October 10, a day at Harpers Ferry

So you are now going to learn more about Harpers Ferry than you probably wanted to know.  I had heard about it in history books and about John Brown the abolitionist and all that. I had always envisioned a small river crossing in relative flat land.  It is really the junction of the Shenandoah and Potomac Rivers that both come down steeply sided canyons.  The town is situated on the point formed by these two rivers.  The terrain rises steeply from the shores. most of the fighting during the civil war seemed to have been done by cannon fire from the tops of the adjacent ridges.  12,000 union soldiers surrendered here at the beginning of the war.

The area had deposits of iron and limestone which made it a great place for manufacturing.  The U.S. set up the first national armory there.  There was also textile work done there.  The harnessed water power from the Shenandoah.  Problem was, that in order to get water power, you had to locate near the river, but the river floods wiping out the facility.  The armory did flourish up until the civil war when it became important to both sides.  The reason John Brown attacked the armory was he wanted to control it. 

The armory was the first place that interchangeable machine parts were made for anything.  This was new as before then each part was hand made and hand fitted to the part it was attached to.  BIG innovation.  So here are some pics: 

foundations from paper pulp mill

A bird

canal cut to bypass some rapids on the Shenandoah

 

in service railroad

 Water works where the first US turbines were used for textile and later flour mills

 Shenandoah

place where John Brown was captured.  Even though he was an abolitionist, he was tried and convicted in US courts and hung.

Machines from the armory.  Have fun Earl :>)

pistol rifling machine

gun stock lath.  the piece above is what is being copied

stock making machine

Barrel lathe

 Down town with lots of rock walls and buildings

 Old station still in use today

Bridge on right is what we crossed yesterday

 train station from afar

Tis the season, had to put a few of these in to lighten things up.  Locals have a sense of humor

After the war a college was set up in Harpers Ferry.  Originally for all races, it became a black college due to segregation laws.  the debate was whether to teach liberal arts (including sciences) or just manual arts.  The college closed in 1955.  it appears the grounds are now used by the US Forest Service.

Pics of the Shenandoah from above

 note the rock bedding crossing the river.....cool

well he did finally get the toilet paper!!!!!

That's about it for tomorrow.  I seem to have a cold that settled in my spine as I ache today.  This is much more than the standard stuff I have experienced the last 6 weeks.  Hopefully this improves for our 60 miles out tomorrow. Either way we'll make it.  Barb is doing great!