Ohio and Erie Canal

Ohio and Erie Canal, former waterway of Ohio, 307 mi (494 km) long, between Lake Erie at Cleveland and the Ohio River at Portsmouth; built 1825–32. It utilized part of the courses of the Cuyahoga, Muskingum, and Scioto rivers and had 49 locks. It flourished as a means of transporting freight until the advent of the railroad era in the 1850s. The canal was responsible for the growth of cities along its route, especially Cleveland, Akron, and Columbus.