(VA, WV, OH, KY) Map & Profiles of...

Map & Profiles of the James River & Kanawha Canal and its Connections.

George Washington as a young man surveyed the western reaches of Virginia and realized for Virginia to be part of the great momentum and be a economic powerhouse, they needed to tap into the frontier by connecting to the Ohio River and in turn have access to the West. He first proposed the idea of a canal that would open a water route from Richmond and beyond to the Chesapeake, all the way to Point Pleasant on the banks of the Ohio River. Laying out his plan in 1772, he saw a plan that would allow a waterway to connect to the Ohio River, on to the Mississippi and out to the Gulf of Mexico.

But Washington became busy with the Revolutionary War and his role as President and the Canal went by the wayside. In 1785 the James River Company was established but the Revolution and war of 1812 slowed the progress. After failed attempts, the Commonwealth of Virginia worked on the project. But during this time Railroads were becoming the faster and most dependable method for transport and slowly the canal's creation would dissolve.

This rare large map documents the attempt to regroup and continue the project. Showing the progress up to the time and its route. But as rail reached into the region, the future was clear, and rail would be king.

Condition is very good, has been professionally restored and backed with tissue, with minimal loss and very light dampstaining. Image size is approximately 25 x 59 (inches)