1852. |
 |
48.4 |
05-Aug-98 |
Point of Rocks Railroad Tunnel. Opened in 1868, rebuilt in 1909. Originally
built to hold two tracks. When the B&O deeded the canal property to the federal government in
1938, it retained enough canal land to add a second track outside the tunnel, which it finally did in
the 1960s. The tracks in the tunnel were replaced by one track, which made room for larger
cars. |
 |
51.53 |
05-Aug-98 |
Railroad bridge across Catoctin Creek. |
 |
51.53 |
05-Aug-98 |
Remains of the Catoctin Creek Aqueduct, destroyed by flood in 1973. |
 |
58.01 |
05-Aug-98 |
Lock 31 (Weverton), with lock house in the background. Lock was completed
in 1833. |
 |
60 |
05-Aug-98 |
The Potomac near Harpers Ferry. |
 |
60 |
05-Aug-98 |
The Potomac near Harpers Ferry. The bridge for U.S. 340 is in the
background. |
 |
60.6 |
05-Aug-98 |
Harpers Ferry, WV, from the towpath. The two railroad bridges are to the
right, the piers to the left of the railroad bridges are the remains of a bridge washed out in 1936.
To the right is the Potomac, to the left is the Shenandoah. |
 |
60.7 |
05-Aug-98 |
Harpers Ferry railroad bridge. |
 |
60.7 |
06-Aug-98 |
The view from Jefferson Rock, in Harpers Ferry. The Shenandoah River, on the
right, meets the Potomac River, on the left. |
 |
60.7 |
06-Aug-98 |
Lock 33, opposite Harpers Ferry. This area was severely damaged in the flood
of January 1996. |
 |
62.27 |
06-Aug-98 |
Feeder Dam No. 3. (?) |
 |
62.33 |
06-Aug-98 |
Lock No. 35, showing the drydock used in the 1800s for repairing canal boats.
A boat was let into the enclosure, then the water was let out, leaving the canal boat resting on the
concrete beams. |
 |
65.21 |
06-Aug-98 |
Limestone kilns, used until about 1960. |
 |
69.36 |
06-Aug-98 |
Antietam Aqueduct, No. 4. |
 |
72.48 |
06-Aug-98 |
Trestle of Norfolk and Western Railroad, built c. 1908. |
 |
72.65 |
06-Aug-98 |
Shepherdstown River Lock. Lock gave boats from Shepherdstown access to
the canal; used until 1889. |
 |
72.65 |
06-Aug-98 |
Two of five stone piers of old Shenandoah Valley Railroad bridge across the
Potomac, built in 1880. The piers rest on wood cribbing; now that Dam No. 3 is no longer
extant, the wood cribbing is rotting. On the West Virginia side is a monument to James
Rumsey, who demonstrated his steamboat here in December of 1787. |
 |
80 |
07-Aug-98 |
Culvert around Mile 80 (?). |
 |
84.4 |
07-Aug-98 |
Winch house at Dam No. 4. In case of a break in the canal downstream,
winches in the winch house could close a stop gate here. |
 |
84.4 |
07-Aug-98 |
Dam No. 4. The first dam was begun in 1832 and completed in 1834. A new
dam was constructed in 1856; the present dam was begun in 1906 and completed in 1909.
The generating plant on the West Virginia side uses horizontal shaft turbines connected by rope
drive to horizontal shaft generators, probably the last such plant in the U.S. |
 |
88 |
07-Aug-98 |
The towpath becomes very narrow and choked with poison ivy at the Big
Slackwater area, and hikers and bicyclists are urged to follow a 4.8-mile detour around the area.
