TUSCARAWAS COUNTY

125 E. High Avenue

New Philadelphia OH 44663

CANAL LANDS

TO CONTACT US:

Phone: 330.365.3278

Fax: 330.602.7483

Ohio & Erie Canal Towpath Trail

THE  TUSCARAWAS  COUNTY  CANAL  LANDS  COMMITTEE  IS MAKING  IMPROVEMENTS  TO THE CANAL TOWPATH.  THE EARTHEN SURFACE IS APPROPRIATE FOR HIKING, MOUNTAIN BIKING AND HORSEBACK RIDING.   YOU MAY LEAVE YOUR CAR AT THE CANAL LANDS PARK ON DOVER‐ZOAR RD, IN THE PARKING LOT BY THE ZOAR BALLFIELDS, FT. LAURENS, OR LEAVE A SECOND CAR AT THE CANOE LIVERY AT THE WEST END OF THE TRAIL IF IT IS OPEN. 

     You will see a Modern bridge that crosses I‐77 and a Historic Iron Bridge crossing the river.  In the future, the trail will also connect to the Historic Fink Iron Truss Bridge also know as the Old Zoarville Station Bridge.  

  When you travel the northern section of the trail you will see Ft. Laurens, the Brick Factory, Power Station, Slackwater Dam, Fish Hatchery and Zoar. Connected to this portion of the trail you will find the Zoar Wetland Arboretum.  This casual 3 mile trail follows the level ground of the canal towpath for most of its route. Walking is easy, though at certain times high water, mud, overgrown vegetation or mosquitoes could  impede your progress.  If you walk at a moderate pace, pausing to see points of interest, you should allow 3 hours. 

   When  you  travel  the  southern  section  you will  find  railroad  trestle  and  a more  natural  trail surface. You may find this segment a bit rougher to hike. There are plans to extend the trail to Route 800 with  a  trail head. Other  sites  in  this  area  include Ehler’s Store,  the Zoarville  Station Bridge  and Camp Tuscazoar. This segment is part of the Buckeye Trail (which continues east from Zoarville) as well as the Boy Scouts’ Zoar Valley Trail.     On your visit you may wish to just hike the trail, or to make the hike a portion of visiting one or both of the Ohio Historical Society sites adjacent to it. These sites include Ft. Laurens and Zoar Village.    Lodging in the area ranges from a modern motel to bed‐and‐breakfasts located in historic homes. (Form more information, phone the Tuscarawas County Convention & Visitors Bureau at 800‐527‐3387). 

Canal Lands Rules

Modern Bridge over I-77

Zoarville Station Bridge

APPLICATION FOR SPECIAL USAGE PERMIT Canal Park Lands

GUIDELINES:

1. This application must be received by the Tuscarawas County Commissioners at the address listed above at least 21 days in advance of the requested date of your visit.

2. Indemnification Agreement and Evidence of Insurance must accompany this permit request. 3. Permits will be issued and mailed to the applicant at least 7 days before the scheduled visit. Any special

stipulations concerning the use of the Canal Park Lands will accompany the permit. 4. Any questions regarding your application should be directed to the Tuscarawas County Commissioners at

(330)365.3240 or 125 E. High Avenue New Philadelphia, Ohio 44663. 5. All visitors must follow the Rules and Terms of Use. Copies of the Rules and Terms of Use are available from the

Tuscarawas County Commissioners. 6. You must carry a copy of this permit with you while on the premises.

FAILURE TO FOLLOW THESE GUIDELINES MAY RESULT IN A DELAY IN ISSUING THE PERMIT OR PERMIT DENIAL.

I have read and completely understand the above guidelines and terms of use. I agree to assume full responsibility for all actions of the listed group while visiting the Canal Park Lands. Applicant’s signature ___________________________________________ Date__________________ NAME OF APPLICANT: ______________________________________________________________ ADDRESS: __________________________________________________________________________ CONTACT PERSON: _____________________________________________________________ CONTACT NUMBER: ________________________ EMAIL: _________________________________ NAME OF EVENT:____________________________________________________________________ ACCESS IS REQUESTED FOR DATE(S): _________________________________________________ TIME: _______________ TYPE OF GROUP & EXPECTED SIZE:____________________________________________________ PURPOSE OF YOUR VISIT: (add additional sheets if necessary) ________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________ SPECIAL ACCOMODATIONS (add additional sheets if necessary)______________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________ For Office Use Only CANAL LANDS COMMITTEE: RECOMMENDED/DENIED DATE______________

SIGNATURE: _________________________________ COMMISSIONERS OFFICE: APPROVED/DENIED DATE: _____________

SIGNATURE: __________________________________

ZoarZoar is a restored village established in 1817 by German Separatists seeking religious freedom. For many years,

they sustained a successful communal society. The village contains several historic buildings operated for the public bythe Ohio Historical Society. These are open April through October. The village also has numerous historic homes, manyof which have been restored. Some are private homes while others are open as shops, bed and breakfasts and restaurants.Phone the Zoar Village State Memorial at 330-874-3011 or 800-874-4336 for hours and more information.

