The Ohio Canal System is an essential part of Ohio history. It was of great significance in the economic growth of what had been until this time a relatively undeveloped, under populated region of the United States. From this time forward Ohio would play a significant role in the expansion of America and the dispersement of people and produce from the East to the West, the North to the South of the country.
Early History
Ohio's canal building years from 1825 to 1848 were of great
significance to the growth of the State's economy prior to the
Civil War. Approximately 800 to 1,000 miles of canal were built
by state and private enterprise. George Washington was one of the
first to see the potential in an interior transportation system,
and as early as 1787 Thomas Jefferson had suggested a canal
system between Lake Erie and the Ohio River, between the Cuyahoga
River on Lake Erie and The Big Beaver Creek on the Ohio River to
connect the Mississippi with the St. Lawrence and the
Atlantic. His notion of Ohio geography and topography was
not very accurate but his idea was sound and eventually canals
would be built over the general route he proposed. However,
Congress was not favorable to the suggestion until 1823. Ethan
Allen Brown, often called "the Father of the Ohio
Canals", proposed in 1818 a canal system between Lake Erie
and the Ohio to facilitate trade in Ohio's agricultural
surpluses.
Surveys in the early 1820's by Engineer James Geddes led to a
report to the General Assembly on January 4, 1823. It was not an
easy task to survey the state as it was mostly undeveloped or
unexplored wilderness.
Proposed routes were:
In 1822 a canal act was passed by the Ohio General Assembly,
against strong opposition. In order to get the act passed friends
of the canals and the public schools traded votes. The act
authorized the employment of an engineer to survey possible
routes and to estimate the cost. A seven man Canal Commission was
appointed. Eventual approval was given on their recommendation
that canal navigation was the safest, easiest and cheapest mode
of transportation. They estimated the cost of the project to be
$2.5 million and that Ohio would get $600,000 per year in canal
toll revenue. Final estimates for the two canal systems (the Ohio and Erie and the Miami & Erie) would be $6
million. Final costs for the system were closer to $16 million
for construction and $25 million in interest on the loans. It
would almost bankrupt the State. It was decided that the State
would fund the project for the benefit of the people rather than
by private interests. The railroad system was still in its
infancy and considered untried. New York's Erie Canal had proved
the reliability of a canal system. The bill authorizing the
construction of the Ohio and Erie
and the Miami Canals was
passed on February 4, 1825, and also created the Canal Fund
Commission to finance the project through the selling of bonds.
By January 8, 1825 the Canal Commissioners were ready to suggest
that the best route would be the Scioto, Licking, Tuscarawas and
Cuyahoga Rivers, a total of 322 miles at an estimated cost of
$2,301,709. A second route was also proposed, the Miami and
Maumee Rivers, a total of 290 miles at an approximate cost of
$2,929,957. Commissioners recommended the first for immediate
completion and the second for completion from Cincinnati 50 miles
north to Dayton.
Both economic, political and geographic reasons determined the
route. An early proposal was to run the canal diagonally across
the state from North East to South West, however, it was
topographically impractical and therefore abandoned. Canals could
not possibly be built to serve every section of the state. The
branch canals that developed in the wake and enthusiasm for the
main line canals helped bring economic development and access to
these other areas. Not everyone was happy with the location of
the main line canals and eventually in 1830 the Assembly finally
approved the completion and extension of the Miami Canal from
Dayton to the Auglaise River at Defiance, 127 miles at an
approximate cost of $2,055,421.
The Ohio & Erie canal was officially begun and dedicated in a
ceremony at the Licking Summit on July 4, 1825. Just four months
later the first boat made its way from Lake Erie to New York via
the Erie Canal and the Hudson River. Ohio was to be the last
stage in the chain between the Eastern Seaboard and the West.
Construction
When it came time to build the canals the Commission forsook
the idea of Public Enterprise building the system in favor of
Private Enterprise. It was felt that the Private sector would get
the work done more efficiently. The canal was therefore divided
into half mile sections with private contractors bidding on the
job.
