Coal Story

By Ranger Rita

Often as I am opening the Cumberland Visitor Center, a quote on the wall within the exhibit area by Hungarian author Mor Jokai catches my attention - "coal moves the world."

When I think about how much coal has been a part of the history of Western Maryland and the C&O Canal, it makes sense. George Washington, on an early visit to the area, remarked about the "stored mineral wealth" beneath the surface. Allegany County was home to the "best dressed miners" that worked in the deep mines along Georges Creek. These miners collected their nickels, quarters and dollars to help build the Frostburg Normal School for their children to attend. Today the school is known as Frostburg State University and is my alma mater. Part of the Frostburg campus is actually built over top abandoned mine shafts.

Countless loads of coal left the mines by short line railroad, came to Cumberland, and were transferred to long haul trains or canal boats headed east to Washington or Baltimore. Coal accounted for over eighty-five percent of the cargo on the C&O Canal. Each boat could hold over one hundred tons each. During the peak years of canal operations from the late 1860s to the mid-1880s, over eleven million tons of coal was hauled on the canal. This coal was destined to power steam ships and supply industries. Without the coal passing from the mines to Cumberland and onto waiting canal boats, surely the C&O Canal would not have operated as long as it did.

"Coal moved the C&O Canal" at Cumberland.

All Roads Lead to Cumberland

By Ranger Rita

Cumberland may be the end of the C&O Canal, but it was also once known as the "Gateway to the West." The Potomac River cuts through the mountains in and around Cumberland, providing one of the easiest westward crossings.

In the 1750s, settlers heading west began using the Cumberland Narrows route. It was still a slow and arduous trek over the mountains. In 1811, the Cumberland or National Road was built and movement of goods and people became easier. Finally, starting in 1828, the B&O Railroad and the C&O Canal raced to Cumberland in an effort to reach the Ohio River with an even more efficient transportation system. The B&O Railroad pulled into Cumberland in 1842, followed by the C&O Canal in 1850. By the late 1800s, Cumberland had grown into the second largest city in Maryland largely because of its key location at the junction of the National Road, the C&O Canal, and the B&O Railroad. All roads led to Cumberland.

Today, from the canal towpath at its terminus in Cumberland, you can easily get the sense of Cumberland's importance as a transportation hub. At this location, you have a great view of the Narrows to the west and just across Wills Creek from the terminus is the beginning point of the National Road. The Western Maryland Scenic Railroad rolls past on train tracks over top the canal inlet locks. These tracks were laid by the Western Maryland Railway in the early 1900s, not the mighty B&O. Highway traffic snakes through the city overhead on I-68.

In 2011, Cumberland is celebrating two important anniversaries - C&O Canal National Historical Park's 40th and the National Road's 200th. A transportation forum is part of the National Road anniversary celebration, slated for September 10, 2011, in Cumberland. As part of the event planning committee, I hope you will join us for conversations on Cumberland's continuum of transportation- road, water and rail- and their respective impacts on the city's past, present, and future.

Hopefully one day soon, your road will lead you to Cumberland.

Seasons of Spring Gap

By Ranger Rita

I love watching the seasons go by in Spring Gap - spectacular in spring! Splendid in summer! Fabulous foliage in fall! White in winter! Year round, Spring Gap has much to offer to the many birders, wildflower watchers, hikers, bikers, campers, cross country skiers, and boaters who visit the site. Built on the stretch of the C&O Canal known as the Narrows, it is also rich with history, providing glimpses into the seasons of the canal's life.

Spring abounds with new life in Spring Gap. Wildflowers are plentiful and spectacular. The great old trees lining the towpath and standing guard by the campground and boat launch provide shelter for a wonderful community of birds and other wildlife. Spring Gap itself is a small community. During its spring, in the mid-1700s, it served as a shallow river crossing or ford connecting to the Patterson Creek area in what is now West Virginia. The C&O Canal came through in the mid-1840s to 1850. In 1850, a new bridge - the Patterson Creek Bridge - was built over the canal and towpath, further expanding travel in the Spring Gap area.

Summer days are perfect for canoeing the Potomac River from the Spring Gap canoe launch. This is the park's westernmost boat launch and is a good starting point for a float to Oldtown. The large drive-in campground is also a comfy spot to spend the night before or after a river trip or bike ride. In 1872, during the summer of Spring Gap's canal days, a steam powered pumping station was built to supplement the flow of water from Dam 8 at Cumberland. As many as 550 boats traveled the canal during this time period.

The fall foliage at Spring Gap beckons hikers to explore the towpath and take in the great colors along the trail. Oaks and sycamores are stunning in this area. Fall in the life of the canal came in the form of greater competition from the railroad and the devastation from recurring floods. A major challenge for the Spring Gap area is still Potomac River flooding. Water rises quickly at this spot. The 1889 flood closed the canal for many months and was the harbinger of a major change of season for the canal.

When winter snow falls, Spring Gap becomes a special spot to strap on your cross country skis and head off into the tranquility of the park. On new powder, before hikers have visited the trail, conditions couldn't be better. In canal shipping days, the canal closed during the winter months as parts of the canal and Potomac River froze over. The final blow to the canal - the winter of its life - came with the floods of 1924. The year 1924 marked the end of commercial shipping on the canal between Cumberland and Georgetown.

A second spring for Spring Gap and the C&O Canal may have started when Justice William O. Douglas led his famous 1954 hike along the towpath. This hike, which raised awareness of the movement to turn the canal into a park, started at Spring Gap and continued to Washington, DC. Today, mules and boats don't pass along the canal, but park visitors can still take advantage of the seasons of Spring Gap - Spring, Summer, Fall, and Winter. The good feeling I get from the four seasons at Spring Gap is not unlike the wonderful lift I get from listening to Vivaldi's "Four Seasons." Enjoy.

A Little Town with a Big History

By Ranger Rita

Oldtown is a hidden treasure along the C&O Canal. The area hasn't changed dramatically since the canal stopped operating here in 1924, and it's easy to imagine the locktender stepping out the door at Lockhouse 70 to lock a boat through.

By the time the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal arrived in Oldtown, Maryland, the small town had already seen its share of history. Early Native American settlements in the area date back thousands of years and five of their trails passed through the area. The town's name, originally Shawnee Oldtown, is a reference to that tradition. Opessa Street is named for Shawnee leader King Opessa. Thomas Cresap, frontiersman and friend to George Washington, came to Oldtown from Washington County, Maryland in the early 1740s. Cresap established a fort near the Potomac River. One of the oldest structures in Allegany County, Maryland today is the 1764 Michael Cresap house. Michael was a son of Thomas Cresap. The low water crossing of the Potomac River at Oldtown was used during the French and Indian War and later during the Civil War. Several Civil War incidents at Oldtown affected the C&O Canal and the nearby B&O Railroad. Four C&O Canal lockhouses and a store operated at various times by the Carder and Wilson families were next to the canal.

A community effort re-watered over four miles of the canal at Oldtown in the 1940s and 1950s. The watered canal at Oldtown is often called Battie Mixon pond in honor of Maryland Department of Natural Resources Officer "Battie" Mixon who led the re-watering effort. Anyone who likes to fish will find the watered canal at Oldtown a wonderful location to spend a few hours in a relaxing, tranquil setting. Oldtown is worth discovering!

A Man-Made Natural Wonder

By Ranger Bill

Rainy days make me think of the Paw Paw Tunnel. When I'm in Allegany County on a rainy day, I go out of my way to enjoy the tunnel's spectacular man-made natural wonder. It holds one of the best secrets of the canal.

As I approach the upstream end I listen for the familiar roar. When I hear it my pace quickens. The fascinating features of the tunnel that usually captivate me - the rope burns in the railing from untold thousands of canal boat tow ropes, the speleothems that grace the sides and ceiling of the tunnel, the hole in the wall that exposes the many layers of brick - all are distractions.

My reward cascades over the downstream portal of the tunnel, a waterfall that flows only when it rains. When the canal builders created the tunnel, they also carved a long approach out of the mountain on the downstream end. In creating this half-mile long man-made canyon, they changed the drainage patterns of the mountain, focusing much of it down over the North portal into what is now known as Tunnel Hollow.

I rarely get to share this beautiful experience, because most people don't visit the tunnel in the rain. But the secret's out now. Maybe I'll see you at the tunnel next time it rains.

The Missing Lock?

By Brian Carlstrom, Deputy Superintendent

Have you heard of the "missing lock?" The truth about the missing lock is that it was never truly missing in the first place. The truth is it was never built.

The area just below Paw Paw Tunnel was known, during the construction era, as Tunnel Hollow. In the C&O Canal construction plans from 1835, there were to be four locks—No. 63, 64, 65 and 66—built within Tunnel Hollow leading up to the Paw Paw Tunnel. As construction costs escalated and company construction funds diminished, it was decided that Locks No. 59-66 would be constructed as "composite locks," or locks made with more than one material. The materials chosen for Locks No. 59-66 were kyanized wood (wood treated with mercuric chloride to prevent decay) and uncut stone. Another cost saving measure was to eliminate Lock No. 65 and instead of having four locks lift 8 feet, the remaining locks, 63 1/3, 64 2/3, and 66 would lift 10 feet each to make up the difference in elevation.

The odd numbering for locks 63 1/3 and 64 2/3, as best anyone can determine, is a result of contractual language. The contracts for the sequentially numbered locks upstream were in process and rather than change the contracts the fractions were used.

