The rotting hulk of a canal boat is shown in the canal at Newport during the declining days of the canals as a busy waterway.   Courtesy of Saints Peter Paul Catholic Church.

Originally known as Berlin, the founding of Ft. Loramie preceded the arrival of the canal. This town, along with its sister village to the south, Newport, benefited greatly from the canal. Both were centers of commerce directly connected with the canal. The towns produced bricks, tile, and grain products in addition to boat building and repair businesses. Wealth generated from canal business allowed local German Catholics to build the magnificent St. Michael's church in Ft. Loramie (early village days shown below), one of the largest churches in Ohio.