The comparative cost of construction per mile of canal in Ohio
was: The Ohio & Erie $10,000 per mile and The Miami &
Erie $12,000 per mile compared with The Erie Canal at $19,255 per
mile and the Chesapeake & Delaware at $161,000 per mile. On
thee whole the Ohio canals were built efficiently and constructed
well.
On July 4, 1825, Governor De Witt Clinton of New York and
Governor Jeremiah Morrow of Ohio turned the first spadefuls of
earth on the Licking Summit, 3 miles south of Newark to begin
work on the Ohio and Erie Canal.There was an estimated 5-10,000
people present on that day. On July 21 they similarly started the
work on the Miami Canal at Middletown. By November 20 nearly
2,000 men were working with picks, shovels and wheelbarrows while
oxen dragged huge stones for locks through mud and snow. At the
height of construction there were more than 4,000 workers on the
project.
Work was done by private contractors who bid on sections of the
project. There were six stages to the work:
Minimum dimensions for
the canal were: 40 feet wide at the surface, 26 feet at the
bottom and 4 feet deep. These dimensions were generally exceeded.
Large portions of the canal were 60 to 150 feet wide and 5 to 12
feet above the waterline with the towpath at least 10 feet wide.
The standard lock of stone and timber construction was 90 feet
long and 15 feet wide with walls 5 feet thick at the top and 4
feet at the bottom. There was usually a 6 to 12 feet rise per
lock. "Locking Through" would
be taken care of by two crews. The boat crew and the lock crew. A
summit level was characterised by steps of locks at one or both
ends because there was usually a steep drop from the summit to
the next level.
Of Ohio's 88 counties 33 contained portions of canals or canal
quarries. Most locks were built from sandstone and then lined
with wood. Wood below the water level was extremely durable, it
would not rot away like exposed wood because it was saturated and
swollen, making a strong watertight bond. In North West Ohio some
locks were constructed entirely from wood. These were often later
rebuilt with cement.
Many inexperienced contractors underestimated their construction
costs and had to abandon the project forcing the jobs to be
re-bid. Wages for laborers during the early years were 30 cents
per day sunrise to sunset, plus board and lodging. Upon the
completion of the Erie Canal in New York many experienced workers
came to work in Ohio. As the demand for labor grew eventually
wages would be $26 per month, plus board.
In 1832 the Commission reported that 343 miles of the original
400 miles were complete with the balance of construction on track
for completion the following year. This was accomplished except
for the lock system at Cincinnati. By 1845 the extension of the
Miami Canal to Lake Erie was finished giving Ohio two complete
canal systems connecting the Lake with the River.
By 1850 there was almost 1,000 miles of canal throughout Ohio.
Numbering of locks was very random and different reports on the
same canal may show different numbering for the same lock. Both
the Ohio & Erie and the Sandy & Beaver Canals adopted a
system where there would be a lock # 1 on either end of the
summit level. As each canal descended the lock numbers ascended.
Changes on the numbering system were also made which confused
matters e.g. on the Miami & Erie canal the numbering system
was changed to ascend as the canal ascended, thus changing Lock #
40 at Independence Dam to # 13 and #44 at Providence Metropark to
# 9.
Overcoming the Problems
Work on the Ohio Canal never quite ground to a halt mainly due
to the personal finances of two of the Canal Board of
Commisioners, Micajah T. Williams of Cincinnati and Alfred Kelley
of Cleveland, who both often dug into their own pockets to cover
traveling expenses as they traveled around Ohio. Both worked for
the State almost without pay throughout their tenure as
commissioners.
There were relatively few problems to overcome in the
construction of the canal system because there were no mountain
ranges to "lock" over and most of the route was fairly
level.
One of the greatest problems, however, was the supply of water to
the summit points. This meant the building of dams across rivers
to create reservoirs at levels higher than the canals because
water supplies were often deficient during the peak Summer
months. Five major reservoirs were constructed on the two canals.
