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Ohio & Erie Canalway Towpath Trail nears completion

Once used by horses and mules to pull canal boats, today the revitalized Ohio & Erie Canalway Towpath is becoming one of Ohio's biggest recreational and tourist attractions. The 101-mile path along the canalway is about 85 percent complete, and runs through Cuyahoga, Summit, Stark and Tuscarawas counties. In May 2012, Summit County became the first to complete its portion of the towpath trail. (Photo courtesy of the Ohio & Erie Canalway Towpath).

SHERRY KARABIN
Legal News Reporter

Published: June 26, 2012

Originally used by horses and mules to pull canal boats, today the revitalized Ohio & Erie Canalway Towpath Trail is quickly becoming one of Ohio’s biggest recreational and tourist attractions.

When it’s finished, the 101-mile path along the Ohio & Erie Canalway will run from Cleveland to Dover, allowing residents in Tuscarawas, Stark, Summit and Cuyahoga counties to enjoy a variety of activities on the trail.

“It’s about 85 percent complete,” said Dan Rice, president and chief executive officer of the Ohio & Erie Canalway Coalition. “It is already a huge economic engine, driving bed and breakfasts to open, buildings to be revitalized and other types of development.”

The canal and trail were initially 309 miles long. Construction took place from 1825 to 1832, with the canal being one of the longest ever built. As the years went on and the railroad was introduced, the canal became economically unprofitable, and after the flood of 1913, it was no longer used. As a result, the towpath fell into disrepair.

But the pendulum began to swing in the trail’s favor once again in 1974, when Cuyahoga Valley National Park was established.

“I was a reporter covering Akron city hall back then,” said Dave Lieberth, deputy mayor of Akron. “There were many visionaries who saw the potential and wanted to move forward with the revitalization, and began acquiring the land from the state.”

One of those was U.S. Representative Ralph Regula, who helped to obtain the funding for the towpath.

“The congressman and a Repository reporter named Allan Simpson had the idea way back in the 1960s,” said Rice. “The congressman wanted Simpson to join with him in walking the canal.”

During the 1980s, the idea of restoring the towpath and turning it into a multi-purpose trail gained momentum. In 1993 the National Park Service opened the first section, drawing large numbers of tourists to Cuyahoga Valley National Park, and sparking the interest of more municipalities and neighboring park districts, including Metro Parks in Summit County.

Rice first got involved in the project in the early ‘90s while he was working for the Summit County Historical Society.

“I served as a volunteer board member of the Ohio & Erie Canalway Coalition, and when the organization identified the need for professional staff, they hired me as the first staff person.

“When I started at the Ohio & Erie Canalway Coalition as a volunteer, the organization had a very small budget. We’ve grown as an organization. Today we have eight members and an operating budget of $500,000. We provide technical assistance and support, including organizational development, fundraising, project management and government relations to over 150 public-private partnerships throughout Summit, Stark, Tuscarawas and Cuyahoga counties.”

The towpath has progressed rapidly as well. In 2011, Akron became the first city to complete the trail, with the final section being completed in Summit County in May 2012.

The ribbon-cutting ceremony took place near the Wolf Creek Trailhead off Snyder Avenue in southern Barberton. The final piece included a 494-foot bridge over the Tuscarawas River, a bridge over the Ohio & Erie Canal, and a tunnel under railroad tracks.

While the entire bike-and-hike trail in Summit County runs 41.1 miles, it was the last section that proved the most difficult to complete since it required approval from the Akron Barberton Cluster Railway so the tunnel could be built.

“It is gratifying to have been present at the beginning and the end,” said Lieberth. “I recently went through my broadcast scripts for WHLO radio and found it amazing to think I was reporting on the people who had the vision 40 years ago.

“I think it attests to the fact that nothing is linear when it comes to planning, but if you start off with a pure idea, it can be accomplished through collaboration. There were a lot of partners that enabled the towpath to be built. City and federal officials played a part as did those at Metro Parks and the Cuyahoga Valley National Park, and we received money from a variety of sources,” said Lieberth. “The Ohio & Erie Canalway under Dan Rice provided the ‘champion’ that any successful project requires.”

In the meantime, Stark, Cuyahoga and Tuscarawas counties are still working on completing their sections of the towpath. The trail is complete from Harvard Avenue in Cleveland south through Akron to Massillon.

With about 20 miles remaining, the price tag has already been about $93 million. It’s estimated that the remaining 20 miles could cost $55 million.

A major feature of the federally-designated Ohio & Erie National Heritage Canalway, the towpath is already attracting about 2.5 million visitors a year.

“As new sections of the Towpath Trail are completed, especially within the urban areas, the number of Towpath Trail users will most likely increase,” said Rice.

“It is very humbling to have been able to work on this regional legacy project. When I see families enjoying this historic resource that will be around for another 150 years, I know how important our work has been,” Rice said.


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