On This Day

Delaware River and Chesapeake Bay Canal formally open

The Chesapeake and Ohio Canal, abbreviated as the C&O Canal and occasionally called the Grand Old Ditch, operated from 1831 until 1924 along the Potomac River between Washington, D.C., and...

The Chesapeake and Ohio Canal, abbreviated as the C&O Canal and occasionally called the Grand Old Ditch, operated from 1831 until 1924 along the Potomac River between Washington, D.C., and Cumberland, Maryland. It replaced the Patowmack Canal, which shut down completely in 1828, and could operate during months in which the water level was too low for the former canal. The canal's principal cargo was coal from the Allegheny Mountains.

Construction began in 1828 on the 184.5-mile (296.9 km) canal and ended in 1850 with the completion of a 50-mile (80 km) stretch to Cumberland, although the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad had already reached Cumberland in 1842.

Historical Significance

The Chesapeake and Ohio Canal, abbreviated as the C&O Canal and occasionally called the Grand Old Ditch, operated from 1831 until 1924 along the Potomac River between Washington, D.

Events Before

  1. 6th US President John Quincy Adam's son John marries in the White House

    John Quincy Adams (July 11, 1767 – February 23, 1848) was the sixth president of the United States, serving from 1825 to 1829.

  2. 1st edition of Amsterdam General Trade Journal (Algemeen Handelsblad)

    1st edition of Amsterdam General Trade Journal (Algemeen Handelsblad)

  3. More than 100 vessels destroyed in a storm, Gibraltar

    More than 100 vessels destroyed in a storm, Gibraltar

  4. 1st American Indian newspaper in US, "Cherokee Phoenix", published

    1st American Indian newspaper in US, "Cherokee Phoenix", published

  5. Russia and Persia sign the Peace of Turkmantsjai

    Russia and Persia sign the Peace of Turkmantsjai

Events After

  1. The Republic of Ecuador is founded with Juan José Flores as president

    Ecuador, officially the Republic of Ecuador, is a country in northwestern South America, bordered by Colombia on the north, Peru on the east and south, and the Pacific Ocean on the west.

  2. US President Andrew Jackson signs the Indian Removal Act, a key law leading to the forced removal of the Cherokee, Chick

    US President Andrew Jackson signs the Indian Removal Act, a key law leading to the forced removal of the Cherokee, Chickasaw, Choctaw, Creek, and Seminole tribes out of Georgia and surrounding states, setting the stage for the Cherokee Trail of Tears

  3. Beginning of French colonization of Algeria: 34,000 French soldiers land 27 kilometers west of Algiers at Sidi Ferruch

    Beginning of French colonization of Algeria: 34,000 French soldiers land 27 kilometers west of Algiers at Sidi Ferruch

  4. The first American-built locomotive, "Tom Thumb," races a horse-drawn car from the Stockton and Stokes stagecoach compan

    The first American-built locomotive, "Tom Thumb," races a horse-drawn car from the Stockton and Stokes stagecoach company from Baltimore to Ellicott Mills; due to mechanical problems, the horse wins!

  5. Princess Marianne of the Netherlands (20) marries her cousin Prince Albert of Prussia (20) (marriage dissolved 1849)

    Princess Marianne of the Netherlands (20) marries her cousin Prince Albert of Prussia (20) (marriage dissolved 1849)

More from the 1820s

Frequently Asked Questions

What happened on October 17, 1829?
The Chesapeake and Ohio Canal, abbreviated as the C&O Canal and occasionally called the Grand Old Ditch, operated from 1831 until 1924 along the Potomac River between Washington, D.C., and Cumberland, Maryland. It replaced the Patowmack Canal, which shut down completely in 1828, and could operate during months in which the water level was too low for the former canal. The canal's principal cargo was coal from the Allegheny Mountains.
Why is Delaware River and Chesapeake Bay Canal formally open significant?
The Chesapeake and Ohio Canal, abbreviated as the C&O Canal and occasionally called the Grand Old Ditch, operated from 1831 until 1924 along the Potomac River between Washington, D.

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