 These boats brought goods and passengers to and from Richmond and points beyond.Long a dream of early Virginians such as George Washington, who was a surveyor early in his career, the canal was never completed as envisioned, as the American Civil War (1861-1865) interrupted construction above Lynchburg and by then, railroads were becoming more numerous and popular.After many years of attempts to compete successfully with the ever-expanding network of railroads, the James River and Kanawha Canal was conveyed to a new railroad company by a deed dated March 4, 1880.