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100
DIGGING THROUGH HISTORY by Harrison Friedman
The Cape Cod Canal is an
historic icon enjoyed by the
residents here on Cape Cod.
This canal, along with the
bridges that connect the Cape
to the rest of Massachusetts,
is one of the first landmarks
that all who come to the Cape
see. The Cape Cod Canal's
history traces back to the late
17th century – making the idea
of a canal over four centuries
old. With so much history
behind it, this canal has shown
to be a staple to the residents
of Cape Cod and its many
visitors.
The 17-mile canal was built
190 –1914, which makes it
more than a century old .. but
the idea of it has been around
for much longer.
The first mention of the Cape
Cod Canal was by Captain
Myles Standish of Plimouth
Colony in 1623. This canal was
proposed by Myles to facilitate
trade between the Native
Americans and the other
colonies. At the beginning of
the Cape Cod peninsula
(before the construction of the
canal), laid an isthmus (a narrow
strip of land with sea on either
side, forming a link between
two larger areas of land)
separating two title rivers on
the Northeast and Southwest
sides of the peninsula. These
rivers, the Monument River and
the Scusset River, were both
flowing inland with only about
a mile of land separating the
two. This sort of project was
virtually impossible, given the
technology that was available
at that time.
Over the years, the idea of
the canal was brought to the
attention of many, even the late
George Washington, who
wanted a canal to bring more
security to the American fleet
from its enemies. Washington
had a survey carried out by
Dredging
the
Canal.
