Ohio and Erie Canal

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Ohio and Erie Canal
Ohio Canal.jpg
A portion of the Ohio and Erie canal in 1902
Ohio and Erie Canal
Location Independence and
Valley View,
Cuyahoga County, Ohio
Specifications
Length308 miles (496 km)
Locks152
(originally 146)
Statusclosed
Geography
Start point Cleveland, Ohio on the Lake Erie
End point Portsmouth, Ohio, U.S.
Ohio and Erie Canal Historic District
Location Independence and
Valley View,
Cuyahoga County, Ohio
Area24.5 acres (99,000 m2) [1]
Built1825
NRHP reference No. 66000607
Significant dates
Added to NRHPNovember 13, 1966 [2]
Designated NHLDNovember 13, 1966 [3]
Map of a portion of the canal route in the Cuyahoga Valley Cuyahoga Valley National Park map of a portion of the canal route.jpg
Map of a portion of the canal route in the Cuyahoga Valley

The Ohio and Erie Canal was a canal constructed during the 1820s and early 1830s in Ohio. It connected Akron with the Cuyahoga River near its outlet on Lake Erie in Cleveland, and a few years later, with the Ohio River near Portsmouth. It also had connections to other canal systems in Pennsylvania.

Contents

The canal carried freight traffic from 1827 to 1861, when the construction of railroads ended demand. From 1862 to 1913, the canal served as a water source for industries and towns. During 1913, much of the canal system was abandoned after important parts were flooded severely.

Most of the surviving portions in the Akron-Cleveland area are managed by the National Park Service or Ohio Department of Natural Resources. They are used for various recreational purposes by the public, and still provide water for some industries. Parts of the canal are preserved, including the Ohio and Erie Canal Historic District, a National Historic Landmark. Portions further south are less well preserved, and a discontiguous set of locks and other canal resources roughly between Columbus and the Ohio River are listed on the National Register as the Ohio and Erie Canal Southern Descent Historic District.

History

Ohio, which achieved statehood during 1803, remained a sparsely populated region of 50,000 people who were scattered throughout the state and who had no means of transporting goods economically out of the state. Without easy access to distant markets, agriculture served only local needs and large-scale manufacturing was nearly non-existent. [4]

Agitation for a canal system (17871822)

As early as 1787, George Washington and Thomas Jefferson had discussed the desirability of a canal linking Lake Erie to the Ohio River as part of a national system of canals. [5] It wasn't until 1807 that Ohio's first Senator, Thomas Worthington offered a resolution in Congress asking Treasury Secretary Albert Gallatin to report to the Senate. In 1810, DeWitt Clinton was appointed to manage the Erie Canal Commission. He was unsuccessful in his attempt to get national aid for the construction of a canal connecting Lake Erie to the Hudson River, so he enlisted the aid of state legislators and Ohio's congressional delegation. On January 15, 1812, the Ohio General Assembly passed a resolution expressing its opinion that the connection of the Great Lakes with the Hudson River was a project of "national concern". President Madison was against the proposal, however, and the War of 1812 ended official discussion.

On December 11, 1816, Clinton, by then the Governor of New York, sent a letter to the Ohio Legislature indicating his state's willingness to construct the Erie Canal without national help, and asking the State of Ohio to join the endeavor. On January 9, 1817, the Ohio Legislature directed Ohio's Governor (and former Senator) Thomas Worthington to negotiate a deal with Clinton. Due to the cost, however, the Ohio Legislature dallied, and nothing happened for three years. Finally, in January 1822, the Ohio Legislature passed acts to fund the canal system (and the state's public education obligations).

Survey and design (1822)

On January 31, 1822, the Ohio General Assembly passed a resolution to employ an engineer and appoint commissioners to survey and design the canal system as soon as possible. A sum not to exceed $6,000 was reserved for this purpose.

James Geddes, an engineer who had worked on the New York canals, was hired. Since most of Ohio's population lived along a line from Cleveland to Cincinnati, the main trunk of the canal needed to serve these areas. But no single river followed this line — canals are more cheaply and easily built along river valleys — making it difficult to design a suitable system. Specifically, the bridging of the Scioto and Miami river valleys required raising the canal to such an elevation that water from neither river could be used as a source. As a result, the canal was divided into two sections: the Ohio and Erie Canal, which connected Cleveland to Portsmouth via the Licking Divide and the Scioto River Valley, and the Miami and Erie Canal, which connected Cincinnati to Dayton. This second canal would ultimately be extended to the Maumee River at Toledo.

Copies of the original survey plat maps for the construction of both Ohio canals are available on-line [6] from the Ohio Department of Natural Resources.

Construction (1825–1832)

On February 4, 1825, the Ohio Legislature passed "An Act to provide for the Internal Improvement of the State of Ohio by Navigable Canals". [7] The Canal Commission was authorized to borrow $400,000 during 1825, and not more than $600,000 per year thereafter. The notes issued were to be redeemable between 1850 and 1875.

On July 4, 1825, ground was broken for the canal at Licking Summit near Newark, Ohio.

The canals were specified to have a minimum width of 40 feet (12 m) at the top, 26 feet (8 m) at the bottom, and a depth of 4 feet (1.2 m) feet minimum. These limits were often exceeded, and indeed it was cheaper to do so in most cases. For example, it might be cheaper to build one embankment and then let the water fill all the way to a hillside parallel, perhaps hundreds of feet away, rather than build two embankments. By damming the rivers, long stretches of slackwater could be created which, with the addition of towpaths, could serve as portions of the canal. Where it made economic sense to do so, such as lock widths or portions of the canal through narrow rock or across aqueducts, the minimum widths were adhered to.[ citation needed ]

Contracts were let for the following tasks: Grubbing and clearing, Mucking and ditching, Embankment and excavation, Locks and culverts, Puddling, and Protection.

