Record #:

8419

Author(s):

Cahill, Carl

Abstract:

Built in the 1790s, the Dismal Swamp Canal connects Elizabeth River in Virginia to the Pasquotank River in North Carolina. George Washington and five associates began the canal to transport juniper and cypress out of eastern North Carolina. Later, Albemarle and Chesapeake Canal, built in 1835, competed against the Dismal Swamp Canal. Traffic along the Dismal Swamp Canal peaked around 1900. Since 1928, the canal has been under the control of the Army Corps of Engineers. Today, the canal is facing a cut in federal funds. Congressman Walter D. Jones is heading the fight to keep the canal open. He expects a tough road over the ensuing years owing to large federal deficits.

Source:

The State (NoCar F 251 S77), Vol. 52 Issue 12, May 1985, p12-14, il

Subject(s):

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