Rockville is the county seat for Montgomery County
Potomac is in Montgomery County
Montgomery County(748) ► ADJACENT TO MONTGOMERY COUNTY Frederick County(558) ► Howard County(143) ► Prince George's County(644) ► Washington, D.C.(2607) ► Arlington County, Virginia(461) ► Fairfax County, Virginia(709) ► Loudoun County, Virginia(345) ►
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Canal engineers encountered many problems, but perhaps the most perplexing was navigating around the Great Falls of the Potomac.
At Widewater the canal builders used a river channel abandoned thousands of years ago by the Potomac when it cut its . . . — — Map (db m164457) HM
In days past, while standing on the edge of the canal one would see a variety of boats float by. During the peak operating years of the C&O canal in the 1870's, as many as 550 freight boats were in use on the canal carrying tons of coal from . . . — — Map (db m103042) HM
“It is a refuge, a place of retreat, a long stretch of quiet and peace at the Capital …”William O. Douglas.
Look around you. The park you stand in exists because people cared. In January 1954, Justice William O. Douglas of . . . — — Map (db m49848) HM
The C&O Canal was built within the Potomac river floodplain and floods routinely threatened the canal and towpath. Stop gates were erected at particularly vulnerable locations to deflect the destructive waters. A stop gate consisted of sunken stone . . . — — Map (db m164459)
Most gold found in Maryland came from the Potomac area. Mining operations began shortly after gold was discovered near Great Falls during the Civil War and continued until 1940; incidental prospecting continued until 1951. From 1884–1940 the US . . . — — Map (db m1121) HM
One of the most picturesque spots in Maryland.
George Washington came here many times and built canal locks on the Virginia side to make the river navigable for his "Potomac Company." — — Map (db m70177) HM
Life was very different around the Great Falls Tavern during the canal era. The building before you began as a small lockhouse and was added onto twice until it became what you see today. The area around the tavern bustled with a community of over . . . — — Map (db m71604) HM
Built between 1826 and 1831
by the
C & O Canal Company.
The tavern provided meals
and lodging for
canal travelers and boatmen
for nearly a century.
— — Map (db m160740) HM
If walls could talk then Lockhouse 22 could tell some tales. One might hear about President Grover Cleveland who sought refuge from the pressures of the White House by coming here on fishing trips. Or perhaps the lockhouse would tell of one . . . — — Map (db m28302) HM
Named in honor of
Frederick Law Olmsted, Jr.
1870 - 1957
Illustrious landscape architect and advocate
of the preservation of natural scenery who,
as an original member of the National Capital Park
and Planning Commission from 1926 . . . — — Map (db m49829) HM
1717 Captain John Presbyterian Meeting House
1793 Graves of Rev. James Hunt and Wife Ruth
1854 Methodists begin & Build Potomac Chapel
1865 Potomac Chapel School erected — One of first free public schools in Montgomery County.
1969 . . . — — Map (db m106440) HM
Human habitation in the Potomac River Basin has existed for 9,000 years, according to archeological evidence. The name "Potomac" derives from the Algonquian word "patawomeke," which means "trading place." The first English settlement, St. Mary's . . . — — Map (db m61574) HM
A 125-foot towpath breach opened just upstream from this site in September 2008 as a result of Tropical Storm Hannah.
The C&O Canal Trust, the Park's official nonprofit partner, raised $100,000 from private sources, which was used for site . . . — — Map (db m160741) HM
When Edgar was born on May 3, 1871, his father Thomas was a partner with Winfield Offutt in a mercantile operation at the intersection of River and Falls Road, then known as “Offutt's Crossroads.“ By the year 1880, when “Potomac . . . — — Map (db m106484) HM
Structures such as this stop-lock were designed to divert flood waters from the canal. Wooden planks were dropped in to slots, forming a dam which diverted rushing waters along a stone levee and back into the Potomac.
Although this stop-lock . . . — — Map (db m68287) HM
The building in front of you was a processing mill, where gold was extracted from quartz. The quartz was dug in the Maryland Mine, one of over 30 mines that once dotted the landscape here.
During the Civil War a Union soldier assigned to . . . — — Map (db m103296) HM
If you were a marching soldier, what would have been your impression of Montgomery County during the Civil War?
While the built environment may not have impressed travelers, the variety of natural resources in this area garnered admiration. . . . — — Map (db m74879) HM
The C&O Canal Company encountered many obstacles in creating a water highway highway that connected the Potomac and Ohio rivers. Navigating around the Great Falls proved one of the most challenging. Here, where the Potomac River plunges more than 41 . . . — — Map (db m152575) HM
Has a job ever rewarded you with more than a paycheck? This was the case for many young African-American men who reported for duty each morning at Camp NP-2, where you are now standing. They lived a military lifestyle as Civilian . . . — — Map (db m160754) HM
Have you ever had difficulty finding a job? During the Great Depression of the 1930s, 15 million Americans—a quarter of the nation's workforce—were unemployed. Many people lived in poverty. African-American unemployment rates were two to three . . . — — Map (db m160747) HM
When a river, such as the Potomac, was too swift or shallow for navigation, shippers built canals with lift locks along the river course. The C & O Canal consists of flat stretches of water connected by lift locks. The use of locks enabled the . . . — — Map (db m194061) HM