Initially, contractors in general proved to be inexperienced and unreliable. It was common for one job to receive 50 bids, many of them local to where the work was being performed. The chosen contractor, having underbid the contract, often would abscond leaving his labor force unpaid and his contract unfulfilled. This problem was so bad that many laborers refused to perform canal work for fear of not being paid. As the bidding process was improved, and more reliable contractors engaged, the situation improved.[ citation needed ]

Workers were initially paid $0.30 per day and offered a jigger of whiskey. As work progressed, and where labor was in shortage, workers could make as much as $15 per month. At that time, cash money was scarce in Ohio forcing much bartering. Working on the canal was appealing and attracted many farmers from their land.[ citation needed ]

On July 3, 1827, the first canal boat on the Ohio and Erie Canal left Akron, traveled through 41 locks and over 3 aqueducts along 37 miles (60 km) of canal, to arrive at Cleveland on July 4. While the average speed of 3 mph (5 km/h) may seem slow, canal boats could carry 10 tons of goods and were much more efficient than wagons over rutted trails.

Graph showing the annual expenditures and revenues accrued to the State of Ohio by the Ohio and Erie Canal from 1827 to 1903. Ohio and Erie Canal Expenses and Revenues.jpg
Graph showing the annual expenditures and revenues accrued to the State of Ohio by the Ohio and Erie Canal from 1827 to 1903.

During the next five years, more and more portions of the canal opened, with it finally being completed during 1832:

During 1832, the Ohio and Erie Canal was completed. The entire canal system was 308 miles (496 km) long with 146 lift locks and a rise of 1,206 feet (368 m). In addition, there were five feeder canals that added 24.8 miles (39.9 km) and 6 additional locks to the system consisting of:

The canal's lock numbering system was oriented from the Lower Basin, near the southwest corner of the current Exchange and Main streets in Akron. North of the basin is Lock 1 North, and south of the basin is Lock 1 South. At this basin was the joining of the Pennsylvania and Ohio Canal. [8] [9]

Operation (1833–1913)

The Columbus Feeder Canal c. 1881-1885 Columbus Feeder Canal.jpg
The Columbus Feeder Canal c. 1881-1885

The canals enjoyed a period of prosperity from the 1830s to the early 1860s, with maximum revenue between 1852 and 1855. During the 1840s, Ohio was the third most prosperous state, owing much of that growth to the canal. [10] Immediately after the Civil War, it became apparent that railroads would take the canal's business. From 1861 until 1879, after the canal had been badly flooded, [10] Ohio leased its canals to private owners who earned revenue from dwindling boat operation and the sale of water to factories and towns. When the state resumed ownership of the canals during 1879, it discovered that they had not been maintained well, and that state lands surrounding the canals had been sold illegally to private owners. In many cases, canals were filled in for "health reasons", with a newly laid railroad track on their right of way. Much state land was given away for free to politically savvy private owners. Nevertheless, some revenue was accrued into the early twentieth century from the sale of water rights as well as recovery and sale of land surrounding the canals.

Abandonment

After the maximum of the 1850s and a cessation of revenue due to the Civil War during the early 1860s, the canal's expenditures started to outgrow its revenues due to increasing maintenance costs. By 1911, most of the southern portion of the canal had been abandoned. [10] The Great Dayton Flood of 1913 dumped an abnormally heavy amount of rain on the state, causing extensive flooding. This caused the reservoirs to spill over into the canals, destroying aqueducts, washing out banks, and devastating most of the locks. In Akron, Lock 1 was dynamited to allow backed up floodwater to flow. [11]

Notable persons associated with the canal

As a teenager during 1847, James Garfield worked as a "hoggee", driving mules to pull barges along the canal. [12] After repeatedly falling into the canal on the job Garfield became ill and decided to go to college instead. [13]

The canal presently

Restored canal boat Restored canal boat, Ohio and Erie Canal.JPG
Restored canal boat

The Ohio and Erie Canal Historic District, a 24.5-acre (9.9 ha) historic district including part of the canal, was declared a National Historic Landmark during 1966. [1] [3] It is a four-mile (6 km) section within the village of Valley View comprising three locks, the Tinkers Creek Aqueduct, and two other structures. [1]

A remaining watered section of the Ohio & Erie Canal is located in Summit County, Ohio. The Ohio & Erie Canal is maintained, to this day, as a water supply for local industries. After the flood, a few sections of the canal continued in use hauling cargo to local industries. Another watered section extends from the Station Road Bridge in Brecksville northwards into Valley View and Independence, all Cleveland suburbs.

The section of the Ohio & Erie Canal from the Brecksville Dam to Rockside Road in Cuyahoga County was transferred to the National Park Service during 1989 as part of the Cuyahoga Valley National Recreational Area (now known as the Cuyahoga Valley National Park).

A lease on the canal lands from the Cuyahoga Valley National Park to the terminus of the canal has been executed with the Cleveland Metroparks. The Metroparks manage the adjacent real estate and the surrounding Ohio & Erie Canal Reservation.

The section of the Ohio & Erie Canal still owned and maintained by the Division of Parks in southern Summit is referred to as the watered section. This section runs from downtown Akron, through Summit Lake south to Barberton, a distance of about 12 miles (19 km). Included in this section is the feeder canal from the Tuscarawas River and the hydraulics (flood control) at the Portage Lakes.

The Ohio & Erie Canal and its feeder reservoirs are maintained from Akron by a staff of three O.D.N.R. Ohio State Parks, Canal Hydraulic Operators. Like its sister canal, the Ohio & Erie Canal carries a large amount of stormwater. The canals were not designed to accommodate this great influx of stormwater. Most of the siltation and erosion problems experienced presently are the result of stormwater inappropriately piped into the canals over the years.

