Eyewitness to the Beginning of the Canal Era

Cleveland, 30th June 1825.

As told by George B. Merwin, a boy at the time.

"It was a heavenly day, not a cloud in the sky, the lake calm as the river, its glistening bosom reflecting the fierce rays of an almost tropical sun; the boat soon passed Water Street, dressed with all her flags, and came to anchor about a mile opposite the mouth of the river and fired her usual signal gun.
Her commander, Captain Fisk, ordered the steps to be let down and her yawl boat placed along side them; then taking Governor Clinton by the hand seated him in the stern of the boat, and was followed by his aids, Colonel Jones, Colonel Read and Colonel Solomon Van Rensselaer, who had traversed the state when a wilderness, as an officer under General Wayne. Messrs. Rathbone and Lord who had loaned us the money with which to commence the canal, and Judge Conkling, United States District Judge, of New York.
They came up the river, the stars and stripes waving over them, and landed at the foot of Superior Street, where the reception committee with carriages and a large concourse of citizens awaited them and took them to the Mansion House, then kept by my father, where Governor Clinton was addressed by the late Judge Samuel Cowles, who had been selected by the committee to make the reception address.
Governor Clinton made a eloquent reply. In a part of his remarks he made the statement, "that when our canals were made, even if they cost five million dollars, they would be worth three times that sum; that the increased price of our productions in twenty years would be worth five million dollars; that the money saved on the transportation of goods, to our people, during the same period would be five million dollars, and that the canals would finally by their tolls refund the entire cost, principal and interest.""

Licking Summit, 4th July 1825.

As told by Colonel John Noble to the Columbus Gazette

" The ceremonies commenced as had been agreed upon. Governor Clinton received the spade, thrust it into the rich soil of Ohio, and raised the first spadeful of earth, amidst the most enthusiastic shouts of the thousands present. The earth was placed in what they called a canal wheel-barrow. Then the spade was passed to Governor Morrow, the then Governor of Ohio, a statesman and farmer. He soon sunk the spade its full depth, and raised the second spadeful. Then commenced a hustle for who would raise the next. Captain Ned King, as we familiarly called him, having the command of an infantry company present from Chillicothe, raised the third, then some of the guests in Governor Clinton's company, and finally, the barrow being full Captain King took hold of the handles and wheeled it out to a bank.
For me at this time to attempt to describe the scene is impossible----the most enthusiastic excitement by all the thousands, and shouts of joy went to the All-giver. The feeling was so great that tears fell from manly eyes, the strong expression of the heart. Mr. Thomas Ewing, of Lancaster, was orator of the day. The stand for speaking was in the woods. The crowd was so great that one company of calvary were formed in a hollow square around the back and sides of the stand for speaking. The flies, after a three days' rain, were so troublesome that the horses kept up a constant tramping, which induced the following remark from my friend Caleb Atwater, that evening at Lancaster: "Well" says he, " I suppose it was right to have the horses in front of the speaker's stand, for they cannot read and we can.""

Economic Progress.

" A Mr. Shoemaker, of Pickaway county, below Tariton, was a rich land-owner, and had opposed the building of the canal, as it would increase his tax, and then be a failure. This same gentleman, for such as he was, told me his boys had, with one yoke of oxen and farm cart, hauled to Circleville potatoes and sold then for forty cents per bushel, until they had more money than paid all his taxes for the year. This was an article he had never sold before, and he was now a convert to the improvement. Wheat raised from 25 cents to $1.00 per bushel before the canal was finished.
And now let me say, as I have lived to see all to this time, the Ohio canal was the beginning of the State's prosperity."

Problems

David Bates, 1833

"Out in the field there were times when we didn't know what the next day would bring. We had about 3,000 men and as many as 1,500 teams of horses on the job just before the cholera swept through the camps and thinned the ranks. The contractors could not do much for the crews, being strapped for cash on account of the State holding back money that was overdue them. Two or three simply throw up their hands and quit the country, leaving their men unpaid."