An Ideal Crossing
The Potomac River is calm and narrow here, making it an ideal location for a ferry crossing. In 1791 Edwards Ferry began to operate here, connecting Maryland farmers to the Goose Creek Canal in Virginia and to the Leesburg markets. The ferry closed in 1836 but the community that grew around it continued, carrying on the name. Over time, a general store, a warehouse, and 36 residents composed the Edwards Ferry community. With the coming of the C&O Canal the small village prospered from the increase in commerce.
(caption) During the Civil War, Edwards Ferry connected Union Maryland with Confederate Virginia. Harper’s Weekly depicted Union troops passing through Edwards Ferry in October 1861. Many troops and supplies from both sides crossed the river here throughout the war.
(caption) The crumbling Jarboe’s Store remains here today. It was a general store and post office operated by Eugene E. Jarboe in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Flood damage in 1996 forced the National Park Service to partially tear down the unstable structure.
Courtesy hmdb.org
