It's sits right on the confluence of the Shenandoah and Potomac Rivers, a very beautiful spot. Maryland, Virginia, and West Virginia meet there. Thomas Jefferson visited there once, hiked up to a very high spot and declared the site, "perhaps one of the most stupendous scene in nature."
George Washington set up an armory and arsenal in Harper's Ferry, which was one of only two in the United States. His brother moved close by, and started Charles Town.
It became a modern, industrial area, with canals, railroads, and turbines to generate electrical power. It was a very prosperous town, with many businesses.
Meriwether Lewis purchased all the weapons and hardware needed for the Lewis and Clark Expedition, from the Amory and Arsenal, which included a collapsible iron boat frame, which ironically did not work.
Harper's Ferry is where in 1859, abolitionist (very radical) John Brown, in an effort to organize and arm slaves to end slavery, took over the government arsenal. Long story, but if I counted right, 16 were killed and five were hanged, including John Brown.
During the Civil War, Harper's Ferry, changed hands between the north and south eight times. Both sides bombed the h, e, double hockey sticks out of the town, railroad, armory, arsenal, and canals, and it never recovered it's previous prosperity.
The site of Storer College, established after the Civil War, a freedman's school open to all regardless of sex, race, or religion.
Harper's Ferry National Historic Park, the Appalachian National Historic Trail, and the Shenandoah National Park all border the area.
It is a beautiful and very interesting place. It rained, so the crowds were small and we had a fun day.
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| We saw a mom explaining to her kids what a pay phone is...... |
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