The Miami Canal

Side A: Construction began in 1825 on the 20-mile segment of the Miami Canal from two miles north of Middletown to the head of Mill Creek. Canal boats were operating from Hartwell’s Basin near Cincinnati to Middletown by Nov. 28, 1827. This early link in what became the Miami and Erie Canal joining in 1845 Toledo and Cincinnati by water was restored in 1971 by the Butler County Park district. Side B: The dimensions of the canal channel were 26 feet wide at the bottom and 40 feet wide at the top. The depth of the canal averaged four and one-half feet. The 12 locks were 80 feet long with 14-foot wide interior chambers which could accommodate boats up to 80 tons. The canal from Middletown to Cincinnati was 42 miles, cost about $10,400 per mile to build, and had a speed limit of four miles per hour.