Major problems occurred through flooding of the rivers that
supplied the canals. This was overcome usually by building guard
locks to regulate and control the water levels in the canal.
At rivers they either built aqueducts, water filled wooden
troughs with a towpath, or dammed the rivers until they were at a
level with the canal to permit towing across it. Summit Lake had
a floating towpath across it.
At the end of the canal season, usually between November and
April many of the northern, larger, canals were drained so that
the locks, lining and canal beds could be repaired. Towpaths and
embankments which were eroded in winter would be repaired in the
Spring. Northern canals that were not drained froze over in
Winter. In the south the canals were used year round except for a
few weeks in Winter's coldest weather.
The 1825 act gave the Commission eminent domain over the land
required for construction of the canals, locks and reservoirs.
Many people willingly sold or donated their land and towns vied
for the canal to go through them because of the enhancement to
property values.
Opening Ohio to Trade
As the canals opened up thousands of miles of cheap transportation for commerce and new settlers, the State rapidly grew both agriculturally and industrially. Even when the railroads supplanted the canals as the primary source of transportation in the 1850's the canals maintained a place in Ohio's economy for another 50 years. The development of the waterways enabled Ohioans along Lake Erie to trade with Canada, the Atlantic Coast and Pittsburgh. Those in the south could trade along the Ohio and Mississippi to New Orleans. But the interior of Ohio was serviced by only country roads that were little more than trails. Sending produce across the Appalachian Mountains was as expensive as the produce itself and it often spoiled before reaching its market. Hogs and cattle were driven overland to markets in New York and Baltimore. Shipment via river to New Orleans was often hazardous and unprofitable. An improved form of transportation would benefit Ohioans, enabling them to compete in the larger eastern markets.
Just 2 years after the groundbreaking the first boat,
"the State of Ohio" carried Governor Trimble and others
the 38 miles from Portage Summit near Akron to Cleveland. In
November three boats made the trip from Cincinnati to Middletown.
In 1829 the first boat arrived in Dayton from Cincinnati and by
1834 ten locks from Cincinnati to the Ohio River opened the
complete system from Dayton to the River. Navigation of the
entire Ohio & Erie system was possible in 1832 except for the
Portsmouth locks which were finished in 1834.
The Miami extension was begun in 1833 but delayed until 1837
because of border disputes with Michigan. The Wabash and Erie was
completed in 1842 and the Lake Erie-Ohio riverway, later named
the Miami and Erie Canal was opened in 1845 with the passage of
the "Banner" from Cincinnati to Toledo.
Success of the state funded waterway stimulated private
enterprise to build additional canals.
Economic impact
With the completion of New York's Erie Canal in 1825 and as
the canals opened in Ohio, Ohio became less isolated from the
rest of the country. Prices for agricultural produce, wages and
canal construction costs rose.
For 25 years the canals were the principal means of
transportation of both freight and passengers within Ohio. In
1842 passenger travel on the canal rose to 52,922. The largest
passenger traffic was on the Ohio & Erie.It never became
important as a route of travel across the country because of its
great length and number of locks.
Cost of moving a ton of freight from the east coast overland
before the canals was $125, after, it dropped to $25 via canal.
Prices for Ohio products rose as they found new markets.
More grain came to Cleveland from the interior of the State than
from the Cuyahoga Valley or the Lake Erie shore. Akron milled
much of its wheat into flour and sent 376,000 bushel to Cleveland
in 1846 and 1847. In 1847 Massillon sent 1.7 million bushel of
flour and wheat along the canal. The Miami & Erie Canal was
less heavily used than the Ohio & Erie but its trade had a
major impact on the development of the region. The emphasis was
on different trade items, transporting more flour, pork and
whiskey than wheat. Between 1833 and 1850 Cincinnati regularly
received between 18,000 and 35,000 bushel of pork a year. After
the Miami Extension was added Cincinnati was able to send sugar
and molasses, from the southern markets, north to Toledo and into
Indiana.
Cities like Akron grew
from shanty towns into prosperous communities. The canal ran down
what is now Main street. Other communities like Cleveland, Youngstown, Portsmouth and
Dayton developed into important trade centers.
