Description: Caption reads: "Ohio Erie Canal Aquaduct and bridge at Waverly." Photo depicts the Crooked Creek Aquaduct and bridge along the Ohio Erie Canal in Waverly City, Ohio. The Ohio and Erie Canal was one of Ohio's most important canals during the mid nineteenth century. In 1822, the Ohio legislature realized the importance of internal improvements and created a new Ohio Canal Commission. The Canal Commission eventually recommended a route starting at Lake Erie, passing through the Cuyahoga Valley, the Muskingum Valley, the Licking Valley, and then to the Ohio River along the Scioto Valley. In essence, this proposed route included a combination of the central and eastern Ohio routes. On July 4, 1825 work began on what would become the Ohio and Erie Canal. Once completed, the canals still faced numerous difficulties. Flooding could do serious damage to the locks, walls, and towpaths, requiring extensive repairs. In Waverly, the first canal boat arrived on September 6, 1832, and the canal remained in operation until 1904 when the last canal boat passed through. In the flood of 1913 the Crooked Creek Aquaduct collapsed, although the towpath bridge remained standing. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: SA1039AV_B01F06_027_001
Subjects: Geography and Natural Resources; Dams; Rivers; Bridges Ohio; Ohio and Erie Canal (Ohio)
Places: Waverly City (Ohio); Pike County (Ohio)
 

Description: A lock on the Ohio Erie Canal at Millersport, Ohio. The Ohio and Erie Canal was one of Ohio's most important canals during the mid nineteenth century. During the late 1810s, Governor Thomas Worthington and Governor Ethan Allen Brown both supported internal improvements, especially canals. Both men believed that Ohioans needed quick and easy access to the Ohio River and to Lake Erie if they were to profit financially. In 1820, Brown convinced the Ohio legislature to establish the Ohio Canal Commission. Construction began in 1825, and the canal was completed in 1833. Once completed, thirty-three of Ohio's eighty-eight counties either had portions of canals running through them or quarries to mine rock for construction. Most canals remained in operation in Ohio until the late 1800s. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: AL07032
Subjects: Canals--Ohio; Ohio and Erie Canal (Ohio); Transportation--Canal--Railroad--Roads; Ohio Economy--Transportation and Development
Places: Millersport (Ohio); Fairfield County (Ohio)
 

Description: Dated ca. 1935-1940, this photograph shows a section of the Ohio and Erie Canal near Circleville, Ohio, built in the 1820s and 1830s to haul freight. It was in use from 1827-1861. Today, a three mile stretch of the canal remains near Circleville. Work began on the Ohio and Erie Canal on July 4, 1825, at Licking Summit, just south of Newark, Ohio, and was completed in 1833. The Ohio and Erie Canal cost approximately ten thousand dollars per mile to complete, and the Miami and Erie Canal cost roughly twelve thousand dollars per mile to finish. The canals nearly bankrupted the state government, but they allowed Ohioans to prosper beginning in the 1830s all the way to the Civil War. Many recent immigrants to the United States, especially the Irish, survived thanks to jobs on the canals. Other people, like the residents of the communal society at Zoar, also helped construct canals to assist the survival of their community. Many of Ohio’s communities today, including Akron, began as towns for the canal workers. Most canals remained in operation in Ohio until the late 1800s. There is a short stretch in the Muskingum Valley near Zanesville still in operation today. By the 1850s, however, canals were losing business to the railroads. This photograph is one of the many visual materials collected for use in the Ohio Guide. In 1935, President Franklin D. Roosevelt established the Works Progress Administration by executive order to create jobs for the large numbers of unemployed laborers, as well as artists, musicians, actors, and writers. The Federal Arts Program, a sector of the Works Progress Administration, included the Federal Writers’ Project, one of the primary goals of which was to complete the America Guide series, a series of guidebooks for each state which included state history, art, architecture, music, literature, and points of interest to the major cities and tours throughout the state. Work on the Ohio Guide began in 1935 with the publication of several pamphlets and brochures. The Reorganization Act of 1939 consolidated the Works Progress Administration and other agencies into the Federal Works Administration, and the Federal Writers’ Project became the Federal Writers’ Project in Ohio. The final product was published in 1940 and went through several editions. The Ohio Guide Collection consists of 4,769 photographs collected for use in Ohio Guide and other publications of the Federal Writers’ Project in Ohio from 1935-1939. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: SA1039AV_B10F13_004_001
Subjects: Canals--Ohio; Ohio and Erie Canal (Ohio); Circleville (Ohio); Geography and Natural Resources; Transportation--Ohio
Places: Circleville (Ohio); Pickaway County (Ohio)
 