Lock No. 65 or the "missing lock" was never really missing at all, only eliminated from the construction plans by the canal company. So if you're ever asked about the "missing lock" you now know the real story.

Only in Orleans!

By Ranger Rita

Driving into the Fifteenmile Creek section of the canal in Little Orleans, I can't help but think of the classic Beatles hit "The Long and Winding Road". After exiting busy I-68, that six-mile drive along the Little Orleans road with its great vistas and views transports me to the more peaceful pace of life that is Orleans.

Not always perfectly peaceful, Little Orleans was the sight of several labor riots during the canal construction period. This came during the final phase of construction when funds were short and at times, tempers shorter. The nearby Paw Paw Tunnel worksite was also experiencing labor unrest. The "long and winding road" to completing the canal in this section of the Potomac was not without challenges.

Today, all is tranquil and Orleans is an oasis for towpath and river travelers. Whether one reaches Little Orleans via the canal towpath, the Potomac River or Orleans Road, they still have to take a "long and winding road" to get there.

And all paths seem to lead to Bill's Place, one of the best known landmarks along the entire C & O Canal. Bill's Place has welcomed canal travelers for decades - in fact, since 1896, there has been a grocery store adjacent to the canal at Little Orleans. Everyone wants to see Bill's Place - the combination general store, bar, restaurant, and gathering place which is "open when it opens." Even a fire in 2000 didn't spell an end to Bill's Place. Bill's Place was re-built and continues to operate today - only in Orleans - at the end of a "long and winding road."

Where History, Recreation, and Conservation Collide

By Ranger Taylor

I never thought as a cultural resources intern working in the National Park Service, that I would be very interested in an old railroad tunnel. That was before I learned about Indigo Tunnel.

The C&O Canal National Historical Park has three main emphases written into its enabling legislation — preservation and interpretation of the historical resources, protection of natural resources, and providing recreational opportunities for visitors. Occasionally these three conflict and park management has to make tough decisions.

Let's start with the historical significance of the Indigo Tunnel. All you have to do is travel the canal upstream and the rivalry between the C&O Canal and the railroads becomes strikingly clear. Starting at Point of Rocks, Maryland, the two forms of transportation run side-by-side for most of the 136 miles to Cumberland. One of the few places where these two lines diverge is at High Germany Hill near Fifteenmile Creek. Here, the Western Maryland Railway constructed a tunnel through the mountain in order to cut off a large bend in the river. This tunnel, known as Indigo Tunnel, is 4,350 feet long and eliminates over a mile of track had the railroad continued to parallel the river. The Indigo Tunnel is the longest such tunnel on this route. For comparison, the Paw Paw Tunnel is only 3,118 feet long.

Indigo Tunnel provided an important transport route for the Western Maryland railroad until the company abandoned the line in 1975 after merging with the C&O and B&O railroads. The park acquired the tunnel in 1980.

Eight different species of bat now call the Indigo Tunnel "home," including the Maryland state endangered small-footed myotis and the federally endangered Indiana bat. The Indigo Tunnel has been identified by Maryland Department of Natural Resources as one of the largest bat hibernacula in the state. Each of these bats during the summer can eat over a thousand insects an hour. In fact, bats provide up to $53 billion worth of ecosystem services to the agricultural industry from the pest control they provide.

In some areas, bats and human activities can easily coexist. However, bat populations in the United States have been on the decline since the disease known as White Nose Syndrome (WNS) was discovered in New York. WNS is a fungal disease that has been rapidly spreading among hibernating bat colonies throughout the eastern United States and decimating the bat population. This fungus can be spread by both people and other bats.

For this reason, the park has placed metal gates at each portal of the Indigo Tunnel. Although we know many people would like to gain access to the tunnel for recreational reasons, the plight of the bats must take precedence at this time. We are asking that everyone obey the signs and help us prevent the spread of White Nose Syndrome.

Parallel Pathways

By Ranger Curt

The intensity of the rain continued to increase as I biked on the C&O Canal towpath from Little Orleans east to Hancock. Soon the rain was bouncing from the ground nearly as high as the spokes on my bike. As I continued, soaked to the bone and dodging mud puddles, I laughed to myself, recalling the 1859 account of a canaller who believed that, during heavy rains, frogs and toads "rain right down...and bounce like rubber balls when they struck the ground." Then, just east of the Sideling Hill Aqueduct, our biking group reached the sanctuary of the Western Maryland Rail Trail. The rain did not lessen, but the paved Rail Trail made biking much easier.

The Western Maryland Rail Trail is maintained by the Maryland Department of Natural Resources and runs parallel to the C&O Canal Towpath for 22 miles. The Rail Trail is anchored by Lock 56 in Pearre to the west and is accessed by Woodmont Road. The Rail Trail continues through the canal town of Hancock, ending to the east at Big Pool, just off Route 56 and Interstate 70.

Many locals in the Hancock area bike the "Bow-tie." From Hancock, they bike the Rail Trail to one end, then return via the towpath. Once they reach Hancock, they cross the canal and switch back to the trail take it to the other end and again return on the towpath. In this way, one experiences a mixture of the history of both the canal and railroad, the texture of the towpath and the smooth ride on the trail.

Future plans call for the Western Maryland Rail Trail to continue an additional 15 miles west to Paw Paw and one mile further east to Fort Frederick.

But, for now, when you get caught in a heavy rain and it seems to be raining frogs and toads - it is time to plan a bike ride on the Western Maryland Rail Trail and C&O Canal Towpath around Hancock and try the "Bow-tie."

Echoes of an Industry

By Ranger Hollie

The first time I biked past the ruins of Round Top Cement Mill, I dismounted and gazed up at it in amazement. There is nothing else like it on the canal. Most striking to me is how, after all this time of idle decay, the cement mill ruins remain quite impressive. It easily captures my imagination and leads me to contemplate what this booming industry, in this now quiet stretch of the canal, must have looked like in its heyday.

Like other businesses along the canal, Round Top Cement Mill opened as a result of canal construction. In the 1830s, while excavating near Roundtop Hill, canal laborers discovered limestone, a key ingredient for cement. Having the ability to manufacture cement close to the job site was hugely beneficial to the canal company; therefore, in 1838, the C&O Canal Company authorized George Shafer to mine limestone and construct a cement mill.

Over the next twenty-five years, the cement mill provided cement for the remaining sixty miles of canal heading west to Cumberland, producing over 200,000 bushels of cement! Cement was packaged into barrels and sacks and shipped downstream by both the C&O Canal and the B&O Railroad.

The mill changed owners in 1863, and was renamed the "Round Top Hydraulic Cement Company." It continued as a booming industry, averaging 2,100 barrels of hydraulic cement per week, making it one of Washington County's most profitable businesses. Over 100 local workers operated the mill, which included a 16-foot-diameter overshot waterwheel, four pairs of grind stones, and eight coal-fired cement kilns. Cement from Roundtop was used all over the area, including in the foundation of the Capitol Building in Washington, D.C.

Advances in technology and industry in the 20th century soon made many companies obsolete, including the Round Top Cement Mill. The plant closed its doors in 1909 after the development of Portland Cement, a slower drying and more durable material.

Standing in front of the cement mill ruins today, it does not seem like over a hundred years has past. Although the landscape has changed and the people are gone, the mill ruins still echo with signs of past commerce, prosperity, hard labor, and industry.

Watching the Canal Go By

By Ranger Hollie

Nestled along the towpath at milepost 123 in Hancock, Maryland is the charming Bowles House. When arriving at the historic home, I quickly forget the nearby hustle and bustle of I-70 and feel as though I have taken a step back in time: to a place where I can truly "unplug" from everyday life, a place where my smartphone is as forgotten as the stretch of towpath surrounding me. I enjoy sitting on a rocking chair on the front porch and gazing up the canal toward Lock 52 and the Great Tonoloway Aqueduct. I expect to hear the rhythmic plodding of mule shoes on the dirt towpath and the sounds of canawlers blowing their horns and calling out to one another.

The Bowles House has witnessed early settlement on undeveloped land, a race west between rail and canal, and a period of transition as advancements in transportation eased the country into the twentieth century, making life along the towpath obsolete. First traced to Lord Baltimore of England, the parcel of land known as "Sarah's Fancy" was transferred to the Yates family around 1775. William Yates developed the land and built the original one-story home on a hill overlooking the Potomac River in 1785. The Yates family lived there during construction of the C&O Canal which passed through Hancock in 1839. In 1875, during the peak of C&O Canal operations, the Bowles family acquired the property and remained occupants for nearly four decades. In 1905 the house and surrounding property were purchased by the Little family who resided in the home until the National Park Service acquired the land in 1960's; they were the last to witness canal operations. Today the Bowles House is the park's Hancock Visitor Center.

Today I am attracted to the Bowles House because it provides a place of escape. The slow-paced atmosphere surrounds me in this tranquil rest. As I sit on the porch my thoughts turn to the words of Justice William O. Douglas: "It is a refuge, a place of retreat, a long stretch of quiet and peace."

Between Two Nations

By Ranger Hollie

My favorite section of the C&O Canal Towpath in Washington County, Maryland is the 25 mile stretch between Williamsport and Hancock. Riding a bike between these two canal towns provides the opportunity to discover a wide variety of historical, natural, and recreational experiences. Right in the middle of this part of the park is McCoys Ferry.