During late 1996, the canal from Zoar to Cleveland was designated a National Heritage Corridor. This designation was brought about through the efforts of many communities, civic organizations, businesses and individuals working in partnership.

Another section still watered, approximately one mile in length, runs along Canal Road in Pickaway County southwest of Circleville.

A map showing the disposition of the canal lands [14] is available on-line from the Ohio Department of Natural Resources.

Points of interest

Towpath bridge across the Innerbelt in downtown Akron. Ohio and Erie Canal Towpath Trail.jpg
Towpath bridge across the Innerbelt in downtown Akron.

Connecting canals

The Ohio and Erie Canal initially provided a connection between Akron and Lake Erie at Cleveland, then extending all the way to the Ohio River within a few years. Later, connecting canal systems were built connecting it with the Pennsylvania and Ohio Canal and other parts of Eastern Ohio. [15]

Ohio and Erie Canal - Connecting canals
Coordinates
Elevation
Name
Description
Columbus Feeder Lockbourne, Columbus, Franklin County
Granville Feeder Granville, Licking County
Hocking Valley Carroll, Lancaster, Fairfield County;
Logan, Hocking County;
Nelsonville, Athens, Athens County
Muskingum Side Cut Dresden, Zanesville, Muskingum County;
McConnelsville, Morgan County;
Marietta, Washington County
Pennsylvania and Ohio Canal Akron, Summit County;
Kent, Ravenna, Portage County;
Warren, Trumbull County;
Youngstown, Mahoning County; Ohio;
Lawrence; Beaver, Beaver County; Allegheny, Pennsylvania [16]
40°44′27″N80°53′37″W / 40.74083°N 80.89361°W / 40.74083; -80.89361 (Sandy Beaver Canal) [17] [18] 1,112 feet (339 m) [17] [18] Sandy and Beaver Canal
a.k.a. Tuscarawas Feeder
Bolivar, Tuscarawas County;
Hanoverton, Lisbon, East Liverpool, Columbiana County;
Glasgow, Beaver County, Pennsylvania
40°19′19″N81°56′49″W / 40.32194°N 81.94694°W / 40.32194; -81.94694 (Walhonding Canal) [19] 774 feet (236 m) [19] Walhonding Canal Roscoe Village, Coshocton County;
Brinkhaven, Knox County

Towpath Trail landmarks

An all-purpose bicycle/pedestrian trail was constructed by Cuyahoga Valley National Park in Southern Cuyahoga County and Northern Summit County, Cleveland Metroparks in Northern Cuyahoga County, and Akron/Summit County Metroparks in Southern Summit County to roughly follow the original Ohio and Erie Canal Towpath route. [20] (The northernmost section in Cuyahoga County is still undergoing construction.) There are many connecting trails going to other points of interest throughout their park systems.

