Chesapeake and Ohio Canal
Steven Dutch, Professor Emeritus, Natural and Applied Sciences, University
of Wisconsin - Green Bay
| The Chesapeake and Ohio Canal was intended to facilitate traffic from -
now let's not always see the same hands - Chesapeake Bay to the Ohio River.
The Potomac penetrates far inland, but is often shallow and rocky, with
rapids and waterfalls. So the canal paralleled the Potomac and offered a
smoother trip. However, the technology of the time didn't offer a way to
cross the crest of the Appalachians, so portages were necessary. This stretch is in Hancock, Maryland. |
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| The canal operated from 1831 to 1924. It ended at Cumberland, Maryland. A proposed extension to the Alleghany River was never built. |
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Created 22 June 2007, Last Update 03 June 2020