Management Plan

v o l u m e

1Technical Report

Ohio & Erie Canal National Heritage Corridor

Prepared for the Ohio & Erie Canal Association June 2000

Jay AbercrombieAl AckenJon AdamsPhillip AgbojeGinny AkenEleanor AllenShelly AllenGil AllersworthMicha AlramoGloria Alretow

Shirley AmmonsJaime AmoliAlex and Joyce ArnoldVirginia AveuiHenry AyertoAndrew BasqueDoug BacsoBarbara BairdJanet BakerJoanne Ballbadi

Beth BaileyBill BauerJune BaughmanNancy BaughmanSheme BaughmanDavid BeachMarna Lilliedale BeckerRichard and Betty BecklerJoan BeddellBarbara Behn DeedsWade BeldenRaymond and Joseph Berg Richard BergWes BergeleyRobert BertschMaurene BidleriMargery BientzCouncilman BobRob BobelRon BoldryDaniel BoncelaDonald BoncelaGlen BowmanDick BrahlerLaurel BrandstetterAlex BrazynetzWalter BricknessJim and Joanne BrockKelly BrookerCalvin BrooksKerri BroomeAnne BrownDick BrownMark and Penny BruceEmalou BrumfieldBill BrumlChris and Kim BrunsRick BrunsChuck BryanGerald BryceBilly BuckMarylou BukowskiEd and Diane BurdaGina BurkBobby BushJoe BusovickiWilliam Busta Bob ByersBen CampbellCynthia CampbellGwen CappadonaKay CarlsonHarold CarpenterNicholas CarusoMary CatalanoJoe CharltonKim ChartonDwight and Ann ChasarEd and Edith ChaseAndrew ChattertonBill ChesrownMary Elizabeth ChesrownH. Michael CheungJoe ChristianAlice E. ChristieJim CieslaJoe CimpermanCarl ClarkRandy ClarkRose Ann ClarkDonald ClimesRuth ClinefeldtKathlen ClomtheeTerry CoburnRandy ColeSteven ColesKirt ConradJohn ContiLawrence CookMarilyn CookDan CookeJohn CooleDoug Cooper Doug CopelandLois CowanJim CoxKaren CrandallPatty CroftcheckLiz CrossRoger CrostonKathleen CrowtherWalter Cuf

Bill CumlerDick and Beryl CurlingKen and Lois DagueJohn DailyAnne DairsJane Darden-KralChris Dawson Daniel DeAngeloBarbara DeedsGlenn DeitmanBill DelaneyEd DenningHal DeSaussureNancy DesmondG. DetimanTaunie Taylor DevanyJohn DeVriesRich DeweyIvan DeWittBob and Libby DezsoPete DiGiacomoJudy DiMascioConnie DoanCecil DobbinsDeb DobolRalph DowlingBob DowningWilliam DrekkrKyle Dreyfuss-WellsKevin Duden Joel DultonTed DurkaKevin DvdenNicholas DykemaLen and Evelyn DzigielBob and Melody EddyTodd EdererJennifer EdwardsWendell EdwardsCarl EhmannBert EllisJon ElsasserSandy EngelJack EvansVivian EvansHenry FahenbruckBob FarlinEileen FenchDavid FentonKathy FernandezDonna Rae FlanaryGary M. FlascoDwayne FlizkingenAmy Jane FraterT. FriedmanDolipita and John FritinaTom FritschRobert Gardin Ken GarmanLynn GarrityMike GattiNick GattozziJohn GeersMartin GelfandJ.C. GellerHeather GeorgeRichard GerckenChuck GermanaSteve GibbonsTodd GibbsKathy GillBob GirardiDan and Vanna GivensV. Robert GlogoreBernie GnapPaul GoldbergRobert GoliasDean GoodmanElaine GoodrichDavid Goss John GouldCarol GoydaChris Grasso Ron GraySteve GrayRev. Gretchen GreenCindy GreenwaldEmily S. Gregor Shawn GregorMarty GriffithPeter GrossettiFred Guerra