USA Ohio location map.svg
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44_North
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Mill_Creek
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Tinkers_Creek
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Peninsula
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Furnace_Run
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Akron
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Canal_Fulton
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Massillon
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Sandy Beaver
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Bolivar
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Walhonding
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Baltimore
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Canal_Winchester
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Lockbourne
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Carroll
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Ohio Canal system
Drawing of the Ohio Canal System from early to mid 1900s Ohio canal system Athens County, Ohio - DPLA - 9d4dc78c0d5322573a23575b31c97745 (page 122) (cropped).jpg
Drawing of the Ohio Canal System from early to mid 1900s
Ohio and Erie Canal Towpath Trail Landmarks
Mile
Post
[B]
ID
#
Coordinates
Elevation
Name
Type
Municipality
County
Description
044 North 41°29′39.76″N81°42′10.4″W / 41.4943778°N 81.702889°W / 41.4943778; -81.702889 ("Lock 44") [21] 0 feet (0 m) Cuyahoga River SloopLock Cleveland Cuyahoga Merwin Street between James street and West street
43 North0 feet (0 m)Lock Cleveland Cuyahoga Sherwin Williams, James and West, Merrwin and Vineyard
0 feet (0 m)WeighLock Cleveland Cuyahoga Seneca a.k.a. West 3rd. street
342 North0 feet (0 m)Lock Cleveland Cuyahoga relocated to 42A,
342A North0 feet (0 m)Weigh and GuardLock Cleveland Cuyahoga near Grasselli chemical company, Dille street and Independence road
541 North 41°26′49.38″N81°40′56.88″W / 41.4470500°N 81.6824667°W / 41.4470500; -81.6824667 ("Five Mile Lock 41") [22] 0 feet (0 m)RathBunsLock Cuyahoga near Austin Powder Works, Harvard Road, near Jennings Road
840 North 41°25′8.82″N81°38′38.58″W / 41.4191167°N 81.6440500°W / 41.4191167; -81.6440500 ("Eight Mile Lock 40") [23] 0 feet (0 m)WillowLock Cuyahoga Heights Cuyahoga off Canal Road, near I-77
41°25′2.53″N81°38′18.88″W / 41.4173694°N 81.6385778°W / 41.4173694; -81.6385778 ("Mill Creek Aqueduct") [24] 0 feet (0 m) Mill Creek Aqueduct Cuyahoga Heights Cuyahoga carries canal over Mill Creek (Cuyahoga River) off Canal Road
41°24′57″N81°38′2″W / 41.41583°N 81.63389°W / 41.41583; -81.63389 ("GNIS-OEC-17 Cleveland South topo") [25] 0 feet (0 m)GNISGNIS 17 Cleveland South topographic map
Bridge Cuyahoga Rockside Road
TrailHead Cuyahoga CVSR
11MilePost Marker Cuyahoga
1139 North 41°23′24.22″N81°37′28.95″W / 41.3900611°N 81.6247083°W / 41.3900611; -81.6247083 ("Eleven Mile Lock 39") [26] 590 feet (180 m) [27] Lock Independence Cuyahoga
41°23′4″N81°37′7″W / 41.38444°N 81.61861°W / 41.38444; -81.61861 ("GNIS-OEC-16 Shaker Heights topo") [25] 0 feet (0 m)GNISGNIS 16 Shaker Heights topographic map
12MilePost Marker Cuyahoga
Bridge Cuyahoga Hillside Road
TrailHead Cuyahoga CVSR-Canal Visitor Center, 7104 Canal Road and Hillside Road
1238 North 41°22′20.78″N81°36′46.23″W / 41.3724389°N 81.6128417°W / 41.3724389; -81.6128417 ("Twelve Mile Lock 38") [28] 600 feet (180 m) [29] Lock Valley View Cuyahoga Canal Visitor Center
Cuyahoga County Tinkers Creek Road
13MilePost Marker Cuyahoga
41°21′53″N81°36′32″W / 41.36472°N 81.60889°W / 41.36472; -81.60889 ("Tinkers Creek Aqueduct") [30] 610 feet (190 m) [30] Tinkers Creek Aqueduct Cuyahoga carries canal over Tinkers Creek (Cuyahoga River) [A]
Bridge Cuyahoga Alexander Road-Pleasant Valley Road
1437 North 41°21′24.06″N81°35′49.02″W / 41.3566833°N 81.5969500°W / 41.3566833; -81.5969500 ("Fourteen Mile Lock 37") [31] 620 feet (190 m) [32] Lock Cuyahoga Alexander's Mill
Mill Cuyahoga Alexanders (a.k.a. Wilsons)
14MilePost Marker Cuyahoga
Trailhead Cuyahoga Sagamore Road
15MilePost Marker Cuyahoga
16MilePost Marker Cuyahoga
41°21′20″N81°35′46″W / 41.35556°N 81.59611°W / 41.35556; -81.59611 ("GNIS-OEC-15 Northfield topo") [25] 0 feet (0 m)GNISGNIS 15 Northfield topographic map
1736 North 41°19′23.06″N81°35′11.9″W / 41.3230722°N 81.586639°W / 41.3230722; -81.586639 ("Pinery Dam and Feeder Lock 36") [33] 0 feet (0 m) [34] Pinery Dam and FeederLock Summit
Bridge Summit SR-82
17MilePost Marker Summit
TrailHead Summit Station Road bridge to CVSR-Brecksville
1935 North 41°18′45.43″N81°34′59.89″W / 41.3126194°N 81.5833028°W / 41.3126194; -81.5833028 ("Kettlewell Whiskey Lock 35") [35] 0 feet (0 m) [36] Kettlewell WhiskeyLock Summit
18MilePost Marker Summit
Trail Summit Old Carriage
Trail Summit Old Carriage Connector
19MilePost Marker Summit
2034 North 41°17′21.08″N81°33′51.99″W / 41.2891889°N 81.5644417°W / 41.2891889; -81.5644417 ("Red Lock 34") [37] 0 feet (0 m) [38] RedLock Summit Jaite in southwestern Northfield Township [39]
TrailHeadRed Lock
Bridge Summit Highland Road
20MilePost Marker Summit
20.533 North 41°16′33.52″N81°33′38.14″W / 41.2759778°N 81.5605944°W / 41.2759778; -81.5605944 ("Wallace Lock 33") [40] 0 feet (0 m) [41] WallaceLock Summit in Boston Township [42]
21MilePost Marker Summit
2132 North 41°15′56″N81°33′31″W / 41.26556°N 81.55861°W / 41.26556; -81.55861 ("Boston Lock 32") [43] 659 feet (201 m) [43] BostonLock Summit Boston Township
