Shepherdstown Crossroads of History

History passed through the town of Shepherdstown for centuries. Native Americans crossed the Patowmack River at the Ford below the bluffs. German settlers crossed at packhorse Ford as they emigrated from Pennsylvania into Virginia's Shenandoah Valley, giving the name Mecklenburg to the town. In 1832, the C&O Canal arrived, providing a controlled transportation routes to the west. The canal also brought business to the town with a river lock, providing canal boats a means to cross to the Virginia town, then known as Shepherds town.