In the summer of 2010, brothers-in-law Marty and Jim embark on a cycling trip along the Great Allegheny Passage and C&O Canal, a 335-mile trek from their home in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania to Jim's boyhood home in Washington, DC. Chance encounters with colorful local characters and other surprising escapades during five days on the trail make for nonstop laughs. As they travel through forests and along winding rivers, they experience the breathtaking scenery of western Pennsylvania, Maryland and West Virginia, exploring early American history while learning more about each other as well as themselves. This true story is for adventurers and cyclists as well as couch potatoes looking for a lighthearted take on friendship and some hilarious fun.
During the Civil War, the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal was the de facto border between the Union and Confederate states. Canawlers is the story of the Fitzgerald family as they try and make their living on the C&O Canal amid the fighting between the North and South.
In her debut book, Whitney shares her ideas and practices for making any tiny space efficient and stylish—whether it’s a rustic A-frame in the woods or a chic microapartment in the city. Featuring more than 200 tips for making the most of your little home, Small Space Style is the must-have, incredibly inspirational guide for living large in compact quarters. Join small space lifestyle expert Whitney Leigh Morris as she demonstrates how to keep clutter to a minimum, craft double duty layouts, personalize chic storage, go vertical when surfaces are limited, DIY clever custom built-ins, and even entertain a crowd within confined square footage. With chapters centered around the essentials—living, sleeping, eating, and bathing—Small Space Style features real-life examples from Whitney’s own delightful and sophisticated cottage in Venice Beach, California, as well as home tours of some of her favorite tiny houses, micro apartments, and beautiful, efficient small spaces.
Michael Egan's flying gray-haired yank is a published account of his wartime experiences, including his service as an officer in the 15th West Virginia Volunteer Infantry Regiment and his capture, his escape, his recapture and eventual second escape. His story details evasion from Confederate patrols and help from slaves and Unionists.
An indispensable guide to a regional treasure—now thoroughly updated and expanded. A comprehensive guide to one of America's unique national parks, The C&O Canal Companion takes readers on a mile-by-mile, lock-by-lock tour of the 184-mile Potomac River waterway and towpath that stretches from Washington, D.C., to Cumberland, Maryland, and the Allegheny Mountains. Making extensive use of records at the National Archives and the C&O Canal Park Headquarters, Mike High demonstrates how events and places along the canal relate to the history of the nation, from Civil War battles and river crossings to the frontier forts guarding the route to the West. Using attractive photographs and drawings, he introduces park visitors to the hidden history along the canal and provides practical advice on cycling, paddling, and hiking—all the information needed to fully enjoy the park's varied delights. Thoroughly overhauled and expanded, the second edition of this popular, fact-packed book features updated maps and photographs, as well as the latest information on lodgings and other facilities for hikers, bikers, and campers on weekend excursions or extended outdoor vacations. It also delves deeper into the history of the upland region, relaying new narratives about Native American settlements, the European explorers and traders who were among the first settlers, and the lives of slaves and free blacks who lived along or escaped slavery via the canal. Visitors to the C&O Canal who are interested in exploring natural wonders while tracing the routes of pioneers and engineers—not to mention the path of George Washington, who explored the Potomac route to the West as a young man and later laid out the first canals to make the river navigable—will find this guide indispensable.
An incisive economic and political history of the Panama Canal On August 15, 1914, the Panama Canal officially opened for business, forever changing the face of global trade and military power, as well as the role of the United States on the world stage. The Canal's creation is often seen as an example of U.S. triumphalism, but Noel Maurer and Carlos Yu reveal a more complex story. Examining the Canal's influence on Panama, the United States, and the world, The Big Ditch deftly chronicles the economic and political history of the Canal, from Spain's earliest proposals in 1529 through the final handover of the Canal to Panama on December 31, 1999, to the present day. The authors show that the Canal produced great economic dividends for the first quarter-century following its opening, despite massive cost overruns and delays. Relying on geographical advantage and military might, the United States captured most of these benefits. By the 1970s, however, when the Carter administration negotiated the eventual turnover of the Canal back to Panama, the strategic and economic value of the Canal had disappeared. And yet, contrary to skeptics who believed it was impossible for a fledgling nation plagued by corruption to manage the Canal, when the Panamanians finally had control, they switched the Canal from a public utility to a for-profit corporation, ultimately running it better than their northern patrons. A remarkable tale, The Big Ditch offers vital lessons about the impact of large-scale infrastructure projects, American overseas interventions on institutional development, and the ability of governments to run companies effectively.
As the Panama Canal turns one hundred, Newbery Honor winner Margarita Engle tells the story of its creation in this powerful new YA historical novel in verse.
The history of the C & O Canal in Maryland along the Potomac River, including summaries of interviews with eleven men and women who had lived or worked on the canal while it was in operation.
In 1824, a group of prominent Hartford businessmen formed the Connecticut River Company to construct a canal that would bypass the treacherous rapids of Enfield Falls and extend navigation along the Connecticut River. Soon boats were a frequent sight in the village of Windsor Locks, named after the locks of the canal that ran alongside Main Street. Mills also sprang up in the area, utilizing the canals water to power their manufacturing operations. Today the canal has taken on a more historical, ecological, and recreational significance. Home to diverse plant and animal species, it is an excellent place to enjoy sweeping views of the Connecticut River and to see the factories that played a big part in the regions history.