Fords and ferries were once located all along the 184.5 miles of the C&O Canal, providing places to cross the Potomac River. McCoys Ferry was one of those crossing sites. During the Civil War, the ferry was on the border between two warring nations. McCoys Ferry became one of many places along the canal where Union and Confederate forces clashed over river crossings and the canal. Throughout the war these skirmishes spread fear among the people who worked on the canal and in nearby communities.

The first clash occurred May 23, 1861, when Confederate troops attempted to capture McCoys Ferry. They succeeded in capturing the ferry boat and were taking it to the Virginia side of the river when the Union troops from Clear Spring arrived. During the skirmish that followed, the Confederates were forced to abandon the ferry boat halfway across the Potomac River. The unmanned boat drifted downstream towards Dam #5 until Union soldiers retrieved it and restored ferry operations.

A second incident occurred October 10, 1862, less than one month after the battle of Antietam. Confederate General J.E.B. Stuart and his cavalry units crossed the Potomac River at McCoys Ferry at the start of a campaign that led them to Chambersburg, PA. Once there, Stuart's troops raided a Union arsenal for much needed supplies and then burned several buildings.

Today, like much of the Canal in this stretch, McCoys Ferry is quiet and quite peaceful. It's hard to imagine all the fear and chaos that must have existed here during the Civil War. Yet, it is a good place to stop and reflect and be thankful for what we have today.

Canal Community

By Ranger Lisa

Walking through Four Locks, I am reminded of my childhood growing up in the Army. Each new post introduced me to a new close-knit community, new friends, and new things to explore. My community consisted of six square blocks where I knew my neighbors, walked to school, rode my bike to the store, and played with neighborhood kids at the nearby playground. I imagine the community of Four Locks along the C&O Canal was similar to my childhood experiences - everyone knew each other and shared in daily life.

Unlike many other canal towns, which were founded before the canal began, Four Locks began as private land and developed into a town after the canal came through. Named for the four locks that traverse this quarter mile section, over 30 buildings once stood here, including residences, warehouses, stores, a post office, and a one-room schoolhouse -- everything a child and their family would need.

Here, it is easy to imagine the canal filled to the brim with water and canal boats full of coal gliding by. I can picture the townspeople's day-to-day life -- adults purchasing ice at the warehouse to cool their drinking water and children walking to their school up on the hill. I also hear canawlers calling to the lock tenders or conveying news from upstream to the store owner. I think of it as a small town with one interstate cutting through it -- the C&O Canal.

Like all communities, changes occur. After the canal closed in 1924, many left in search of work elsewhere. Summer residences were built and boating and fishing became popular. Today, the summer residences are also gone and Four Locks is quiet. It's almost a ghost town. Visitors still boat and fish, others ride bikes, walk, or jog. Some even spend the night in the Canal Quarters at Lockhouse 49. However, a few of the historic buildings still remain and it still feels like a small town. It also reminds me of my own childhood and how even though things change, some things still stay the same.

Classic Canal Town

By Ranger Curt

The residents of Williamsport, Maryland, are proud of the history of this classic Canal Town. Whether conversing at the Town Museum in the Springfield Barn, or while walking through Byron Park, when watching a Little League baseball game at Conococheague Field, or while gathered around the C&O Canal Cushwa Basin during the annual Fishing Rodeo, Williamsport locals boast of the town's role in some of the biggest events in American History.

In October 1790, President George Washington visited Williamsport as he considered this town as the site for the new federal capital. During his trip he stayed at Springfield Farm, and corresponded with Revolutionary War hero and town founder General Otho Holland Williams while making his decision. Finally, Washington selected the current location for Washington, D.C., 100 miles down the Potomac River.

During the Civil War in 1861, the C&O Canal at Williamsport was threatened by Confederate bombardment from across the Potomac River. Union Captain Abner Doubleday and his unit placed their artillery on the edge of Riverview Cemetery, just above the canal. This earned the location the name Doubleday Hill. In July 1863, Williamsport suffered as the Confederate Army under General Robert E. Lee was cornered here for 10 days as the flooded Potomac River prevented their retreat after the battle of Gettysburg. The town was turned into a huge hospital; almost every building was used as a ward. Some town residents argue that if the Union Army, under General Meade, had attacked the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia, Lee and his army would have been defeated and the war ended right here at Williamsport.

Today, Williamsport is on the verge of regaining its past character as a canal town. Williamsport has more canal features within the half mile that the canal passes through the town than on any other stretch of the 184.5-mile canal. Plans call for work on the canal features to provide visitors a better glimpse into the town's past. So come to Williamsport and learn from the residents and park rangers about both the town and canal history!

Walking in the Footsteps of Others

By Ranger Lisa

When I walk the towpath near Lockhouse 44 in Williamsport, I ponder those whose footsteps I'm following. Tens of thousands have walked here before me, including barefoot 10-year old mule drivers leading their families' boats upstream to pick up more coal, lock tenders coming back from town with loaves of bread to sell to the canawlers, and Confederate soldiers marching east to the Falling Waters crossing to escape Union forces. I wonder what each individual thought, how they felt, what their dreams were. So much history was made here along the C&O Canal.

The Civil War especially intrigues me because it is nearly impossible to imagine the 184.5-mile canal being between two countries, yet it was. Being in Maryland, the canal was on the Union side. However, just across the Potomac River was Confederate territory. Throughout the war, the Potomac River and the C&O Canal were frequently crossed by troops from both sides, on the way to one battle or another.

Although Lockhouse 44 was not built until after the war, the lock itself was operational with a storehouse and mill nearby. How unnerving it must have been here during a canon barrage with the echo of artillery reverberating over the water and through the trees, with tremors shaking both boats and buildings. There was also a constant worry about Confederates disrupting canal operations by raiding the stores, confiscating boats, or blowing up dams or aqueducts. Right here at Lock 44 in 1862, the lock gates were burned along with eleven canal boats. The following year the lock gates were burnt again and part of the lock wall torn down. The war definitely took its toll on the canal.

Today, there is a tranquil stillness in the air at Lockhouse 44. But then I watch my feet walking gingerly on the towpath and I once again remember that it was not always so easy here. People who walked this same path before me worked hard and even fought hard to make what I enjoy today possible. It reminds me of how lucky I am.

Buildings Abound

By Ranger Lisa

The classic canal town of Williamsport, home to Cushwa Basin, is one of my favorite places on the canal. Along this half-mile stretch of towpath lies an abundance of canal features, including an aqueduct, turning basin, warehouse, lock, lockhouse, and two unique bridges. Opportunities for recreation, sightseeing, and learning about history abound.

I tend to walk early in the morning to enjoy the serenity of the canal. I like going out on the Conococheague Aqueduct and then heading downstream to Lockhouse 44. The aqueduct was breached in 1920 by Captain Myers. The missing timber wall was rebuilt only to be destroyed again by the flood of 1924. A bunch of bikers are there this morning dismounting their bikes to safely cross before continuing on their way.

Heading downstream, the bright red Cushwa warehouse is reflected in the turning basin. Williamsport was one of only a few places on the canal where cargo boats could completely turn around. Today it's hard to imagine how busy the basin and warehouse were during the heyday of the canal. Boats would have been lined up and down the canal waiting to load and unload cargo. This morning only a flock of geese seem to be stirring.

On the hill next to the warehouse is the Trolley Barn, the power-generating station for the trolley line that ran between Williamsport and Hagerstown. Today, it houses canal exhibits and in a few hours will be active as groups of students will be coming to learn about the canal.

As I keep walking, I see two one-of-a-kind bridges - the railroad lift bridge and the Bollman bridge. The Railroad Lift Bridge was built in 1923, but used for just a year until the canal closed in 1924. A stone's throw downstream is an iron truss bridge designed by the renowned, self-taught engineer Wendell Bollman. This rare gem was completed in 1879 and restored in 2004. This morning several fishermen are enjoying the bridges as a favorite spot for catching carp, bass, and catfish.

Further down lies lock 44 and its adjacent lockhouse. The two create an idyllic setting. One can imagine a boat horn blowing and a family coming out of the lockhouse to help an oncoming boat lock through. Today the lockhouse is opened on weekends for guided tours and weekdays for educational programs.

As I head back to the Cushwa Warehouse to start my workday, I reflect on how lucky we are to have such rich historic resources all right here in Williamsport. The historic fabric of so many other canals across the country has been lost to time, progress, or neglect. Yet here, the canal is still relevant - people bike and hike the towpath, fish in the canal, and seem to be a sponge to learn all the lessons history has to teach. I have a great job.

The Power of Water

By Ranger Curt

As an avid biker, I spend a lot of time on the towpath. In doing so, I often find myself looking out on the Potomac River. Most times of the year and in most places along the canal, the river looks serene and its waters seem to be barely moving. However, as I approach Dam #4 heading upstream from Taylors Landing, I can truly feel its power. The roar of the water over Dam #4 fills the air, and even sends a vibration through the ground. It fills not only the water, but also me, with energy. I get an adrenaline rush every time.

The seven dams on the Potomac River were originally built to divert water into the canal. Dam #4 provided water for 22 miles of the canal, from Milepost 84.6 downstream to Milepost 62.3, just above Harpers Ferry. The water was regulated at the guard lock at Dam #4 to maintain a consistent level of water traveling at two miles per hour down the canal prism.

For the past hundred years Dam #4 has also been capturing the water's power at a facility on the West Virginia side of the river. This hydro-electric gravity dam, built in 1913 and modified in 1994, is 20 feet tall and approximately 800 feet across. It uses a drive belt to transfer power from the river to the turbines. They in turn provide electric power to people in Washington County. True water power!