Summit Boston Mills Road
TrailHead Summit CVSR-Boston Store
Bridge Summit I-271 Southbound
Bridge Summit I-271 Northbound
Bridge Summit I-80 Westbound
Bridge Summit I-80 Eastbound
22MilePost Marker Summit
Summit Stumpy Basin
2231 North 41°15′5.93″N81°32′45.36″W / 41.2516472°N 81.5459333°W / 41.2516472; -81.5459333 ("Lonesome Lock 31") [44] 670 feet (200 m) [45] LonesomeLock Summit was in Boston Township [46]
23MilePost Marker Summit
2330 North 41°14′44.04″N81°33′14.87″W / 41.2455667°N 81.5541306°W / 41.2455667; -81.5541306 ("Peninsula Feeder Lock 30") [47] 680 feet (210 m) [48] Peninsula FeederLock Peninsula Summit
PeninsulaTrailHead Peninsula Summit CVSR
2329 North 41°14′33.54″N81°33′1.29″W / 41.2426500°N 81.5503583°W / 41.2426500; -81.5503583 ("Peninsula Lock 29") [49] 690 feet (210 m) [50] PeninsulaLock Peninsula Summit
41°14′33.01″N81°33′0.86″W / 41.2425028°N 81.5502389°W / 41.2425028; -81.5502389 ("Peninsula Aqueduct") [51] 700 feet (210 m) [52] PeninsulaAqueduct Peninsula Summit carried canal over Cuyahoga River
Bridge Summit SR-303
24MilePost Marker Summit
2528 North 41°13′57.38″N81°33′6.77″W / 41.2326056°N 81.5518806°W / 41.2326056; -81.5518806 ("Deep Lock 28") [53] 700 feet (210 m) [53] [54] DeepLock Peninsula Summit at 17 feet (5.2 m) the deepest lock along the canal
TrailHead Summit Deep Lock Quarry
25MilePost Marker Summit
26MilePost Marker Summit
2727 North 41°12′16.25″N81°34′15.43″W / 41.2045139°N 81.5709528°W / 41.2045139; -81.5709528 ("Johnny Cake Lock 27") [55] 710 feet (220 m) [56] Johnny CakeLock Summit
41°12′7″N81°34′21″W / 41.20194°N 81.57250°W / 41.20194; -81.57250 ("Furnace Run Aqueduct") [57] 718 feet (219 m) [57] Furnace RunAqueduct Summit carried canal over Furnace Run (Cuyahoga River)
27MilePost Marker Summit
Bridge Summit Bolanz Road
28MilePost Marker Summit
Summit Beaver Marsh
2826 North 41°11′7.74″N81°34′52.05″W / 41.1854833°N 81.5811250°W / 41.1854833; -81.5811250 ("Pancake Lock 26") [58] [59] 718 feet (219 m) [58] PancakeLock Summit
IraTrailHead Summit CVSR
29MilePost Marker Summit
2825 North 41°10′32.27″N81°34′46.82″W / 41.1756306°N 81.5796722°W / 41.1756306; -81.5796722 ("Mudcatcher Lock 25") [60] 0 feet (0 m) [61] MudcatcherLock Summit
3024 North 41°10′20.5″N81°34′40.93″W / 41.172361°N 81.5780361°W / 41.172361; -81.5780361 ("Niles Lock 24") [62] 0 feet (0 m) [63] NilesLock Summit
Bridge Summit Yellow Creek (Cuyahoga River)
30MilePost Marker Summit
Bridge Summit Bath Road
Indian MoundTrailHead Summit CVSR
41°3′57″N81°32′12″W / 41.06583°N 81.53667°W / 41.06583; -81.53667 ("GNIS-OEC-14 Akron West topo") [25] 0 feet (0 m)GNISGNIS 14 Akron West topographic map
3223 North0 feet (0 m)Booth portLock Summit sewer pipe
3222 NorthBooth portLock Summit Merriman sewer pipe
3321 NorthLock Summit sewer over-flow
20 NorthLock Summit train abutments
19 NorthBlack Dog CrossingLock Summit near Hickory and Memorial
3518 NorthLock Summit
3617 NorthLock Summit
3616 NorthLock Summit
3615 NorthAkron Mustill StoreLock Akron Summit
3614 NorthLock Akron Summit North Street
3613 NorthLock Akron Summit
3612 NorthLock Akron Summit
3611 NorthLock Akron Summit
3610 NorthLock Akron Summit
9 NorthLock Akron Summit north of Market street
8 NorthLock Akron Summit tunnel
377 NorthLock Akron Summit middle tunnel
376 NorthLock Akron Summit tunnel below parking deck North of Mill street
375 NorthLock Akron Summit tunnel
374 NorthLock Akron Summit tunnel
373 NorthLock Akron Summit South Main street
382 NorthLock Akron Summit Water street
381 NorthLock Akron Summit West Exchange street
0Portage landingLock Akron Summit Portage lakes, Manchester Road
1 SouthWolf creekLock Barberton Summit Snyder avenue
Wolf creekAqueduct Barberton Summit Snyder avenue
40°54′37″N81°37′51″W / 40.91028°N 81.63083°W / 40.91028; -81.63083 ("GNIS-OEC-13 Doylestown topo") [25] 0 feet (0 m)GNISGNIS 13 Doylestown topographic map
2 SouthLock New Franklin Stark Center Road
3 SouthLock New Franklin Stark Center Road
40°53′2″N81°35′37″W / 40.88389°N 81.59361°W / 40.88389; -81.59361 ("GNIS-OEC-12 Canal Fulton topo") [25] 0 feet (0 m)GNISGNIS 12 Canal Fulton topographic map
4 SouthLock Canal Fulton Stark
40°47′43″N81°31′22″W / 40.79528°N 81.52278°W / 40.79528; -81.52278 ("GNIS-OEC-11 Massillon topo") [25] 0 feet (0 m)GNISGNIS 11 Massillon topographic map
Trailhead Massillon Stark
40°39′32″N81°27′22″W / 40.65889°N 81.45611°W / 40.65889; -81.45611 ("GNIS-OEC-10 Bolivar topo") [25] 0 feet (0 m)GNISGNIS 10 Bolivar topographic map
39°58′17″N82°29′15″W / 39.97139°N 82.48750°W / 39.97139; -82.48750 ("GNIS-OEC-9 Thornville topo") [25] 0 feet (0 m)GNISGNIS 9 Thornville topographic map
39°53′22″N82°32′21″W / 39.88944°N 82.53917°W / 39.88944; -82.53917 ("GNIS-OEC-8 Millersport topo") [25] 0 feet (0 m)GNISGNIS 8 Millersport topographic map
5 SouthLock
5A SouthLock
Lock
Lock
31 SouthLock
32 SouthLock
33 SouthLock
North 20Lock
North 19Lock
North 18Lock
Lock
Lock
North 1Lock
North 0MinthornLock Newark Licking
South 0PughLock
South 1195King WatsonLockCanal Road
39°51′41″N82°33′38″W / 39.86139°N 82.56056°W / 39.86139; -82.56056 ("GNIS-OEC-7 Baltimore topo") [25] 0 feet (0 m)GNISGNIS 7 Baltimore topographic map
196South 2David Miller's White MillLock Baltimore Fairfield
197.4South 3Norris MillLock Baltimore Fairfield
South 4Short LevelLock Baltimore Fairfield
198South 5Dry DockLock Baltimore Fairfield
198.3South 6Mulnix MillLock Baltimore Fairfield
198.8South 7Wells MillLockBasil, Ohio
200South 839° 50' 11.5254"

