The First Muscle Shoals Canal

The First Muscle Shoals Canal

The first canal built in the Muscle Shoals was built by the state of Alabama, assisted by the United States government, between 1831-1836. To fund the canal the US Congress gave the state 400,000 acres of public land to sell. The proceeds were used to fund the building of the canal. At the time, the...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Carrie Keener, University of North Alabama
Format: Electronic
Published: Auburn University Libraries
Subjects:
Cultural resources
Online Access:https://omeka.lib.auburn.edu/items/show/1600
format Electronic
collection Alabama Cultural Resource Survey Collection
building Auburn University
publisher Auburn University Libraries
topic Cultural resources
spellingShingle Cultural resources
The First Muscle Shoals Canal
Carrie Keener, University of North Alabama
fulltopic Cultural resources
Muscle Shoals; Colbert County, Alabama;
description The first canal built in the Muscle Shoals was built by the state of Alabama, assisted by the United States government, between 1831-1836. To fund the canal the US Congress gave the state 400,000 acres of public land to sell. The proceeds were used to fund the building of the canal. At the time, there was a need for four canals along the Tenneessee River in North Alabama, at Big Muscle Shoals, Elk River Shoals, Nancy Reef, and Little Muscle Shoals. Only at Big Muscle Shoals was a dam built. The need for the canals was due to the turbulent waters and widely varying depth of the river along the Shoals.<br /> Even with the addition of the canal to the river it barely made an impact on naviagtion. The canal was 14.5 miles long. Large barrages could not fit through the narrow canal and it took nearly eleven hours to travel fully making it impossible for much traffic to travel along the canal. The canal contained 17 locks, each 120 feet long by 32 feet, with a lift of five feet each. The way the canal was made also limited traffic to only come from up the river, not both ways. Today, the lower locks, 3-9, are submerged underwater due to the construction of the Wilson Dam.
spelling The First Muscle Shoals CanalCarrie Keener, University of North AlabamaMuscle Shoals; Colbert County, Alabama; The first canal built in the Muscle Shoals was built by the state of Alabama, assisted by the United States government, between 1831-1836. To fund the canal the US Congress gave the state 400,000 acres of public land to sell. The proceeds were used to fund the building of the canal. At the time, there was a need for four canals along the Tenneessee River in North Alabama, at Big Muscle Shoals, Elk River Shoals, Nancy Reef, and Little Muscle Shoals. Only at Big Muscle Shoals was a dam built. The need for the canals was due to the turbulent waters and widely varying depth of the river along the Shoals.<br /> Even with the addition of the canal to the river it barely made an impact on naviagtion. The canal was 14.5 miles long. Large barrages could not fit through the narrow canal and it took nearly eleven hours to travel fully making it impossible for much traffic to travel along the canal. The canal contained 17 locks, each 120 feet long by 32 feet, with a lift of five feet each. The way the canal was made also limited traffic to only come from up the river, not both ways. Today, the lower locks, 3-9, are submerged underwater due to the construction of the Wilson Dam.Alabama Cultural Resource SurveyDecember 1, 2015image, postcardhttps://omeka.lib.auburn.edu/items/show/1600'Muscle Shoals: Souvenir Of Inspection Trip By Officials And Citizens Of The Tri Cities'. 1919. Florence. Willism Lindsey McDonald Collection. UNA Special Archives. Peyton, John Howe. 1916. 'America's Gibraltar Muscle Shoals'. Paper. Florence. William Lindsey McDonald Collection. UNA Special Archives. 'FDR, TVA, And CCC Federal Influence In The Shoals: The Journal Of Muscle Shoals History Volume XIX'. 2015. Florence. William Lindsey McDonald Collection. UNA Special Archives.
title The First Muscle Shoals Canal
titleStr The First Muscle Shoals Canal
author Carrie Keener, University of North Alabama
author_facet Carrie Keener, University of North Alabama
id AUcultural1600
url https://omeka.lib.auburn.edu/items/show/1600
_version_ 1788802435180920832

Similar Items