The C&O Canal Companion: A Journey through Potomac History

by Mike High

Overview

An indispensable guide to a regional treasure—now thoroughly updated and expanded.

A comprehensive guide to one of America's unique national parks, The C&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&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 hiking—all 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&O Canal who are interested in exploring natural wonders while tracing the routes of pioneers and engineers—not 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 navigable—will find this guide indispensable.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781421415055
Publisher:	Johns Hopkins University Press
Publication date:	02/26/2015
Edition description:	second edition
Pages:	416
Product dimensions:	5.90(w) x 8.90(h) x 1.10(d)
Age Range:	18 Years

About the Author

Mike High holds degrees in English and creative writing from the University of Virginia. His work has appeared in Poets & Writers and the Los Angeles Times, among other publications. He has cycled in many places around the world, but the trail along the C&O Canal remains his favorite ride.

Table of Contents

Preface to the 2015 Edition vii

Acknowledgments ix

Maps, Mileages, and Method x

1 Historical Sketch 1

I The Potomac Frontier to 1784 1

1 Early Exploration and Settlement 1

2 The Ohio Company Expands the Frontier 4

3 The French and Indian War 6

4 War for Independence 9

II Opening the Route to the West, 1784-1859 10

1 Washington Founds the Patowmack Company 10

2 The Patowmack Company in the Era of "Internal Improvements" 13

3 Building the C&O Canal, 1828-1850 17

4 The Canal and the Antebellum River 20

III The Civil War along the Canal and the River, 1859-1865 22

1 Lock Tender and Spy, 1858-1859 22

2 Harpers Ferry, Bull Run, and Ball's Bluff, 1861 23

3 Antietam and J. E. B. Stuart's Second Ride around McClellan, 1862 26

4 Gettysburg and the Great River Crossings, 1863 2 27

5 Jubal Early and Phil Sheridan, 1864 29

6 War's End, 1865 33

IV The Railroad Era and the Decline of the Canal, 1865 to the Present 34

1 Reconstruction on the Potomac 35

2 Railroad Wars and Boom Times for the Canal 36

3 The B&O Railroad Takes Over the Canal, 1889-1892 39

4 From Coxey's Army to Jim Crow 40

5 Gould and Rockefeller Build a New Route to the West, 1902-1912 42

6 The Last Flood Suspends Canal Operations, 1924-1938 43

7 The Douglas Walk Leads to a National Park, 1945-1971 45

2 Trail Guide 49

I The Falls Region 49

II The Piedmont and the Sugar Lands 132

III The Blue Ridge and the Great Valley 195

IV The Endless Mountains 298

3 Structures and Industry along the Canal 367

I The Canal Prism 368

II Locks: The Machinery of Elevation 369

1 Levels and Lift Locks 369

2 Lockhouses 372

3 Other Structures 375

III Maintaining the Level 376

1 Feeder Dams and Guard Locks 376

2 Flumes and Waste Weirs 379

3 Stop Gates and Spillways 380

IV Intersections 381

1 Aqueducts 381

2 Culverts 383

3 Bridges and River Locks 384

V Moving Parts 386

1 Canal Boats 386

2 Mules 389

VI Water Industry 392

1 Ferries 392

2 Mills: From Waterwheels to Turbines 392

3 Cement and Lime Industry 396

4 Ironworking: Blast Furnaces, Forges, and Foundries 398

A Note on Sources 401

Suggested Further Reading 403

Quick Reference to Canal Landmarks and Access Points 404

What People are Saying About This

Sarah Rispin

Reading it—either during rambles along the Canal or from the comfort of an armchair—is like bringing along an erudite companion who can tell you anything you would want to know about the history of our Nation's River and its hardworking companion, the C&O Canal.

Karen M. Gray

Mike High has mined historical studies, colonial records, official reports, as well as letters, diaries, and memoirs to illustrate the forgotten history of the upper Potomac River and the lives of the men and the women who called it home. The result is a unique and invaluable resource on what is a river valley of incomparable historic importance, playing a unique and critical role in the nation's early westward growth and subsequent development.

From the Publisher

Mike High has mined historical studies, colonial records, official reports, as well as letters, diaries, and memoirs to illustrate the forgotten history of the upper Potomac River and the lives of the men and the women who called it home. The result is a unique and invaluable resource on what is a river valley of incomparable historic importance, playing a unique and critical role in the nation's early westward growth and subsequent development.
—Karen M. Gray, PhD, C&O Canal National Historical Park volunteer historian

Reading it—either during rambles along the Canal or from the comfort of an armchair—is like bringing along an erudite companion who can tell you anything you would want to know about the history of our Nation's River and its hardworking companion, the C&O Canal.
—Sarah Rispin, Potomac Riverkeeper

Editorial Reviews

High gives practical information about exploring the canal and provides extensive historical background . . . Provides many opportunities for using the canal as a means of exploring this region's history.
—Historic Traveler

There are other guides to the canal, but High's is the latest and may be the best. It's a mile-by-mile guide, well-illustrated, full of history and surrounding cultural notes. The more one learns about the canal, the more intriguing it is.
—Fredricksburg Free Lance-Star

A contender for the hearts and minds of canal buffs. It shows the results of serious historical research, particularly about the Civil War, and is well-written and organized.
—Washington Times

An informative and affectionate guide to the canal written by C&O devotee Mike High . . . And yes, it'll fit comfortably in your backpack.
—Mid-Atlantic Country

From the Publisher

There are other guides to the canal, but High's is the latest and may be the best. It's a mile-by-mile guide, well-illustrated, full of history and surrounding cultural notes. The more one learns about the canal, the more intriguing it is.

Fredricksburg Free Lance-Star

An informative and affectionate guide to the canal written by C&O devotee Mike High . . . And yes, it'll fit comfortably in your backpack.

Mid-Atlantic Country

High gives practical information about exploring the canal and provides extensive historical background . . . Provides many opportunities for using the canal as a means of exploring this region's history.

Historic Traveler

A contender for the hearts and minds of canal buffs. It shows the results of serious historical research, particularly about the Civil War, and is well-written and organized.

Washington Times