An Inquisitive Visitor's Guide to the
Ohio & Erie Canal and Towpath Trail

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Locations and Trailheads
Travel the path of the canal in this picturesque journey from Cleveland to Portsmouth

Canal Terminology
Learn just what all these terms refer to

My Canal Journal
Get updates on Canal related events and trail construction

Links
Internet sites relevant to the Ohio & Erie Canal

Resources and Recom-mendations
Some sources of information used on this website

 

 

 

Stark County

 

Massillon

 

Lock 5 South (Portage Summit Level) - Rolling Mill Lock

 

About the Lock: Although it's named Lock 5, this lock is not the original Lock 5 in Massillon. In the late 1830's, Captain James Duncan, the man responsible for the canal going through Massillon, decided that the canal should be straightened instead of curving around a swamp. The State agreed and as part of the reconstruction, a new lock was built 3/8 mile north of the original Lock 5. It was named Lock 5 while the old lock was renamed Lock 5a. The lock was called Rolling Mill Lock because Duncan's Massillon Rolling Mill Company was responsible for the rebuild. The spillway passed on the east side of the lock while the towpath was between the canal and the Tuscarawas River on the west side. The tumble was at the south end of the lock. It is believed that the lock may be merely buried today, but no trace of it remains to be seen. The Massillon Flour Mill was located next to Lock 5.

 

State of the lock Non-existent, possibly buried
Lift of the lock 6'
GPS Coordinates Unknown
Accessibility None - buried

 

Lock 5a South (Portage Summit Level) - Old Lock 5 - Massillon Lock - Cemetery Lock

 

About the Lock: The original Lock 5 in Massillon was renamed Lock 5a when the new Lock 5 was built a short distance north. Massillon grew to be an important town due to the transportation possibilities brought about by the canal despite only having one lock (later 2), unlike Akron further north which used the water power to run the city's industry. The original Lock 5 had a lift of 12' but that was lowered to 6' when the new Lock 5 was built. In the early 1900's, when the canal was undergoing its rebuild, the lock was completely removed and a new concrete one constructed. The spillway for both was on the east side. Nothing remains of either lock today and you would be hard pressed to figure that a canal ever ran through Massillon because of the amount of change to the topography of the land in the area.

 

State of the lock Non-existent
Lift of the lock Originally 12', changed to 6'
GPS Coordinates Unknown
Accessibility None - destroyed by sewer line

 

John Glenn Grove Trailhead

 

Location: John Glenn Grove Trailhead is located on Warmington Road south of Massillon. It is accessible to motorists on the CanalWay National Scenic Byway (17th Street) by turning east on Warmington Road.

History: Originally, the area around the trailhead was a turning basin for boats on the canal. The park service turned that area from a landfill into a park and raised a statue of John Glenn, a noted astronaut and senator from Ohio. The trailhead is also known as the Warmington Road Trailhead.

 

Distance from Massillon Rec. Center 4.1 miles
Distance to Waterworks Park 2.0 miles
Facilities at the Trailhead Parking, restrooms, picnic tables
Attractions near the Trailhead None
Towpath surface south of the Trailhead Crushed limestone

 

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The Silliman Survey of the canal courtesy of the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Division of Water. I colored it for explanation purposes.