The (Former) Missing Link

By Ranger Hollie

After several years at the C&O Canal's Cumberland Visitor Center, I've found that most visitors ask many of the same questions. "When did the canal operate?" "What was life like for the people working the canal boats?" "What are the conditions of the towpath?" "Can you really bike from here (Cumberland) to Georgetown on the towpath?"

It is that last question that I always hated answering. Without trying to dash their enthusiasm, I would smile and reply "Almost, ...with the exception of Big Slackwater." It had been nearly 15 years since a park ranger, like myself, could say, "Yes!"

On a map, the C&O Canal meanders from Cumberland to Georgetown, hugging the Potomac River nearly the entire way. The 10-foot wide dirt/gravel towpath was continuous, all 184.5 miles, except for one small section between mileposts 84 and 89. It is this 2.7 mile stretch, commonly known as Big Slackwater, that I pointed out to visitors as the only "missing link" along the historic canal.

Big Slackwater is downstream from McMahon's Mill. Canal boats once entered the river here as the mules continued walking along the towpath. C&O Canal Company engineers chose to utilize the pools behind Dam 4 and Dam 5 rather than dig a canal prism because of rocky cliffs along the river. In 1996, severe flooding caused extensive damage to the towpath, making this section of the historic canal impassible for over 15 years.

For pedestrians and bicyclists traveling the canal, the missing section was first seen as a nuisance. Undoubtedly, it was an inconvenience to leave the peaceful serenity of nature along towpath to bike 4.5 miles on winding and narrow country back roads. However, this missing section also represented to many visitors that, despite their best efforts, they were incapable of biking the entire 184.5 miles of C&O Canal.

But, this has now changed! In the summer of 2010, the National Park Service began reconstructing the missing section of towpath and it was completed in the fall of 2012.

This much-anticipated project signified the completion of the canal once again and the reconstruction of the infamous missing link. I am happy to finally be able to tell visitors that, "Yes! You can now explore the canal in its entirety, 184.5 miles, from start to finish."

Natural Refuge

By Ranger Taylor

The Battle of Antietam is well known for the events that unfolded on September 17, 1862, and the long-lasting importance it had over the rest of the Civil War. Antietam represents the bloodiest one-day battle in American history, the end of Lee's momentum carrying his first Northern Campaign, and the victory that Lincoln needed to decree the Emancipation Proclamation. The Canal has its own connection to the events of that day as it provided safety to some of the residents of nearby Sharpsburg, Maryland.

After Lee's army retreated west across South Mountain and settled in Sharpsburg, the residents must have been able to feel the tension building. Some left their homes and found refuge from the events that were about to unfold in Killiansburg Cave, located at mile marker 75.7. The cave was the perfect location to hide and is situated just upstream from the Ferry Hill Visitor Center at the base of a cliff, facing away from town. From there, they didn't have to worry about being hit by any incidental fire, but I'm sure that hiding in the cave that day may have been the scariest day of the townsfolk's lives.

Even if they didn't have a fear that they would die, their imagination must have been running wild not knowing what would await them when they returned to their home. When they left the cave, they might return to Sharpsburg to find their homes wrecked, crops destroyed, and livestock dead. Not being able to see the battle, they could only image which side was winning and feared finding the bodies of those slayed lying where they had fallen. The buildings that weren't destroyed may have been commandeered to aid the winning side as headquarters, hospitals or whatever their needs might have been. Every time I pass by the cave, I envision the residents hiding there; being able to hear the sounds of war, not knowing what of their lives was going to be left when they returned home. Next time you hike, jog, or bike past, take a minute to think what Killiansburg Cave meant to the resident's of Sharpsburg 150 years ago - a place of refuge from the bloodiest battle in our country's history.

Home Over the Canal

By Ranger Curt

As I walk the grounds and hallways of Ferry Hill Place, the rich history of this site surrounds me. Looking down the hill toward the C&O Canal, I imagine Blackfords Ferry, crossing the Potomac River to Shepherdstown, in the 1830s. The ferry was operated by Jupe and Ned, two of the plantation's slaves. Soon, a canal boat passes by, stopping briefly at the store at Lock 38. Looking across the grounds that were long ago planted with wheat, grain and oats, I visualize the free and enslaved laborers harvesting crops or cutting lumber.

Turning, I glimpse Ferry Hill Place in the fall of 1862, just after the Battle of Antietam. Returning home after the battle, Henry Kyd Douglas, junior officer to General "Stonewall" Jackson wrote of his home, "...a beautiful farm was laid waste, its fences disappeared up to the doors of the mansion house, artillery parks filled the wheat fields; corn and fodder and hay soon became contraband of war. In front of the house... were rifle pits; and several rifled cannon, with their angry muzzles pointing across the Potomac, decorated the lawn". Yet this scene of destruction is today masked by the pastoral setting that now characterizes the grounds.

Stepping into the office on the first floor, I appreciate the literary element of Ferry Hill Place. Here, John Blackford kept a journal in which he recorded the daily activities on his plantation. Later, Henry Kyd Douglas compiled notes from his diary and wrote his Civil War account entitled, I Rode With Stonewall. Today, these documents provide insight into the lives of those who once lived here at Ferry Hill Place.

A Strategic View

By Ranger Ahna

"The view from the top of the mountain is magnificent and will well repay any lover of the grand and beautiful in nature for the exertion necessary to climb to the top of it."

-Letter to the Chambersburg, PA, Valley Spirit, July 27, 1864.

Walking along the old road leading up to Fort Duncan makes me wonder how the Union Army was able to get cannons and caissons up such a steep hill. Where the hillsides had once been bare, now there is a forest. As I reach the top of the hill, I suddenly come up to the edge of the ditch surrounding the parapet of the old Union fort. It is deep and wide. Following the road as it enters the fort on the east side, I wade through hip-high greenery where there was once bare earth. While 150 years ago this place must have been teeming with tension and anticipation as the men stationed here stood watch, today it is a quiet and peaceful place. Trees now serve as silent sentries where guns were once aimed at the surrounding countryside.

The construction of Fort Duncan began in October 1862, shortly after the Battle of Antietam and the surrender of Harpers Ferry to Confederate forces. The mission of the fort was to guard the land surrounding Harpers Ferry and Bolivar Heights, as well as traffic on the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad and Chesapeake and Ohio Canal. Located across from Bolivar Heights, Fort Duncan is the far left flank of the Bernard Line, a series of fortifications along Maryland Heights. Ever vigilant, the only action Fort Duncan saw was a small demonstration following Jubal Early's raid on Washington in 1864.

From Fort Duncan, I have a beautiful and strategic view of the C&O Canal. During the Civil War, the canal found itself on the boundary between two warring nations. It continued to transport coal from Western Maryland to the ports of Georgetown, thus fueling Washington, D.C., and its war effort. However, coal was not the only cargo shipped on the C&O Canal during the war. The Union also transported troops and supplies along the canal. This prompted the Confederate Army to consider the C&O Canal a target and make several attempts to destroy it. Cargo and mules were also stolen by Confederate raiders. Toward the end of the war, the canal company closed the canal to avoid more losses.

Standing at Fort Duncan today, it is hard to believe how much chaos and uncertainty was here 150 years ago.

Conflict and Change

By Ranger Lisa

The first time I visited Harpers Ferry, I was struck by the quaintness of the town and dramatic surrounding landscape. I soon discovered this peacefulness belies the underlying conflict and change that characterized this site for much of its history. Many pivotal events in American History define Harpers Ferry: the mass production of weapons, John Brown's Raid, the largest surrender of Federal troops during the Civil War, one of the earliest integrated schools in America, and the NAACP Niagara Movement. Every time I visit I discover something new. I know that you too will find much to experience where the C&O Canal and Harpers Ferry converge.

In 1799, the first federal armory was built at Harpers Ferry. By 1840 the United States Armory and Arsenal changed from a craft-based production to manufacture by machine. Over 600,000 muskets, rifles, and pistols were made here, making the armory a strategic target during the Civil War. The armory was abolitionist John Browns target on the night of October 16, 1859, when he and his "army of liberation" marched down the C&O Canal towpath. His goal - to start a slave rebellion. Aided by Lockkeeper John Cook at Lock 33, Brown's crew crossed the railroad bridge into Harpers Ferry and stormed the armory. Thirty-six hours later Brown's vision was crushed as he and his followers were captured in the armory fire engine house when US Army Marines led by Col. Robert E. Lee stormed the building. Brown's subsequent trial and execution focused the nation's attention on the moral issue of slavery and headed the country toward civil war. During the Civil War, Union and Confederate troops moved through Harpers Ferry frequently with the town changing hands eight times between 1861 and 1865.

Following the Civil War, New England Freewill Baptist missionaries acquired several vacant buildings in town. These buildings became Storer College, an integrated school designed to educate former slaves but open to students of all races and genders. To combat the injustices of legal segregation the second conference of the Niagara Movement (the forerunner of the NAACP) was held on the campus in 1906.

Today, a visit to Harpers Ferry provides many opportunities to explore three National Park sites; the Appalachian Trail, Harpers Ferry National Historical Park, and C&O Canal National Historical Park. Harpers Ferry's has many eateries, from fine dining to a quick snack. There are many opportunities to hike in the Harpers Ferry area. My two favorites are the hike along the Appalachian Trail up through town to the Jefferson Rock to take in the magnificent view of the convergence of the Potomac and Shenandoah Rivers, and the hike up to Maryland Heights which provides amazing views of the rivers and town. For nature lovers, there are over 170 bird species and more than 30 mammals in the Harpers Ferry area to discover. Whatever your passion - history, hiking, pleasure, or nature - you're sure to find it here.