-82° 37' 26.3994"

BiblerLockBaltimoreFairfieldPrevious town Basil, Ohio

Behind the water treatment plant.

208South 9Lock Carroll Fairfield
South 10Lock Carroll, Ohio Fairfield
206South 11Lock Violet Township Fairfield County, Ohio Upper Lockville
South 12Tennis/TennatLockLockville
South 13RoweLockLockville
South 14SmallwoodLock
South 15Fickle Mill Short LevelLockLockville
South 16Rover Short LevelLockLockville
South 17Swimmer'sLockLockville
South 18CreekLockLockvile
208Walnet Creek GuardLock
39°51′16″N82°52′19″W / 39.85444°N 82.87194°W / 39.85444; -82.87194 ("GNIS-OEC-6 Canal Winchester topo") [25] 0 feet (0 m)GNISGNIS 6 Canal Winchester topographic map
210South 19Chaney's MillLock Canal Winchester
210South 20WoolenLock Canal Winchester Gender Road
South 21Lock Canal Winchester near Glenarda Farms, Groveport Road
George's Culvert Canal Winchester
South 2239°51'16"N

82° 52' 21"W

GroveportLockGroveportFranklinBehind the Groveport Aquatic Recreation Center.
39°51′14″N82°52′34″W / 39.85389°N 82.87611°W / 39.85389; -82.87611 ("GNIS-OEC-5 Lockbourne topo") [25] 0 feet (0 m)GNISGNIS 5 Lockbourne topographic map
217South 23Lock Lockbourne Franklin Canal Road
217South 24Lock Lockbourne Franklin Canal Road
217South 25Lock Lockbourne Franklin Canal Road
217.5South 26Lock Lockbourne Franklin
218South 27Lock Lockbourne Franklin Canal Road
218South 28Lock Lockbourne Franklin under railroad track bed
South 29Lock
South 30Lock Lockbourne Franklin Lockmeadows Park
39°48′45″N82°43′37″W / 39.81250°N 82.72694°W / 39.81250; -82.72694 ("GNIS-OEC-4 Carroll topo") [25] 0 feet (0 m)GNISGNIS 4 Carroll topographic map
39°45′0″N82°39′49″W / 39.75000°N 82.66361°W / 39.75000; -82.66361 ("GNIS-OEC-3 Amanda topo") [25] 0 feet (0 m)GNISGNIS 3 Amanda topographic map
39°39′55″N82°58′8″W / 39.66528°N 82.96889°W / 39.66528; -82.96889 ("GNIS-OEC-2 Ashville topo") [25] 0 feet (0 m)GNISGNIS 2 Ashville topographic map
40°25′20″N81°24′17″W / 40.42222°N 81.40472°W / 40.42222; -81.40472 ("GNIS-OEC-1 New Philadelphia topo") [25] 0 feet (0 m)GNISGNIS 1 New Philadelphia topographic map
Columbus Feeder East GuardLock
Columbus Feeder West GuardLock
226South 31Ashville Campbells MillLock
237South 32AqueductLockScioto River, West of Circleville
237Circleville FeederLockSpunkytown
238South 33LockWayne Township
238South 34LockWayne Township
South 35Lock Chillicothe, Ohio
256South 36Lock Chillicothe, Ohio
258South 37Lock Chillicothe, Ohio parking lot
South 38Fifth StreetLock Chillicothe, Ohio
261South 39Upper LunbeckLock
261South 40Lower LunbeckLock Scioto Township Pickaway near Renick Lane 601
South 41TomlinsonsLock3 Locks Road, South of Chillicothe
South 42TomlinsonsLock
South 43TomlinsonsLock
Tomlinsons Dam and Feeder GuardLock
South 44WaverlyLock
280South 45U Pee PeeLock
280South 46L Pee PeeLock
291South 47HowardsLocknear Robers 18 mi (29 km) Lock Farm
South 48Herod'sLock
South 49Rushs Brush CreekLock
South 50Union MillsLock
South 51Union Mills MossLocknear Ohio State Route 239
South 52Union MillsLock
305South 53ElbowLock
South 54Lock Portsmouth Scioto County
308South 55 38°43'34.4172"N

83°01'52.9896"W

Ohio River TerminalLockWest Portsmouth Scioto County near Old River Road, Portsmouth/Alexandria

Travels through Cuyahoga, Summit, Stark, Licking, Franklin, Fairfield, Pickaway, and Scioto counties. [25]

See also

Notes

^  A: In 2007-2008-? Tinkers Creek Aqueduct is undergoing renovation following flood damage from Tinkers Creek (Cuyahoga River) and Cuyahoga River
^  B: Ohio and Erie Canal Towpath Trail miles are measured from its original connection with Lake Erie at Lock 44, on the Cuyahoga River, and marked with a 3.3-foot-tall (1.0 m) sandstone obelisk at each mile mark.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Erie Canal</span> Waterway in New York, U.S.

The Erie Canal is a historic canal in upstate New York that runs east–west between the Hudson River and Lake Erie. Completed in 1825, the canal was the first navigable waterway connecting the Atlantic Ocean to the Great Lakes, vastly reducing the costs of transporting people and goods across the Appalachians. The Erie Canal accelerated the settlement of the Great Lakes region, the westward expansion of the United States, and the economic ascendancy of New York state. It has been called "The Nation's First Superhighway."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cuyahoga River</span> River in Ohio, United States

The Cuyahoga River is a river located in Northeast Ohio that bisects the City of Cleveland and feeds into Lake Erie.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wabash and Erie Canal</span> Disused canal in Indiana

The Wabash and Erie Canal was a shipping canal that linked the Great Lakes to the Ohio River via an artificial waterway. The canal provided traders with access from the Great Lakes all the way to the Gulf of Mexico. Over 460 miles long, it was the longest canal ever built in North America.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cuyahoga Valley National Park</span> National park in Ohio, United States

Cuyahoga Valley National Park is an American national park in Ohio that preserves and reclaims the rural landscape along the Cuyahoga River between Akron and Cleveland in Northeast Ohio.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Miami and Erie Canal</span> 19th-century manmade water route between Cincinnati and Toledo, Ohio, U.S.

