Ohio Historical Marker – Junction of the Ohio & Erie and Lancaster Lateral Canals
Center Street just north of Canal StreetCarroll, OH 43112
Ohio Historical Marker – Junction of the Ohio & Erie and Lancaster Lateral Canals
Ohio had an extensive canal system. The Ohio & Erie Canal extended from Lake Erie at Cleveland to the Ohio River at Portsmouth. There were also branch canals, of which the Lancaster Lateral was one. The junction was located here in Carroll, Ohio.
Ohio had an extensive canal system. The Ohio & Erie Canal extended from Lake Erie at Cleveland to the Ohio River at Portsmouth. There were also branch canals, of which the Lancaster Lateral was one. The junction was located here in Carroll, Ohio.
Canals were an important means of transportation when Carroll was founded in 1829 by William Tong and his brother Oliver, who chose this site because it was where the proposed intersection of the Lancaster Lateral Canal and Ohio-Erie Canal would be constructed. This is the only site in Fairfield County where two canals met and came to be known simply as "the junction" by local residents. Canals became obsolete with the emergence of railroads and the last canal boat passed through Carroll in 1897. Note the names of several streets, which refer to the community’s canal history – Lock Street, Canal Street, and Tow Path Alley.
Notes for Travelers
There is a large canal mural on the side of the Atwood Door Company that depicts a canal boat, houses, and passengers and crew. The last canal boat passed through Carroll in 1897. On street parking is available.
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
www.ci.carroll.oh.us/CarrollHistory.htm