Two hundred years ago, the Ohio Legislature passed “An Act to provide for the Internal Improvement of the State of Ohio by Navigable Canals.” The state’s Canal Commission was authorized to construct waterways that would link the Great Lakes to the Mississippi River. These waterways would directly impact Ohio’s economic growth, immigration and urbanization.

By 1832, over three hundred miles of canals crisscrossed the state, carrying agricultural products and raw materials to distant markets while manufactured goods streamed by canal boat into local towns and villages. Travelers moved around the Ohio inexpensively and quickly, and water-powered mills and factories sprang up along the locks and reservoirs built by local laborers.

Join us in commemorating the Bicentennial of the Ohio's Canal System

We aim to increase the understanding and appreciation of the historical impact Ohio canals had on regional and national growth and their role today in fostering healthier and more prosperous communities.