The Miami and Erie Canal was a 274-mile (441 km) canal that ran from Cincinnati to Toledo, Ohio, creating a water route between the Ohio River and Lake Erie. Construction on the canal began in 1825 and was completed in 1845 at a cost to the state government of $8 million. At its peak, it included 19 aqueducts, three guard locks, 103 canal locks, multiple feeder canals, and a few man-made water reservoirs. The canal climbed 395 feet (120 m) above Lake Erie and 513 feet (156 m) above the Ohio River to reach a topographical peak called the Loramie Summit, which extended 19 miles (31 km) between New Bremen, Ohio to lock 1-S in Lockington, north of Piqua, Ohio. Boats up to 80 feet long were towed along the canal by mules, horses, or oxen walking on a prepared towpath along the bank, at a rate of four to five miles per hour.

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This is a list of properties and districts in Ohio that are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. There are over 4.000 in total. Of these, 73 are National Historic Landmarks. There are listings in each of Ohio's 88 counties.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pennsylvania and Ohio Canal</span>

The Pennsylvania and Ohio Canal, also known as the P & O Canal, the Cross Cut Canal and the Mahoning Canal, was a shipping canal which operated from 1840 until 1877, though the canal was completely abandoned by 1872. It connected canals in two states, the Ohio and Erie Canal in Ohio and the Beaver and Erie Canal in Pennsylvania, and was funded by private interests.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Whitewater Canal</span> United States historic place

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tinkers Creek Aqueduct</span> Bridge in Cuyahoga County, Ohio

Tinkers Creek Aqueduct is an aqueduct that was constructed to bridge the Ohio and Erie Canal over Tinkers Creek near its confluence with the Cuyahoga River in Valley View, Ohio. It is a relatively rare surviving example of an Ohio and Erie Canal aqueduct. It was originally constructed in 1825-1827 by, and re-built due to flood damage in 1845 and 1905. Tinkers Creek Aqueduct was included in a National Historic Landmark district established in 1966, and it was separately listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1979. The original Tinkers Creek Aqueduct was a wood plank, steel truss, and Ashlar-sandstone structure constructed in 1827, south of the present aqueduct's location. Cuyahoga River and Tinkers Creek flooding caused continual damage to the original aqueduct, so successive structures were built in 1845 and 1905 in the present location. Today, Tinkers Creek Aqueduct is the only aqueduct which remains of the four original aqueducts in the Cuyahoga Valley. Of Furnace Run Aqueduct, Mill Creek Aqueduct, Peninsula Aqueduct, and Aqueduct; Mill Creek Aqueduct, of newer construction, is the only aqueduct which still carries Ohio and Erie Canal water. After 102 years of flooding, weathering, and deterioration, Tinkers Creek Aqueduct was removed in 2007. The National Park Service is currently working on Phase II of the project to reconstruct it from newer materials.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Whiskey Island (Cleveland)</span> Peninsula in Cleveland, Ohio, United States

Whiskey Island is a peninsula at the mouth of the Cuyahoga River at Lake Erie in Cleveland, Ohio. Its current configuration was created in 1827 when the river's mouth was moved to its present location. Part of the city's Cuyahoga Valley neighborhood, the peninsula is 1 mile (1.6 km) long and 0.3 miles (0.48 km) at its widest, bounded by Lake Erie to the north, West 54th Street on the west (roughly), and the Cuyahoga River to the south and east.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cascade Locks Historic District</span> Historic district in Ohio, United States

The Cascade Locks Historic District is a historic district located in Akron, Ohio. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1992.

The Ohio and Erie Canalway National Heritage Area is a federally designated National Heritage Area in northeastern Ohio that incorporates the routes of the Ohio and Erie Canal, the Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad, and portions of Cuyahoga Valley National Park.The heritage area follows the path of the canal along the Cuyahoga River for 110 miles (180 km) from Cleveland through Akron and Massillon to New Philadelphia, while the railway runs from Cleveland to Akron to Canton.

The Valley Railway was a shortline railroad which operated between the city of Cleveland and small town of Zoarville in the state of Ohio in the United States. The railroad was founded in 1871, but the first segment of track did not open until 1880 and the line was not completed until 1884. The Baltimore and Ohio Railroad (B&O) obtained a controlling interest in the Valley Railway in 1890. The railroad went bankrupt in 1895, at which time it was reorganized as The Cleveland Terminal and Valley Railroad Company (CT&V). The B&O took over operation of the CT&V in 1909, and the company was merged with the B&O in 1915.

