Toledo Magazine: Still Connected to Canal History

Commuters travel through Maumee and Toledo via the Anthony Wayne Trail daily by the thousands. But chances are few realize that the road they drive on was once the Miami & Erie Canal. Built between 1825 and 1845, the 301-mile canal stretched from Toledo to Cincinnati and strengthened the economic power of Ohio by allowing the easy transportation of goods. CLICK ANY IMAGE TO VIEW FULL PHOTO, START SLIDE SHOW.

Enlarge | Buy This Photo THE BLADE

Enlarge | Buy This Photo Lock 49 Miami & Erie Canal looking north toward downtown on present day Anthony Wayne Trail. THE BLADE/LISA DUTTON

Enlarge | Buy This Photo Commuters travel through Maumee and Toledo via the Anthony Wayne Trail daily by the thousands. But chances are few realize ... THE BLADE/LISA DUTTON

Enlarge | Buy This Photo At Lock No.1, later renumbered as No. 52, on the Swan Creek Sidecut, which is today the location of ... THE BLADE/LISA DUTTON

Enlarge | Buy This Photo The stone remains of the Erie Street Swing Bridge foundation still remain from the canal era. THE BLADE/LISA DUTTON

Enlarge | Buy This Photo Miami & Erie Canal in the Harrison Street area. THE BLADE

Enlarge | Buy This Photo Miami & Erie Canal Toledo Aqueduct over the New York Central Railroad near City Park Avenue. THE BLADE

Enlarge | Buy This Photo Part of the Miami & Erie Canal in process of being filled in by the old Toledo Workhouse (the remains ... THE BLADE

Enlarge | Buy This Photo The Miami & Erie Canal at the foot of Mill Street. THE BLADE

Enlarge | Buy This Photo Miami & Erie Canal Lock 52 at Erie Street at taken from the foot of Newton Street about 1900. THE BLADE

Enlarge | Buy This Photo State of Ohio Canal Stock. THE BLADE

Enlarge | Buy This Photo Limestone blocks from the original Lock No. 45 can bee seen on the south side of the Anthony Wayne Trail in Maumee. THE BLADE/LISA DUTTON

Enlarge | Buy This Photo Dated Nov. 11, 1949, this photo shows the Miami & Erie Canal near Grand Rapids, Ohio. THE BLADE

Enlarge | Buy This Photo The Miami & Erie Canal at what is now Side Cut Metropark near Conant Street in Maumee. Fort Meigs in ... THE BLADE/LISA DUTTON

Enlarge | Buy This Photo West of downtown Toledo, the Miami & Erie Canal emptied into Swan Creek. A railroad swing bridge still carries the ... THE BLADE

Enlarge | Buy This Photo The gears of the Nickel Plate Railroad swing bridge would move the bridge to make way for ships to dock ... THE BLADE/LISA DUTTON

Enlarge | Buy This Photo Though rusty, the gears on the Nickel Plate Railroad swing bridge are seemingly ready to move at the approach of ... THE BLADE/LISA DUTTON

Enlarge | Buy This Photo The back of the building at 320 N. Michigan St. shows windows from the first floor rising up from canal ... THE BLADE/LISA DUTTON

Enlarge | Buy This Photo Evan McCord runs along the building at the corner of St. Clair Street that was built along the old canal.... THE BLADE/LISA DUTTON

Enlarge | Buy This Photo The Miami & Erie Canal followed the Collingwood Boulevard extension. THE BLADE/LISA DUTTON

Enlarge | Buy This Photo A massive limestone wall from the canal era supports the roadway in the area 400 block of St. Clair Street.... THE BLADE/LISA DUTTON

Enlarge | Buy This Photo Stone abutments from the former Toledo Aqueduct supports the Anthony Wayne Trail over the Norfolk Southern Railroad tracks. THE BLADE/LISA DUTTON

Enlarge | Buy This Photo The former Toledo Aqueduct supports the Anthony Wayne Trail over the Norfolk Southern Railroad tracks. THE BLADE/LISA DUTTON

Enlarge | Buy This Photo The stones of the former Toledo Aqueduct supports the Anthony Wayne Trail over the Norfolk Southern Railroad tracks. THE BLADE/LISA DUTTON

Enlarge | Buy This Photo A sign marks Canal Avenue which runs along the Anthony Wayne Trail in South Toledo. THE BLADE/LISA DUTTON

Enlarge | Buy This Photo This photo dated Nov. 27, 1956, shows the elimination and draining of the Miami & Erie Canal. THE BLADE

Enlarge | Buy This Photo This photo dated May 22, 1935 shows the Canal Boulevard project, south of the Toledo Terminal Railroad trestle. THE BLADE

Enlarge Looking north on the canal from Copland Road, July 28, 1928.

Enlarge | Buy This Photo The Miami & Erie Canal downstream from a bridge at Chevy Chase Lane, July 6, 1929. THE BLADE

Enlarge | Buy This Photo The Miami & Erie Canal south from Western Avenue. THE BLADE

Enlarge | Buy This Photo At the Glendale intersection, the Anthony Wayne Trail follows the s-curve of the former canal, seen here in a ... THE BLADE

Enlarge | Buy This Photo Robert McCord of Chicago, left, and his sister Julia McCord of Bowling Green look over pictures they took of one ... THE BLADE/LISA DUTTON

Enlarge | Buy This Photo An old canal boat from June 1906. THE BLADE

Enlarge | Buy This Photo The Tuttle canal boat travels down the Miami & Erie Canal, July 15, 1898. THE BLADE

Enlarge | Buy This Photo This July 6, 1929, photo shows the Miami & Erie Canal bridge at Roche de Bouf in Waterville, Ohio, looking downstream. THE BLADE

Enlarge | Buy This Photo A crew of Metroparks of Toledo Area maintenance men, rangers and CETA workers haul away the last of more than ... THE BLADE

Enlarge | Buy This Photo A boat is launched into the Miami & Erie Canal in Toledo in 1922. THE BLADE