Description: This image is a reproduction of a photograph depicting a view of the Ohio and Erie Canal at Millersport, Ohio, ca. 1906. The Ohio and Erie Canal was one of Ohio's most important canals during the mid nineteenth century. During the late 1810s, Governor Thomas Worthington and Governor Ethan Allen Brown both supported the development of canals. Both men believed that Ohioans needed quick and easy access to the Ohio River and to Lake Erie if they were to profit financially. Farmers and business owners would be able to transport their products much more easily and cheaply with canals rather than turnpikes. Canals would also possibly open up new markets for Ohio goods. In 1822 the Ohio legislature created a new Ohio Canal Commission, which eventually recommended two routes: a route that started at Lake Erie, passing through the Cuyahoga Valley, the Muskingum Valley, the Licking Valley, and then to the Ohio River along the Scioto Valley (Ohio and Erie Canal) and a western route along the Miami and Maumee Valleys (Miami and Erie Canal). In 1825 the Ohio legislature approved both routes, and work began immediately. On July 4, 1825, work began on the Ohio and Erie Canal at Licking Summit just south of Newark. The surrounding swamps were drained to create the Licking Reservoir, today known as Buckeye Lake, in order to supply adequate water for the canal going north to Coshocton and south to Circleville. After the canal route was established, the state engineers discovered that there was a ridge of hills located south of the proposed reservoir through which they would have to cut the canal. Because it was impossible to raise the reservoir’s level, the ridge had to be cut down to the level of the reservoir. This "Deep Cut" marks the deepest part of the canal at 32 feet and runs south from Millersport for nearly two miles. To finance the canals, the Ohio government relied on loans. Ohio received an initial loan of $400,000 from bankers and businessmen living along the East Coast. The canal commissioners estimated that the Ohio and Erie Canal would cost $ 2.3 million, but it actually cost roughly $10,000 per mile to finish. Although the construction of both canals nearly bankrupted the state government, the canals allowed Ohioans to prosper, beginning in the 1830s all the way to the Civil War. In 1830 the Ohio legislature earmarked funds for the Miami and Erie Canal's extension to Defiance and Lake Erie; by 1833 the Ohio and Erie Canal was complete. Once completed, however, the state’s canals still faced numerous difficulties. The effects of flooding and freezing could and often did seriously damage the canals. Usually canals in the northern half of the state were drained dry from November to April. These difficulties paled in comparison to the advantages of having the canals. The cost to ship goods from the East Coast to Ohio and vice versa declined tremendously, from $125 per ton of goods to $25 per ton of goods. Travelers who were willing to trade time for economy could save considerable money by taking a canal boat. Most canals remained in operation in Ohio until the late 1800s. By the 1850s canals were losing business to the railroads, which offered several advantages. Railroads delivered passengers and goods more quickly, and they were not limited by a water source as canals were. Because of these advantages, railroads quickly supplanted the canals. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: AL06109
Subjects: Ohio and Erie Canal (Ohio); Fairfield County (Ohio); Canals--Ohio--History--19th century; Transportation--Ohio--History; Ohio Economy--Transportation and Development
Places: Millersport (Ohio); Fairfield County (Ohio)
 

Description: Original description reads: "This picture shows the Canal Lock west of the Aqueduct taken in March 23, 1911." This photograph shows a gate leading into a lock on the Miami and Erie Canal located near Dayton, Ohio. The Miami and Erie Canal connected the Ohio River in Cincinnati, Ohio and Lake Erie in Toledo, Ohio and was completed in 1845. The locks were used to raise and lower boats between stretches of water that were of different levels. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: SA1039AV_B02F06_018
Subjects: Canals--Ohio; Miami and Erie Canal (Ohio)--History; Locks (Canal); Dayton (Ohio)--Buildings, structures, etc.--Pictorial works; Geography and Natural Resources; Transportation--Ohio--History.; Ohio--History--Pictorial works; Federal Writers' Project
Places: Dayton (Ohio); Montgomery County (Ohio)
 

