A canal in Groveport.
The page details events in canal and other transportation history. “Other” in this case refers to things like biking, balloons and and other alternative forms of transit.
**Last Updated: 6/15/2204- Added new dates for canals.
Canal Transportation
Canal transportation in the Columbus area lasted just 79 years, but was only popular for about 30 of those years, with traffic decreasing steadily once trains began to arrive in the 1850s.
1822
The state begins to sell bonds to pay for the construction of a canal system.
February 4, 1825
Ohio’s General Assembly authorizes the construction of two canals in the state- the Ohio-Erie and what would become the Miami-Erie.
July 4, 1825
Ground is broken for the first phase of the Ohio and Erie Canal system, at Licking Summit near Newark in Licking County.
1826
Construction on a dike to dam the south fork of the Licking river commences.
April 27, 1827
Official groundbreaking for the Columbus branch of the Ohio and Erie Canal occurs, attracting about 1,000 spectators. The groundbreaking is followed by a feast and large ball.
1827
After farmer Reuben Dove objects to the canal being dug through his grain field, canal workers suggest the site along the canal path would be good location for a town. Dove agrees and what would become Canal Winchester is platted on November 5, 1828.
1829
Investors decide to build a new branch canal between Carroll in Fairfield County and Athens.
1830
The dam of the south fork of the Licking River is finished, creating the reservoir known as Buckeye Lake. The water is used to feed the canal system.
1831
The Hocking Canal branch begins construction with the first section, known as the Lancaster Lateral.
September 13, 1831
Water is let into the 11.6-mile Columbus branch of the Ohio and Erie Canal for the first time.
September 23, 1831
The ‘Governor Brown’ becomes the first boat to arrive in Columbus from Circleville on its branch of the Ohio and Erie Canal.
Early 1830s
The town of Lockbourne is laid out around a series of 8 canal locks.
1833
The entire length of the Ohio and Erie Canal opens.
September 4, 1838
Construction is completed on the Carroll-Lancaster branch of the Ohio and Erie Canal. This canal branch is called the Hocking Canal.
1843
Extension of the Hocking Canal from Lancaster southeast to Athens is completed.
December, 1846
Due to high demand, there are reports that canal boats leaving Columbus to join with the Ohio and Erie Canal have become largely impossible to find.
1851
Canal toll income reaches $799,024. This is the highest it will ever reach.
1856
Due to competition from railroads, the costs of maintaining the canals exceeds income from traffic for the first time.
September 1, 1859
The first steam-powered boat to arrive in Columbus via its branch of the Ohio and Erie Canal is the ‘Enterprise’.
January, 1873
A petition to the Ohio Legislature from residents of Pickaway and Franklin counties asks for the enlargement of the Kirkersville feeder canal.
September 4, 1838
The Lancaster Lateral of the Hocking Canal is completed.
1841
A 56-mile extension of the Hocking Canal from Lancaster to Athens is opened.
1890
The Hocking Canal is officially closed, though sections remained in use until at least 1899.
1903
The bonds that funded the construction of the canal system are finally repaid.
1904
The Columbus feeder canal is closed to boat traffic.
June 12, 1908
The West Main Street locks of the Columbus feeder canal begin to be filled in for conversion into a playground.
The West Main Street locks in 1908 just before work to fill them in began.
March 21-26, 1913
The Great Flood of 1913 destroys many locks, banks and towpaths, officially ending any further official use of the canal system, though very localized uses continue for another few decades.
A long-abandoned canal boat near the Scioto River at Whittier Street in 1926.
Other Transportation and Infrastructure
Other transportation includes anything from bikes to balloons, and typically represent non-motorized forms.
Bicyclists using the horse racing track at 2341 Snouffer Road in 1890.
July 4, 1842
A large crowd turns out to see Columbus’ first balloon flight. The flight, piloted by an ‘aeronaut’ from Cincinnati, flies from the Statehouse lawn to about 5 miles east of Newark at a reported altitude as high as 2 miles.
July 4, 1851
Columbus’ second balloon flight is made from Broad and 7th Street and travels about 6 miles.
1852-1853
Columbus’ first form of mass transit is a horse-drawn carriage service that shuttles passengers to and from the city’s first railroad lines at the Union Station.
1853
The Ohio Stage Company ends its business when railroad travel begins to become dominant. It sells much of its equipment, horses and 50 coaches to an Iowa service.
Winter 1899-1900
The first bicycle path known in Franklin County is built on the west side of Cassady Avenue from Broad Street north to the rail yards south of 5th Avenue. It is constructed by the Rarig company for its employees to reach its plant more easily.
1979
As part of an improvement project, a protected bike lane is constructed on the east side of North High Street between 11th and Lane Avenue, with a painted lane on the west side. The 11-block section is the first protected bike lane in Columbus.
The High Street dedicated bike lane in the early 1980s.
1986
Due to maintenance and safety issues from poor design, the dedicated bike lanes on High Street are removed.
July 12-20, 1986
The Columbus Hot Air Balloon Festival takes place at Bolton Field, though it is constantly affected by severe weather.
2011
Columbus conducts a feasibility study on the option to create a citywide bikeshare program.
Tuesday, July 30, 2013
CoGo, Columbus’ first bikeshare program, is officially launched. The system opens with 30 docking stations containing 300 bikes.
CoGo bikeshare.
2015
CoGo expands by 11 stations and 110 bikes, mostly to the East Side.
Ohio State creates its own independent bikeshare program apart from CoGo called Buckeye Bikes. Its system consists of 15 stations with 115 bikes.
2016
The city gains its first protected bike lane since 1986 when a two-way, 1.4-mile lane is finished on Summit Street between 11th Avenue and Hudson.
February 21, 2018
It is announced that the Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission (MORPC) will spend up to $2.5 million on feasibility studies for the Hyperloop shuttle line between Columbus and Chicago.
August, 2018
Ohio State’s bikeshare program shuts down.
June, 2020
Electronic, or E-bikes, are added to stations across the CoGo system.
2022
The CoGo bikeshare system spreads across more than 80 stations containing more than 600 bikes.
October, 2022
MORPC announces it will spend $7.5 million to construct a more than 4-mile expansion of the Scioto Greenways trail south from Downtown to a yet-to-be-developed park at South High and I-270.
December, 2022
By year’s end, CoGo has reported its highest number of annual trips since the system was inaugurated, with more than 53,700 in total.
If you enjoy going through the past, the history page should satisfy that itch.
