Ohio & Erie Canal (watered)

Description

At the beginning of the 19th century, Ohio was geographically isolated from the mainstream of economic vitality. Our state was rich in natural resources, but inaccessible to established markets. The Ohio & Erie Canal changed that fact. Built in the 1820s & 1830s, the canal was carved from the wilderness to provide an invaluable link in the nation’s transportation system, completing an inland water route. The Ohio & Erie Canal traveled through the Cuyahoga Valley on its way to connecting the Ohio River with Lake Erie. Wherever this man-made ditch went, change followed: change for the Cuyahoga Valley, the region, and the nation. In the wake of the canal came prosperity, a national transportation system, and a national market economy. As you travel on the Towpath Trail, consider how the canal beside you once transformed the country. Of the 19-miles of the Ohio & Erie Canal within Cuyahoga Valley National Park, six miles are still watered; three are designated a National Historic Landmark.