Fort LaurensFort Laurens, established in 1778, was the only Continental Army Revolutionary War fort in Ohio. The museum is

open Wednesday through Sunday during the Summer and weekends during the Fall. It displays artifacts from the fortand costumed mannequins and has an audio-visual program. The grounds contain memorials to the soldiers and apleasant picnic area. For hours and more information, phone 330-874-2059 or 800-283-8914.

For more information on either site phone 1-800-BUCKEYE or visit the website at http://ohiohistory.org.

Multiple Use of TrailThree trails use the canal towpath that you are walking today. The “Zoar Valley Trail” (ZVT) is a 17 mile trail set

up by the Buckeye Council Boy Scouts of America. It connects Fort Laurens to Schoenbrunn Village in NewPhiladelphia, with an overnight stop at Camp Tuscazoar. For more information on campsites or on this section of thetrail contact Camp Tuscazoar Foundation, Inc. P.O. Box 308 Zoarville, Ohio 44656-0308. The foundation can also bereached at (330)859-2288 or www.tuscazoar.org. The first six miles of the trail are also part of the 1200 mile long“Buckeye Trail.” This trail, started in 1959, is planned and maintained by the volunteer efforts of the Buckeye TrailAssociation, P.O. Box 254, Worthington, Ohio 43085. The towpath is also part of the Ohio & Erie Canal NationalHeritage Corridor, which runs from New Philadelphia to Cleveland. Congress established the Corridor in 1995.

Zoar LeveeIn 1935, a flood control dam was constructed near Dover in order to keep southern Ohio from flooding. However,

the completed dam with floodgates closed would put the center of Zoar under 16 feet of water. Due to the urging ofresidents and the Ohio Historical Society, a large earthen levee was built in 1935 to preserve historic Zoar Village.

Ohio & Erie CanalOhio in the early 19th century experienced a great

need for an effective system to transport the goods of agrowing population. In an era prior to railroads, thecanal was the answer. A series of canals wereauthorized in 1822. By 1832, the Ohio & Erie Canalwas completed. At the start, there was a flurry ofactivity along the canal, which lasted for about twentyyears. During the 1850’s, competition from theexpanding railroads started a gradual decline in canaluse. Segments of the canal were abandoned as early asthe 1870’s and the widespread, devastating flood of1913 was the deathblow to the remaining canals. Thissection of the canal was in use until 1913.

Hard CashDuring its existence, the Ohio Canal provided more than just transportation. It gave local farmers badly needed cash

to pay taxes. While some labor was brought in, local farmers sometimes spent part of each year working on canalconstruction. Workers were fed, lodged in shanties and given a cash payment of $7 to $10 a month in exchange forworking sunrise to sunset for 26 of each 30 days. After the completion of the canal in 1832, the local economy improved.Easy access to markets doubled grain prices several times in a short period.

The Zoarites financially benefited from the building of the canal. They played a very specific role in the building ofthis 7 mile section. This opportunity allowed them to pay off their land debts by contracting with the State of Ohio for$21,000 to build this part of the canal. Everyone in the community worked toward the completion of the canal, includingthe women. The Zoar section was completed in 1828. The finished canal gave Zoarites access to outside markets suchas Cleveland and Portsmouth.

Old Zoar BridgeOne hundred yards west of County Road

82 (Dover-Zoar Rd.) you will pass under theold Country Road 82 bridge. This is anexample of a three span Pratt truss bridge andwas built in 1884 by the Wrought Iron BridgeCompany of Canton. Each span is 86 feet long,with an overall length of 265 feet. The bridgeis currently being restored with funds from thestate of Ohio and the Timken Foundation.

County Road 82 was rerouted and thebridge abandoned to auto traffic during the1960’s. Missing or rusting railings and an occasional hole in the deck make the safety of this bridge questionable.Instead, cross the Tuscarawas River to or from Zoar on the new Route 82 bridge, less than 100 yards downstream, toCanal Lands Park. Cross the small bridge and get on to the towpath. Head northwest to follow this guide. However, thesouthwest section is covered briefly later in this guide.

