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485:. The massive west abutment of the Old Nine-mile Aqueduct over the Great Miami River is still present approximately 400 ft (120 m) upstream of the Taylorsville Dam east of Vandalia (Montgomery County). The abutment terminates a fairly intact canal segment that extends at least 5 mi (8.0 km) north to Tipp City. This segment includes an intact concrete weir near the abandoned Vandalia water treatment plant (aka "Tadmore Station") and a ruined lock (#16, "Picayune") about halfway to Tipp City along Canal Road.
20:
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200:. This made life difficult for early citizens because goods from the Atlantic Coast and Europe were difficult to obtain and often very expensive due to transportation costs. For the same reasons, it was difficult for Ohio businessmen and farmers to sell their products to markets outside the state. Some entrepreneurs began to ship goods from Ohio down the
386:
was completed. Second, while New York had one canal that was located at the bottleneck of Great Lakes trade, Ohio had two canals, which spread usage too thinly. Third, was the expense of building and maintaining the canals. While the Erie Canal was 363 miles in length, with an elevation change of 700
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The canal was completed just before most of the railroads in Ohio were built, and it had to compete directly with railroads for the remainder of its operation. Due to the canal freezing over in the winter, as well as the slowness of the boats, the canal was less practical than railroads, especially
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while workers man the tiller and provide commentary to the passengers. Providence
Metroparks boasts using original lock 44 as part of the tour. That lock is the only working lock in the state of Ohio. The northern portion of the towpath (from Fort Loramie to Delphos and beyond) is used as a hiking
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in New York proved to be an early success after it was completed in 1825. The Ohio House and Senate had worked for two decades to pass legislation authorizing a canal, gaining success with the Act of
February 4, 1825, which finally approved the construction of the Ohio canal system. The canal was
170:
wrote, "The
Germans live all together across the Miami Canal, which is, therefore, here jocosely called the 'Rhine.' " In 1875 writer Daniel J. Kenny referred to the area exclusively as "Over the Rhine." He noted, "Germans and Americans alike love to call the district 'Over the Rhine.' "
557:
Much of the canal corridor continues as a prosperous manufacturing area; today
Interstate 75 and railroads provide the chief transportation means. An historical reenactment of the Miami-Erie canal days is held during summer and early fall months at Providence Metropark along the
195:
When Ohio became a state in 1803, transportation to and within the state was difficult; settlers largely moved themselves and their goods on rivers and Lake Erie, for most roads were poor. In addition, Ohio was geographically separated from the East Coast by the barrier of the
387:
feet, the combined length of Ohio's canals was 557 miles, with an elevation change of 2,096 feet. Compared to operations of the Erie Canal, the Ohio canal system had less trade and fewer passengers, while it had to operate over a longer length, and at a greater expense.
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largely state-funded, using money acquired from selling off land near where the canals were to be dug. The state government planned and built two canals in the state: the Miami and Erie Canal, from
Cincinnati to Toledo, connecting the Ohio River and Lake Erie; and the
70:, 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
234:
believed that such improvements should be built not by the national government but by the individual states. The United States
Congress approved national canal legislation in 1817, 1822, and 1830, but each bill was vetoed by the sitting president.
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for perishable goods and passenger traffic. Although the canal services were often cheaper than the railroads, particularly for bulk cargoes such as grain and salted pork, the canal had largely ceased to operate by 1906. The catastrophic
101:
Due to competition from railroads, which began to be built in the area in the 1850s, the commercial use of the canal gradually declined during the late 19th century. It was permanently abandoned for commercial use in 1913 after a
278:, which connected Cleveland, another lake port, to Portsmouth, Ohio, on the Ohio River. This system provided the interior of Ohio with new travel routes that effectively extended to the major Atlantic port of
426:). From 1920 to 1925, six million dollars was spent to use the bed of the canal to build a downtown subway in Cincinnati. The surface was later paved over to form Central Parkway, as funds ran out before the
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Because Ohio is not entirely flat, the system of locks had to be designed to act as a staircase so boats could navigate the difference in elevation. To supply water for the canal, manmade reservoirs such as
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of Ohio (who later became governor) asked the
Secretary of the Treasury for funds to improve roads and build canals in Ohio, yet did not have much success. At the time, many prominent leaders in the
407:. The canal was permanently abandoned. What was not destroyed was no longer maintained, and slowly many of the remaining locks and sections of canal were destroyed, with the open canal filled in.