This is one of the buildings along the detour. |
 |
88 |
07-Aug-98 |
A field along the Big Slackwater detour. |
 |
88.1 |
07-Aug-98 |
The Big Slackwater area, as seen from the upper end. |
 |
88.28 |
07-Aug-98 |
Howell Cave, also known as McMahons Mill Cave. |
 |
88.5 |
07-Aug-98 |
Towpath along Big Slackwater area. Canal has not yet resumed. |
 |
91.5 |
07-Aug-98 |
Cliffs along WV side of river. |
 |
92.46 |
07-Aug-98 |
Lock No. 43, with lock gates in foreground and lock house in
background. |
 |
99.6 |
08-Aug-98 |
Stone wall on berm side of canal just below Williamsport. |
 |
99.69 |
08-Aug-98 |
Railroad lift bridge across canal, built in 1923. This bridge, believed to be
the smallest lift bridge anywhere, allowed railroad cars to transport coal across the canal to the
generating plant. When a canal boat needed to pass, the bridge could be lifted unto allow
sufficient clearance. The canal went out of business one year after the bridge was constructed, and
there is no evidence that it was ever used as intended. Although rusty, it is still in working
order. |
 |
99.7 |
08-Aug-98 |
The Cushwa Loading Basin at Williamsport. Once a loading area for coal, now
turned into a C&O visitors' center. |
 |
99.8 |
08-Aug-98 |
Conococheague Aqueduct (No. 5). The right side of the aqueduct was
destroyed in 1920, when it was hit by a canal boat. A wooden wall was constructed in its place,
which was used until the canal closed in 1924. |
 |
99.8 |
08-Aug-98 |
Me, standing in the Conococheague Aqueduct. |
 |
102 |
08-Aug-98 |
Cliffs on berm side of canal near Mile 102. |
 |
103 |
08-Aug-98 |
Fungus on trees in canal bed. |
 |
103 |
08-Aug-98 |
Towpath near Williamsport. |
 |
105.3 |
08-Aug-98 |
Culvert over Little Conococheague Creek, built 1833-34. |
 |
106.8 |
08-Aug-98 |
Lockhouse at Dam No. 5. |
 |
106.8 |
08-Aug-98 |
Inlet Lock No. 5. |
 |
106.8 |
08-Aug-98 |
Dam No. 5, originally constructed 1833-35. Potomac Edison power plant was
completed in 1918 and abandoned in 1924. |
 |
107 |
08-Aug-98 |
Towpath near Dam. No. 5 and Two Locks. |
 |
107.27 |
08-Aug-98 |
Lock No. 45 (?). Canal resumes here after using slackwater area above Dam
No. 5. |
 |
107.27 |
08-Aug-98 |
Another view of Lock No. 45 (?). Canal resumes here after using slackwater
area above Dam No. 5. |
 |
108.5 |
08-Aug-98 |
Ruins of stone building near Four Locks. |
 |
108.8 |
08-Aug-98 |
Locks 49 (foreground) and 50 of Four Locks. Building on the berm side of
Lock 50 is a lack tender's wait house. |
 |
112.5 |
08-Aug-98 |
Big Pool. Instead of constructing a canal at this point, the engineers decided to
create a lake using a natural ridge. |
 |
113.9 |
08-Aug-98 |
The upper end of Big Pool. |
 |
116.04 |
09-Aug-98 |
Licking Creek Aqueduct (No. 6), said to be the largest built in the U.S. Built
from 1835-39 of inferior limestone, which was already beginning to deteriorate by 1870.
Now stabilized with iron ties and clamps. |
 |
118.46 |
09-Aug-98 |
Waste weir, unusual in that it drains from the berm side of the canal into a
culvert. Waste weirs were used to drain excess water from the canal into the Potomac. |
 |
122.51 |
09-Aug-98 |
Me, at Lock 51 |
 |
122.59 |
09-Aug-98 |
Stone of Lock House 51. The inscription on the stone reads D.R. 1843,
surrounded by a row of Xs and stars. Upton Rowland was the locktender here from 1840 to
1848. |
 |
122.89 |
09-Aug-98 |
Lock No. 52, with Tonoloway Creek Aqueduct in the background. |
 |
122.89 |
09-Aug-98 |
Flowers at the edge of Lock No. 52. |
 |
122.96 |
09-Aug-98 |
Little Tonoloway Creek aqueduct (No. 7). |
 |
125 |
09-Aug-98 |
Great blue heron in canal bed near Hancock. |
 |
126 |
09-Aug-98 |
Towpath near Hancock. |
 |
127.4 |
09-Aug-98 |
Cement kilns (five of eight) at Round Top Cement Mill. |
 |
127.4 |
09-Aug-98 |
