Ohio Forgotten » Ohio Erie Canal

Lock 27 – Johnnycake Lock

Andrew — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 20:12:35 +0000

During the spring of 1828, a flood caused the Furnace Run Culvert to fail and the canal to silt.

Several canal boats ran aground and were stranded at this canal lock.

As supplies ran low, canal passengers and the crew ate johnnycakes to survive.

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Lock 24 – Niles Lock

Andrew — Sun, 22 Mar 2009 17:45:16 +0000

In 1836, Peter Voris laid out and founded the small village of Niles. Only a small amount of people actually purchased a plot in the village. Nicholas Botzum and Thomas Owen operated rival mercantile stores on opposite sides of the canal. But, the village never grew and Voris sold the property to the Vallen Brothers who then converted the property back to common land.

Located right next to the lock is a spillway.

After walking a few miles down, you will find the remains of an old aqueduct that carried the canal over the stream. Now it carries the road and railroad tracks over the stream.

360 Tour

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Lock 25 – Mud Catcher Lock

Andrew — Sun, 22 Mar 2009 16:12:31 +0000

The front wall of the lock was demolished when Riverview Road was widened in the 1930s, and most of the canal in this section was filled in.

360 Tour

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Lock 34 – Red Lock

Andrew — Sun, 28 Dec 2008 23:06:49 +0000

This canal lock acquired it’s name from it’s red lock gates and the abundance of red clay that was found along the canal in this area.

Is Red Lock Haunted?

Many workers died of malaria when building the canal and it’s possible that they haven’t left yet.

The spirits seem to focus around this small cement bridge. It could have been built over a mass grave for workers, maybe too poor for a Christian burial.

While I were there we got some weird whitish spots in some of my pictures. Using the orb chart we found that the color white means protection. Could the ghosts be protection there grave?!?!

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Lock 33 – Wallace Lock

Andrew — Sun, 28 Dec 2008 22:31:00 +0000

James Wallace and George Wallace Jr. owned a large farmstead that stretched from the village of Brandywine, which their father founded, all the way to Boston.

James Wallace served as a contractor to help build the Ohio & Erie Canal.

He helped build sections in Boston Township and Massillon, and the aqueduct in Roscoe Village.

On top of all of that, he even worked on a canal boat for 2 years.

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Lock 35 – Whiskey Lock

Andrew — Sat, 27 Dec 2008 20:30:49 +0000

This canal lock acquired it’s name from the whiskey produced at a nearby distillery during the Civil War. It was also known as the Kettlewell Lock.

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Deep Lock Quarry

Andrew — Sun, 19 Oct 2008 01:03:48 +0000

This quarry was a major source of Berea sandstone in the northeast. Sandstone has been excavated here since the 1830′s. The sandstone was used to build and repair locks along the Ohio and Erie Canal. They were used during the construction of various buildings and houses as well.

A view from the top of the quarry.

A short track ran through the woods surrounding the quarry. Flatcars were loaded with sandstone blocks and millstones, then transported down to the Ohio and Erie Canal for shipment.

The Cleveland Stone Company eventually purchased the quarry. They faced little competition and basically held a sandstone monopoly in Ohio. This particular quarry was known as Quarry #15. Sandstone was excavated here one last time in the 1930′s. The stones were used during the construction of the local metro parks.

In 1879, Ferdinard Schumacher bought part of the quarry to make millstones for his American Cereal Works Company in Akron. Schumacher was known as the Oatmeal King. In the 1860′s, Schumacher introduced oatmeal to the United States by supplying the Union Troops during the Civil War. Schumacher’s company eventually became part of the Quaker Oats Company.

Schumacher’s Millstone Plant

Walking off the main hiking trail you come across the ruins of the Schumacher Millstone Plant.

You can find an old millstone on the path up there.

After walking a few yards you find poles sticking out of the ground.

Some old foundations sticking out of the ground.

When I was poking around on the ground I found some old bricks.

And last but not least a few random items for your enjoyment. They look like foundations and poles.

I really don’t know much about the Mill Stone Plant, so if you know something that I don’t please E-Mail Me.

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Lock 37 – Alexander Lock

Andrew — Sun, 07 Sep 2008 23:58:32 +0000

In 1855, Andrew and Robert Alexander built a grist mill near this canal lock. It was called the Alexander’s Mill, a.k.a. the 14 Mile Lock Mill.

Water from the canal was channeled towards the mill through a millrace, where it was used to turn a waterwheel, probably an undershot.

The mill was later converted to run on a turbine, but it still used water from the canal.

In 1900, the mill was purchased by Thomas G. Wilson, and renamed the Wilson’s Mill. Thomas operated the mill using water power up until 1969, when it was converted to electric power. Today, the mill is operated by Thomas Wilson’s son, Tom Wilson, and it’s used to process animal feed.

The Vanochek Family built a house, barn, general store, and a tavern next this canal lock.

Old Lock Gates

Water Control Gate

By opening water control gates, a section of the canal could be drained for maintenance and repair. This was usally done during the winter when adverse weather shut down the canal use.

Very little of the original structure remains; the concrete wing walls are a modern improvement.

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Frazee House

Andrew — Sun, 07 Sep 2008 23:54:45 +0000

The house was built between 1825 and 1827 by Stephen and Mehitable Frazee. The build their lonely house on a hill that overlooks the old canal. Two bricks on the house still bare their hand-engraved initials.