Description: This image is a reproduction of a photograph depicting a view of the Ohio and Erie Canal at Millersport, Ohio, ca. 1900. At the right edge of the image people can be seen walking on the canal towpath. The Ohio and Erie Canal was one of Ohio's most important canals during the mid nineteenth century. During the late 1810s, Governor Thomas Worthington and Governor Ethan Allen Brown both supported the development of canals. Both men believed that Ohioans needed quick and easy access to the Ohio River and to Lake Erie if they were to profit financially. Farmers and business owners would be able to transport their products much more easily and cheaply with canals rather than turnpikes. Canals would also possibly open up new markets for Ohio goods. In 1822 the Ohio legislature created a new Ohio Canal Commission, which eventually recommended two routes: a route that started at Lake Erie, passing through the Cuyahoga Valley, the Muskingum Valley, the Licking Valley, and then to the Ohio River along the Scioto Valley (Ohio and Erie Canal) and a western route along the Miami and Maumee Valleys (Miami and Erie Canal). In 1825 the Ohio legislature approved both routes, and work began immediately. On July 4, 1825, work began on the Ohio and Erie Canal at Licking Summit just south of Newark. The surrounding swamps were drained to create the Licking Reservoir, today known as Buckeye Lake, in order to supply adequate water for the canal going north to Coshocton and south to Circleville. After the canal route was established, the state engineers discovered that there was a ridge of hills located south of the proposed reservoir through which they would have to cut the canal. Because it was impossible to raise the reservoir’s level, the ridge had to be cut down to the level of the reservoir. This "Deep Cut" marks the deepest part of the canal at 32 feet and runs south from Millersport for nearly two miles. To finance the canals, the Ohio government relied on loans. Ohio received an initial loan of $400,000 from bankers and businessmen living along the East Coast. The canal commissioners estimated that the Ohio and Erie Canal would cost $ 2.3 million, but it actually cost roughly $10,000 per mile to finish. Although the construction of both canals nearly bankrupted the state government, the canals allowed Ohioans to prosper, beginning in the 1830s all the way to the Civil War. In 1830 the Ohio legislature earmarked funds for the Miami and Erie Canal's extension to Defiance and Lake Erie; by 1833 the Ohio and Erie Canal was complete. Once completed, however, the state’s canals still faced numerous difficulties. The effects of flooding and freezing could and often did seriously damage the canals. Usually canals in the northern half of the state were drained dry from November to April. These difficulties paled in comparison to the advantages of having the canals. The cost to ship goods from the East Coast to Ohio and vice versa declined tremendously, from $125 per ton of goods to $25 per ton of goods. Travelers who were willing to trade time for economy could save considerable money by taking a canal boat. Most canals remained in operation in Ohio until the late 1800s. By the 1850s canals were losing business to the railroads, which offered several advantages. Railroads delivered passengers and goods more quickly, and they were not limited by a water source as canals were. Because of these advantages, railroads quickly supplanted the canals. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: AL06108
Subjects: Ohio and Erie Canal (Ohio); Fairfield County (Ohio); Canals--Ohio--History--19th century; Transportation--Ohio--History;
Places: Millersport (Ohio); Fairfield County (Ohio)
 

Description: This image is a reproduction of a photograph of Nimmick's Coal Mine on the Ohio and Erie Canal in Tuscarawas County, Ohio, ca. 1890. Visible in this image are three canal boats, a structure overlooking the canal that rests on a foundation of tall stilts, and a chute that leads from the structure's floor down to the canal's edge. The Ohio and Erie Canal was one of Ohio's most important canals during the mid-nineteenth century. Farmers and business owners would be able to transport their products much more easily and cheaply with canals rather than turnpikes. Canals would also possibly open up new markets for Ohio goods. In 1822 the Ohio legislature created a new Ohio Canal Commission, which eventually recommended two routes: a route that started at Lake Erie, passing through the Cuyahoga Valley, the Muskingum Valley, the Licking Valley, and then to the Ohio River along the Scioto Valley (Ohio and Erie Canal) and a western route along the Miami and Maumee Valleys (Miami and Erie Canal). In 1825 the Ohio legislature approved both routes, and work began immediately. Beginning in Cleveland the Ohio-Erie Canal ran south, the length of the state, to Portsmouth. The canal was a total of 308 miles long, 40 feet wide at the surface, and 4 feet deep. The Ohio-Erie Canal opened for traffic along its entire length in 1832 and consequently effected great change. Population along the canal increased, and commercial, political, and industrial growth in Ohio boomed. Products grown and manufactured in this previously isolated region now had access to world markets. Profits for farmers and merchants increase, and the entire state economy was bolstered. With the rise of railroads in the 1860s, however, canals were destined to become obsolete because the railroad was a faster and more dependable means of transportation. The canal system ceased to operate altogether after a disastrous flood in 1913. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: AL06111
Subjects: Ohio and Erie Canal (Ohio); Tuscarawas County (Ohio); Canals--Ohio--History--19th century; Transportation--Ohio--History; Ohio Economy--Transportation and Development
Places: Tuscarawas County (Ohio)
 