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Although urban development has destroyed most vestiges of the canal, some locks and sections of the waterway have survived. One of the original locks (#17) is located in the
58:. Construction on the canal began in 1825 and was completed in 1845 at a cost to the state government of $ 8 million ($ 262 million in 2023). At its peak, it included 19
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The Miami and Erie never proved to be as profitable as the state government had hoped, as within several years of being completed to Lake Erie it had to compete with
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The following is a list of towns and cities within Ohio (arranged North to South) along the Miami and Erie Canal. The canal was constructed parallel to the
378:. These offered greater speed and capacity for both passengers and goods. Factors limiting the canal's success included the lower population and level of
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492:'s Ludlow Park, where the canal bed is still visible. The canal remains in water (and navigable for canoes or kayaks) in the rural region between
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could be completed. In the central and northern regions, a large portion of the canal was destroyed when it was filled in to create parts of I-75,
208:, by sailing ship and keelboats, but the journey was long and costly. Even after steamboats arrived, it was difficult to return vessels upriver.
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and several other politicians, expressed early support for a national canal system to connect many of the country's waterways. In 1807, Senator
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500:. South of St. Mary's, it has degraded to form a shallow ditch in most places, with some ruined locks remaining. From north to south along
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High shipping costs severely limited trade and population growth in the state, especially in areas far from natural waterways such as
554:, originally named Canal Boulevard, was built on the canal right-of-way, and various relics of the canal survive along the corridor.
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on the canal in the Piqua, Ohio, Historical Area, in July 2006. Note the captain steering the canal boat and the towing mule on the
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1049:
1104:
Miami-Erie Canal
Corridor Association History of the canal and description of current efforts to preserve historical features
326:. This branch was opened in 1840, but remained in operation less than 15 years before being abandoned. A short branch, the
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and other
Germans who settled the area in the mid-19th century. They named the canal "the Rhine" in reference to the river
566:. Historical actors dress and act as if it is 1876 during the months of May–October. Two mules pull the canal boat titled
482:
879:
438:. Some smaller portions of right-of-way have been converted to bike trails for recreational and local commuting use.
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in Ohio severely damaged it. Only a small fraction of the canal survives today, along with its towpath and locks.
1216:
341:
The following list includes measurement standards for the canal, although these varied by region of the state.
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that operated until 1938. Part of the right-of-way was converted to the Wright-Lockland
Highway (now part of
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227:
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destroyed much of the canal infrastructure along the southern portion of the route, where it paralleled the
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The canal could accommodate boats up to 90 ft (27 m) long and 14 ft (4.3 m) wide. <
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Interior of one of the Lockington Locks. Braces have been installed to prevent the lock from caving in
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near Spencerville. The Piqua Historical Area features a replica canal boat and other related items.
282:, as merchants could ship goods through Lake Erie, the Erie Canal, and the Hudson River to New York.
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504:, sections of the original canal are visible in Delphos, at a small historic park located at the
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296:
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Lucas County Historical Series Volume II. (Maumee Valley Historical Society. Toledo, Ohio. 1968)
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470:. An unrestored but complete lock (#15) is located just off Main Street (State Route 571) in
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197:
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All slopes are 4.5 ft (1.4 m) horizontal to 4 ft (1.2 m). perpendicular.
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was greatly enlarged to provide a steadier supply of water for the Sidney feeder canal.
