Providence is a

ghost town Ghost Town(s) or Ghosttown may refer to: * Ghost town, a town that has been abandoned Film and television * ''Ghost Town'' (1936 film), an American Western film by Harry L. Fraser * ''Ghost Town'' (1956 film), an American Western film by All ...

on the north side of the Maumee River in southern Providence Township, Lucas County,

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 ...

, United States, about 24 miles (39 km) southwest of Toledo. After suffering a destructive fire and a cholera epidemic in mid-19th century, the village was abandoned. In this period, canal traffic had also fallen off. The area is now maintained as Providence Metropark of Toledo, featuring numerous elements of the canal era, including a mule-drawn canal boat on a restored section of the Miami and Erie Canal, and an operating saw and gristmill.

History

The village of Providence was founded by a French Canadian, Peter Manor, who was the first white man to settle upriver on the Maumee River away from Lake Erie. He arrived there in 1816 in order to establish a fur trading post for the

North West Fur Company The North West Company was a fur trading business headquartered in Montreal from 1779 to 1821. It competed with increasing success against the Hudson's Bay Company in what is present-day Western Canada and Northwestern Ontario. With great wealt ...

, then based in

Montreal, Quebec Montreal ( ; officially Montréal, ) is the second-most populous city in Canada and most populous city in the Canadian province of Quebec. Founded in 1642 as '' Ville-Marie'', or "City of Mary", it is named after Mount Royal, the triple-pe ...

, Canada. But the United States prohibited Canadian traders from operating below the border and he was closed down. In 1822, Manor had a

sawmill A sawmill (saw mill, saw-mill) or lumber mill is a facility where logs are cut into lumber. Modern sawmills use a motorized saw to cut logs lengthwise to make long pieces, and crosswise to length depending on standard or custom sizes (dimensi ...

erected next to the river, and a

gristmill A gristmill (also: grist mill, corn mill, flour mill, feed mill or feedmill) grinds cereal grain into flour and middlings. The term can refer to either the grinding mechanism or the building that holds it. Grist is grain that has been separat ...

was built in 1835. This was about 24 miles from the river's mouth on Maumee Bay, where there was still an

Odawa people The Odawa (also Ottawa or Odaawaa ), said to mean "traders", are an Indigenous American ethnic group who primarily inhabit land in the Eastern Woodlands region, commonly known as the northeastern United States and southeastern Canada. They ha ...

village, part of a 34-square mile reserve on the south side of the river. As the number of settlers increased in Ohio, promoters of the state discussed a proposal for a Miami and Erie Canal to improve transportation to the southwest parts of the state and connect them to markets on and served by

Lake Erie Lake Erie ( "eerie") is the fourth largest lake by surface area of the five Great Lakes in North America and the eleventh-largest globally. It is the southernmost, shallowest, and smallest by volume of the Great Lakes and therefore also h ...

. Manor

plat In the United States, a plat ( or ) (plan) is a cadastral map, drawn to scale, showing the divisions of a piece of land. United States General Land Office surveyors drafted township plats of Public Lands Surveys to show the distance and bea ...

ted the town to prepare for anticipated development. In 1837, the

State of 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 ...

granted Manor a contract to begin construction, and the town was soon open for business. By 1843, some of the eighty-eight lots laid out were vacated. The village was, in general, considered a favorable place to live by the westward settlers. It was often seen as a haven from the problems of lawlessness, drinking, fighting, and crime that began to plague Ohio canal towns. A catastrophic fire swept through the village in 1846, destroying most of the many wooden buildings in the central business district. The destroyed buildings were not rebuilt and the town never recovered. In 1854 river travelers brought a cholera epidemic, also spread by contaminated water. Those who survived rapidly left Providence, so fast that most of their possessions were left behind. The remaining structures were eventually destroyed or moved, and the land plats disappeared. On October 28, 1928, Lucas County officially removed Providence from its records. The remaining buildings, the church and the saw and gristmill, have been designated as an historic district by the Department of the Interior.

Miami and Erie Canal

The Miami and Erie Canal was vital to the growth and development of Providence. The canal not only brought goods to the village; it brought passengers, both immigrants and frontiersmen. At a time of few improved roads, water travel had a great advantage over traditional horse and carriage. Because of the large influx of travelers, Providence grew daily. Once the canal began operating, the local economy boomed. Commodity amounts of

produce Produce is a generalized term for many farm-produced crops, including fruits and vegetables (grains, oats, etc. are also sometimes considered ''produce''). More specifically, the term ''produce'' often implies that the products are fresh and g ...

, pelts, grain, and other goods constantly flowed through the village. When the

railroad Rail transport (also known as train transport) is a means of transport that transfers passengers and goods on wheeled vehicles running on rails, which are incorporated in tracks. In contrast to road transport, where the vehicles run on a pre ...

s were completed in the 1870s, canal traffic greatly diminished. The canal was abandoned by the 1900s. The slow pace and low capacity of canal boats was no match for what could be offered by the railroads. The site of the village is now preserved in part as Providence Metropark, one of the

Toledo Metroparks Metroparks Toledo, officially the Metropolitan Park District of the Toledo Area, is a public park district consisting of parks, nature preserves, a botanical garden, trail network and historic battlefield in Lucas County, Ohio. Founded during ...

system. It includes the fully operational Isaac Ludwig mill. Near the

is Lock No. 44 of the canal system; it has been restored. In addition, during the temperate season, the park runs a mule-drawn replica canal boat, ''The Volunteer,'' which carries visitors along the small section of restored canal and goes through Lock No. 44.

Remaining structures

Many buildings and structures remain standing in the Providence area. Some have been restored. They include the following: * Isaac Ludwig saw and gristmill, restored in the Historic Providence District * Providence Metropark features a lookout for the Providence dam * Providence Township Schools; four buildings are still standing: ** The Perry School (Neowash and Manore road) ** Long School (Heller and Neowash Road) ** Strayer School (Neowash and State Route 295) ** Box School (Box and Jeffers Road) * St. Patrick Roman Catholic Church, still in use, built in 1845 (the church hall and kitchen were added in 1954) * The Neapolis School and Ford School were both moved to Waterville-Neapolis Road and Manore Road, and united as one building in 1915. In 1967, the united building was converted to an auction house.

History

Miami and Erie Canal

Remaining structures

References

Further reading