Chesapeake & Ohio Canal Association

The Chesapeake & Ohio Canal Association is a United States nonprofit organization formed to protect and promote the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal, its historic resources, and the surrounding Potomac River Basin. Its charter focuses on conserving the natural and historical environment associated with the canal and river basin. The association is closely connected with the Chesapeake & Ohio Canal National Historical Park, supporting the park through public advocacy, volunteer work, educational activities, recreational events, and fundraising-oriented programs. The organization grew out of a 1954 expedition led by Supreme Court Justice William O. Douglas and a group of conservation-minded hikers. The group walked the full canal route from Cumberland, Maryland, to Washington, D.C., in opposition to a proposal to construct a highway along the canal right-of-way. The hikers argued that the canal corridor should instead be preserved as a national park. In 1956, Douglas proposed creating a formal association to advance that objective, and the members of the hiking group approved the idea. The association subsequently organized public “Reunion” hikes and lobbied Congress for legislation establishing a national park. Those efforts contributed to the creation of the Chesapeake & Ohio Canal National Historical Park in 1971. After the park was established, the association retained its original hiking tradition while expanding into practical stewardship. It sponsors spring and fall hikes, periodic Cumberland-to-Washington through hikes commemorating the 1954 expedition, and public events involving hiking, cycling, canoeing, and canal history. Its volunteer activities supplement the work of the National Park Service. Level Walkers patrol assigned sections of the towpath, collect litter, and report maintenance or safety concerns. Other Volunteers-In-Parks projects include invasive-plant removal, painting and repairing historic structures, trail rehabilitation, installation of interpretive signs, and visitor information at Lockhouse 75. The association also supports preservation projects and public participation. Its towpath tags, issued annually since 2001 and featuring different canal structures or scenes, give visitors a tangible way to support the park through suggested contributions. The organization has helped advance work involving the Widewater section of the towpath, the Monocacy Aqueduct, the Catoctin Aqueduct Restoration Fund, and the heavily eroded Big Slackwater section. The Big Slackwater towpath, a major association priority from 2005 onward, reopened in 2012. The association’s continuing purpose is to preserve the continuity, accessibility, and historical character of the canal park. It emphasizes that citizen involvement is essential because the park faces both natural deterioration and chronic resource constraints. Membership is open to people who support preservation of the canal and its natural setting. The association’s records were donated to The George Washington University in 1991, with additional donations made later; they are held by the university’s Special Collections Research Center.

The Chesapeake & Ohio Canal Association originated in the mid-1950s, when the future of the C&O Canal corridor was threatened by a proposal to build a highway on the canal’s right-of-way. In 1954, Supreme Court Justice William O. Douglas joined conservation-minded hikers on a walk from Cumberland, Maryland, to Washington, D.C. The journey drew attention to the canal’s historic, environmental, and recreational value and helped frame preservation as an alternative to highway construction. Two years after the hike, Douglas proposed establishing an association dedicated to securing national-park protection for the canal. The hiking group unanimously approved the proposal, and the new association began public advocacy. It organized recurring “Reunion” hikes along the canal to generate public interest and urged Congress to enact legislation creating a national park. The campaign ultimately succeeded in 1971, when Congress established the Chesapeake & Ohio Canal National Historical Park. The association’s role changed after the park’s creation but did not diminish. It continued to use organized hikes as a means of connecting the public with the canal while taking on a broader stewardship role. Its programs came to include hiking, cycling, canoeing, historical interpretation, volunteer maintenance, and support for restoration work. Through these activities, the association has acted as a civic partner to the National Park Service rather than as a commercial operator. Volunteer programs have addressed both routine park needs and larger conservation challenges. Level Walkers monitor assigned portions of the towpath, remove trash, and alert park officials to problems. Volunteers also remove invasive vegetation, paint and repair structures, rehabilitate trails, and install interpretive wayside signs. At Lockhouse 75, volunteers provide information to visitors. These efforts are intended to supplement public resources in a park vulnerable to erosion, vegetation growth, structural deterioration, and limited maintenance funding. The association has supported projects involving the Widewater section of the towpath, the Monocacy Aqueduct, and the Catoctin Aqueduct Restoration Fund. Beginning in 2005, it identified restoration of the Big Slackwater towpath as a major priority after severe erosion forced the section to close. The route reopened in 2012. Since 2001, the organization has also produced annual laminated towpath tags depicting a canal structure or landscape. Visitors can obtain the tags at park visitor centers through a suggested contribution that goes directly to the park. The association preserves its institutional history as well as the canal’s physical resources. In 1991, it donated its records to The George Washington University, where they are held by the Special Collections Research Center in the Estelle and Melvin Gelman Library. Further donations have followed. Today, the organization remains focused on maintaining the continuity and public support of the national historical park. Its membership is open to anyone who supports protection of the canal, its historic setting, and the natural environment of the Potomac River Basin.

