In 1825, the Ohio Legislature approved funding to construct an Ohio water works system. Also in 1825 construction of the Miami Canal was started from Cincinnati to Dayton. In the 1830s it was decided to extend the canal to Lake Erie at Toledo; the canal was renamed the Miami and Erie Canal. It took from 1825 to 1845 to complete the Miami-Erie Canal and have it operational.

The Miami and Erie Canal was a canal that connected the Ohio River in Cincinnati, Ohio with Lake Erie in Toledo, Ohio. It consisted of 19 aqueducts, three guard locks, and 103 canal locks. Each lock measured 90 feet by 15 feet and they collectively raised the canal 395 feet above Lake Erie and 513 feet above the Ohio River. The peak of the canal was called the Loramie Summit and extended 19 miles between New Bremen, Ohio to lock 1-S in Lockington, north of Piqua, Ohio. The system consisted of 301.49 miles of canal channel and was completed at a cost of $8,062,680.07 in 1845. Boats were towed along the canal using either donkeys or horses walking on a prepared towpath along the bank. The boats typically travelled at a rate of four to five miles per hour. The Canal du Midi, Toulouse, France Canals are man-made channels for water. ... Cincinnati, Ohio is a well known city along the Ohio River, historically known for its riverboats. ... Cincinnati, Ohio viewed from the SW, across the Ohio River from Kentucky. ... Official language(s) None Capital Columbus Largest city Columbus Largest metro area Cleveland Area  Ranked 34th  - Total 44,825 sq mi (116,096 km²)  - Width 220 miles (355 km)  - Length 220 miles (355 km)  - % water 8. ... Lake Erie (pronounced ) is the eleventh largest lake on Earth[2] and, of the five Great Lakes of North America, it is the fourth largest by surface area, the southernmost, shallowest, and smallest by volume. ... Nickname: Location in the state of Ohio Coordinates: Country United States State Ohio County Lucas Government  - Mayor Carty Finkbeiner (D) Area  - City 84. ... Pont du Gard, France, a Roman aqueduct built circa 19 BC. It is one of Frances top tourist attractions and a World Heritage Site. ... Canal locks in England. ... New Bremen is a village in Auglaize County, Ohio, United States with a population of 2,909 as of the 2000 U.S. census. ... Lockington is a village located in Shelby County, Ohio. ... Piqua is a town in Miami County, Ohio, United States. ... Binomial name Equus asinus Linnaeus, 1758 For other uses, see Donkey (disambiguation). ... horse, see Horse (disambiguation). ... A towpath on the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal A towpath is a road or track that runs alongside the banks of a river, canal or other inland waterway. ...

Grand Lake St. Marys, an artificial lake west of St. Marys, Ohio was originally constructed as a reservoir to supply water for the canal. Lake Loramie in Shelby County also was constucted as a reservoir for the canal. Indian Lake in Logan County was greatly enlarged to provide a steadier supply of water for the Sidney feeder. All three lakes are still used for recreation. Grand Lake St. ... A reservoir (French: réservoir) is an artificial lake created by flooding land behind a dam. ... Nickname: Ridertown Location in Ohio Coordinates: Country United States State Ohio County Auglaize incorporated 1834 Government  - Type Mayor-Administrator  - Mayor Greg Freewalt  - Director of Public Service and Safety Thomas J. Hitchcock Population (2000)  - City 8,342  - Density  1,926. ... The Ashokan Reservoir, located in Ulster County, New York, USA. It is one of 19 that supplies New York City with drinking water. ...

A branch canal was constructed from the Miami and Erie Canal from Middletown, Ohio to Lebanon, Ohio, called the Warren County Canal. This branch was opened in 1840, but operable for less than 15 years before being abandoned. Middletown is an All-American City[1] located in Butler and Warren counties in southwestern Ohio. ... Lebanon is a city in Warren County, Ohio, United States. ... A sketch of a canalboat by Herbert Fall from circa 1840, about the time the canal operated. ...

Construction standards

• 4 ft. water depth.
• 40 ft. wide at water level.
• 10 ft. wide towpath in addition to mandated outer slopes.
• All slopes are 4½ ft. horizontal to 4 ft. perpendicular.
• The canal could handle boats up to 32 ft. long and 14 ft. wide.

Decline and abandonment

Completed just before most of the railroads in Ohio were built, the canal competed with railroads through much of its useful life. Ice in the winter, as well as the slowness of the boats, made it fairly impractical compared to railroads, and by 1906, the canal had largely ceased to operate. A catastrophic flood of the Great Miami River in 1913 and the subsequent flood control measures constructed by the Miami Conservancy District destroyed much of the canal infrastructure along the southern portion of the route where it paralleled the Great Miami River. One of the original locks (#17) is located in the Carillon Historical Park in Dayton, Ohio. An unrestored, but complete lock is located just off Main Street (State Route 571) in Tipp City. Remains of the Excello lock are still located in the Butler County Excello Locks Park near the intersection of State Route 73 and South Hamilton Middletown Road in Lemon Township. This is the top-level page of WikiProject trains Rail tracks Rail transport refers to the land transport of passengers and goods along railways or railroads. ... The Great Miami River (also called the Miami River) is a tributary of the Ohio River, approximately 160 mi (257 km) long, in southwestern Ohio in the United States. ... Year 1913 (MCMXIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar). ... A flood (in Old English flod, a word common to Teutonic languages; compare German Flut, Dutch vloed from the same root as is seen in flow, float) is an overflow of water, an expanse of water submerging land, a deluge. ... The Miami Conservancy District is a river management agency operating in Southwest Ohio to control flooding of the Great Miami River and its tributaries. ... The Great Miami River (also called the Miami River) is a tributary of the Ohio River, approximately 160 mi (257 km) long, in southwestern Ohio in the United States. ... Carillon Historical Park is an open-air museum in Dayton, Ohio, consisting of 25 buildings and structures, that follows the role and impact people from the Miami Valley have had on the world, especially in transportation and technology. ... Tipp City is a city in Miami County, Ohio, United States. ... Butler County is a county located in the state of Ohio. ... Lemon Township is one of thirteen in Butler County. ...

