Miami & Erie Canal Overview
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| Kamena Jisanaa posted Fascinating Miami-Erie Canal History... In the early 19th century, the opening of the Miami-Erie Canal in southwestern Ohio was an event of great importance to the City of Cincinnati, as well as to the settlements northward through the Mill Creek Valley, in particular Cumminsville five miles north of the Ohio River. The canal was chartered in 1824 and construction began in July, 1825 at Middletown with grand ceremonies. DeWitt Clinton, of New York, then regarded by some as the greatest living American statesman and the "father of canals," delivered the address. The section from Middletown to Cincinnati was completed in 1827, with Ephraim Knowlton supervising the digging of the mile through Ludlow Station/ Cumminsville (roughly a little south of the current Ludlow Viaduct to across from the entrance to Spring Grove Cemetery) Knowlton was later memorialized in Cumminsville with the naming of Knowlton's Corner, where he operated a general store, and Knowlton Street. In May of 1827 two boats passed near what became Clifton Ave, six miles north of Cincinnati, amid the enthusiastic cheers of sightseers and passengers. Subsequently, when further completed to Dayton in 1828, the event was celebrated by elaborate ceremonies and festivities. The first boat operating locally was the "Hannibal of Carthage," owned by Ephraim and Sidney Knowlton. The great waterway relieved the drudgery of transport by muddy roads and was of incalculable benefit to the people, facilitating commerce and raising the value of adjacent lands... Such was the excitement in early days that there were "canal-boat parties" organized, similar to "trolley parties" of the early 20th century. Following is a photo of the canal "aqueduct" about the present location of Mitchell Ave... Lloyd Scott Hardin shared |
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| Dennis DeBruler commented on Lloyd's share The canal used to go along the south edge of the Mill Creek Valley. A lot of dirt has been moved since this 1914 map was drawn. - Mitchell Ave. was straightened and widened, filling in the little creek that drained into Mill Creek. This little creek is the one that the aqueduct crossed. - The topo map erroneously draws a straight line across the little creek. - Mill Creek itself has been channelized. - The Vine Street Hill Cemetery has grown down the hill filling in more of the canal. - I-75 was built along the south edge of the Mill Creek Valley. So this is my best guess as to the location of the aqueduct: https://maps.app.goo.gl/sDFeQkspcxgQ1Maf9. Topo map: 1914/14 West Cincinnati Quad @ 62,500 |
Seraphina Daphne posted three images with the comment: "Mitchell Avenue Aqueduct! Historic photo of a wooden aqueduct over Mitchell Avenue on the Miami & Erie Canal, looking northeast towards St. Johns German Catholic Cemetery. The original stone tunnel under the canal collapsed in roughly 1890, and this aqueduct was built while a more permanent span was designed and constructed. It wasn't until 1897 that the contract was awarded to the King Bridge Company. The towpath bridge was supposedly upgraded to steel in 1902 to support the weight of the electric mule locomotives."
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| River Kelly added this image to the images and descriptions in Seraphina's post above |
I wrote these notes in the main blog before I discovered that I wrote about the aqueduct in this blog.
(Satellite, urbanization has moved Mill Creek and removed the tributary. I-75 is built over the canal's land.)
This area of the M&E Canal seems familiar, but I can't find any existing notes about it.
(Update: these were the notes.)
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| 1914/14 West Cincinnati Quad @ 62,500 |
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