| Ohioan Dr. Daniel Drake is credited with first generating interest in Ohio for the building of a canal system. Governor Ethan Allen Brown of Cincinnati, later known as the ‘Father of Ohio's Canals,’ made the idea of canals in Ohio the chief goal of his administration from 1818 to 1822. As a direct result of his leadership, the Ohio legislature created the Canal Commission in 1822. Of the seven members of the Canal Commission, most of the leadership and effort was put forth by Alfred Kelly, a Cleveland lawyer and Micajah Williams. Williams was a businessman and Quaker from Cincinnati. These men would overcome years of political wrangling and oversee numerous financial crisis in order to ensure a canal system for Ohio. | ||
Alfred Kelly |
Micajah Williams |
James Geddes |
| The first order of business for the canal
commissioners was to hire an engineer to study possible routes for a series of canals in
Ohio. They retained James Geddes, an engineer experienced with the construction of New
York's Erie Canal, to conduct a preliminary survey of routes. Any potential route needed
to have enough natural water sources to maintain water levels in the canal. Geddes studied
five possible routes in Ohio; in the end, he recommended two routes — what would
become the Ohio & Erie and the Miami & Erie canals. Political infighting and bickering quickly developed, despite the findings and recommendations of Geddes, as leaders of many communities lobbied to have the proposed canals routed close to their towns. Because Cincinnati was the most populous region of the state, its leaders demanded that a canal connect their town with Dayton. Columbus residents bargained for an 11 mile canal 'feeder' connecting their town to the Ohio & Erie Canal. Still, too few votes were present in the General Assembly for passage of a canal bill until the legislators from Marietta were satisfied with promises of fellow legislators to pass a new tax to support public education. [Back] [Next] [Up] [New Search] 'Canal' segment written in December, 1998 by Rich Wallace |