Weverton to Harpers Ferry

By Nate Finney, Trails Coordinator

The roughly three-mile section of the Appalachian National Scenic Trail that runs along the Chesapeake & Ohio Canal National Historical Park towpath from Weverton, Maryland, to Harpers Ferry, West Virginia, provides many sights and sounds for visitors to enjoy. Visitors to the area can experience incredible biodiversity by listening to different types of birds or looking at interesting species of flowers and other plants. They can also see an amazing number of historical artifacts and structures, such as the remnants of a stone house that used to be attached to the popular Salty Dog Saloon.

As the Appalachian Trail follows the C&O Canal and its towpath upstream, it's nestled between the Potomac River to the south and the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad to the north, demonstrating the various modes of transportation used in both past and present. The B&O Railroad was one of the reasons the C&O Canal was eventually rendered obsolete, as it was faster to transport goods via rail than canal boat.

The Appalachian Trail, or the AT as it's affectionately known by many, then continues across the Potomac River into the town of Harpers Ferry, which serves as a rough midway point on the AT - it is 1,165 miles north to Maine and 1,013 miles south to Georgia. The headquarters for the AT and Appalachian Trail Conservancy are both located in Harpers Ferry. Harpers Ferry provides hikers with a chance to take in some fascinating historical sites from the Civil War and other eras. Some of the sites include Jefferson Rock, the site of John Brown's raid on the federal arsenal, and the ruins of St. John's Episcopal Church, which was built in 1852. To reach Harpers Ferry, you cross over the Potomac from Maryland to West Virginia on an old iron bridge that was built in 1893 and runs parallel to the railroad tracks that come out of the tunnel, built in 1931.

All of these factors make the AT from Weverton to Harpers Ferry a destination on the C&O Canal that has plenty to be cherished and discovered, whether you're looking for natural wonder or historical significance.

What's in a Name?

By Ranger Lisa

Names fascinate me - where they originate, what they mean, how they sound, and why they sometimes change. I looked into Brunswick, one of the largest towns along the canal, known for its rich railroad history. Dating back to a 1753 royal land grant, Brunswick has undergone many name changes. Each gives us a glimpse into the town's history.

Imagine living in 'Merry Peep O Day', 'Buffalo Wallow', or 'Eel Pot'. Do they evoke images of a cheerful sun peeping over Catoctin Mountain, buffalo cooling off in the mud flats of present day Route 17, or of Native Americans hauling eel pots from the Potomac River? These were all names once used to identify Brunswick.

What about 'Coxson Rest' or 'Tankersville'? How would you like to live in a town named after the local landowners? Although less visually descriptive, both tell a story of status and influence.

Around the Civil War, Brunswick was referred to as 'Berlin'. However, this was changed to 'Barry' by the U.S. Postal Service because of another Berlin on Maryland's Eastern Shore. Can you imagine being told that you had to change your name because someone else already had it?

In the 1890's, the B&O Railroad built its eastern switching center in Barry. Thousands of immigrants working on the project came from Brunswick, Germany. Imagine how proud they felt when the town was renamed 'Brunswick' after their homeland.

Today, Brunswick continues to preserve its rich transportation heritage not only in its name, but also through the Brunswick Railroad Museum, the C&O Canal Visitor Center, annual festivals, and by revitalizing the historic downtown area.

But next time you visit Brunswick, imagine living in 'Merry Peep O Day', 'Eel Pot', or Brunswick's other previous names and ponder their legacies too.

Preserving the Canal

By Ranger Lisa

I find it exciting to stand at the edge of the newly restored Catoctin Aqueduct, its white stone glistening in the sun. I came often during the restoration process to see the painstaking work of putting the aqueduct back together, stone by stone. Now, walking across this amazing structure, rebuilt mostly with its original stones, I marvel at the dedication of the people who made this possible.

Known as the "Crooked Aqueduct," because boaters had to make a sharp turn to enter, the Catoctin Aqueduct's structural integrity was dubious from the beginning. The elliptical center arch was not as structurally strong as the semicircle arches on either side and the aqueduct began sagging in the early 1900's. It leaked constantly and was prone to flooding, further undermining its reliability. In 1973, just two years after Congress established the C&O Canal National Historical Park, two arches collapsed, leaving only a remnant of the eastern arch standing.

The park service salvaged and buried the original stones to help preserve them in case the aqueduct was ever restored. Community support for the project kept building. Finally, in 2007, the park entered into an agreement with the Catoctin Aqueduct Restoration Fund, Inc., to raise the funds necessary to restore the Catoctin Aqueduct. Their grass roots effort, including an Adopt-A-Stone program, raised over $2.5 million dollars. An American Recovery and Reinvestment Act grant in 2010 provided the remaining funds necessary to complete the project.

Four hundred and fifty nine original stones were uncovered and used in the restoration. Each was like a puzzle piece in a 3-dimensional puzzle, having its own unique position and role. The park's engineering crew measured each stone and cut out foam patterns on the outer edge of the aqueduct. Historic photos were then used to identify where individual stones were positioned. Missing stones or those in poor condition were replaced. In a little over a year, construction was complete. Today, new viewing areas and waysides allow visitors to learn about the structure and the efforts to rebuild it.

I invite you to visit the new and improved Catoctin Aqueduct and ponder the sweat and love that went into making it possible for us to once again enjoy its bright white stones shining in the afternoon light.

Canal and Railroad Clash

By Ranger Lisa

Less than the width of a baseball diamond. For a quarter mile at Point of Rocks, the space between the Potomac River and the mountain is that narrow. The C&O Canal Company and its arch rival, the B&O Railroad, were sure that both a canal and a railroad wouldn't fit there. Which one would get the land needed for their project? Who would decide? How long would the decision take?

These are things that intrigue me about Point of Rocks. The C&O Canal Company believed they owned that strip because their predecessor, the Potowmack Company, had owned the land. The B&O Railroad fought this and the dispute went to court in 1828. It took four years for the court to decide in the Canal Company's favor.

In the end the C&O Canal Company came to an agreement with the B&O Railroad because the canal company needed the money. They managed to squeeze a canal and railroad into this narrow strip. It still didn't quite fit. To make more room the B&O Railroad later blasted a tunnel through the hill next to the canal. Both companies operated side by side until the canal closed in 1924.

Standing on the towpath, I look out over the Potomac River and turn around to find the tunnel at my back. It's remarkable that both companies built on this narrow strip of land. Hearing a distant rumble, I step near the tunnel and breathlessly wait for the oncoming train. Two beams of light approach, illuminating the tunnel walls with orange and red light. As the train emerges into daylight, I wonder how the loud roar affected the canallers. I imagine the startled mules and the mule drivers struggling to calm them down. I think of the canallers looking at that train, maybe dreaming of taking that passing train to someplace new, sitting in style and watching the landscape go by much faster than on a three -mile-an-hour canal boat. Maybe they preferred the slow pace of canal life and the comfort of the familiar.

Today, I can appreciate the peace of the canal and the excitement of an oncoming train in the same location. Such is Point of Rocks - a clash between rival companies and the experience of both quiet and exhilaration within a quarter mile.

Works of Art

By Ranger Lisa

Being from the desert southwest, I love how light reflects in and off of natural rock in the canyon country, changing color with the time of day. A cliff that looks vermillion at sunset might appear gray during the afternoon. Another may change from golden to magenta at sunrise. Like a painting, light plays an important role in these natural works of art. Each color evokes a different feeling - peace, anxiety, harshness, or beauty.

I was surprised and delighted to find exposed rock in the structure of aqueducts when I moved to the C&O Canal in Maryland. The eleven aqueducts along the C&O Canal are made from different stone - red sandstone, gray limestone, white granite, white and pink quartzite - each reflecting light differently.

The Monocacy Aqueduct, with its seven arches spanning 516 feet, is the largest aqueduct and one of my favorites. The white stones, cut with large saws, were brought from a nearby quarry. They were painstakingly hand-shaped by masons, then carefully placed together to build this impressive structure. The engineers who designed them chose to make the aqueducts decorative, as opposed to leaving them with a more utilitarian look.

Standing on top of the Monocacy Aqueduct, looking at early morning fog rolling off the Potomac, I imagine a canal boat coming upon this aqueduct in the 'middle of nowhere'. How magnificent to look upon this 'Work of Art'. Morning brings a quiet grayish white, turning to a harsh white by mid-afternoon, and changing to a soft gold with hints of magenta at sunset. Each time of day sets a different mood.

The next time you visit the Monocacy Aqueduct take the time to observe this work of art, take in its beauty and grandeur, and study the changing colors of light reflecting off its stones.

Woods Lock - A Quiet Spot

By Ranger Geoff

When I first learned that I was supposed to write about Lock 26, also known as Woods Lock, I must admit that my reaction was, "Where? Why? What happened there?" Nearby Monocacy Aqueduct and Edwards Ferry were replete with Civil War anecdotes, and boasted a nicely restored lockhouse and aqueduct to admire and photograph. "You mean Lockhouse 26 is not even standing anymore?" I thought perhaps there had been a mistake.

On a cool, rainy, late summer day, I made my way out to Lock 26 to take the requisite photos - it was so obscure a site, I could not find any on the park's database. The only sound was the soft rush of rain on leaves and the spattering of droplets when a breeze rustled the overhanging limbs. I was quite alone.

