The C&O Canal - Point of Rocks, Maryland - Signs of History on Waymarking.com

Marker Text:
The Chesapeake & Ohio Canal was an ambitious project to provide access from the east coast into the rapidly developing western areas of the United States. Construction on the C&O Canal began July 4, 1828. It originated in Georgetown (Washington, DC) and eventually traversed 185 miles to Cumberland, Maryland by 1850 (short of its original coal of the Ohio River).

The canal was in direct but brief competition with the quickly expanding railroads. Point of Rocks was a point of contention between the two emerging forms of transportation due to the limited buildable area at the rock outcrop into the Potomac. Construction was slow and intense, requiring skilled labor for many of the elements, which included locks, dams, aqueducts, and the towpath.

The canal enjoyed success for a limited number of years, and was heavily used by Union forces during the Civil War.

Despite the control measures, flooding was a constant problem for the canal and ultimately flood damage in 1889 and again in 1924 put an end to the canal's regular operations. In 1936, the canal's use was ended completely.

Group that erected the marker: unknown Address of where the marker is located. Approximate if necessary: Point of Rocks, Maryland United States of America 21777 URL of a web site with more information about the history mentioned on the sign: Not listed

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Date Logged Log   05/23/2021 Searcher28 visited it