The canal system in Ohio started around 1820; it reached it peak in 1855. After 1855 the railroads provided a second way to move around the state and traffic declined. The final blow to the canals occured in 1913 with great flood that destroyed much of the canal; the canals stopped operating after the flood. The systems were largely ignored until recently when they started a second life as a park system. Today much of the canal has been restored and the towpath hosts hikers and bicyclists.
Canal Fulton is in northern Stark county. Actually two sites 1.1 miles apart; it is one of the best places to see how the canal worked. They have a canal boat that provides rides from the visitors center to the lock.
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The Mustill Store- Cascade Valley
This park is on the north side of Akron and features a Museum inside a restored Canal Era store. It also has a great view of the cascade valley and access to the towpath. Click on the picture to learn more.
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Ft Laurens is in Bolivar just south of Canton. From a transportation aspect this site has it all. It was built on the intersection of the Great trail and the Tuscarawas river during the revolutionary war. Later the canal went thru the site and finally Rt 77 went over its eastern edge. The site has access toi the towpath of the Ohio and Erie Canal.
