Ohio and Erie Canal plat map   Save
Ohio Canal Plat Map Collection
Description: Canal plat map showing the towpath of the Ohio and Erie Canal through the Licking Reservoir, between stations 717 and 818. The division between the old and new reservoir is pictured, and Lieb's Island, bridges, railroads, stations, locks, 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. Licking Reservoir began as a small pond that Ohio's American Indians called "Big Swamp" or "Big Pond." In the 1820s, the state began construction of the Ohio and Erie Canal, and workers built a dike that diverted water from the south fork of the Licking River into the pond, which then became known as the Licking Reservoir or Licking Summit Reservoir. As canals declined in use in the second half of the 19th century, the Ohio and Erie Canal was abandoned and began to deteriorate, but the canal's decline did not mean an end to the Licking Reservoir. Instead, the state legislature renamed it Buckeye Lake and made it a public park in 1894. In 1949, the state of Ohio designated Buckeye Lake as a state park. The amusement park began to decline in popularity by the late 1950s and continued to deteriorate in the 1960s. Although the amusement park no longer exists, Buckeye Lake State Park still attracts a number of visitors to the area each year, in addition to the many people who own vacation homes near the lake or live in the area year-round. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: BV4914_008
Subjects: Ohio and Erie Canal (Ohio); Transportation; Canals -- Ohio; Reservoirs; Buckeye Lake (Ohio)--History
Places: Licking County (Ohio)