The canal systems, which opened the west to settlement and commerce, existed in harmony with the railroads in "Lockbourne's" vision of Ohio in 1900.
The map of Lockbourne, Ohio
Historical Marker
Lockbourne is located on the Ohio and Erie canal 15 miles south of Columbus, Ohio. It was the site of eight locks and the junction of the Columbus Feeder Canal.
The canal system
Coal loading at the canal
The Scioto Valley Traction Company arrived in 1900, followed by the construction of the Chesapeake & Ohio Railroad main line through the center of Lockbourne in 1913. This destroyed the locks on the south side of town, and transportation on the Ohio and Erie Canal ceased in 1913.
The terminal station of the Scioto Traction Co. in Columbus
A Norfolk & Western passenger train
Railroad and industry in Columbus, Ohio
Historical Marker for the Monypeny Distillery
The warehouses, docks, and industries that thrived along the canal at the turn of the 20th Century would soon fall into disuse and eventually disappear. The canals would be outmatched by the speed and efficiency of the railroads and rural industries would move to urban areas.