Miami and Erie Canal

Last week we studied about the Erie Canal. The big one in New York, and the smaller two that are in Ohio.

The one in New York goes from Lake Erie in Buffalo to Albany. It is 363 miles long, spans 40 feet from shore to shore and is at least 4 feet deep. The workers who built the canal earned 30 cents a day.

The Miami and Erie Canal traveled from Toledo to Cincinnati. It was around 250 miles long. It was the same width and depth as the New York canal. The boats were pulled by mules, donkeys and horses and traveled at the fast speed of 5 miles per hour. The canals were put out of business by the railroads. After all trains could go as fast as 30 miles per hour!

This part of the Miami and Erie Canal is in Grand Rapids Ohio. The town use to be Providence but most of it burned down. The canal and the lock were filled in with dirt. This part of the canal including lock number 44 has been refurbished and is now part of the Ohio Metropark system. We got to ride on a flatbottom boat pulled by mules. The boy who usually walked the mules was between the ages of 8 and 10. They called him a Hoagie, because he had to eat on the run and it was usually some meat between slices of bread.

We had a great time. The park is beautiful and kept very nicely. We come home tomorrow. Then only a month until the big trip.