Debris along the Erie Canal…

While the canals in Ohio never achieved the same level of success as the legendary Erie Canal in New York, they did provide the state with great economic advancement, not only through their operation, but also in their construction. The Miami and Erie Canal was constructed over a 20 year period by a workforce of mostly Irish, German and French immigrants for a cost of over $8,000,000. For its time, it was an engineering feat that lifted boats to a height equivalent to that of a 50-story building. The summit of the canal at Loramie was 512 feet above the level of the Ohio River, which meant that the canal boats were essentially traveling uphill, for a distance of 100 miles before starting downward again towards Lake Erie. Canal operation peaked in 1851, but its influenced waned in the following years due mostly to the growth and spread of the railroads. By 1856, expenditures had exceeded revenues for the first time for the Miami and Erie Canal. By 1877, operations were officially abandoned though some measure of use continued through the early 1900s. With canal traffic greatly diminished and in some places completely abandoned, there were no funds for the much needed repairs and upkeep so, the once useful canals, became public dumping grounds, full of trash and refuse; becoming a breeding ground for all manner of pest and disease. This week’s photo is from the NCR Archive at Dayton History.

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