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The History of the C&O Canal

Learn more about the C&O Canal’s storied 200-year history.

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June 15, 2023

Trust Partners with Smithsonian Associates for C&O Canal Tour

Smithsonian Associates group visits Great Falls in the C&O Canal NHP. Photo by Francis Grant-Suttie The C&O Canal Trust partnered with Smithsonian Associates to provide a day-long tour of the…
BlogHistoryNews
January 25, 2022

Seeking Freedom Beyond the C&O Canal

The Potomac River and its companion C&O Canal were the northern boundary of the Confederate states.  Many people fled to that boundary and the Union protection beyond it.  A curious…
BlogContentHistoryStories
April 15, 2020

Women on the C&O Canal

To celebrate Women's History Month we are taking a look at the roles women played on the C&O Canal. Much of the canal’s history focuses on men, but thanks to…
BlogContentExplore Your ParkHistoryLandmarksPlanning Your Visit
April 2, 2020

C&O Canal Aqueducts

Eleven aqueducts stand along the C&O Canal – some of the most impressive of the canal structures that stand today. Aqueducts transported the canal over streams and tributaries. Several have…
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March 24, 2020

Places for History Buffs Not to Miss

Georgetown from the Canal by Tim Walters Most people think of the C&O Canal as a place for outdoor recreation, but the park is designated as a national historical park…
BlogContentExplore Your ParkHistoryLandmarks
February 26, 2020

African American Heritage Sites Along the C&O Canal

The C&O Canal is a great place to experience history! Visitors can learn about the construction of the canal in the mid-nineteenth century, the fierce competition between the C&O Canal…