The Ohio & Erie Canal, dug by hand between the 1820s and 1830s, completed an inland water route stretching from New Orleans to New York City. Over the next half century, this small strand of water would change the world. It took Ohio from a struggling frontier to one of the richest and third most populous states in the nation, and positioned New York City as a world port and America’s financial capital. Take a historical journey on the Ohio & Erie Canal. Watch in evolve into the National Heritage Area that it is today.

1820: Begin

1825–1832: The Canal construction period. Primarily German and Irish immigrants built the canal by hand.

1827: The Akron-Cleveland route opened. The first Canal boat left Akron July 3rd, arriving in Cleveland to great fanfare July 4th.

1827–1913: The Canal Era. This new mode of trade and transportation gave rise to a flourishing economy and transformed Ohio. Freight and passengers traveled by Canal. Towns and businesses sprang up along its banks. By 1960, Ohio led the nation in agricultural output and was third in population. According to Canals of Ohio, real-estate values rose 1400% in 37 canal counties.

1870: Railroads started springing up and eroded the need for industrial transportation along the Canal.

1913: The Great Flood, March 23–27, lasted four days. A foot of rain left most of the canal destroyed and eventually abandoned.

1964: Ralph Regula, Navarre Village Solicitor, walked with Canton Repository reporter Al Simpson along the overgrown Towpath Trail. A series of articles painted a vision for its reuse as a recreational asset.

1974: Legislation sponsored by Congressman John Seiberling established Cuyahoga Valley National Park.

1980s: Founding organizations take root: Ohio Canal Corridor (1985); Ohio & Erie Canalway Coalition (1989).

1996: 32 years later, Congress passed a bill sponsored by Congressman Ralph Regula, designating the Ohio & Erie Canalway as a National Heritage Area to preserve and celebrate the railroad, trails, landscapes and towns that grew up along the Ohio & Erie Canal.

Today: The Ohio & Erie Canalway invites residents and visitors to experience its legacy and enjoy cultural, historic, recreational and natural pursuits. There are endless possibilities for adventurers along the Towpath Trail, America’s Byways or Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad.