Ohio Erie Canal

The Ohio-Erie Canal (English. The Ohio and Erie Canal ), also Ohio Canal, was a canal in the US state of Ohio . It connected the Cuyahoga River, which flows into Lake Erie, and the Ohio River . Since November 1966, the preserved sections of the canal have the status of a National Historic Landmark and belong to the Cuyahoga Valley National Park . With the recognition as a National Historic Landmark, the entry as a Historic District in the National Register of Historic Places was connected.

description

The canal was built at the beginning of the 19th century and connected Akron to the Cuyahoga River near its confluence with Lake Erie in Cleveland . A few years later it was connected to the Ohio River near Portsmouth (Ohio) , whereupon further connections to other canal systems in Pennsylvania and Ohio were created.

The 496 km long canal was used to transport goods between 1827 and 1861, until the volume of goods on the canal rapidly decreased due to the construction of the railway. From 1862 to 1913 the canal served as a water reservoir for the neighboring industrial plants and settlements. In 1913, much of the canal was abandoned after significant sections were destroyed by floods.

Today most of the preserved sections are administered by the National Park Service or the Ohio Department of Natural Resources . These serve on the one hand as public leisure and recreation areas and also as water reservoirs for some commercial enterprises. Portions of the canal are listed buildings, notably the Ohio and Erie Canal Historic District , a United States National Historic Landmark .

Are popular with visitors to the Cuyahoga Valley National Park, hiking and cycling on the 30 km long towpath (Towpath Trail) at Valley View.