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Paw Paw Tunnel Towpath Open
The rockslide at Paw Paw Tunnel towpath has been cleared. The towpath is now open for hikers and bikers.
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Georgetown Boat Rides Suspended
Boat rides at Georgetown are suspended until further notice. For a mule-drawn boat ride please contact Great Falls Tavern.
Names Associated with the Canal
Many famous people were associated with the C&O Canal. Their names are easily recognized. However, most people involved with the canal were common laborers and families. Many of their names are now lost to history, but their legacy continues to live in the form of NPS interpretive living history programs and the historic structures of the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park. The diversity of people and jobs on the canal was significant. The canal became a new home for people looking for work and a chance at a new way of life. Employment opportunities for different ethnic groups would have been available. They might include: Women on the Canal African-Americans Native Americans Construction Laborers Whether you were man or woman, boy or girl, the canal was not a respector of persons. Everyone had to work the same jobs to allow a family to make a living and survive. |
Did You Know?
Most freight boats on the C&O Canal were approximately 95 feet long and 14.5 feet wide while most locks were 100 feet long and 15 feet wide. This left boat captains little margin for error as they steered their boats into the locks, trying to avoid the $5.00 fine for damaging lock masonry.