Information Panel: Island Access

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Trailhead

Bridges spanning the canal, like the one to your left, provided access from the island to the mainland for residents and workers. During floods, they were paths to safety. To delay departure could spell disaster, as in 1870, when swiftly rising water swept away all avenues to higher ground.
Photo Caption: The wooden truss bridge as it appeared in 1886 from Shenandoah Street, looking across to Virginius Island.
Photo Caption: The access bridge (below) as seen from Shenandoah Street in 1886. Rebuilt from this historic photograph, the present bridge is dedicated to former U.S. Senator Jennings Randolph of West Virginia for his efforts to establish Harpers Ferry National Historical Park.