Farming along the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal, 1828-1971: A study of agricultural sites in the C&O Canal National Historical Park
Wheelock PC. 2007. Farming along the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal, 1828-1971: A study of agricultural sites in the C&O Canal National Historical Park. National Park Service, Department of the Interior. Hagerstown, Maryland
The report that follows reveals the depth and richness of the agricultural history along the C&O Canal, and the close interrelationship between the canal and surrounding farms. Settlement along the fertile bottomlands of the Potomac River preceded construction of the canal by many years. As a result, the new canal passed through a well-established agrarian landscape; some inhabitants were hostile to the canal due to property damage it would cause, others embraced it, while a substantial number fought to receive the highest monetary compensation that they could from the Canal Company. In sum, this research has uncovered an interesting and significant aspect of the canal’s history that had not been addressed previously. The purpose of this report was to provide in-depth historical research on the tracts presently in the park’s agricultural leasing program, to help determine their historical significance and provide management direction. It also provides a historical overview of agriculture in western Maryland, so that the individual tracts can be placed within an overall context. As such the report serves as a first step toward documenting the significant landscape features that should be preserved on the agricultural tracts.
- Type
- Published Report
- Authors
- Wheelock, Perry
- Date of Issue
- 2007-08
- Publisher
- National Park Service, Department of the Interior
- Units
- CHOH , HIST , NCR
- Keywords
- Agriculture, Archeology, C&O Canal, Colonial Settlement, Cutlural Resources, Economics, ehistory, historic resource study, History, history program, Maryland, Preservation, Tracts, Vegetation