An Inquisitive Visitor's
Guide to the
Ohio & Erie Canal and Towpath Trail
|
|
An Inquisitive Visitor's
Guide to the |
|
Home
Locations and
Trailheads
Canal Terminology
My Canal Journal
Links
Resources and Recom-mendations
|
Lock 18 South (Portage Summit Level) - Port Washington Lock - Bremer Lock
About the Lock: Lock 18, or Port Washington Lock, was actually located outside of Port Washington itself. Nothing remains of this lock today and its exact location is difficult to determine. It is likely southwest of Fillman's Bottoms Road on US 36. The name "Bremer Lock" comes from the fact that a mill built by J. and J. Bremer was located near the lock. The spillway tumble for the lock was located at the upstream end of the lock and the spillway itself ran on the north side of the lock. The canal passed over a small stone culvert just before the lock. It was written in 1912 by the Superintendent of the Canal that "Lock 18, near Port Washington, had entirely fallen in and would have to be rebuilt before the canal could open in the spring." The Flood of 1913 made that rebuild unnecessary. When US 36 was built, any chance of remnants of the lock being found was lost. A store was located at the lock at one time.
Port Washington
Location: Port Washington is located in Salem Township in Tuscarawas County on US 36.
History: Port Washington was founded in 1827 in anticipation of the coming of the Ohio & Erie Canal by John Knight. The town was originally called Salisbury before its change to its current name. It sounds a little unusual that a land locked town in mid-Ohio has a name prefaced with the term "Port" but it is a reference to its history as a canal town. With no lock actually in the town limits, the town was known more as an agricultural area rather than an industrial one, although there were several mills located in the village along the canal.
The Old Port Washington Road out of Millersburg was the first state road in Ohio. It ran 30 miles between the two cities and contributed to the growth of Port Washington as a shipping center on the canal. Many goods were brought from throughout the county on the new road which was constructed shortly after 1832.
A notable historic building in Port Washington is Union Hall which was built in 1879 (photo above). Inside are housed a number of canal photos and memorabilia. Port Washington is also the birthplace of Alexander Helwig Wyant, a famous landscape artist.
<< Continue North | Continue South >>
The Silliman Survey picture of the canal is courtesy of the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Division of Water. I colored it for the explanation above. |