J.E. GuestHank GulickDonna HachJoyce HalasaBob HallJack HallJoseph and Bev HammondMarilyn HansenCarol HaramisDenise HardingVivian HarigDavid HarrimanJohn HarrimanCarl HarrisDewey HarrisonJudy HartVern HartensburgAl HartmanMary and Roy HartzScott HarveyIna HatfieldJohn HatfieldJerry HauseEd HauserDoug HausknechDennis HaverlyIrvin and Dorothy HazelFrank and Rily HederWalk HeeneyGene and Millie HendersonPeter HendersonJill and John HenryDebbie HensleyDave HerbertBill HewettEvelyn HewettJohn HeyinkDavid HiffJohn HinkBob Hinkle Mary HoernerMichael HoffmanMark HolanFrances and Rose HolecekDeborah HooverRich and Darlene HorschlerBill HosterTom and Mary HudsonRichard Huff, Jr.Barb and Jim HumBobbi HumeRose HuxtableJim IngersollDavid IrvineLorene Jean JacksonJack and Libby JacobsSr. Mary Helen JaczkowskiLee JamesonEllen JanulisFred and Carol Jarosz John JaworskiBob and Connie JelenTom Jenkins Micheale JohansonAl JohnstonGerri and Larry JohnstonAnn Marie JonsehMargaret JorgensenFlorence KamelDan KanePaul KapperDonald KasychWilliam KeaMatthew KellatisCarol KellerJanice KellyNed KendallDebbie KennedyJoe KeockerTerry KeyCarl KiameanyDavid KiddN. Kitchen Joseph KleinatlandLaura KleinmanJack KluznikRichard KnightJudy Knuth-FoltsKatherine KochStan KochStan KoehlingerEdward Kolar

The Ohio & Erie CanalNational Heritage CorridorCommitteeThe Ohio & Erie Canal National HeritageCorridor Committee was established by the Act toassist federal, state and local authorities and theprivate sector in the preparation and implementa-tion of an integrated Corridor Management Plan.The Committee Members are listed below.

John D. Ong, ChairChairman Emeritus, B.F. Goodrich, Inc.

Allan C. Krulak, Vice-ChairVice President, Director of Community Affairs,Forest City Enterprises

Beth Borda, President,President,Canton/Stark County Convention & Visitors Bureau

Don M. Cooke,Educator,Village of Navarre

Robert D. CorlettDirector, Summit County Planning

John P. Debo, Jr.Superintendent, Cuyahoga Valley National Recreation Area National Park Service

David C. EwingPresident, Ewing Chevrolet

Stephen C. GeorgeExecutive Director, Ohio Bicentennial Commission

Dee GrossmanPresident, Tuscarawas County Convention &Visitors Bureau

Sandra HullExecutive Director, Main Street Wooster, Inc.

Chuck KnaackVillage of Zoar

Thomas J. LongoMayor of Garfield Heights

Karl B. LucasSenior Planner,Stark County Regional PlanningCommission

J. Timothy McCormackCommissioner, Board of County Commissioners,Cuyahoga County

Scott ReynoldsAdministrative Coordinator,Office of Community and Economic Development,Tuscurawas County

Joseph J. SommerFormer Director, Ohio Department of NaturalResources

Robert E. SweeneyFormer Ohio State Representative

Hoyt WellsCommissioner, MetroParks, Serving SummitCounty

Warren L. WoolfordDirector, Department of Planning & UrbanDevelopment, Akron

Karen K. YoungEnhancement Bicycle and Scenic BywayCoordinator,Ohio Dept. of Transportation

Scott ZodyDeputy Director, Ohio Department of NaturalResources

Many public workshops were conducted during the planningstages of this project. On the front and back cover is a partiallist of those who participated in the workshops.

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June 2000

The Ohio & Erie Canal Association is proud to present the Corridor

Management Plan for CanalWay Ohio, the Ohio & Erie Canal

National Heritage Corridor. This Plan has been prepared as part of

the federal designation of the Canal as a National Heritage

Corridor. The federal designation will help preserve and interpret

the unique and significant resources of the Canal.

This Corridor Management Plan describes the wealth of resources

throughout the Corridor and establishes a course of action for the

Ohio & Erie Canal Association, municipalities, and residents and

businesses for preserving and interpreting the Corridor's resources.

We want to thank the many residents, advocacy groups, municipal

officials, and business people who contributed to the development of

this Plan and who have supported the idea of the National Heritage

Corridor for many years.

We look forward to your continued participation as we make the

Corridor Management Plan a reality!

The Ohio & Erie Canal Association

The Ohio & Erie Canal AssociationThis document has been prepared for the Ohio &Erie Canal Association (OECA). The OECA is a501(c)(3) non-profit corporation recognized bythe U.S. Congress in the Ohio & Erie CanalNational Heritage Corridor Act of 1996 as themanagement entity for the Heritage Corridor. Themembers and staff of the OECA are listed below.