Round Top Cement Mill. Began operating in 1837, burned in 1903, rebuilt, and
finally closed in 1909. |
 |
127.4 |
09-Aug-98 |
Rock formation near Round Top Cement Mill. |
 |
127.4 |
09-Aug-98 |
Chimney and part of the walls of the Round Top Cement Mill. |
 |
131 |
10-Aug-98 |
Low-lying clouds over WV ridge. May be Great Cacapon, at over 1800 feet,
the tallest ridge that the canal passes. |
 |
132 |
10-Aug-98 |
Culvert and mosses. |
 |
133.5 |
10-Aug-98 |
Looking downstream at the Potomac near the junction with the Cacapon
River. |
 |
133.55 |
10-Aug-98 |
Railroad bridge over the Cacapon River. |
 |
134 |
10-Aug-98 |
Clouds passing over a ridge in West Virginia. |
 |
134.06 |
10-Aug-98 |
Guard Lock No. 6. Dam No. 6 was completed in April, 1839; made of wood
filled with rocks. The dam was damaged by floods in 1877, 1886, 1889, 1936, and 1942. It also
burned in 1936. From 1842 to 1850, this was the head of the canal, as the final fifty miles had not
been completed. |
 |
134.06 |
10-Aug-98 |
Part of Dam No. 6. |
 |
134.06 |
10-Aug-98 |
Guard Lock No. 6. |
 |
134.23 |
10-Aug-98 |
Polly Pond, at the mouth of Long Hollow. The railroad piers are far enough
apart to allow canal boats to pass between them into the pool to turn around. |
 |
134.23 |
10-Aug-98 |
Polly Pond, seen from the top of the railroad bridge. |
 |
136.56 |
10-Aug-98 |
Sideling Hill Creek Aqueduct (No. 8), completed in 1848; a single span of 110
feet. This creek marks the border between Washington County (downstream) and Allegheny
County(upstream). |
 |
140.9 |
10-Aug-98 |
Fifteenmile Creek Aqueduct (No. 9). Completed c. 1850; single span of 110
feet. |
 |
144.5 |
11-Aug-98 |
Devils Alley hiker-biker campsite. |
 |
145 |
11-Aug-98 |
Cliffs on berm side of canal near Devils Alley campsite. |
 |
146.56 |
11-Aug-98 |
Lock No. 59. Locks in the area were built of rubble lined with treated wood.
Although this method was less expensive in the short run, it led to increased maintenance
costs. |
 |
147.18 |
11-Aug-98 |
Western Maryland Railroad trestle across towpath. |
 |
150 |
11-Aug-98 |
Turtles sunning on logs in the canal bed. The canal holds water here, and the
logs provide perfect basking places for the multitudes of turtles, also known as "sliders,"that live
here. They tend to disappear whenever any hiker is nearby, especially hikers with cameras. |
 |
151 |
11-Aug-98 |
View of towpath and canal near Mile 151. |
 |
152 |
11-Aug-98 |
Folds in rock on berm side of canal. |
 |
154 |
11-Aug-98 |
Deer in canal bed. |
 |
154 |
11-Aug-98 |
Deer running away from me near Sorrel Ridge. |
 |
154.14 |
11-Aug-98 |
Sorrel Ridge Hiker/Biker campground. |
 |
154.16 |
11-Aug-98 |
Lift Lock No. 62. Lock tender Joe Davis and his wife were shot to death here
in 1934. |
 |
154.2 |
11-Aug-98 |
Beaver dam near Sorrel Ridge. |
 |
154.29 |
11-Aug-98 |
Waste weir, rebuilt in 1979. |
 |
154.3 |
11-Aug-98 |
Beaver swimming in water above beaver dam. |
 |
154.6 |
11-Aug-98 |
Lock No. 64 2/3. An "economy" lock, lined with wood. The Canal Company
decided not to build Lock No. 65, and rather then re-number all the locks from here, they
numbered these locks Nos. 62, 63 1/3, 64 2/3, and 66. |
 |
154.8 |
11-Aug-98 |
Approaching the Paw Paw tunnel. The trail off to the left leads up and over
Tunnel Hill. |
 |
155.1 |
11-Aug-98 |
Approaching the Paw Paw tunnel. In addition to boring through the side of the
mountain to create the tunnel, the Canal Company had to make a cut in the mountain approaching
the tunnel. The total volume of rock removed at this end was 120,000 cubic yards. |
 |
155.1 |
11-Aug-98 |
The berm side of the canal near the Paw Paw tunnel. |
 |
155.2 |
11-Aug-98 |
The boardwalk on the North (downstream) end of the Paw Paw tunnel. |
 |
155.2 |
11-Aug-98 |