I ended up spending more time there than I'd expected. There is quite a sense of peace there. I'm realizing more and more that the beauty of the towpath is that for every aqueduct, tunnel, or Canal Town, there are ten places like Lock 26; where the weather and the season collude with the landscape to create their own mood, completely unrepeatable and private.

Lock 26 has aged beautifully. It is currently filled in, to keep its empty walls from collapsing into a pile of stones. The stone foundation of its house has been capped with concrete, to keep its footprint from being completely lost to undergrowth. The discerning eye can pick out where the lock had once been lengthened to accommodate two boats, stem to stern, during a fleeting decade of prosperity on the canal, after the Civil War. Troops came and went during those four years, but did not stay long. Only time kept marching past.

After a few minutes, as the rain came and went, and came again, I began to feel not quite so alone. A giant maple tree, looking like something from J.R.R. Tolkein's Middle Earth, or the Brothers Grimm, stood and sheltered me, but remained completely aloof to my presence. Romantic fantasies aside, it did occur to me that this one tree had very possibly seen it all, inasmuch as a tree can. It appears smaller but still substantial in a 1959 photo, when the wooden lockhouse still stood, the flames that would consume it still a decade to come. It certainly had sheltered canallers and mules, and possibly passing rebel cavalry as well. I have heard of such "witness trees" before, on battlefields and in castle courtyards, but this was a silent unheralded witness, and it did not seem inclined to let me in on its secrets.

I left as the sun began to burn through the clouds, glad in a way to have left before the scene changed. I confess I feel a small sense of guilt at having revealed my witness' whereabouts to you, but then there are plenty more for you to find on your own.

Popular Crossing

By Ranger Geoff

Edwards Ferry is a good place for ghost stories, not only in the dead of night, but also as the morning mists rise off the river or the autumn sunset lights the very tops of the sycamores. The boatmen thought so. This part of the canal was known as "Haunted House Bend." I'm not sure why they named it after a house, but there certainly were plenty of people who have said they've seen spirits around this bend.

In October of 1861, Union troops were driven down the infamous Ball's Bluff into the river on the other side of Harrison's Island. Some of their bodies floated downstream all the way to Washington, DC. Imagine being a lockkeeper or boatman and hearing the gunfire over the wooded hills, and then watching the dark shapes float by in the river before ever learning the particulars of battle. News spread a bit differently than it does today.

Boatmen in later years reported hearing strange noises in these parts, including blood-curdling screams and moans. They'd say mules passing through became restless and spooked. I'd always assumed this was just the result of two or three generations of campfire stories and older siblings working on the minds of young muletenders, but I found similar tales in the diary of a Maine soldier. He reported that his company's pickets heard unearthly noises from the rocky shores and woods, only one year after the battle.

Many people have passed by here over the years. Some might have passed by more than once. Some report seeing a red-bearded man and an African American woman. However, on second glance, they would be gone. Trick of the light? Perhaps.

Edwards Ferry holds a lot of history. Long used as a safe place to cross the Potomac River, the community was bustling just a century ago. Going back to the 1830s, the area was packed with immigrants digging the canal with gunpowder and manual labor. At that time, poor hygiene, cholera, and accidents were the norm, and thousands were buried along the canal in unmarked graves. Before that, we know the Conoys, Piscataway Indians, lived nearby on Harrison's Island. Recent park archaeological studies have shown us that people have lived in this area continuously for hundreds, if not thousands of years.

Many ghost stories start with the disclaimer that "I never believed in ghosts, until..." Perhaps the canal's ghosts are best encountered in person, by the edge of the woods, lit fitfully by a dying campfire or in the stone walls of an old house. At Turtle Creek hiker-biker campsite, or the Lockhouse 25 Canal Quarters site, where you can spend a night in a historic lockhouse, you can now meet them on their own ground. Welcome to Haunted House Bend.

The Two-in-One Structure

By Ranger Lisa

The C&O Canal had 11 aqueducts and 74 lift locks... but one was both a lift lock and an aqueduct! This engineering marvel is located at mile 22.7, at the mouth of Seneca Creek.

My first visit to Lock 24 (called Riley's Lock after the family that operated the lock) and the Seneca Aqueduct followed a flood event. I had been sent to assess damage and help remove flood debris. The power of the water was amazing, stacking tons of debris behind the aqueduct. However, as a historian, I was equally astounded at the structure itself and found myself looking at it from all angles and imagining boats crossing Seneca Creek while locking up- just incredible! Long before this visit, I had heard of and read about this place, but it wasn't until I saw it in person that I truly appreciated it as the engineering feat it was.

In 1830, just two years after the Canal's construction began, the builders halted at the mouth of Seneca Creek. For a short time, it was the farthest point west you could travel on the C&O Canal. Here, the canal company faced two challenges: the crossing of Seneca Creek, requiring an aqueduct, and a change in elevation, requiring a lift lock. An aqueduct is, essentially, a water-filled bridge that allowed boats to cross creeks safely. A lift lock is a water filled chamber used to raise or lower boats. The engineers decided to build one structure which encompassed both an aqueduct and a lock. Considering as I did the reality that everything seen was built by hand, without any of the modern construction equipment we now take for granted, it was a truly amazing feat! It was completed in April, 1832 at a cost of $32,000.

River Sentinel

By Ranger Mark

Standing on the bluffs overlooking the Potomac River near Blockhouse Point, your imagination can really transport you back to another time. It's easy to imagine being a Union soldier on guard in this remote area of western Montgomery County.

I think about being a member of the 19th Massachusetts Infantry, someone far from home. What would I think? How would I feel? I think I'd be homesick, lonely, and a little bored out here. Despite being part of a group, the remoteness would get to me. On the other hand, the idea of being in uniform and on guard along a boundary between two nations, where something could happen at any point in time, would terrify me. I might even feel a little relief that I wasn't in a large battle or on the front lines of the conflict. I could even find happiness in just surviving another day.

The specter of invasion and river crossings by Confederate troops would certainly cross my mind. Every noise and shadow in the night could be transformed by fear into hordes of rebel soldiers lurking nearby. If there was a skirmish here, would I be captured or killed? What will become of my loved ones if I don't return home? Are the locals even on my side? Or are they Secessionists? Might I worry that their kindness is only pretense?

The fort at Blockhouse Point was one of three earth-and-wood structures built in the area to protect the Potomac fords and C&O Canal from Confederate raiders. Built in the winter of 1862 by soldiers from the 19th Massachusetts Infantry, the fort took the form of a Greek cross. Although Blockhouse Point was located in Maryland, technically part of the Union, the area surrounding it was anything but hospitable. Montgomery County was a hotbed of secessionist activity. In addition, slavery was legal in Maryland, which gave the state an unappealing status to many northern soldiers. Scores of Northerners viewed the local populace with suspicion, wondering whether they were viewed as friends or enemies by the very people they were supposedly protecting.

Although no major engagements took place at the site, the fort itself became a casualty of war. In July of 1864, Union troops were withdrawn from Blockhouse Point to strengthen the defenses of Washington. Days later, Confederate cavalry under the command of Col. John S. Mosby destroyed the abandoned fortification during Jubal Early's raid on Washington City. The fort was never rebuilt. Archeological research has uncovered many artifacts from the location. Together with written records, they provide us with an intimate glimpse into the lives of the Union soldiers stationed at Blockhouse Point 150 years ago.

Presidential Retreat

By Ranger Lisa

Located at mile 19.63 on the C&O Canal, Pennyfield Lockhouse at lock number 22 is a quiet place of escape for those seeking from the hectic pace of life in Washington, D.C. Many who live in and around the DC area are regular visitors to this place where one can walk, jog, ride bikes or fish. However, they are not the first to visit Pennyfield with the intent of finding a bit of rest.

In the 1870s, then-President Grover Cleveland would regularly visit Pennyfield in order to pursue his favorite hobby of fishing. Long before Camp David became the presidential retreat, Cleveland, who had grown up on the Erie Canal in New York State, found a comfortable respite in the familiar presence of locktenders and boatmen. Today, as I frequently visit Pennyfield, I find myself often thinking about Mr. Cleveland and his visits to this place. I share with him the history of having grown up on the Erie Canal, and as, in his time, he knew the locktenders and boatmen of both C&O and Erie, I have come to regard the visitors, vistas and wildlife of both places as something akin to home.

Today, a visitor to Pennyfield need not only experience the lock, lockhouse and its surroundings on a short day trip, but now one can linger at Pennyfield a bit, spending the night in the restored Pennyfield Lockhouse, hearing the peaceful night sounds that come to this rustic spot, underscored by the continuous rush of the Potomac River and the water pouring through the lock gates outside the lockhouse door. From this spot, you can imagine the sound of a boat horn, calling you from your sleep, or the challenges of the lives of the locktenders as the Civil War bore down upon the Canal. From this place, you can watch the shadows of blue heron glide across moonlit waters, or tell ghost stories around a fire ring on a cool, autumnal night. There is a serenity to this place that Mr. Cleveland and I, among others live in and visit the DC area cherish; a serenity that can be yours, as well, for a day, a night or as often as you choose to make Pennyfield your presidential escape.

Garlic Mustard Challenge

By Rachel Stewart, C&O Canal Association

Lockkeepers:

Swains Lock is one of my favorite places. It is quiet, yet relatively close to Great Falls. The canal here is usually full of water and the upper lock gate and the waste weir still function. Beside it sits an old lockhouse, which, up until the 1990s, was home to the Swains, one of the last of the canal families. What a beautiful place to grow up or just to visit.