The States population grew
from 581,295 in 1820 to 1,980,329 in 1850 due to the immigration
of people from the east because of the cheapness of canal
transportation. Property values increased in all 33 counties
where canals were built which meant more tax revenue.Due in great
part to the canal the population of Ohio increased until it was
the third most populous state in the Union.
Industry like iron ore and coal mining were stimulated, mills,
machine shops, foundries, distilleries, woolen and cotton
factories located along the canals to utilize the waterpower and
the transportation.
For the first time, during the construction period, workers could
accumulate cash and use that to purchase goods rather than by
barter. As agricultural and industrial development increased
people had more money to buy manufactured goods and to invest.
Many workers acquired managerial skills from working for the
State which they later used to run banks, railroads and other
business.
The Boats
There were several different types of boats to be found on the canals:
Boats cost $2,000 to $4,000 each including six horses or oxen,
were low, long and narrow, usually 13 to 14 feet wide, 78 to 89
feet long to slide through the standard 15 foot by 90 foot locks.
Trips on the canal were often described as leisurely. Days were
spent on deck, ducking when the "low bridge" call went
up.
In the early days when there was no schedule for the packet boats
the passengers went ashore to cook their meals. Boats would stop
twice a day, at 9am and 2pm for this purpose and the feeding of
the animals. Often the spare animals were carried on the boat
along with the passengers. Malaria (often called "canal
chills" or "canal fever" ) were common. However,
later the six man crew included a cook.
Two crews moved the canal boats. The Lock Keeper and his crew
would help the boat through a lock, day or night, and lived in a
home near the canal. The boat captain and his crew would make
their home in the 14 foot by 25 foot cabin on the boat. The
"hoggee" controlled the team of animals that were
pulling the boat. The "tripper" would push the boat
forward and keep it away from the banks with a long pole. The
"tiller" would steer with the rudder in the stern.
Women and children did the cooking and cleaning. At night the
Boat Crew would call out "Hey! Hey! Lock". The Lock
Keeper would keep large lanterns out at night which projected the
light hundreds of feet along the darkened canal ditch. The
Captain would blow his bugle and another crewman would wave a
small lantern, often with a red light to establish communication
with the Lock Keeper Crew. The Lock Keeper Crew, now alerted
would rush out, open the first set of gates. After determining
that the water level was even they unhitched the tow rope. As the
boat entered the canal chamber the Captain would take over the
steering while the crew jumped onto the lock to join the other
crew in "locking through".
Some locks would get colorful nicknames because of events that
happened e.g. "Johnny Cake" Lock 27 and
"Pancake" Lock 26 on the Ohio & Erie canal. These
two locks received these names because the Lock Keeper's wife
would feed the stranded passengers or canal boat crews because
the locks often became clogged with silt and they would have to
wait until they were freed from the mud.
An 80 hour trip from Cleveland to Portsmouth cost $1.70. In 1832
1,000 people each week traveled along the Miami Canal between
Cincinnati and Dayton.
The most inconvenient part of the trip were the nights spent in 3
foot wide berths, which projected in tiers from the cabin walls.
Washing facilities were shared by all on board.
Navigation rules required that packet boats had precedence over
cargo. If both boats were alike the boat travelling downstream
would be required to drop its tow rope to the bottom, allowing
the upstream boat to have the right-of-way. Speed was limited to
4 mph to reduce erosion of the banks. Steam boats were not
popular on the canals because of the damage their churning wake
would make to the banks.
Although rules were made for conduct at the locks if two or more
boats arrived at the same time, often, right-of-way went to the
crew that out fought the others. Many times crews were hired not
so much for their canalling skills but for their fighting skills.
James A. Garfield, future president of the United States, served
for several months on his cousins canal boat in 1848 on the Ohio
and Erie and Pennsylvania and Ohio Canals.
Demise of the Canals---The End of an Era
Toll revenues increased steadily until 1840, when they were
$532,688 and set an all time high of $799,024 in 1851.
