Record #:

11701

Author(s):

Norris, Jeannie Faris

Abstract:

Proposed in 1784 and passed by an enabling acts in 1787 and 1790, construction of the Dismal Swamp Canal began in 1793. Upon completion and increased use, this region became a resort destination for fashionables, beginning in the 1830s. A rival canal, the Albemarle-Chesapeake, opened in 1859, causing a decline in the use and popularity of the Dismal Swamp Canal. Phased out with the inception of railroads and motor vehicles, the canal experienced further decline at the hands of real estate developers as well as receding water levels.

Source:

The State (NoCar F 251 S77), Vol. 32 Issue 9, Sept 1964, p13, 33, il

Subject(s):

Dismal Swamp Canal (N.C. and Va.)