How did water features such as the Patowmack Canal influence the development of Virginia?
Addresses Virginia Studies SOL:
VS.2 The student will demonstrate knowledge of the physical geography and native peoples, past and
present, of Virginia by
c) locating and identifying water features important to the early history of Virginia (Atlantic Ocean, Chesapeake Bay, James River, York River, Potomac River, Rappahannock River, and Lake Drummond and the Dismal Swamp)
Following the Revolutionary War, George Washington wanted to find a way to rebuild and reunite the nation. He believed that better transportation and trade would draw lands west of the Allegheny Mountains into the United States and "...bind those people to us by a chain which never can be broken" (National Park Service, 2012). His goal was to make the Potomac River an open path for trade and travel between tidewater, with access to East Coast and trans-Atlantic trade, and the headwaters of the Ohio River, with access to the western frontier (National Park Service, 2012).
Washington's idea to open the Potomac required the cooperation of both Virginia and Maryland, which bordered the river. In 1784, Washington convinced the states' assemblies to establish a company to improve the Potomac between its headwaters near Cumberland, Md., and tidewater at Georgetown. The Patowmack Company, organized May 17, 1785, drew powerful political heads from both states. Back in Virginia, the Potomac presented physical obstacles to travel as well. Narrow and winding in places, it drops over 600 feet in 200 miles from Cumberland to sea level. Spring rains made the river flood to dangerous heights; summer droughts made it nearly impossible to navigate (National Park Service, 2012). To make the river navigable by even shallow draft boats, the Patowmack Company had to remove portions of the riverbed around five areas of falls (National Park Service, 2012).
A Community is Established
This large construction project required the help of many hands. The Patowmack Company and it's construction workers that helped build the canal needed a place to live while completing their work, and therefore an entire town grew up around the construction site of the Patowmack Canal (National Park Service, 2012). The founder of the town, Revolutionary War hero "Light Horse" Harry Lee, named the town for his first wife, Matilda Lee (National Park Service, 2012).
Transportation on the River
Following the construction of the canal, thousands of boats were able to pass through Great Falls, carrying flour, whiskey, tobacco, and iron downstream to Virginia and carrying cloth, hardware, firearms, and other manufactured products upstream to Maryland (National Park Service, 2012). The trip took 3 to 5 days down to Georgetown and 10 to 12 days going against the current on the return trip to Cumberland (National Park Service, 2012).
The Unfortunate End to the Canal and Matildaville
As this was a very large project that required the usage of large quantities of materials and labor, it was was very costly. Unfortunately, the high construction costs, particularly at the Great Falls section, and insufficient revenues bankrupted the Patowmack company. Due to the extremes of high and low water, the use of the canal was restricted to only a month or two each year (National Park Service, 2012). The amount of money from the tolls collected was didn't even cover the amount needed to pay back the interest on the money borrowed for the project.
Although the Patowmack Company was a financial failure, its helped to open trade along the East Coast between Virginia and Maryland, encouraged settlement along the river, and helped stimulate a wave of canal construction important to the country's development.
VS.2 The student will demonstrate knowledge of the physical geography and native peoples, past and
present, of Virginia by
c) locating and identifying water features important to the early history of Virginia (Atlantic Ocean, Chesapeake Bay, James River, York River, Potomac River, Rappahannock River, and Lake Drummond and the Dismal Swamp)
Following the Revolutionary War, George Washington wanted to find a way to rebuild and reunite the nation. He believed that better transportation and trade would draw lands west of the Allegheny Mountains into the United States and "...bind those people to us by a chain which never can be broken" (National Park Service, 2012). His goal was to make the Potomac River an open path for trade and travel between tidewater, with access to East Coast and trans-Atlantic trade, and the headwaters of the Ohio River, with access to the western frontier (National Park Service, 2012).
Washington's idea to open the Potomac required the cooperation of both Virginia and Maryland, which bordered the river. In 1784, Washington convinced the states' assemblies to establish a company to improve the Potomac between its headwaters near Cumberland, Md., and tidewater at Georgetown. The Patowmack Company, organized May 17, 1785, drew powerful political heads from both states. Back in Virginia, the Potomac presented physical obstacles to travel as well. Narrow and winding in places, it drops over 600 feet in 200 miles from Cumberland to sea level. Spring rains made the river flood to dangerous heights; summer droughts made it nearly impossible to navigate (National Park Service, 2012). To make the river navigable by even shallow draft boats, the Patowmack Company had to remove portions of the riverbed around five areas of falls (National Park Service, 2012).
A Community is Established
This large construction project required the help of many hands. The Patowmack Company and it's construction workers that helped build the canal needed a place to live while completing their work, and therefore an entire town grew up around the construction site of the Patowmack Canal (National Park Service, 2012). The founder of the town, Revolutionary War hero "Light Horse" Harry Lee, named the town for his first wife, Matilda Lee (National Park Service, 2012).
Transportation on the River
Following the construction of the canal, thousands of boats were able to pass through Great Falls, carrying flour, whiskey, tobacco, and iron downstream to Virginia and carrying cloth, hardware, firearms, and other manufactured products upstream to Maryland (National Park Service, 2012). The trip took 3 to 5 days down to Georgetown and 10 to 12 days going against the current on the return trip to Cumberland (National Park Service, 2012).
The Unfortunate End to the Canal and Matildaville
As this was a very large project that required the usage of large quantities of materials and labor, it was was very costly. Unfortunately, the high construction costs, particularly at the Great Falls section, and insufficient revenues bankrupted the Patowmack company. Due to the extremes of high and low water, the use of the canal was restricted to only a month or two each year (National Park Service, 2012). The amount of money from the tolls collected was didn't even cover the amount needed to pay back the interest on the money borrowed for the project.
Although the Patowmack Company was a financial failure, its helped to open trade along the East Coast between Virginia and Maryland, encouraged settlement along the river, and helped stimulate a wave of canal construction important to the country's development.