However competition for the canals developed with construction of
roads like the National Road, and particularly from the now
efficient, cheap railroads. Even though tolls were lowered to
encourage use the steady decline continued in good part because
of an aggressive campaign by the privately owned railroads to
take business from the canal system. Railroads had several
advantages. They were even cheaper than canal transport, more
direct, faster and had no interruption for weather being a
year-round service. The first railroad from Lake Erie to the Ohio
River began operating in 1848 just three years after the
completion of the Miami and Erie Canal, and the
Cleveland-Columbus-Cincinnati line began service in 1851.
By 1849 Ohio's debt from Internal Improvements ( this included
canals, railroads and roadways) was $16,880,982. This debt was
often called the "Irreducible Debt". The canals were
profitable in that they raised enough revenue from tolls to pay
the interest on the loans. Therefore, in 1851 the Assembly passed
a sinking fund (a tax), to pay the debt. By 1856 canal
expenditures were more than revenues coming in. Debts began to
rise. Throughout the eastern U.S. states began to default on
their interest payments and to repudiate their debts. However,
Ohio was the only state to fully pay her entire canal debt
although it took until 1903 to do so, mostly through this tax.
Although the canals were not truly profitable in the financial
sense they were immensely profitable to the people of Ohio and
the economic growth and wealth of the state. It was not until
this time that Ohioans functioned on a cash rather than barter
system. It was probably the single greatest influence to the
expansion and growth of Ohio. There was still little worry about
the influence of the growing railroad system even when it started
its major expansion between 1840 & 1850. It was thought at
first that railroads would only join areas that were inaccessible
by canal.
The railroads however, went out of their way to attack the canals
instead of bidding their time and letting experience prove their
superiority. They began rate wars, undercutting wherever possible
the rates of the slower canal system. These wars led to an act in
1852 that required railroads adjacent to or in the vicinity of a
canal to charge a uniform rate. The railroads refused to adhere
to the law and the canals' fate seemed inevitable.
In good measure because of the increased taxes and growing public
preference for the now cheaper and more reliable railroad
transportation there was growing sentiment by 1852 to dispose of
the canals. A demand that was as strong as the efforts and
support for the system just 25 years before.
In 1861 the state leased the canals to private enterprise, but by
1878 the lessees returned the canals to the state in a much
deteriorated condition. Eventually the unprofitable systems were
sold off, mostly to the railroads who acquired the rights-of-way
and the terminals, or were abandoned. In some cases the cities
took over the land for streets and sewers e.g. Main Street in
Akron, Central Parkway in Cincinnati, Patterson Boulevard in
Dayton and the Anthony Wayne Trail in Toledo all run over old
canal beds.
All hope for use was not lost, several attempts to revive the
system failed. However, in 1886 the Muskingham Improvement was
ceded to the U.S. Government. Returned to the state in 1958 it is
the only large section of the canal system in use today having
been improved to carry the larger river traffic and steamboats to
Zanesville.
Legacy of the Canals
Today all that remains of the extensive canal systems of Ohio
are some of the large reservoirs, now in state parks, and small
remnants of locks if you know where to look for them. You can visit many of these remnants of
the canal era.
Some canal lands are still under lease to private owners and
still bring in some revenue to the state.
It was never fully determined what the cost of the canals were, or were they truly profitable, some estimates are that the State of Ohio lost around $13 million on the project as they funded new smaller systems that were beyond their time before they were even built. However, the profit to Ohio and its people in general is inestimable. The canal system opened Ohio and Ohioans to such economic and industrial improvements that Ohio was now a significant member and contributor to the economy and spread, through immigration and migration of the United States of America across the vast continent.
A Comprehensive List of Ohio Canals, Branches and Navigable Feeders
A Glossary of some Canal Terms.
Eyewitness Accounts of the Canal Days
A Chart showing the growth of Ohio and Towns across the State in direct relation to the Canal System.
Copyright © 1997 Wendy J. Adkins