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Piqua Historical Area includes a stretch of canal and a functional replica canal boat
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History of the Ohio Canals: Their Construction, Cost, Use and Partial Abandonment
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History of the Ohio Canals: Their Construction, Cost, Use and Partial Abandonment
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to Defiance, from where it was constructed in a southerly route to Cincinnati.
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near the intersection of State Route 73 and South Hamilton Middletown Road in
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10 ft (3.0 m) wide towpath in addition to mandated outer slopes.
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19th-century manmade water route between Cincinnati and Toledo, Ohio, U.S.
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Branch canals were built to serve as extensions from the main canal. The
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The canal figures prominently in this 1841 lithograph view of Cincinnati
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An early reference to the canal as "the Rhine" appears in the 1853 book
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on the far side. The canal is wide enough to permit two barges to pass.
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Consequently, the burden of building canals passed to the states. The
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White, Red, Black: Sketches of American Society in the United States
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512:, Lock Two (a hamlet mostly consisting of period brick buildings),
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Boarding pass for passenger service from Cincinnati to Dayton, 1887
318:, was a branch canal constructed from the Miami and Erie Canal at
455:
152:
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219:, which bounded the state on the north and south, respectively.
865:. American Palate, a division of the History Press. p. 31.
467:
1099:
Map of canals in Ohio, the Miami and Erie Canal is on the left
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On the canal's southern end, a drained section is located in
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35:
183:
Miami and Erie Canal, at Rupps Store, Waterville, Ohio, 1888
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through Sidney to a dam just upstream from Port Jefferson.
83:
47:
823:
Foster, Ellsworth D. & Hughes, James Laughlin (1922).
98:
along the bank, at a rate of four to five miles per hour.
82:. Boats up to 80 feet long were towed along the canal by
946:
Prof. J.E. Hagerty, C.P. McClelland and C.C. Huntington
641:
The canal turns here in a southerly route to Cincinnati.
1114:
Current photos of the Miami-Erie canal from Ohio Byways
1109:
Piqua Historical Society images of the Miami-Erie Canal
91:
904:
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Transportation buildings and structures in Cincinnati
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Much of the original towpath was redeveloped as the
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were constructed, along with several feeder canals.
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To overcome these obstacles, many people, including
155:, and the newly settled area north of the canal as "
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1024:"Toledo Area Still Connected to its Canal History"
979:. Columbus, Ohio: Press of F.J. Heer. p. 18.
474:. Remains of the Excello lock are located in the
1173:
863:Cincinnati Food A History of Queen City Cuisine
860:
1124:Map - Miami and Erie Canal through Cincinnati
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709:(Southern end junction of the Sidney Feeder)
973:Huntington, C.C.; McClelland, C.P. (1905).
382:in Ohio, compared to that of New York when
348:40 ft (12 m) wide at water level.
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361:
334:feeder canal ran up the Miami Valley from
1052:. Ohio Historical Society. Archived from
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583:Former location of the canal in downtown
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1207:Transportation in Auglaize County, Ohio
1050:"The General Harrison of Piqua Arrives"
1042:
23:The Miami and Erie Canal, known as the
1174:
1067:
1021:
935:
50:, creating a water route between the
829:. Ralph Durham Company. p. 823.
1129:Plat maps of canal by county - ODNR
345:4 ft (1.2 m) water depth.
13:
1131:Secured log-in, register required.
843:. Shelby County Historical Society
14:
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532:was designated in 1964 as a U.S.
416:Cincinnati and Lake Erie Railroad
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790:(Site of the first set of locks)
697:(North end of the Sidney Feeder)
575:Cities and towns along the canal
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918:. New York: Redfield. pp.
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953:
898:
816:
703:(Middle section of the feeder)
1:
809:
530:Miami and Erie Canal Deep Cut
34:was a 274-mile (441 km)
399:measures constructed by the
7:
1022:Dutton, Lisa (2011-10-09).
886:. Accessed on June 13, 2009
875:Over-the-Rhine Foundation.