The North (downstream) entrance to the Paw Paw tunnel. Rather than follow
the Potomac along a 6-mile bend, the engineers decided to tunnel through the side of a
mountain. Construction was begun in 1836, and was scheduled to be completed in 1838. The
work proved to be much harder than anticipated, and the tunnel was not completed until
1850.The
tunnel is 3,118 feet long, and is in very good shape. |
 |
155.2 |
11-Aug-98 |
Just inside the entrance to the Paw Paw tunnel. The wooden railing protected
the tunnel and canal boats from damage. |
 |
155.3 |
11-Aug-98 |
A weep hole in the Paw Paw tunnel. The designers of the tunnel left holes in the
sides to let water seeping through the mountain drain into the canal. |
 |
155.5 |
11-Aug-98 |
Railing in the Paw Paw tunnel. The south portal is to the left of the
picture. |
 |
155.5 |
11-Aug-98 |
Mushrooms growing at the edge of the towpath in the tunnel. |
 |
155.78 |
11-Aug-98 |
The south portal of the tunnel, looking upstream. |
 |
157.4 |
12-Aug-98 |
The Potomac at Purslane Run hiker biker campground, on a misty
morning. |
 |
162.34 |
12-Aug-98 |
Town Creek Aqueduct (No. 10). One 100-foot span. According to Hahn,
"Much of the aqueduct was rebuilt in 1977 and is now in a stabilized condition, though the
appearance is lacking in authenticity and somewhat in sensitivity." |
 |
164.82 |
12-Aug-98 |
Lock No. 68, as seen from the Potomac Forks hiker-biker campground. |
 |
164.82 |
12-Aug-98 |
Potomac Forks. To the left is the South Branch of the Potomac; to the right,
the North Branch. If the North Branch (shorter than the South Branch, but which carries more
water) had not been accepted as the true source of the Potomac, all the area between the
two rivers would be part of Maryland, not West Virginia. The canal company originally planned
to
build Dam. No. 7 here, but discarded the idea in favor of a steam pump. |
 |
165.08 |
12-Aug-98 |
Cliffs on the berm side of the canal, known locally as Falling Rocks. |
 |
166.7 |
12-Aug-98 |
The low-water bridge at Oldtown, once known as the only privately owned
interstate toll bridge in the country. Closed by the State of Maryland in 1995, it was repaired
and opened without tolls. |
 |
167.04 |
12-Aug-98 |
Looking downstream to Lock No. 71 at Oldtown. |
 |
167.5 |
12-Aug-98 |
Alum Hill Deep Cut, above Oldtown. |
 |
169.17 |
12-Aug-98 |
Pigmans Ferry hiker-biker campsite. Normally, the cows are on the other side
of the fence. |
 |
174 |
13-Aug-98 |
Rose mallow among cattails in the canal bed. |
 |
175.6 |
13-Aug-98 |
Lock No. 75, the last lock along the canal. The lock house is made of logs and
wattling, stabilized in 1978. |
 |
180.66 |
13-Aug-98 |
Evits Creek Aqueduct (No. 11). The last aqueduct, and the smallest, with a
single 70-foot span. Completed around 1840, stabilized in 1979 and 1983. |
 |
183.5 |
13-Aug-98 |
The spires of Cumberland beckon. |
 |
184.5 |
13-Aug-98 |
Me, at the end of the trip, next to the final mile marker. |
 |
184.5 |
13-Aug-98 |
Me, at the end of the trip, next to the C&O Terminus sign. |
 |
184.5 |
14-Aug-98 |
The Inn at Walnut Bottom, on Greene Street in Cumberland. |
 |
184.5 |
14-Aug-98 |
The Western Maryland Railroad station, in Cumberland. |
 |
184.5 |
14-Aug-98 |
A water spout for filling the steam engine at Cumberland. |
 |
184.5 |
14-Aug-98 |
Me, at the C&O Terminus sign in Cumberland, the day after I finished the
hike. |
 |
184.5 |
14-Aug-98 |
The guard locks and inlet for Dam No. 8. Nothing remains of the dam, and very
little of the original canal path can be seen in this area. |
 |
184 |
14-Aug-98 |
Looking down the towpath on a misty morning. |
 |
183 |
14-Aug-98 |
Flower along the towpath near Cumberland. |
 |
184.5 |
14-Aug-98 |
A CSX engine, photographed from the Cumberland Amtrak station. |