References

  1. 1 2 3 Mendinghall, Joseph S. (February 28, 1975). "National Register of Historic Places Inventory-Nomination: Ohio and Erie Canal". National Park Service.
  2. "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places . National Park Service. January 23, 2007.
  3. 1 2 "Ohio and Erie Canal". National Historic Landmark summary listing. National Park Service. Archived from the original on June 19, 2008. Retrieved June 20, 2008.
  4. "History Ohio's Canals". Ohio Department of Natural Resources. Archived from the original on December 27, 2013. Retrieved June 28, 2008.
  5. Hagerty, J.E., McClelland C.P. and Huntington, C.C., History of the Ohio Canals, Their construction, cost, use and partial abandonment, Ohio State Archaeological and Historical Society, Columbus, OH 1905
  6. "Canal Maps". realestate.ohiodnr.gov.
  7. Huntington, C.C.; McClelland, C.P. (1905). History of the Ohio Canals: Their Construction, Cost, Use and Partial Abandonment. Columbus, Ohio: Press of F.J. Heer. p. 18. OCLC   7004707.
  8. "Ehmann P&O". Archived from the original on October 14, 2007.
  9. Wendy J. Adkins (1997). "Penn. & Ohio". geocities. Archived from the original on October 20, 2009.[ unreliable source? ]
  10. 1 2 3 "Captain Pearl R. Nye: Life on the Ohio and Erie Canal". Library of Congress. Retrieved April 21, 2007.
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  12. "Biography of James Garfield". whitehouse.gov . Archived from the original on August 3, 2010. Retrieved March 14, 2006 via National Archives.
  13. "Life Portrait of James Garfiled". c-span.org. C-SPAN . Retrieved September 3, 2016. HE FELL IN THE (CANAL) BY HIS ESTIMATE 16 TIMES AND WAS FISHED OUT EACH TIME. AFTER HE WAS ONLY ON THERE FOR ABOUT SIX WEEKS, CAME HOME NOT SURPRISINGLY, WITH A TERRIBLE FEVER AND THE AGUE SHIVERED AND SHOOK FOR A COUPLE OF WEEKS UNTIL HIS MOTHER GOT A HIM OFF THE CANAL AND INTO SCHOOL.
  14. "Kids Fishing Pond in Natural Resources Park". www.dnr.state.oh.us.
  15. "Canals of Ohio 1825-1913 map" (JPEG). The Ohio Historical Society, Columbus, Ohio; National Park Service, United States Department of the Interior.
  16. "Pennsylvania and Ohio Canal (historical)". Geographic Names Information System . United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior . Retrieved May 3, 2009.
  17. 1 2 "Sandy Beaver Canal". Geographic Names Information System . United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior . Retrieved May 3, 2009.
  18. 1 2 "Sandy Beaver Canal". Geographic Names Information System . United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior . Retrieved May 3, 2009.
  19. 1 2 "Walhonding Canal". Geographic Names Information System . United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior . Retrieved May 3, 2009.
  20. "Ohio and Erie Canal". Cleveland Memory, Cleveland State University Libraries.
  21. Lock 44 manually plotted in Google Earth
  22. "Ohio and Erie Canal and Towpath Trail, Part 2". NorthEastOhio-RoadRunner.[ permanent dead link ]
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  24. Mill Creek Aqueduct manually plotted in Google Earth
  25. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 "Ohio Canal". Geographic Names Information System . United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior . Retrieved May 3, 2009.
  26. Eleven Mile Lock 39 manually plotted in Google Earth
  27. "Eleven Mile Lock 39 topographic map". USGS via Microsoft Research Maps.
  28. Twelve Mile Lock 38 manually plotted in Google Earth
  29. "Twelve Mile Lock 38 topographic map". USGS via Microsoft Research Maps.
  30. 1 2 "Tinkers Creek Aqueduct". Geographic Names Information System . United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior . Retrieved May 3, 2009.
  31. Fourteen Mile Lock 37 manually plotted in Google Earth
  32. "Fourteen Mile Lock 37 topographic map". USGS via Microsoft Research Maps.
  33. Pinery Dam and Feeder Lock 36 manually plotted in Google Earth
  34. Pinery Dam and Feeder Lock 36 topographic map
  35. Kettlewell Whiskey Lock 35 manually plotted in Google Earth
  36. Whiskey Lock 35 topographic map
  37. Red Lock 34 manually plotted in Google Earth
  38. Red Lock 34 topographic map
  39. "Red Lock (historical)". Geographic Names Information System . United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior . Retrieved May 3, 2009.
  40. Wallace Lock 33 manually plotted in Google Earth
  41. Wallace Lock 33 topographic map
  42. "Wallace Lock (historical)". Geographic Names Information System . United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior . Retrieved May 3, 2009.
  43. 1 2 "Boston Lock". Geographic Names Information System . United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior . Retrieved May 3, 2009.
  44. Lonesome Lock 31 manually plotted in Google Earth
  45. "Lonesome Lock 31 topographic map". USGS via Microsoft Research Maps.
  46. "Lonesome Lock (historical)". Geographic Names Information System . United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior . Retrieved May 3, 2009.
  47. Peninsula Feeder Lock 30 manually plotted in Google Earth
  48. "Peninsula Feeder Lock 30 topographic map". USGS via Microsoft Research Maps.
  49. Peninsula Lock 29 manually plotted in Google Earth
  50. "Peninsula Lock 29 topographic map". USGS via Microsoft Research Maps.
  51. Peninsula Aqueduct manually plotted in Google Earth
  52. "Peninsula Aqueduct topographic map". USGS via Microsoft Research Maps.
  53. 1 2 "Deep Lock (historical)". Geographic Names Information System . United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior . Retrieved May 3, 2009. Deep Lock manually plotted in Google Earth
  54. "Deep Lock 28 topographic map". USGS via Microsoft Research Maps.
  55. Johnny Cake Lock 27 manually plotted in Google Earth
  56. "Johnny Cake Lock 27 topographic map". USGS via Microsoft Research Maps.
  57. 1 2 "Furnace Run Aqueduct". Geographic Names Information System . United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior . Retrieved May 3, 2009.
  58. 1 2 "Pancake Lock (historical)". Geographic Names Information System . United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior . Retrieved May 3, 2009.
  59. Pancake Lock 26 manually plotted in Google Earth
  60. Mudcatcher Lock 25 manually plotted in Google Earth
  61. Mudcatcher Lock 25 topographic map
  62. Niles Lock 24 manually plotted in Google Earth
  63. Niles Lock 24 topographic map

General references