The Iron Horse Wins - Harper’s Ferry NHP – Harper’s Ferry, W. Va.
N 39° 19.376 W 077° 43.718
18S E 264782 N 4356164
This is one of four markers located at “The Point” in the Lower Town Area of Harper's Ferry National Historic Park in the Town of Harper's Ferry, Jefferson County, West Virginia
Waymark Code: WMPJA9
Location: West Virginia, United States
Date Posted: 09/07/2015
Views: 6
"Work on the railroad and canal progressed slowly at first, but by 1834 both companies had completed construction to a point opposite Harpers Ferry. The canal had won the race to this point and it continued up the Maryland side of the Potomac.
The B&O Railroad, plagued by land disputes with the canal, crossed the Potomac at Harpers Ferry in 1837 and rapidly pushed on. By 1842 it reached Cumberland, Maryland, and a decade later the railroad was open to Wheeling on the Ohio River.
Business boomed at Harpers Ferry with the arrival of the railroad Refrigerated cars brought oysters and other luxuries to the town. Thousands of travelers visited Harpers Ferry as it became a gateway to the Ohio Valley.
The Civil War shattered Harpers Ferry's prosperity. Much of the town was destroyed, and Confederate raiders constantly sabotaged the railroad. Despite the war, the railroad escaped permanent damage, and the B&O survives today as a main artery of transportation in the United States."
Group that erected the marker: National Park Service
Address of where the marker is located. Approximate if necessary:
Shenandoah Street
Harpers Ferry, WV USA
25425
URL of a web site with more information about the history mentioned on the sign: Not listed
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