Ohio Historical Marker – Ohio & Erie Canal and Locks/Columbus Feeder Canal
154 Commerce StLockbourne, OH 43137
Ohio Historical Marker – Ohio & Erie Canal and Locks/Columbus Feeder Canal
The village of Lockbourne was established at the site where the Ohio & Erie and Columbus Feeder canals would intersect. There are four surviving locks that are visible and can be visited, while the nearby Columbus Feeder Canal guard lock is inaccessible at this time. Lockbourne was an important transfer point for goods being transported to and from Ohio’s capital city.
The village of Lockbourne was established at the site where the Ohio & Erie and Columbus Feeder canals would intersect. There are four surviving locks that are visible and can be visited, while the nearby Columbus Feeder Canal guard lock is inaccessible at this time. Lockbourne was an important transfer point for goods being transported to and from Ohio’s capital city.
The Ohio & Erie Canal was built between 1825 and 1832 and extended 308 miles from Lake Erie at Cleveland to the Ohio River at Portsmouth. The greatest engineering achievement in Ohio up to that time, the canal gave the state's farmers and merchants much greater access to goods and markets and was instrumental in the young state's rapid growth. Lockbourne was a focal point of activity on the canal with its staircase of eight lift locks (numbered 23 through 30), two canal basins, and junction with the Columbus Feeder. Locke Meadow Park encompasses the remnants of Lock 30 and the Big Walnut Creek guard lock, which prevented flood water from entering the main canal. The Lock Tender's house was located adjacent to Lock 30.
In order to connect the state capital to the Ohio-Erie Canal and provide a dependable supply of water for this section, engineers began to survey a nearly twelve-mile navigable feeder from the Scioto River in Columbus in 1824. Groundbreaking ceremonies took place in Columbus on April 30, 1827, with the Granville Company receiving the contract for all masonry work in the Lockbourne area on both the main canal and the feeder. The first canal boat arrived in Columbus on September 23, 1831; and the last canal boat left in 1904.
Notes for Travelers
Locke Meadow Park has parking, Lock 30, a picnic shelter, and the Magnolia walking trail. The trail is named after one of the boats owned by the Moneypenny Distillery, one of Canal Winchester’s most successful businesses during the canal era. This area had a canal basin at one time, as can be seen in areas where water is still evident.
Credits
Jeff Darbee, Nancy Recchie, David MeyerAdditional Resources
Meyer, David. Life Along the Ohio Canal – Licking Reservoir to Lockbourne and Columbus FeederMeyer, David. Life Along the Ohio Canal in the Scioto River Valley
https://www.columbusmessenger.com/lockbourne-and-the-ohio-and-erie-canal.html
Seasonal events are held in the Old School House. Check this link for upcoming events. https://www.lockbourneohio.us/old-school-house
WOSU-TV, Columbus Neighborhoods program had a short segment on preservation of the canal locks in Groveport and Lockbourne. The link is below.
https://columbusneighborhoods.org/video/preserving-the-locks-groveport-and-lockbourne/