Muscle Shoals Canal
The history of the Tennessee River is one of commerce. Before the completion of the Wilson Dam in 1924, the river was divided by a series of shoals near the Muscle Shoals area where the Tennessee fell over 100′ in approximately 30 miles. Between 1830 and 1890, adjacent to the river and around the shoals, a series of canals and locks were built and improved upon to provide for commercial navigation. This map dated 1885, was to be used in a speech by General Joseph Wheeler who was serving in the U.S. Congress at the time.
