Monday morning we left Snead's Ferry and went to Williamsburg Virginia. On the way we crossed the Potomac and took look at The Dismal Swamp.
It was an uneventful trip as the whole drive north turned out to be. A good example of our good luck or planning was crossing The Potomac. As we approached there were signs indicating there could be a major hold up as the bridge was down to one lane due to repairs. We simply drove up to the bridge and were waved on by the flagman.
Dismal Swamp Canal
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
"In the Colonial period, water transportation was the lifeblood of the
North Carolina sounds region and the
Tidewaterareas of
Virginia. The landlocked sounds were entirely dependent upon poor overland tracks or shipment along the treacherous Carolina coast to reach further markets through Norfolk, Virginia. In May 1763,
George Washington made his first visit to the
Great Dismal Swamp and suggested draining it and digging a north-south canal through it to connect the waters of the
Chesapeake Bay in Virginia and
Albemarle Sound in North Carolina. As the first president, Washington agreed with Virginia Governor
Patrick Henry that canals were the easiest answer for an efficient means of internal transportation and urged their creation and improvement.
In 1784, the Dismal Swamp Canal Company was created. Work was started in 1793. The canal was dug completely by hand; most of the labor was done by
slaves hired from nearby landowners. It took approximately 12 years of back-breaking construction under highly unfavorable conditions to complete the 22-mile long waterway, which opened in 1805.
[3] At about the time the canal opened, the Dismal Swamp Hotel was built astride the state line on the west bank.
[4] It was a popular spot for lover's trysts as well as duels; the winner was rarely arrested as the dead man, as well as the crime, were in another state. As the state line split the main salon, the hotel was quite popular with gamblers who would simply move the game to the opposite side of the room with the arrival of the sheriff from the other jurisdiction. No trace of the hotel can be found today.
Tolls were charged for maintenance and improvements. In 1829, the channel was deepened. The waterway was an important route of commerce in the era before
railroads and
highways became major transportation modes."
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| Hard to believe that around 2000 yachts will use this passage each year |
If you would like to know more about Colonial Williamsburg go to the following web site.
http://www.history.org/history/
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| Colonial Williamsburg |
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| Kelly wishing she could ride the horse |
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| Governor's Mansion |