Description: This photograph shows a wooden bridge over the Miami and Erie Canal in Montgomery, Ohio, most likely located in or near Dayton, Ohio. Many small bridges had been constructed by this time which precluded any large boats from navigating the canal. The Miami and Erie Canal connected the Ohio River in Cincinnati, Ohio and Lake Erie in Toledo, Ohio and was completed in 1845. This photograph is one of the many visual materials collected for use in the Ohio Guide. In 1935, President Franklin D. Roosevelt established the Works Progress Administration by executive order to create jobs for the large numbers of unemployed laborers, as well as artists, musicians, actors, and writers. The Federal Arts Program, a sector of the Works Progress Administration, included the Federal Writers’ Project, one of the primary goals of which was to complete the America Guide series, a series of guidebooks for each state which included state history, art, architecture, music, literature, and points of interest to the major cities and tours throughout the state. Work on the Ohio Guide began in 1935 with the publication of several pamphlets and brochures. The Reorganization Act of 1939 consolidated the Works Progress Administration and other agencies into the Federal Works Administration, and the Federal Writers’ Project became the Federal Writers’ Project in Ohio. The final product was published in 1940 and went through several editions. The Ohio Guide Collection consists of 4,769 photographs collected for use in Ohio Guide and other publications of the Federal Writers’ Project in Ohio from 1935-1939. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: SA1039AV_B02F05_018
Subjects: Bridges--Ohio; Miami and Erie Canal (Ohio); Montgomery County (Ohio); Public works
Places: Montgomery County (Ohio)
 

Description: Canal plat map showing a section of the route of the Ohio and Erie Canal in Scioto County between stations 2000 and 2117. The Scioto River, bridges, and other landmarks along the route are also noted. The map was created under the direction of the members of the Canal Commission of the state of Ohio and approved by the Chief Engineer of the Department of Public Works (variously referred to as the Board of Public Works and the Division of Public Works). The Ohio and Erie Canal was constructed between 1825 and 1832, eventually connecting Cleveland and Lake Erie with Portsmouth and the Ohio River. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: BV4919_005
Subjects: Transportation; Canals -- Ohio; Ohio and Erie Canal (Ohio); Rivers--Ohio
Places: Scioto County (Ohio);
 

Description: Canal plat map showing a section of the route of the Ohio and Erie Canal in Scioto County, including the new channel for the outlet of the canal into the Ohio River near Portsmouth. Bridges, culverts, and other landmarks along the route are also noted. The map was created under the direction of the members of the Canal Commission of the state of Ohio and approved by the Chief Engineer of the Department of Public Works (variously referred to as the Board of Public Works and the Division of Public Works). The Ohio and Erie Canal was constructed between 1825 and 1832, eventually connecting Cleveland and Lake Erie with Portsmouth and the Ohio River. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: BV4919_011
Subjects: Transportation; Canals -- Ohio; Ohio and Erie Canal (Ohio); Ohio River
Places: Scioto County (Ohio);
 

Description: Canal plat map showing a section of the route of the Ohio and Erie Canal in Scioto County between stations 1793 and 1897. The Scioto River, bridges, and other landmarks along the route are also noted. The map was created under the direction of the members of the Canal Commission of the state of Ohio and approved by the Chief Engineer of the Department of Public Works (variously referred to as the Board of Public Works and the Division of Public Works). The Ohio and Erie Canal was constructed between 1825 and 1832, eventually connecting Cleveland and Lake Erie with Portsmouth and the Ohio River. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: BV4919_003
Subjects: Transportation; Canals -- Ohio; Ohio and Erie Canal (Ohio); Rivers--Ohio
Places: Scioto County (Ohio);
 

Description: Canal plat map showing a section of the route of the Ohio and Erie Canal in Scioto County between stations 2223 and 2327. The Scioto River, Brush Creek, bridges, culverts, and other landmarks along the route are also noted. The map was created under the direction of the members of the Canal Commission of the state of Ohio and approved by the Chief Engineer of the Department of Public Works (variously referred to as the Board of Public Works and the Division of Public Works). The Ohio and Erie Canal was constructed between 1825 and 1832, eventually connecting Cleveland and Lake Erie with Portsmouth and the Ohio River. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: BV4919_007
Subjects: Transportation; Canals -- Ohio; Ohio and Erie Canal (Ohio); Rivers--Ohio
Places: Scioto County (Ohio);