Zoar Fish HatcheryThe remains of “State Fish Farm No. 12” can be seen between the old Wheeling & Lake Erie railroad levee and the

County Road 82 bridge. In 1921, the Ohio Division of Wildlife constructed six rearing ponds in the abandoned canal. Clearsprings supplying water to the canal here fostered dreams of a successful hatchery. Breeding stock was brought in by railon the “Buckeye Fish Car” in 1921 and 1922.

Originally planned for propagating smallmouth bass, the waters were too slow and warm for their survival. In 1923,the hatchery produced 108,238 largemouth bass, crappies and bluegill, but this was only the same as what other hatcherieswere doing. From there, things went downhill. In 14 years, three floods washed away the breeders and springs dried uptwice, never returning to their former flow. These problems were compounded by polluted water washing off adjacentroadways and from a nearby barnyard. Following a five year average production of under 500 pounds of fish, in 1935 thestate released the remaining fish, drained the ponds, cut down the flag pole and closed the hatchery for good. The remainsof State Fish Farm No.12 can still be seen along the towpath and is constructed from the remains of Lock 10.

Canal LocksFour canal locks can be seen along this trail—they are marked

on the trail log and map with this guide. The locks served twopurposes. They provided a means for lowering or raising the boatsgoing up or downstream. The locks also provided a convenientpoint for tolls to be collected which helped pay for the canalconstruction and maintenance.

Ohio and Erie Canal StatisticsTypical canal: 40 feet wide at top, 26 feet wide at bottom, 4 feet deepStandard lock: 90 feet long, 15 feet wide

While these were typical measurements, some canals were as wide as 150 feet and as deep as 12 feet.

Slackwater Dam The Separatists in Zoar brought part of the canal to their town by constructing this dam and guard lock in 1832.

Canal boats could dock next to the woolen mill and other industrial buildings, which are now gone and replaced by theZoar flood control levee, constructed in 1935.

Power Station An early Zoarite dam and sawmill were converted around 1902 into an electric power generating station. Now only

the building foundation remains.

Brick Factory The industrious Zoar community constructed numerous factories and mills along the banks of the Ohio & Erie Canal.

After the Zoar Society’s 1898 demise, a successful brick operation was established next to the canal, taking advantage ofthe rich deposits of clay found nearby.

Watch Out For Hoggees!Hoggee is a slang term used for the mule drivers who

worked along the Ohio Canal. The term hoggee was derivedfrom a derogatory English term (Hogler) that applied to lowclass field workers. The mule’s hoggees drove down thetowpath pulling the canal boats along at a pace of about 3-4miles an hour. Hoggees were generally children about 10 to12 years old. Their life was hard; they worked in all sorts ofweather and were often under-nourished. Many hoggeesnever lived past their 16th year.

Tuscarawas RiverThe Native Americans called this river

“Mooskingum,” meaning “elk’s eye.” Soonafter settlement that name was limited to theriver below the junction of the Walhonding atCoshocton, and this tributary was given itscurrent name. The exact meaning of the nameTuscarawas is unclear, but it came from theTuscarora tribe, whose main camp was at thepresent site of Bolivar.

Backward Flowing RiverObserve the direction of the current in the Tuscarawas River near the towpath. Though it now flows southeast, for

60 million years an ancestral river in this valley flowed to the northwest. Geologists have named this ancestral river ZoarCreek.

Buried ValleyIf you were instantly transported back in

time 200,000 years you would find yourselfsuddenly 50 to 100 feet in the air above the banksof Zoar Creek. After nearly 60 million years oferoding, the valley of Zoar Creek was at itslowest point. Sand and gravel outwash from twoglaciers eventually filled in this valley to itscurrent elevation. You are standing on thisoutwash now.

Records of well drilling show that near Zoarthis outwash sand and gravel is 50 feet deepabove the old valley level. Near Bolivar theoutwash is 120 feet deep and further north nearNavarre it is 210 feet deep. How do thesenumbers relate to the direction of flow of theancient Zoar Creek?

About 20,000 years ago, the Wisconsin Glacier made its maximum advance into this part of Ohio. The ice sheetnever reached this location, but it did dam up Zoar Creek just north of Bolivar. Water rose behind this glacial dam fillingthe valley with a lake. When the water backed up deep enough, it overflowed through a low spot in the hills. Thisoverflow cut a narrow gorge-like valley between Zoarville and Dover. The newly eroded valley was low enough so thateven when the ice left the river continued in its current direction.

Rise and Fall of Flood WatersSpring rains annually make rivers “too big for their bridges” as water spills across the land. Unusually heavy rains

often produce more extensive flooding at irregular intervals. This natural cycle of flooding recycles soils and nutrients,enriching the flood plain when they finally recede.

