The Hocking Canal, in southeastern

Ohio Ohio () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. Of the fifty U.S. states, it is the 34th-largest by area, and with a population of nearly 11.8 million, is the seventh-most populous and tenth-most densely populated. The sta ...

, was a small 19th century lateral/feeder

canal Canals or artificial waterways are waterways or engineered channels built for drainage management (e.g. flood control and irrigation) or for conveyancing water transport vehicles (e.g. water taxi). They carry free, calm surface flo ...

of the Ohio-Erie Canal. It began in Carroll, Ohio (which was on the Ohio-Erie Canal) and ran to

Athens Athens ( ; el, Αθήνα, Athína ; grc, Ἀθῆναι, Athênai (pl.) ) is both the capital and largest city of Greece. With a population close to four million, it is also the seventh largest city in the European Union. Athens dominates ...

, Ohio. It paralleled the

Hocking River The Hocking River (formerly the Hockhocking River) is a right tributary of the Ohio River in southeastern Ohio in the United States. The Hocking flows mostly on the unglaciated Allegheny Plateau, but its headwaters are in a glaciated region. ...

in most places, but also used the river where it was calm and navigable. The portions where the canal route ran in the Hocking River itself were called "slackwater" sections. In 1829, southern Ohio private investors interested in transporting salt and other products to the marketplace faster decided to construct a branch canal from the

Ohio and Erie Canal The Ohio and Erie Canal was a canal constructed during the 1820s and early 1830s in Ohio. It connected Akron with the Cuyahoga River near its outlet on Lake Erie in Cleveland, and a few years later, with the Ohio River near Portsmouth. It also ...

Carroll, Ohio Carroll is a village in Fairfield County, Ohio, United States. The population was 524 at the 2010 census. History Carroll was laid out in 1829 at the junction of two canals. The village was named after Charles Carroll of Carrollton (1737–1 ...

southward towards Lancaster. Excavation on the "Lancaster lateral" began in 1831. This portion of the canal was completed September 4, 1838. In the same year, the Lancaster Lateral was purchased by the state. Ohio subsequently contracted to extend the canal from Lancaster to Logan, Nelsonville,

Chauncey Chauncey may refer to: *Chauncey (name), both a given name and a surname. Places in the United States * Chauncey, Georgia * Chauncey, Illinois * Chauncey, Michigan * Chauncey, Ohio * Chauncey, West Virginia * Chauncey Peak, a mountain near Meride ...

and Athens, fifty-three miles from Carroll. The 56-mile canal was completed in 1843, although much of it was officially opened two years earlier. Salt, coal, pork products, wool and lumber were shipped out, and furniture and iron products were brought into Lancaster, Athens and Hocking counties via the canal. It had 26 locks, 7 culverts, and an aqueduct crossing Monday Creek south of Nelsonville. Operation of the canal never proved profitable, least of all the 15-mile stretch between Nelsonville and Athens, where a number of salt works were located. Their owners, frustrated by the slow pace of the canal boats (4 miles per hour) and the unavailability of the canal in the winter when it often froze, began construction of the

Columbus and Hocking Valley Railroad The Hocking Valley Railway was a railroad in the U.S. state of Ohio, with a main line from Toledo to Athens and Pomeroy via Columbus. It also had several branches to the coal mines of the Hocking Valley near Athens. The company became part of ...

, which by 1857 competed with the canal for cargo. During the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states ...

's famed

Morgan's Raid Morgan's Raid was a diversionary incursion by Confederate cavalry into the Union states of Indiana, Kentucky, Ohio and West Virginia during the American Civil War. The raid took place from June 11 to July 26, 1863, and is named for the command ...

Confederate Confederacy or confederate may refer to: States or communities * Confederate state or confederation, a union of sovereign groups or communities * Confederate States of America, a confederation of secessionist American states that existed between 1 ...

cavalry under

Brig. Gen. Brigadier general or Brigade general is a military rank used in many countries. It is the lowest ranking general officer in some countries. The rank is usually above a colonel, and below a major general or divisional general. When appointed ...

John Hunt Morgan John Hunt Morgan (June 1, 1825 – September 4, 1864) was an American soldier who served as a Confederate general in the American Civil War of 1861–1865. In April 1862, Morgan raised the 2nd Kentucky Cavalry Regiment (CSA) and fought in ...

paused in Nelsonville and burned ten wooden canal boats. However, they failed to destroy a

covered bridge A covered bridge is a timber-truss bridge with a roof, decking, and siding, which in most covered bridges create an almost complete enclosure. The purpose of the covering is to protect the wooden structural members from the weather. Uncovered woo ...

over the Hocking Canal when citizens rushed to extinguish the blaze after the raiders rode off. This allowed

Union Union commonly refers to: * Trade union, an organization of workers * Union (set theory), in mathematics, a fundamental operation on sets Union may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Music * Union (band), an American rock group ** ''Un ...

cavalry to continue their pursuit of the fleeing Confederates. Repeated flooding, especially in the late 19th century, severely damaged portions of the canal, and the railroad became the favored mode of transportation. In 1890, the canal was closed. Today, remnants of the canal basin are visible in places from a modern bikeway built on the old towpath. The former Lock #19 is preserved as a roadside park on the old US Route 33 in eastern Starr Township, west of Nelsonville in Hocking County. Other remnants include dams, aqueducts, and other locks. However, the last remnants of the Hocking Canal in the city of Athens were bulldozed in 1983 to make way for a housing development.

External links

Map of canals in Ohio, the Hocking Canal (K) is in the lower middle
{{Coord, 39.4565, -82.2869, display=title Canals in Ohio Transportation in Athens County, Ohio Transportation in Fairfield County, Ohio Transportation in Hocking County, Ohio Buildings and structures in Athens County, Ohio Buildings and structures in Fairfield County, Ohio Buildings and structures in Hocking County, Ohio Canals opened in 1843 1843 establishments in Ohio