Canal Walk Series: Browns Island Traditional Cache
JMUDuke95: Brown’s Island is closed until tentatively Fall 2026. I would like to enable again once it reopens. It has been a popular cache.
(posted by Geocaching app)
Canal Walk Series: Browns Island
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Difficulty:
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Terrain:
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Size: 
(small)
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"Brown's Island" is the first cache in the new Canal Walk Series I am creating. The cache is located in a historic and recreational landmark in downtown Richmond and can be accessed via the Canal Walk and other entries from downtown.
Brown's Island is an artificial continental island on the James River in Richmond, Virginia. Brown's island was formed in 1789 with the beginnings of the Haxall Canal.
The island's first settler was Elijah Brown, for whom it was named. He acquired the land in 1826. A later owner named Neilson tried to rename the island as Neilson's Island, but it did not last. In 1894, the Richmond Union Passenger Railway opened a coal power plant on the island. In 1899, Dominion Virginia Power opened a hydroelectric power plant on the island's east side, running off the Haxall Canal. Virginia Power also opened a coal power plant nearby in 1936. The trolley company's plant did not last long, but reopend in 1916 as the Dixie Paper Mill.
In the 1950s and 60s, electricity production at the hydroelectic plant decreased, and ended altogether in 1968. In 1969, the coal plant was damaged and shut down by flooding from Hurricane Camille. In 1970, the spillway between Johnson's and Brown's Islands was closed and the islands merged. Hurricane Agnes also flooded and closed the coal power plant in 1972, and the plant was closed altogether in 1975.
In 1987, the island became part of the city's James River Park.
Beside being a music venue, the island is also home to pathways and is a popular place for sightseeing. Visible from the island is the Belle Isle, the Manchester Bridge, and the ruins of the Richmond and Petersburg Railroad Bridge. The Rivanna Subdivision Trestle crosses the island, making it a popular destination for railfans, too.
The location of this cache is at two large pulleys and gear preserved from the paper mill's machinery. There are also three informational plaques that provide more historical background of Brown's Island and its past industry. Please be careful not to disturb the area and only access from the Brown's Island walkway (i.e. stay on the walkway side of the fence).
This is a standard "hide a key" cache that will could require some degree of stealth as people walk on the nearby walkway. In the cache is a logbook and room to exchange small items. BYOP.
** FTF: Congrats to the duo Pick6 and Huggy_d1! **
Additional Hints
(Decrypt)
Trnerq hc.
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