Description: The Milan Canal was started in 1833 and the first canal boats were launched on July 4, 1838. No longer did the farmers have to haul their products over the sandy wet prairie land to the ship on Lake Erie. The canal was deep and was directly connected to the Lake. It was prosperous until the advent of the railroads in the 1850s. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: AL06118
Subjects: Canals--1830-1840; Agriculture--Economic aspects; Ohio Economy--Transportation and Development
Places: Milan (Ohio); Erie County (Ohio); Milan (Ohio); Huron County (Ohio)
 

Description: The Milan Canal was started in 1833 and the first canal boats were launched on July 4, 1838. No longer did the farmers have to haul their harvest over the sandy, wet prairie to Lake Erie. The canal was prosperous until the advent of the railroad in the 1850s. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: AL06119
Subjects: Canals--1830-1840; Agriculture--Economic aspects; Ohio Economy--Transportation and Development
Places: Milan (Ohio); Erie County (Ohio); Milan (Ohio); Huron County (Ohio)
 

Description: In planning for the Milan Canal, the plans called for a basin to be built beside the town. This meant that the river had to be moved north and a dam was built to divert some of the water to the basin. The basin was to be 15 feet deep, 1200 feel long and 300 feet wide. It was to be capable of accommodating 20 lake schooners at any one time in the harbor. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: AL06120
Subjects: Canals--1830-1840; Agriculture--Economic aspects; Ohio Economy--Transportation and Development
Places: Milan (Ohio); Erie County (Ohio); Milan (Ohio); Huron County (Ohio)
 

Description: The Ohio and Erie Canal was constructed starting in the 1820s, continuing into the early 1830s. It connected towns like Massillon to the Cuyahoga River, making it more economical to transport goods for sale. It flourished until 1861, when the railroads destroyed the market. Many of the canals were damaged during the 1913 floods and never repaired. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: AL06121
Subjects: Canals--1830-1840; Agriculture--Economic aspects; Ohio Economy--Transportation and Development
Places: Massillon (Ohio); Stark County (Ohio)
 

Description: This image shows the Erie Canal in Waverly, Pike County, Ohio. The Ohio and Erie Canal, built between 1825 and 1832, had a significant influence on Ohio's economy. In the early 19th century Ohio was largely rural and dependent on subsistence agriculture as the primary business. The canal, which cost nearly $8,000,000 to construct, provided a transportation route from Cleveland on Lake Erie to Portsmouth on the Ohio River. Ohio farmers were encouraged to increase production and ship surplus produce to more profitable markets. Industry became more prominent as manufacturers produced building supplies for the canals and shipped products via the canal. As an internal improvement, the Ohio and Erie Canal expanded the economy, increased the population, and ended the feeling of isolation in Ohio. The canal continued south from here for about a mile until it met Water Street, now Emmitt Avenue, and ran along Water Street through Waverly. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: AL06124
Subjects: Canals--1830-1840; Agriculture--Economic aspects; Ohio Economy--Transportation and Development
Places: Waverly (Ohio); Pike County (Ohio)
 

Description: This image shows the Lower Pee Pee Lock in Waverly, Pike County, Ohio. The Ohio-Erie Canal, the most important development in the county's early years, was started July 4, 1825, near Newark. The canal passed through Waverly along US 23 and portions of it can still be seen in Waverly today. Only four feet deep and bordered by tow paths with eight feet clearance, the 309 mile canal was completed in 1833 at a cost of more than $7 million. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: AL06125
Subjects: Canals--1830-1840; Agriculture--Economic aspects; Ohio Economy--Transportation and Development
Places: Waverly (Ohio); Pike County (Ohio)