The National Mall in Northwest Washington in Washington, District of Columbia — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)

Keeping Us Connected

National Mall and Memorial Parks

— National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior —

Keeping Us Connected Marker image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Brandon D Cross, August 11, 2025

1. Keeping Us Connected Marker

Inscription. Long before interstates or internet, canals connected the growing United States. From 1831 to 1924, the Chesapeake and Ohio (C&O) Canal brought goods, people, mail, and news 184.5 miles between western Maryland and Georgetown, DC. The C&O Extension ran where Constitution Avenue is today. It connected the C&O Canal to the bustling 17th Street Wharf and the Washington City Canal.
(captions)
Long, low canal boats made slow,painstaking journeys down the C&O Canal. Hundreds of people made the trip possible, from mule tenders to lockkeepers.

How do you stay connected to people far away today?

Erected by National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Industry & Commerce • Waterways & Vessels. A significant historical year for this entry is 1831.

Location. 38° 53.515′ N, 77° 2.474′ W. Marker is in Northwest Washington in Washington, District of Columbia. It is in The National Mall. It is at the intersection of Constitution Avenue (U.S. 50) and Virginia Avenue NW (U.S. 50), on the right when traveling east on Constitution Avenue. Touch for map.

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Marker is at or near this postal address: 796 Virginia Ave NW, Washington DC 20004, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in the Washington Metropolitan Area.

It is also in the American Northeast,

in the Upper South,

in the Mid-Atlantic,

in the Tidewater,

and in the Chesapeake Bay Region.

Globally, it is in the North Atlantic Region,

North America,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: José Artigas Memorial (within shouting distance of this marker); Disappearing Act (within shouting distance of this marker); Cordell Hull (within shouting distance of this marker); Eloy Alfaro (within shouting distance of this marker); A Family Affair (within shouting distance of this marker); José Cecilio del Valle (within shouting distance of this marker); Pablo Neruda (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); Not Built to Last (about 300 feet away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Northwest Washington.

Also see . . .
1. Lockkeeper’s House, C&O Canal Extension.

Photographed by Brandon D Cross, August 11, 2025

2. Keeping Us Connected Marker

(Submitted on August 12, 2025, by Brandon D Cross of Flagler Beach, Florida.)
2. National Mall and Memorial Parks. (Submitted on August 12, 2025, by Brandon D Cross of Flagler Beach, Florida.)

Credits. This page was last revised on January 23, 2026. It was originally submitted on August 12, 2025, by Brandon D Cross of Flagler Beach, Florida. This page has been viewed 75 times since then and 21 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on August 12, 2025, by Brandon D Cross of Flagler Beach, Florida. • J. J. Prats was the editor who published this page.