It has was rumored to have been a tavern, but no evidence has been found to support it. It also may have served as a makeshift jail while the canal was under construction.

John Hynton purchased the house in 1863 for himself and his new wife, Elizabeth. Two years later Hynton passed away and he is buried at Tinkers Creek Cemetery. The last owners of the home were the Foote family, it was then purchased by the National Park Services in the 1970s. In the house was never updated with indoor plumbing and electricity.

As you can see the wall is bowing out and the house had a bar going through it. I guess it is holding the house together.

Several paranormal legends are attached to this house. Stephen Frazee is believed to haunt the building and also one of the Frazee’s children who possibly passed away at a young age. There is also a story of a lynching on the property, when a canal digger was hung for his crimes.

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Haunted Cuyahoga: Frazee-Hynton House

The Lost Lovers of Canal Road

Andrew — Sun, 07 Sep 2008 23:05:08 +0000

Love can transcend all logic and science. Sometimes love can even survive death.

A local legend talks about a Civil War soldier and his fiancee wandering opposite sides of the canal along Canal Road forever trying to reunite.

He left for battle and never returned alive.

Toady their spirits seek out the love they once shared by haunting canal road for one final hug!

Check out this forum post about someone witnessing something on the towapath while driving down canal road.

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Lock 36 – 17 Mile Lock

Andrew — Sun, 07 Sep 2008 20:30:07 +0000

The concrete remnants on the far side of today’s trail bridge are the wing walls walls of Lock 36 which had been buried in the 1950s.

A feeder channel was built here at Lock 36 to bring water form the Cuyahoga River into the canal.

The feeder still provides water for the longest remaining watered section of the Ohio & Erie Canal.

A mud catcher was built to hold back silt and debris that might clog the canal.

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Beaver Marsh

Andrew — Sat, 16 Aug 2008 01:31:40 +0000

The area currently known as “Beaver Marsh” was once owned by Charles Carter and his family. Cater was the son of a canal boat captain and he spent most of his life working on the canal. This is why he built his house at the nearby Pancake Lock.

His son, Darwin, built a house just to the north of the homestead, and helped his father after we went blind.

Above is a picture of one of the strange blue lights that people see!

Orb Chart from Moonspenders

When the canal was phased out and the family then opened a dairy farm on the property. Charles prayed for a rebirth of the canal, hoping to work on the boats once more, but his hopes were washed away with the flood of 1913. The flood destroyed the canal beyond repair. He then passed away the same year.

Both of the Carter homes have been demolished, the cow pastures became a junk yard until the site was cleaned up by the National Park Service. It was turned into a marsh once beavers were re-introduced into the region.

Many visitors have reported strange blue lights between the lock and the marsh, as well as footsteps along the boardwalk which stretched across the marsh.

Also, a shadowy figure wearing overalls has been seen running down the towpath. The towpath was once the Carter family driveway.

The above picture came our really weird. If you look at the left side it kind of looks like a person! Maybe it’s just me, I don’t know!

Today, it is believed that the spirit of Charles Carter is responsible for the activity. He must still waiting to see the canal restored to its former glory.

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Lock 26 – Pancake Lock

Andrew — Fri, 15 Aug 2008 19:27:52 +0000

During the spring of 1828, a flood caused the Furnace Run Culvert to fail and the canal to silt.

Several canal boats ran aground and were stranded at this canal lock.

As supplies ran low, canal passengers and the crew ate pancakes to survive.

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Lock 28 – Deep Lock

Andrew — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 01:48:43 +0000

A typical canal lock could only raise or lower a canal boat about 9 feet.

Deep Lock’s 17 foot lift was the highest of any on the entire Ohio and Erie Canal.

Explore Deep Lock Quarry

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Lock 29 – Peninsula Mills Lock

Andrew — Mon, 16 Jun 2008 23:53:13 +0000

An aqueduct carried the Ohio & Erie Canal over the Cuyahoga River at this location.

The canal boats would enter into this lock before passing through the aqueduct, heading south

Although the aqueduct is long gone, the sandstone foundation can still be seen.

In 1832, a gristmill was built near the aqueduct and lock. A dam was constructed across the Cuyahoga River to help channel the water towards the mill, where it was used to turn the waterwheel. The canal provided an easy mode of transportation for the goods, which helped the mill prosper.

Charles Thomas and Chandler Moody purchased the mill in 1885. In 1902, they torn down the old mill and built a much larger mill. They called it the Peninsula Mills, a.k.a. the Moody & Thomas Mill. Unfortunately, the mill burned down on December 26, 1931. Today, the only thing left is the sandstone foundation.

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Lock 32 – Boston Mills Lock

Andrew — Mon, 16 Jun 2008 20:25:01 +0000

A warehouse, broom factory, blacksmith shop, hotel, and 2 general stores were located near this canal lock.

Below is a view of the old canal bed looking towards Lock 33 from the bridge over the lock.

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Lock 31 – Lonesome Lock

Andrew — Mon, 16 Jun 2008 20:07:20 +0000

Lonesome lock acquired its name from the isolated location. There are legends of robberies and murders that occurred in this remote area.

It is a VERY, VERY long walk to get here by walking on the towpath, better idea to take a bike.

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Lock 30 – Feeder Lock

Andrew — Mon, 16 Jun 2008 19:17:30 +0000

This canal lock acquired its name from the Peninsula Feeder, which is located nearby.

Below are the remnants of the bridge that carried the towpath over the feeder.

The stone walls in the below pictures are the remnants of the feeder channel.

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