The Ohio & Erie Canal

A canal boat, the Charlotta, transports lumber on the Ohio & Erie Canal.

NPS Collection

The Ohio & Erie Canal traveled through the Cuyahoga Valley on its way to connecting the Ohio River with Lake Erie. Wherever this man-made ditch went, change followed: change for the Cuyahoga Valley, the region, and the nation. In the wake of the canal came prosperity, a national transportation system, and a national market economy. As you travel on the Towpath Trail, consider how the canal beside you once transformed the country.

In Their Own Words

• To learn more about daily life in the Cuyahoga Valley during Ohio’s Canal Era, read quotes from canal boat painter Robert Andrew’s 1849 journal.
• To better understand what life was like for African Americans during Ohio’s Canal Era, read more about canal boat captain John Malvin.
• To find out how things changed from the Western Reserve period to the Canal Era, read quotes from Amzi Atwater’s letters. Amzi Atwater was a member of the first two survey teams to map the Western Reserve.

Lock Demonstrations

During the summer and fall check for events at Canal Exploration Center. Experience live lock demonstrations while discovering the history of the canal.

• Learn more about Canal Exploration Center.
• Check our online calendar of events for Lock Demonstrations.