395:of 1913 and the subsequent
232:Democratic Republican Party
10:
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534:National Historic Landmark
401:Miami Conservancy District
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113:
617:(defunct city across the
562:just west of Toledo near
452:General Harrison of Piqua
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464:Carillon Historical Park
1202:Montgomery County, Ohio
999:"Interstate 75 — 1940s"
861:Polly Campbell (2020).
362:Decline and abandonment
1075:"Miami and Erie Canal"
932:Kenny (1875), pg. 129.
895:Kenny (1875), pg. 130.
841:"Miami and Erie Canal"
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94:walking on a prepared
76:lock 1-S in Lockington
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1217:Canals opened in 1845
1158:39.10083°N 84.49694°W
826:The American Educator
748:West Carrollton, Ohio
743:Alexandersville, Ohio
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198:Appalachian Mountains
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114:Further information:
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1077:. Ohio Hiking Trails
1001:. Cincinnati Transit
959:Randolph C. Downes,
695:Port Jefferson, Ohio
420:interurban streetcar
380:economic development
293:Grand Lake St. Marys
166:, in which traveler
32:Miami and Erie Canal
1212:Shelby County, Ohio
1192:Butler County, Ohio
1187:Warren County, Ohio
1163:39.10083; -84.49694
1154: /
794:Elmwood Place, Ohio
728:Huber Heights, Ohio
540:Anthony Wayne Trail
316:Warren County Canal
276:Ohio and Erie Canal
882:2009-05-28 at the
773:West Chester, Ohio
690:Fort Loramie, Ohio
665:Spencerville, Ohio
623:Grand Rapids, Ohio
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479:Excello Locks Park
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393:Great Dayton Flood
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228:Thomas Worthington
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490:St. Bernard, Ohio
428:Cincinnati Subway
405:Great Miami River
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550:) in and around
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605:Maumee, Ohio
600:Toledo, Ohio
593:Maumee River
590:
567:
564:Grand Rapids
560:Maumee River
556:
538:
522:Fort Loramie
510:Spencerville
487:
478:
461:
451:
412:right-of-way
409:
389:
373:
340:
313:
309:Logan County
297:Lake Loramie
289:
286:Construction
268:
221:
210:
194:
163:
161:
145:Rhinelanders
132:
130:
100:
31:
29:
1161: /
961:Canal Days:
877:OTR History
713:Piqua, Ohio
305:Indian Lake
206:New Orleans
80:Piqua, Ohio
78:, north of
68:canal locks
64:guard locks
1176:Categories
1149:84°29′49″W
1146:39°06′03″N
1081:2009-01-03
1060:2009-01-03
1035:2020-06-11
1005:2009-01-03
847:2009-01-03
810:References
718:Troy, Ohio
585:Cincinnati
514:New Bremen
336:Lockington
320:Middletown
271:Erie Canal
217:Ohio River
202:Ohio River
52:Ohio River
40:Cincinnati
542:(part of
472:Tipp City
384:its canal
376:railroads
213:Lake Erie
60:aqueducts
56:Lake Erie
912:(1853).
880:Archived
506:Deep Cut
414:for the
62:, three
985:7004707
571:trail.
528:. The
518:Minster
494:Delphos
456:towpath
324:Lebanon
215:or the
175:History
153:Germany
96:towpath
983:
552:Toledo
524:, and
468:Dayton
450:Barge
442:Legacy
434:, and
328:Sidney
137:German
88:horses
66:, 103
44:Toledo
621:from
526:Piqua
149:Rhine
90:, or
84:mules
36:canal
981:OCLC
546:and
496:and
295:and
131:The
92:oxen
54:and
48:Ohio
30:The
920:297
508:in
466:in
330:or
322:to
307:in
299:in
204:to
159:".
151:in
74:to
42:to
1178::
1026:.
1014:^
937:^
908:;
520:,
516:,
139::
86:,
46:,
1084:.
1063:.
1038:.
1008:.
987:.
922:.
850:.
625:)
587:.
135:(
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