GC3CM3T Softer Rock Where The Water Once Flowed (Traditional Cache) in Virginia, United States created by weirdharold

This cache has been archived.

Road_Trip: Came here a week ago and couldn't find this one after an earlier DNF. I suspect it's gone.. If it turns up, will be glad to seek to have it restored. I don't have a suitable replacement container for this unique Weird Harold cache.

GC3CM3T ▼

A cache by weirdharold Message this owner

Hidden : 2/14/2012

Difficulty:

Terrain:

Size: Size: micro (micro)

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Geocache Description:

Congratulations to kent.family for F.T.F!

You are looking for micro cache located on city property near the Rappahannock canal. The area where the cache is hiding looks like a big grassy ditch, however it is the remnants of the old canal raceway. This raceway supplies water to several upper level mills in the city from the 1800's through the mid 1900's.

These mills were located on the upper raceway which ran along the western side of Caroline Street, opposite present-day Old Mill Park. They were powered by water from the Fredericksburg Water Power Company Canal.
Water was let into the canal by gates at the dam and flowed to the turning basin (where canal boats turned around after delivering their cargo). A raceway continued from the basin, running under Princess Anne Street to the milling area. There each mill had its own headrace extending from the main raceway.
Excelsior Mills was located near the Railroad Bridge, on Sophia Street. Fredericksburg Paper Mill was located on the canal near the site of the present Water Purification Plant. Other companies who used the canal water to power their mill were WASHINGTON WOOLEN MILLS, GERMANIA MILLS, C. W. WILDER AND COMPANY SILK MILL which later became the KLOTZ COMPANY.

The raceway also provided water to power the CITY ELECTRIC LIGHT WORKS. This city-run electric light plant was located on the upper raceway, halfway between Washington Woolen Mills and Germania Mills. It was completed in 1901 by the City of Fredericksburg. The city had contracted with the Rappahannock Electric Light and Power Company for lighting its streets, but eventually it was felt that the street lights could be maintained more economically and efficiently if the city had its own electric generating plant. By 1919, the plant was closed.

History lesson over!
This micro cache his hidden in a location that will probably make you cringe when you see it. Hopefully you will have enough information to make an easy find. You can park in the back parking lot of the Quarles Petroleum business, or along Princess Ann St. You will have to bring your own pen and please observe the Rappahannock Canal hours. The canal path is closed from 10:00 pm until 4:00 am. Good Luck!

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