I love the way the ground at Swains Lock slopes gently down toward the river. Huge oaks and sycamores shade a small campground and several picnic tables. In the spring, bluebells, trilliums, toothworts, and spring beauties blossom beneath them.

However, recently, a new invader has begun to rob Swains Lock of some of her beauty-garlic mustard. Garlic mustard is a very aggressive invasive plant. It is rapidly becoming a huge problem in the C&O Canal NHP (and elsewhere in our communities). The C&O Canal Association is working to remove it at Swains Lock, Carderock, Edwards Ferry, Antietam Creek and Brunswick. I have worked with the Association on garlic mustard sites in Swains Lock and at Carderock. Last year was the third year at the Carderock site and it looked pretty good. There is hope for places like Swains Lock, but it takes volunteer involvement.

The plant appears in early spring and is a fast growing biennial with very different appearances in its first and second years. During its first year the plant nestles close to the ground and its leaves are a rounded, scalloped-edge heart shape. In the second year, it can grow chest-high, its leaves are more arrow-shaped with serrated edges, and it produces small white flowers with four petals.

In its second year garlic mustard is capable of spreading hundreds of seeds per plant. It generally appears in early March and goes to seed beginning in April and into June. Once seeds are produced the plant dies, but its long slender erect seed pods can be seen on the dead stalks. To make matters worse, those seeds can stay viable in the soil for five or more years, meaning they can still germinate years later. Disposal of hand-pulled plants by incineration seems to be the best way to ensure the seeds don't germinate. It is not difficult to remove the second year plants but the area must be revisited for several years to be certain seed stores have been exhausted.

Garlic mustard is not native to North America. It is thought to have come with 19th-century immigrants from Northern Europe as a food and/or medicinal plant because it is available in early spring when other greens are not.

It is unwelcome. In places like Swains Lock, it is starting to crowd out the native flowering plants. It has no natural enemies, not even whitetail deer, and pollinating insects and caterpillars are not attracted to it. Growths of garlic mustard can also create a shortage of insects that are essential for the diet of birds. A world invaded by garlic mustard could create a silent spring monoculture.

The C&O Canal Association challenges you to join us and sign up for the Garlic Mustard Challenge to help rid our park of garlic mustard. The Challenge will tackle the second-year plant, which is easily identified with its height and flowers. We'll provide training for dealing with garlic mustard and its surroundings. We'll need to identify specific areas of the park where it thrives and will work closely with park staff to be sure efforts to remove garlic mustard at a given site would not impact other desirable plants or resources. We encourage adoption of these areas by registered volunteers who are willing to stick with it for several years to come. It is not difficult to remove the second year plants, but sites must be revisited for several years to be sure it will not return the area.

If in your travels along the towpath or at the hiker/biker sites and campgrounds you recognize an area in need of attention, rise to the challenge! Sign up for the C&O Canal Association's Garlic Mustard Challenge by contacting Jim Heins ([email protected], or 301-949-3518) or Steve Dean ([email protected], or 301-904-9068).

The National Park Service Legacy

By Ranger Aly

Potomerness (Urban Wilderness):

Birds, Snakes, Critters:

The C&O Canal National Historical Park is the 9th national park site I've had the privilege of working at during my career.

Although diverse in their resources and stories, national parks protect the American legacy. The parks are the legacy of Stephen Tyng Mather. Mather fought hard for the protection of important natural and cultural areas, and in 1917 became the first director of the National Park Service.

Many National Parks across the country have a "Mather Point" or a "Mather Trail", paying homage to Stephen T. Mather. The C&O Canal National Historical Park has Mather Gorge.

Mather Gorge is part of the Potomac Gorge and lies just downstream from Great Falls. Its sheer cliffs provide a mini-canyon for the wild Potomac River. I love watching the water bounce off the rocks and swirl by. It is my also my favorite local place to watch sunrises.

Mather believed parks could provide emotional, physical and spiritual well-being. I think he would have liked Mather Gorge.

There are four ways to enjoy the wildness of Mather Gorge. The most accessible view of the Gorge is from the Great Falls Overlook. Mather Gorge is the steep and narrow section just downstream. Those looking for more of an adventure should take the rugged Billy Goat A Trail, which traverses the cliff top. For experienced adventurers, the most immersive way to experience the Gorge is by rock climbing or paddling it. Proper training and equipment for these activities is a must.

However you choose to enjoy Mather Gorge, take time to reflect on its namesake and his legacy.

Treasure in the Hills

By Ranger Betsy

During the Civil War, a Union soldier was stationed along the Maryland side of the Potomac River near Great Falls. While cleaning up in a creek, he noticed a glint of gold. After the war, he returned to the area, bought some farm land, and started mining for gold in Montgomery County. Eventually, 30 small mines were opened. One of the largest was the Maryland Mine.

Today, there is a different type of gold found in the Great Falls area around the old Maryland Mine. A loop trail starting at the Great Falls Tavern Visitors Center will take you up past the mine ruins, but the trail itself is the real gold. The trail is appropriately named the Gold Mine Trail.

The Gold Mine Trail is a three-mile loop that usually takes about an hour to complete. It truly is a trail for all seasons. Its towering trees will protect you from the harsh sun in August, provide shelter from spring rains, and give you a glorious show of autumn color in the fall. During the winter snows, look for footprints of the many woodland creatures that call the Gold Mine Trail home.

Each time I walk the trail I see something new. Every bend in the trail provides new opportunities to view wildlife and enjoy the beauty of the woods. Pileated Woodpeckers seem to laugh above your head. Deer and fox abound. There is also a huge diversity in plant life, from Jack in the Pulpit to Red Bud. It is definitely a trail for the nature lover.

If you're looking for a longer hike, try one of the spur trails that run off of the Gold Mine Trail. Several different trails connect the Gold Mine Trail to the Anglers section of the park. I recommend the Overlook Trail. It takes you up on a ridge that provides great views of the Potomac River. It's one of my favorite places in the park.

Although the gold mines have long since closed, there is still plenty of evidence of the operation just off the Gold Mine trail. A wayside exhibit along the trail will explain the mines and the mining process for you. Just please remember to follow the golden rule of hiking in national parks: leave only footprints, take only memories.

Tourism Since the 1830s

By Ranger Aly

Boat:

As a park ranger based out of Great Falls, I watch visitors every day walk out to the falls, watch the mule-drawn canal boat pass through Lock 20, enjoy a picnic, and/or head out to the Billy Goat Trail. Great Falls is one of the most popular areas along the C&O Canal... and always has been. The Great Falls Tavern epitomizes this.

The very first locktender, W.W. Fenlon, realized he had a special location and a business opportunity. In 1830, he convinced the Board of Directors of the Canal Company to expand the original lockhouse and allow him to operate an inn. Patrons enjoyed a tasty home-cooked meal, dancing in the ballroom of the northern wing, and the fine hospitality of Lockkeeper and Innkeeper Fenlon.

For 25 cents, overnight guests could reserve a bunk in the ladies or the men's quarters on the second floor. The third floor attic served as "the honeymoon suite" and privacy could be secured for those with 50 cents and a marriage certificate.

Each day people would escape the hustle and bustle of the city by jumping aboard a packet boat in Georgetown and heading out to Great Falls. The trip would take 6-8 hours! These visitors would come to do exactly what they do today - walk out to the falls and hike the Billy Goat Trail. They would also visit the Tavern, called the Crommelin House, named in honor of a Dutch family instrumental in securing Dutch loans for the canal company. Some would spend the night, others would take a packet boat back to Georgetown, and still others would take the overnight boat ride to Harpers Ferry.

In the early 1900s, a trolley line operated by the Washington Railway and Electric Company opened up between Washington, DC, and Great Falls. This made getting to Great Falls much more convenient. Although it was discontinued in 1921, evidence of the rail line can still be seen in the Gold Mine Tract area.

Today, most folks take the short drive out to Great Falls where they still find a bit of natural wildness, an escape from the hustle and bustle of city life.

It's Not a Covered Bridge

By Ranger Betsy

Floods:

A few minutes walk downstream from the Great Falls, you'll find a picturesque white structure above the canal. It looks like a covered bridge; however, it's an important piece of canal engineering called a stop gate.

Stop gates were built to help protect the canal downstream from flood waters. At Great Falls, flooding usually occurs above Great Falls, as the waters of the Potomac River cross the towpath and inundate the canal. If left alone, this wall of water would continue down the canal and threaten miles of canal locks, levels, and communities built around them.

In the event of a flood, the stop gate can be lowered, creating a wall to divert water back into the river, thus protecting the canal downstream. This particular stop gate was originally built in 1852. If you look at the stone walls of the stop gate, you can still see the original groove that the boards slide into. Above the stop gate is a structure that most people think must be a covered bridge. Rebuilt in 2009, the building houses the working parts of the stop gate - the boards used to create the wall and a modern winch system to lower and raise them.

The C&O Canal has suffered from many floods throughout its history. The use of seven stop gates reduced the damage caused by those floods and prevented additional devastation. Flooding continues to be a concern today, and the stop gate at Great Falls is still lowered before big flood events. In that way, the canal continues to play a role in protecting communities downstream.

I welcome you to come out and visit the stop gate (not a covered bridge) at Great Falls. The surrounding area of the stop gate, usually quiet and idyllic, is a great place to escape the hustle and bustle of the busier sites. That is, unless the park is anticipating a big flood event... then you'll get a chance to see the power of the river and the stop gate in action.

