
This is the inaugural post of a new feature here at Big Sky Buckeye. Every couple of months or so different snapshots about the Buckeye State of Ohio will be presented.
This famous song has been sung by young school children in America since the early 1900s. Perhaps a few readers remember singing these familiar lyrics:
I’ve got a mule and her name is Sal
Fifteen miles on the Erie Canal
She’s a good old worker and a good old pal
Fifteen miles on the Erie Canal
The “Erie Canal Song” serves as an introduction to the Ohio and Erie Canal, which connected Lake Erie (along Ohio’s northern border) with the Ohio River (along its southern flank).
The canal was constructed years before railroads would arrive so it provided an effective and cheaper way to ship business products and agricultural goods over longer distances.
Leaving Lake Erie near Cleveland, the canal ran through a series of valleys which dot much of the eastern and central part of the state. Covering a total of 308 miles, the canal proceeded through the river valleys of Cuyahoga, Muskingum, Licking, and Scioto. Once it reached the Scioto River south of present-day Columbus, barge traffic used the Scioto River on its way to Portsmouth on the Ohio River.
The canal was constructed between 1825 and 1832 (the Erie Canal was finished in 1825). Construction costs ran about $10,000 per mile.
By the 1850s, railroads arrived upon the scene, and their efficiency and lower costs brought about the eventual demise and decline of the canal systems in Ohio and other regions of the nation.
There is significant evidence of the canal today across many areas of Ohio. A curious traveler should be on the lookout for:
CANAL ROUTE

LOCKS


There are numerous websites with additional information. If one searches for “Ohio and Erie Canal,” much more information is available as well as interesting destinations along the former route of the canal. There are numerous locations with additional locks, towpaths, and former canal channels. Many places offer parks, walking and hiking trails, and canoeing.
By the time I read ‘towpath’ and ‘Erie Canal,’ I was singing the song. It’s amazing how much history we learned through song when we were kids — those songs were a fun way to get us “into” a subject. I enjoyed this — both the text and the photos.
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Thanks for so much for sharing your perspective. I will continue to add a feature once in awhile about Montana or Ohio. Take care and stay safe.
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A cool bit of history and great photos to go with it!😃😺
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Thanks Steve for reading and sharing. I have walked along the towpath shown in the first photo in both directions.
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That would definitely be an interesting walk!
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Ah yes, I remember the song well. We sang it with my 4th grade teacher, Mrs. Horwedel, who was from Oklahoma. She brought a rich variety of US history with her to CA and taught us lasting lessons with the help of music. It sticks with you, doesn’t it? Your pictures added to my history lesson. Thank you, Richard. ❤
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Jan, I am pleased you walked along the towpath and experienced these massive locks (at least for the canal era). History has always been one of my favorite places to experience and read about.
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I’ve not heard of the song – I guess it’s more of an Ohio song?
Did the route pass close to the Cleveland area at all? If so, perhaps next time we visit our son we can check out some of these artifacts…
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The “Erie Canal Song” was written in 1905, long after the canal’s high times. I sung it in elementary school back in Montana. The Ohio and Erie Canal starts from Lake Erie near Cleveland. There is a towpath and more evidence of the canal near the Chuyahoga Valley National Park between Cleveland and Akron.
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thanks for the background – will have to look for the towpath next time we are in Cleveland!
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So cool that’s in your state
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Thanks Jim. The areas shown in my photos are a short drive from my home. I have walked the towpath in the opening photo a few times.
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Wow that’s awesome
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These are nice photos. Makes me want to visit Ohio. 🙂
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Thanks Tiffany! I am pleased you are encouraged to visit Ohio. When the pandemic becomes a thing of the past, perhaps you will consider traveling to the Buckeye state.
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You have some beautiful pics that are just amazing. Thank you.
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Thank you Pat. I am blessed to find some excellent photo opportunities not too far from my home.
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You have some beautiful pics that are just amazing. Thank you. my husband is from Ohio
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Pat, what part of Ohio is your husband from? I live in the Columbus area.
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