The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1917-02-15
POTOMAC COMPANY FORE
RUNNER OFC. AND 0. CANAL
History of the First Attempt To
Use the Potomac River AS
Freight Route.

article written by Briscoe Goodheart
and published recently il tie Loudoun
Mirror (Va.) telling the story of the
Potomac Company, the forerunner of
the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal Com
pany. Believing the facts set forth are
of interest TO folks Lying in Cumber-
land and along the Potomac river,
The Republican republishes here the
principal features:
The Potomac Company was one of
the first # not the very first to be
organized after the Revolutionary War
to transport products of the interior to
tbs Atlantic coast. The waters of the
Potomac river were propelled entirely
by pole and oar. When rapids or falls
were encountered canals. with and
without locks, were constructed around
such falls. THAT was known as slulce
navigation. "
The Potomac Company had its con-
ceptlon in the fertile brain of George
Washington. The father of his coun-
try had the vision of a prophet. In
the development Of the country and
building of commerce he was fully
twenty years in advance of his fellow
citizens. The General left his home at
Mt. Vernon September l, 1884. on
horseback, following the course of the
river and its tributaries, making a
personal examination of the depth and
rapids as well as the settlements, who
they were and their ability to clear the
forest and till the soil. The General
returned from that preliminary survey
October 4, being absent thirty-four
days He Travelled $40 miles. an aver
age of 20 miles day. Upon bis return
he Immediately began the organization
of a company to develop the waterway.
The Legislature of Maryland and
Virginia granted charters during May
1885 to the Potomac Company and
George Washington was elected its
first President. He was also a large
shareholder The following citizens of
LOudoun county were also stockholders
and directors; Joseph Janney, Ben
jamin ShreYe, George Mason, John
Harper, John Hougb, William Brown,
Benjamin Duianey, William Ellzey and
Levin Powell. 1t cost nearly 500, 600
to build canals around rapids and deep
en- the Potomac in shallow places. The
capital originally subscribed amounted
to $3ll, $50 DIVIDED into seven hundred
shares of which the state of MARYLAND
owned two hundred and twenty and the
state of Virginia seventy. The total
amount expended including an addi-
tional payment received from late sub
scribers $38, 600 arising from tolls which
have been applied to the work and a
debt of S67, 900 contracted by the COM
pany amounted to over $500, 900. The
annual tolls raised on eight thousand
tons freight valued at over one-h half
million dollars had not before opening
the company exceededs$15, 900 the an
nual expenses and repairs were S., 900.
Later the state of Virginia presented
her stock to George Washington.
The company began business in 1890
and continued for about thirty years
when 1t was absorbed by the Chesa-
peake and Ohio Canal. All rights and
property was transferred to that com
pany August Is, 1923. The boats were
generally constructed about Shepherds
town in order to avoid the excessive
expense Of polling up stream, although
the company did large business in
transporting merchandise from Alex
andria as far up as Cumberland, but
when freight was scarce the boats were
often sold to avoid the expense of the
up trip empty. The boats were con-
structed with fiat bottom, twelve feet
wide and about twenty-five to thirty
feet long and three feet deep.
Three miles above Washington at
Little Falls was the first canal around
the falls of two miles long on the Mary
land side with three locks one hundred
feet long, eighteen feet wide and six
feet deep. These three locks had lift
of thirty-seven feet. Eight miles
further up at Great Falls there was a
canal on the Virginia side, one mile
long with five locks with lift of
seventy-six feet. At Seneca Falls on
the Maryland side was canal one mile
long without lock. At Harper's
Ferry there was several canals all of
them without locks, the first one on tt e
MARYLAND shore about one mile long,
the second one on the Potomac on the
Harper's Ferry side about one mile
long, the third one on the Shenandoah
river. In the first ten miles there are
six canals. the first one about six miles
long and the others from a fourth to
one mile in length, all without locks.
Horses or mules were used to pull the
boats through these canals, but when
the boats were in the river they were
conducted entirely by man power with
pole and oar.
Tr;hnta r;au Hou,;1o, into tho Dotopooo