An Inquisitive Visitor's
Guide to the
Ohio & Erie Canal and Towpath Trail
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An Inquisitive Visitor's
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Location: The Waterworks Park Trailhead is located on Wooster Street NW in Navarre. It is accessible to travelers on the CanalWay Ohio National Scenic Byway (Wooster Street).
History: For such a small village, Navarre has quite a bit of history tied to it, both canal related and otherwise. The first settlement in what is now Navarre was Bethlehem, a religious community founded by Johathan Condy in 1806. When the canal was built, it passed along the southern edge of Bethlehem, but some 15 feet below the city's southern hillside, making the canal all but inaccessible to those that lived there. Another town was platted a quarter mile up the canal from Bethlehem by Nathan McGrew called Rochester. Captain James Duncan, the founder of Massillon, platted another town between these two settlements and called it Navarre in 1834, four years after the canal was opened south of Massillon.
In modern times, Ralph Regula, a state representative from Navarre is often credited as getting the ball rolling to preserve the canal lands in northern Ohio. His work led to the designation of the canal lands from Cleveland to New Philadelphia as a National Heritage Area. The Towpath Trail in Stark County is named for Regula.
Besides a part of Lock 6, the only remaining remnants of the canal in Navarre are a small sluice near Water Works Park and a larger sluice at the southeastern end of town.
Lock 6 South (Summit Portage Level) - Navarre Lock - Bethlehem Lock
Top of northern wall of Lock 6 used to support the loading dock of the Nickel's Bakery looking northeast
Craig Pittman Memorial Park Trailhead
Location: The State Route 212 Trailhead is located on SR 212 east of Bolivar. It is accessible to travelers on the CanalWay Ohio National Scenic Byway (SR 212).
History: The trailhead marks the end of the current Towpath Trail in Stark County. A short way north of the trailhead is where Wildcat Basin once existed on the canal. It got its name because, according to legend, a wildcat jumped on a mule skinner named Hank Keck, knocking both of them into the basin. The cat, not liking water, quickly ran away.
The section of the canal from Navarre to Bolivar was known as the Ten Mile Level. The towpath ran along the west side of the canal until shortly before the Bolivar Aqueduct when it switched to the east/north side. The Towpath Trail is in the planning stages in this section of the canal.
<< Continue North | Continue South >>
Historic photos of the canal in Navarre and of Lock 6 courtesy of Dave Meyer. |
The three
villages competed for business in the ensuing years. It became a
large shipping area on the canal, particularly for wheat. There were
at least 10 dry goods stores, eleven hotels, and a paper mill
operating within the three villages. But when the railroad gained
dominance over the canal, the villages' prosperity declined. They
merged together to form one town called Navarre in 1873.
A
number of historical buildings still exist in Navarre today. The
Stahl-Hoagland House is a Greek Revival building located near the
trailhead. It was at one time owned by Marquis Hoagland who was a
foreman on the canal's state maintenance boat. A number of canal era
buildings are located throughout the village, particularly at
Rochester Square and Bethlehem Square. The latter features the J.D.
Define Building (pictured to the right) where President William
McKinley tried his first case in 1867. The Rochester House was a
hotel built in 1836 that hosted Presidents McKinley and Ulysses S.
Grant as well as serving as a link on the Underground Railroad.
About
the Lock: If you didn't know what you were looking for, you'd most
likely miss the last remnant of Lock 6 in Navarre. The northern wall of
the lock is all that is left and it's difficult to find under the loading
dock for the Nickel's Bakery. The gate recesses are the only thing that
identifies it as a lock wall. I'm told that there is a Daley Brothers
inscription on the wall behind the dumpster at the eastern end of the lock
from the early 1900's canal rebuild but as I felt like I was trespassing
to see the lock, I didn't linger to find out. A friend told me that the
dock workers he spoke to one day told him of the inscription. The spillway
for the lock was on the northern side while the towpath passed on the
south side. The current Towpath Trail passes a ways farther south of the
lock so the only way to see it is to go onto the Nickel's Bakery property.
Location: The Craig Pittman
Memorial Park Trailhead is located on Hudson Drive south of Navarre. It is
accessible to travelers on the CanalWay Ohio National Scenic Byway (Hudson
Drive).