Railroads Faster and Cheaper
In the early days of the railroad, some thought locomotives would be used to fill in shipping routes where there were no waterways. Indeed, early railroad lines were short, disjointed tracks used mostly for local transportation.
But once people realized how much faster and cheaper the railroads were, it was only a matter of time before the canals would become obsolete. In a way, the canals were responsible for their own demise, since railroads were built in population centers. And many of those areas owed their existence to the canals.
Canal Shipping Declines
Traffic on the canal was heavy until the late 1860s. Between 1850 and 1860, the number of miles of track in Ohio increased 10 times. By 1900, the railroad had absorbed almost all of the shipping business.
Public opinion soon swayed in favor of the railroads, and needed repairs were not made to the canals. New York widened its canals in an effort to compete. Ohio did not.
In 1900 there was a brief experiment with an “electric mule” to pull boats on the Miami & Erie Canal, but it was not successful.
More Funding Available for Railroads
The canals had been a public works project funded by the state. The railroads were a private enterprise. Few early settlers had the kind of wealth required to finance the canal. By the mid-19th century, there were plenty of wealthy citizens who could bankroll Ohio’s railroad system.
Flood of 1913
The Ohio & Erie Canal was already in severe decline by 1913. Some areas had been neglected for decades.
When the great flood came, water tore through the banks and washed out miles of towpaths. Some locks were dynamited to decrease flooding.
It was a death knoll for the canal.
Revitalization of the Ohio & Erie Canal
The canal survived from 1913 to the 1960s by “benign neglect.” Not much attention was paid to the canal, but development did not destroy it either. It was simply existing, a symbol of a bygone era in decline.
Enter Congressman Ralph Regula. He dreamed of preserving the canal and creating a viable recreational area that would enhance the lives of northeastern Ohioans and pay tribute to the historic impact the Ohio & Erie Canal had on the region.
The importance of the Canal Corridor was acknowledged in 1966 when a 4 mile section in southern Cuyahoga County was designated as a National Historic Landmark.
The Ohio & Erie Canal Today
Today, more than 3.4 million people live in the region surrounding the Ohio & Erie Canal National Heritage Corridor. Over 1.7 million hikers and bikers use the first improved stretch of the Towpath Trail in the Cuyahoga Valley National Recreational Area.
This success has prompted communities around the canal route to extend this recreational system, reconnecting the region to its past while simultaneously boosting tourism and recreation.
More articles on the Ohio & Erie Canal:
The Ohio & Erie Canal: 19th Century Transportation
Life Along the Ohio & Erie Canal: Social and Economic Impact
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