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Early Development of Transportation (1.2.2)

By 1796 the Dismal Swamp Canal had been dug for five miles at each end, with these sections being put into immediate use by lighters and other shallow-draft vessels. To complement the canal, a stage road was constructed along the eastern river banks north and south of the canal, but not along the canal itself, at least not at first. The stage road was later extended the entire length of the canal system, a route now followed largely by U. S. Route 17. The annual report of the Dismal Swamp Canal Company of November 1804 stated that the stage road was passable even though one-and-one-half miles of canal remained to be dug. With the 1805 opening of the canal, Elizabeth City began to develop into the transportation, mercantile, and cultural center of the Albemarle area (Griffin 1970, 69).

The Dismal Swamp Canal met with marginal success during its early years of operation, largely because of its narrow size and shallow draft. Because of these deficiencies, the canal was ineffective in alleviating the British coastal blockade during the War of 1812. A subsequent Federal investigation emphasized the canal's potential by reporting that during the few weeks it was open in 1815, more than 6.5 million shingles and over one million staves had been sent through. Yet, no attempt was made to improve the canal until 1819 when a lottery "for the Improvement of Internal Navigation between the States of Virginia and North Carolina" was held in Norfolk; subsequent lotteries were held in 1820 and 1829 (Brown 1967, 45).

Nonetheless, a steamboat line existed between Elizabeth City and New Bern as early as 1817 and in April 1818 a stage coach line began operation between Norfolk, Elizabeth City, and Edenton. This activity was applauded by Norfolk newspapers:

We view the rising spirit of enterprise in our sister state with unfeigned pleasure, and we make no doubt that the citizens of North Carolina, now that they are awakening to a sense of their true interests, will pursue the work of public improvement . . . auspiciously commenced, with becoming zeal and industry. The establishment of steam boats in Albemarle and Pamlico Sounds, area resident, were named by the General Assembly as trustees for the school. However, there is no further record of this school and it may never have held classes (Griffin 1970, 110).