Building homes or businesses on flood plains is an obvious folly. Channelizing a river to prevent floods only sendsthe water faster downstream to cause disaster elsewhere, while providing less time for water to saturate local soils andbuild up the water table. Leaving a flood plain in a natural, or at least semi-natural, condition not only avoids theseproblems but also provides wildlife habitat, corridors for animal movement and valuable human enjoyment andrecreation potential.

Wandering River BanksNeither the river nor its banks are frozen in time. On a map, the river looks like a rope twisted on the landscape.

Over a period of years the river moves, more like a snake wiggling to get away while someone holds its tail. At eachbend in a river flowing water cuts land off the outside bank while simultaneously depositing soil on the inside bank.Sometimes this produces wide loops or oxbows.

While such flexing of the riverbanks may be frustrating to landowners, the ever changing channels provide adiversity of habitat. These habitats include fast flowing rapids, clear straight runs, slow moving pools, oxbow ponds andmarshy shorelines. Each different habitat is critical to different kinds of fish, turtles, ducks and other wild plants andanimals.

A simple and important method for minimizing both property loss and soil erosion from wandering banks is byleaving them in a natural, wooded condition. Planting grass or crops right to the river’s edge is a guarantee of rapid bankloss. The roots of trees hold the bank together. When a tree does fall, the treetop – anchored by remaining roots - createsa “strainer.” These strainers are dangerous for canoeists, but they slow the current and strain silt from upstream,redepositing soil on the area.

The 55 Mile Per Hour TreeWatch along the river and canal edge for a tree with distinctive whitish bark,

blotched with browns, yellows and greens. Because of its bark, the AMERICANSYCAMORE can easily be identified even when speeding past it along the highway.Another distinctive trait is their fruit (known as the buttonball), which is a dense ballof many nutlets, each having fuzzy hairs on one end.

Hollow cavities are common in sycamores and provide good homes for woodducks, raccoons, owls and many other animals. In the past, they also provided shelterfor people. One record sycamore was 140 feet tall and 14 feet in diameter (approx. 44feet in circumference). In pioneer Ohio, one authentic report tells of 12 men spendinga night inside a sycamore tree, and another reports 20 men doing the same. Sometimesthey first had to chase out a bear before settling in for the night.

Zoar to Zoarville Trail Segment

An additional 3 miles of canal towpath trail covers the section between Zoar and Zoarville to the east. This segmentis part of the Buckeye Trail (which continues east from Zoarville) as well as the Scouts’ Zoar Valley Trail (which crossesstate route 800 and Conotton Creek on a historic Fink Truss Bridge- under restoration- then turns south along theabandoned railroad tracks). You may find this segment a bit rougher to hike than the main section covered in this booklet.

About 1/2 mile east of Zoar, the trail swings left to pass under the railroad trestle near the river and then swervesback to the towpath. After two miles a tractor road crosses the towpath and the path becomes obscure – follow the tractorroad to State Route 800 to complete your hike.

Ehlers’ StoreAt the intersection of State Route 212 and State Route 800, the village of Fairfield was established in 1854, later it

was renamed Zoar Station and finally Zoarville, which it is still called today. The Zoar Society opened a store here in1863, which was operated by Charles H. Ehlers. The building, now Finishing Touch Flooring, was the Zoar 1845 CustomMill, moved here in 1935. Ehlers’ descendants operated it as a general store until the late 1990’s.

Fink Through Truss Bridge / Old Zoarville BridgeIf you continue across State Route 800, following the fencerow

that marks the old SR 212 and the Buckeye Trail’s “Blue Blazes,”you see the historic Fink Truss Bridge, also known as the ZoarvilleStation Bridge or Old Zoarville Bridge, crossing Connotton Creek.This bridge has currently been removed and is slated for restorationby the Camp Tuscazoar Foundation. Albert Fink produced thedesign for this bridge type and the B&O Railroad adopted it. Thedesign called for all metal construction to avoid burning of thebridge by locomotive sparks. This particular Fink Truss Bridge wasbuilt in 1868 in Dover and moved to its present location in 1905.You may note the bolted, tubular, wrought iron “Phoenix Columns”which were expensive to build but very strong. This is the only Finkbridge still standing anywhere in the United States. An excellentarticle on this and other early metal bridges in Ohio appears in theFebruary/March 1985 issue of Timeline magazine, published by theOhio Historical Society.

Text and map modified 2002 by

Tuscarawas County Canal Lands Development Committee

from an earlier format written in 1985 by

Robert C. Glotzhober of the Ohio Historical Society

Maps courtesy of Ohio & Erie Canal Corridor Coalition

Printed through a Heritage Areas Program Grant

from the Ohio Department of Development