And while you're here, look for other canal engineering features. There are numerous important canal features located upstream of the stop gate, and they're all highlighted in the points of interest section below. An easy 8 mile bike ride will take you past all of these structures.

Where Nature's Beauty Caused Trouble

By Park Civil Engineer Chuck

Located between Billy Goat Trail Sections A and B and just downstream from Widewater is Anglers, one of the most visited sections of the C&O Canal. The natural beauty of Anglers provides the perfect backdrop for walkers, hikers, bikers, kayakers, birders, fishermen, photographers, and painters alike. However, to Canal engineers, Anglers posed a problem: one that we are still dealing with today. As the park's civil engineer, I enjoy the scenic value of Anglers, but am also fascinated by one thing - how nature can make a place so beautiful, yet cause so much trouble. The answer lies primarily with one word: Rock.

Just upstream from Anglers, canal engineers decided to put an old river bed of the Potomac to good use. They constructed a wall on either end of Bear Island with over 50 feet of dry laid stone, and then inundated the area with water to establish present-day Widewater.

At the downstream end of Widewater, the problem began. They were met with rocky outcroppings which extended all the way to the shores of the Potomac. Rather than navigate the waters of the river, the engineers decided to blast off the rock to create an area suitable for canal construction. By doing so, they exposed several rock formations which otherwise would have remained hidden, including one of the most visible synclines in the entire park. A syncline is a downward fold of rock where the layers of the different rock strata are easily identified. The syncline at Anglers is just below the downstream end of Widewater on the opposite side of the canal from the towpath.

The rocks that were blasted off at Anglers were incorporated into a dry-laid stone wall between the towpath and the river which still stands and can be seen today. Recent explorations of the wall reveal that it is between 9 and 12 feet thick at the top, 16 to 25 feet thick at the bottom, and anywhere from 16 to 21 feet high. Such construction is quite an undertaking using modern construction practices. One can only imagine what the laborers of the 1830s must have gone through to construct the wall. Even more amazing is that it stood for almost 180 years before a portion collapsed in 2008.

Unfortunately, the wall did not solve the canal company's problems in this area. In many areas of the park, the canal was built directly on bedrock. At Anglers, blasting the rock to provide an area for the canal meant, ironically, that in some places, there was no rock directly under the canal. Rather, a portion of the canal here at Anglers was built on compacted earth. Recent explorations have indicated that competent rock, especially in the area of the current breach, was found as deep as 42 feet below the bottom of the canal.

Over time, this area of the canal fell victim to numerous heavy rain and flood events which washed away the compacted earth, and took the towpath and a portion of the historic wall with it. In recent times, Anglers has been impacted by the torrential rains of Hurricane Agnes in 1972, the floods of 1996, and Tropical Storm Hanna in September 2008. It was this storm that caused the current 125-foot breach in the towpath just upstream from Anglers Bridge. To provide for the continued visitor enjoyment of the area, a "bypass" towpath was constructed temporarily around the breach.

Less than a month after the breach, the C&O Canal Trust launched a $100,000 campaign for the repair of the towpath. These funds helped the C&O Canal National Hstorical Park rebuild the missing 125 feet of towpath, reconstruct the historic stone wall, and improve drainage to mitigate the heavy rains which have long plagued the area. Now that construction is complete, the canal at Anglers will be filled again with water, and visitors will again be able to marvel at the natural beauty while walking the historic alignment of the canal and towpath. With so much to offer for the walker, the hiker, the biker, the kayaker, the bird watcher, the photographer, and the painter, Anglers deserved nothing less than a return to its historic glory.

Wild, Yet Man-Made

By Ranger Aly

One of my favorite places along the C&O Canal is Widewater. Located between Great Falls and Anglers, Widewater has a natural wildness to it. It is easy to forget that it is man-made.

Although it looks more like a lake, Widewater is part of the Potomac River's historic path. At one time, the Potomac River meandered through it, passing east of Bear Island. As the river started to cut the Great Falls, it abandoned many of its channels. By the time the canal was to be built, the river was comfortably situated where it is today, west of Bear Island, and only a little water flowed in the old channel.

Canal engineers decided to use the old river bed as part of the canal to save on the effort of carving through more rock. They walled off the channel on either end of Bear Island with over 50 feet of dry laid stone, placing the towpath on top of that wall. The old river bed was then inundated with water to within a few feet of the towpath.

Most of the canal is only six feet deep and 60 feet wide, but not Widewater. In some places it is around 50 feet deep and almost 500 feet across. A small island lies in its center. With Bear Island on one side and the Gold Mine Tract on the other, the Widewater area seems protected from the outside world. On most days, it is quiet and serene. It is a great place to view the sunrise, bird watch, fish or take a flatwater kayaking trip.

Widewater is, however, a different place during a flood event. Since it was once part of the Potomac River, water on the downstream end wants to follow its historic path back toward the river, rather than stay in the canal. It is one of the canal's most susceptible areas to breaches, or breaks in the towpath. During the last major flood in 1996, so much towpath damage was done that bridges had to be built to reopen it to foot traffic. In 2008, Hurricane Hanna swept through, causing another breach further downstream. I was monitoring it when it broke. It happened so fast. It reminds me that despite everything humans do, it is impossible to ever fully control nature.

Lock Ready!

By Ranger Becca

Lockkeepers:

Locks and Levels:

Created by the first and second grade students at Seven Locks Elementary School, "The Magic Canal Boat" is about the C&O Canal and how the school got its name.

"Lock ready!" That was what the locktenders would call before locking a boat up or down. As a member of the C&O Canal boat crew, tending the lock is one of my favorite duties.

I didn't begin to appreciate the ingenuity, workmanship, and beauty that the C&O Canal's historic structures represent until I fully understood how its locks worked. A lock functions like an elevator for boats. On the C&O Canal, there are 74 lift locks over its 184.5 miles. Each raises and lowers boats eight feet. Together, like a set of stairs, they enable the boats to overcome the 605-foot elevation change between Georgetown and Cumberland.

If you are a local resident, you may be familiar with Seven Locks Road, just off the Capital Beltway. The road is the namesake of the Seven Locks section of the C&O Canal, a 1.25-mile stretch with seven locks right in a row. If you want to see the greatest number of locks together, this is the place to do it. "Seven Locks" included Locks 8 to 14. From working our replica canal boats, I know how much work and precision goes into locking one boat through one lock... it's hard for me even to imagine locking upwards of 550 boats through all seven locks! Seven Locks inspires a sense of amazement about how all this was done with only water and human power. No modern machinery or petroleum products helped with the task of lifting and lowering these boats, which could weigh 140 tons each.

If you have never been through a lock on a boat, you really should join us on one of our canal boat rides, which normally run from April through October. It only takes a few minutes for the boat to rise or drop. Occasionally the boat bumps up against the side of the lock, but otherwise the ride is relatively smooth. It feels like the boat is a rubber ducky in a bathtub. If fact, when all the paddles are closed, a lock is a lot like a big bathtub, which you either need to fill to go up, or drain to go down.

A boat headed upstream enters an "empty" lock, one with the downstream gates open and the upstream gates closed. Once the boat is in, the downstream gates are closed. The locktender calls "lock ready!" The boat crew responds "boat ready" as soon as they are holding tightly to the ropes, or "lines", which run from the canal boat to the snubbing posts beside the lock so they can hold the boat in place while the water rushes into the lock. On the upstream gate, the locktender uses a lock key (huge wrench) to turn the stems that come up through the gate. As the stem turns, it turns small doors, called wickets or paddles, at the bottom of the gates. The wickets allow water to fill the lock and the boat rises. Once the water level in the lock is the same as the water level upstream, the upper gates can be opened and the boat can continue on to the next lock.

Headed downstream, a boat enters a "full" lock, one with the upstream gates open and the downstream gates closed. If the lock is empty as the boat approached, the locktender would need to fill it quickly. Once in, the upper gates are closed. The locktender then opens the wickets on the downstream gate, draining the lock like a bathtub. Once again, as soon as the water in the lock is level with the lower level, the downstream gates can be opened and the boat is on its way.

Lock 8 is a great place to start exploring the C&O Canal's lift locks. The adjacent stone lockhouse is very typical of the houses that most locktenders and their families lived in. In most areas on the canal, a locktender would run one lock for the C&O Canal Company, but occasionally he may have been in charge of two adjacent locks. In return, he would make a small income, but also get free housing in the lockhouse and an acre of land nearby to garden. Locktenders and their families would often sell fresh produce and homemade goods to the canal boat families for a little extra income.

Look at the gates on Locks 8, 9, 11, 13, and 14. They, like most gates on the canal, are miter gates, which swing together and close to form an angle pointing upstream toward the higher water level. The water pressure pushing against those gates creates a seal that won't release until the water level balances on both sides of the gates. In contrast, Locks 10 and 12 have drop gate systems on their upstream ends. These gates operated by turning a metal wheel that raised or lowered the lock door. This process was much faster than swinging the miter lock gates because it could be controlled from one side of the canal.

I hope that as you visit Seven Locks, you will be as impressed with the area as I am. It is a quiet and contemplative stretch of the canal. Yet, if you take the time to look closely, you'll see marks on the lock walls caused by ropes constantly wearing into them. The lift locks now sit as silent sentinels to the once bustling C&O Canal. Please take a moment to envision the hustle and bustle of the 19th century, when the canal here was a highway of coal-laden cargo boats locking through each of the seven locks one at a time.