So much of Cleveland has changed so dramatically since the canal era that the Towpath Trail planners had to get really creative just to get the trail downtown, let alone have it end up near its historic alignment heading to the Cuyahoga River at Canal Basin Park. As a glaring example, we’ll look at an area on a map from 1898. Note on the map below that the Ohio & Erie Canal (shown as Ohio Canal) runs near the Cuyahoga River, and note all the natural twists and turns of the Cuyahoga River around the plats marked 275, 276, and 277; and then look to the north of 285 where the canal is squeezed between Campbell Road and the Cuyahoga River, where the river dips south towards Campbell Road:
[crop from Map of the City of Cleveland 1898 (Whitworth Brothers Company), courtesy of Cleveland Public Library, Map Collection]
Then look at the same area in 2015, now occupied by ArcelorMittal - Cleveland:
[Imagery courtesy of Google Earth]
In just that one area, you can see where the Cuyahoga River was straightened in several places to aid in ship navigation, the river and canal beds were filled in, and steel plants (various manufacturers over the years) were built on the land that was claimed from the river and the canal. Changes in land use throughout Cleveland repeat this basic story. In short, there’s no way the Towpath Trail, which is designed for safe transportation and recreation, could follow the historic path of the towpath north of the six mile marker because the changed topography and reuse of the land makes it dangerous and impractical to go through such a heavily industrialized area.
If you want to know how planners are handling these challenges and where the Towpath Trail is headed, Historical Interpreter Doug Kusak’s “Towpath Trail Update” presentation is available free of charge to groups of 10 or more in Cuyahoga County and Hinckley Township. We’ll cover the latest developments and construction timetables for the stages north of Harvard Ave heading towards Canal Basin Park in downtown Cleveland, as well as some of the connector trails. Call Doug Kusak at CanalWay Center [216-206-1000] for more information on booking this presentation.