Much of the original towpath served as the right-of-way for the Cincinnati and Lake Erie Railroad, an electric interurban streetcar that operated until 1940. Part of the right-of-way was converted to the Wright-Lockland Highway (now part of Interstate 75). [1] A right-of-way (plural: rights-of-way) is an easement or strip of land granted to a railroad company upon which to build a railroad. ... The Cincinnati and Lake Erie Railroad (C&LE) was a short-lived electric interurban railroad that operated between Cincinnati, Ohio, Columbus, Ohio, and Toledo, Ohio. ... An interurban streetcar line or interurban, also called a radial railway in Canada, is a streetcar line running between urban areas. ... This article does not cite its references or sources. ... Interstate 75 (abbreviated I-75) is an interstate highway in the midwest and southeastern United States. ...

From 1920 to 1925 six million dollars was spent to use the bed of the canal to build a downtown subway in Cincinnati. The surface was paved over to form Central Parkway. Funds ran out before the Cincinnati Subway was completed. Downtown Cincinnati Subway entrance Cincinnati, Ohio built part of a citywide rapid transit system, until funds ran out in 1925. ...

Cities and towns along the canal

The following is a list of towns and cities (arranged North to South) along the Miami and Erie Canal.

• Toledo, Ohio
• Waterville, Ohio
• Providence, Ohio
• Texas, Ohio
• Napoleon, Ohio
• Florida, Ohio
• Defiance, Ohio
• Junction, Ohio
• Melrose, Ohio
• Ottoville, Ohio
• Delphos, Ohio
• Spencerville, Ohio
• St. Marys, Ohio
• New Bremen, Ohio
• Minster, Ohio
• Fort Loramie, Ohio
• Port Jefferson, Ohio (North end of the Sidney Feeder)
• Sidney, Ohio (Middle section of the feeder)
• Lockington, Ohio (Southern end junction of the Sidney Feeder)
• Piqua, Ohio
• Tipp City, Ohio
• Huber Heights, Ohio
• Dayton, Ohio
• Moraine, Ohio
• Alexandersville, Ohio
• West Carrollton, Ohio
• Miamisburg, Ohio
• Franklin, Ohio
• Middletown, Ohio
• Sharonville, Ohio
• Lockland, Ohio (Site of the first set of locks)
• Cincinnati, Ohio

Nickname: Location in the state of Ohio Coordinates: Country United States State Ohio County Lucas Government  - Mayor Carty Finkbeiner (D) Area  - City 84. ... Waterville is a village located in Lucas County, Ohio. ... Providence, Ohio, is a ghost town on the Maumee River in Lucas County, Ohio, United States, about 24 miles Southwest of Toledo. ... Napoleon is a city located in Henry County, Ohio, United States, along the Maumee River. ... Florida is a village in Henry County, Ohio, along the Maumee River. ... Defiance is a city located in northwestern Ohio, in Defiance County, about 55 miles southwest of Toledo. ... Melrose is a village located in Paulding County, Ohio. ... Delphos is a city located in Allen and Van Wert counties in Ohio. ... Spencerville is a village located in Allen County, Ohio. ... Nickname: Ridertown Location in Ohio Coordinates: Country United States State Ohio County Auglaize incorporated 1834 Government  - Type Mayor-Administrator  - Mayor Greg Freewalt  - Director of Public Service and Safety Thomas J. Hitchcock Population (2000)  - City 8,342  - Density  1,926. ... New Bremen is a village in Auglaize County, Ohio, United States with a population of 2,909 as of the 2000 U.S. census. ... Minster is a village in Auglaize County, Ohio, United States with a population of 2,794 as of the 2000 U.S. census. ... Fort Loramie is a village in Shelby County, Ohio, along Loramie Creek. ... Port Jefferson is a village located in Shelby County, Ohio. ... Sidney is a city in Shelby County, Ohio, United States. ... Lockington is a village located in Shelby County, Ohio. ... Piqua is a town in Miami County, Ohio, United States. ... Tipp City is a city in Miami County, Ohio, United States. ... Huber Heights is a city located in Miami and Montgomery counties in Ohio. ... Nickname: Motto: Birthplace of Aviation Coordinates: Country United States State Ohio County Montgomery Founded April 1, 1796 Incorporated 1805 Government  - Mayor Rhine L. McLin Area  - City  56. ... Moraine is a city located in Montgomery County, Ohio. ... Alexandersville, Ohio was a town located in Ohio just north of West Carrollton, Ohio and south of Moraine, Ohio. ... West Carrollton is a city located in Montgomery County, Ohio. ... Miamisburg is a city in Montgomery County, Ohio, United States. ... Franklin is a city located in Warren County, Ohio. ... Middletown is an All-American City[1] located in Butler and Warren counties in southwestern Ohio. ... Sharonville is a city in Butler and Hamilton counties in the U.S. state of Ohio. ... Lockland is a village in Hamilton County, Ohio, United States. ... Nickname: Location in Hamilton County, Ohio, USA Coordinates: Country United States State Ohio County Hamilton Founded 1788 Incorporated 1802 (village) - 1819 (city) Government  - Type Strong mayor  - Mayor Mark L. Mallory (D) Area  - City  79. ...

External links

• Map of canals in Ohio, the Miami and Erie Canal is on the left
• Ohio Department of Natural Resources guide to the Miami and Erie Canal