• 2012

  Big Slackwater towpath reopened

  [1]Chesapeake and Ohio Canal Associationen.wikipedia.org

  The Big Slackwater section reopened after restoration work addressing severe erosion and access problems.

• 2005

  Big Slackwater restoration priority

  [1]Chesapeake and Ohio Canal Associationen.wikipedia.org

  Restoration of the eroded Big Slackwater towpath became a major association objective.

• 2001

  Towpath tag program introduced

  [1]Chesapeake and Ohio Canal Associationen.wikipedia.org

  The association began producing annual towpath tags featuring canal structures or scenes, with suggested contributions benefiting the park.

• 1991

  Organizational records donated

  [1]Chesapeake and Ohio Canal Associationen.wikipedia.org

  The association donated its papers to The George Washington University’s Special Collections Research Center; later donations followed.

• 1971

  National historical park established

  [1]Chesapeake and Ohio Canal Associationen.wikipedia.org

  Congress created the Chesapeake & Ohio Canal National Historical Park after years of advocacy supported by the association and its public hiking campaigns.

• 1956

  Association formed

  [1]Chesapeake and Ohio Canal Associationen.wikipedia.org

  Douglas proposed forming a formal association, and the hiking group approved an organization to campaign for national-park protection of the C&O Canal.

• 1954

  Douglas-led canal hike

  [1]Chesapeake and Ohio Canal Associationen.wikipedia.org

  William O. Douglas and fellow conservationists walked from Cumberland to Washington to oppose a highway proposal and promote preservation of the canal corridor.

A citizen-led preservation and stewardship organization combining historic advocacy, outdoor recreation, volunteer service, and public engagement to support the Chesapeake & Ohio Canal National Historical Park.

• Support merchandise · 2001

  C&O Canal towpath tags

  Annual laminated tags featuring a different C&O Canal structure, landscape, or scene. Available through park visitor centers, the tags provide visitors with a small keepsake and a way to express support through a suggested contribution directed to the Chesapeake & Ohio Canal National Historical Park.

• Recreation and education

  Public hikes and outdoor events

  The association organizes spring and fall hikes, periodic through hikes, and other public activities involving hiking, cycling, canoeing, and canal-related interpretation. These events extend the group’s original advocacy tradition by building public familiarity with the canal and encouraging support for its preservation.

• Conservation service

  Volunteer stewardship programs

  Volunteer programs include Level Walkers, who patrol portions of the towpath and report problems, and Volunteers-In-Parks projects involving invasive-plant removal, trail work, structure repairs, painting, interpretive signage, and visitor assistance.

• 2005Big Slackwater towpath restoration

  United States

  The association made restoration of the erosion-damaged Big Slackwater towpath a major preservation and access priority.

  Outcome. The section reopened in 2012.

  Source
• 1956National park advocacy campaign

  United States

  The association used public Reunion hikes, congressional advocacy, and conservation messaging to promote creation of a national park along the C&O Canal.

  Outcome. Congress established the Chesapeake & Ohio Canal National Historical Park in 1971.

  Source

1. 1Chesapeake and Ohio Canal Associationen.wikipedia.org
2. 2C&O Canal Association official websitecandocanal.org