[Panel 1:]A Canal to the West
For years it was a dream - a canal to open a trade route from local commercial centers to the rich Ohio country across the Allegheny Mountains. Business would thrive as mule-drawn barges carried wheat, furs, whiske…
In contrast to the island today, this 1818 map by Robert King portrays the island as one continuous garden rich in native and cultivated plants, flowers, and fruits and divided by an avenue planted with trees. The estate was the summer retreat for…