Robert Hudecek, ChairKeyBank

Douglas Cooper, Vice ChairThompson Hine & Flory LLP

Paul Weirtz, Vice ChairAmeritech

Frances Seiberling BuchholzerChapel Hill Management

John Debo, OECA Ex-OfficioCuyahoga Valley NRA,National Park Service

Robert FonteStark County Parks*

David HippAssistant Prosecutor,Tuscarawas County*

Ernie LehmanErnie's Bicycle Shops*

Ed McCabeMcCabe Engineering*

Ed MetzgerMetzger Photo

John MinoCalfee, Halter & Griswold LLP

Curtis OliverJ.& H. Marsh & McLennan

Genevieve H. RayUrban Conservation & Design*

David RegulaCutler Realty

Bobbi ReichtellBroadway Area Housing Coalition*

John VilliloAuto-Owners Insurance

* members, Corridor Management Plan Committee

The Ohio & Erie CanalCorridor Management Plan Staff

Tim DonovanDirector, Ohio Canal Corridor

Dan RiceExecutive DirectorOhio & Erie Canal Corridor Coalition

Jeff WinstelPlanner, National Park Service

The OECA can be reached at:

Ohio & Erie Canal Association1556 Boston Mills RoadPeninsula, Ohio 44264

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Table of ContentsVolume One, Technical Report

The Ohio & Erie Canal National Heritage Corridor Management Plan is composed of two volumes.Volume One constitutes the Technical Report, which includes all relevant recommendations. VolumeTwo, printed in a limited run, constitutes several topical inventories and special studies, which may beuseful to those interested in the background of the Management Plan. For those interested in the com-plete Management Plan, contact the Ohio & Erie Canal Association.

List of Figures iiiList of Tables iii

Chapter 1: Executive Summary1.1 The Canal and Rural Ohio 21.2 The National Heritage Corridor 31.3 The Story of the Canal 51.4 Elements of the Plan 61.5 Implementation of the Plan 111.6 Action Agenda 14

Chapter 2: The Canal and its Region2.1 National Importance of the Canal and Corridor 172.2 Evolution and Impact of the Canal on the Region 182.3 Key Resources 252.4 Progress to Date 462.5 Potentials Today and Tomorrow 48

Chapter 3: The Plan: Routes to Prosperity, Past and Future3.1 Goals 553.2 Defining the Heritage Corridor 563.3 Concept of the Plan 583.4 Boundary 603.5 Corridor Journeys 623.6 Heritage Venues 703.7 The Corridor Story 823.8 Heritage Programs 89

Chapter 4: Implementation Strategies and Responsibilities4.1 The Heritage Partnership 954.2 Coordination and Resource Management 1034.3 Costs and Economic Impacts 1044.4 Phasing Strategy 114

AppendicesAppendix A: Authorizing LegislationAppendix B: Boundary MapAppendix C: List of Key ResourcesAppendix D: Consultation and CoordinationAppendix E: Bibliography

For the reader’s convenience, the contents of Volume Two is listed below.

Volume Two: Supplementary Materials

1: Historic Resources (Chambers, Murphy, & Burge)2: Ethnic and Occupational Resources (Carol Poh Miller)3: Natural and Land Resources (Behnke Associates)4: Cultural Landscape Assessment (ICON architecture, inc.)5: Economic Resources (Office of Thomas J. Martin)6: Analysis of Existing Plans and Programs (Foster Armstrong & Gail Sommers)7: Recommendations for Corridor Coordination (Foster Armstrong & Gail Sommers)

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Ohio & Erie Canal National Heritage Corridor Management Plan

List of FiguresFigure 1: The Plan: Routes to Prosperity 7

Figure 2: Journey Network Diagram 9

Figure 3: Pre-Canal Era (1720-1824) 20

Figure 4: The Ohio & Erie Canal Golden Era (1825-1860) 20

Figure 5: The Canal Legacy Era (1861-1920s) 21

Figure 6: The Modern Era (1920s-present) 21

Figure 7: National Register Historic Districts 30

Figure 8: Park and Recreation Resources 37

Figure 9: Visitor and Interpretive Facilities 49

Figure 10: Regional Development Initiatives 51

Figure 11: The Plan: Routes to Prosperity 59

Figure 12: National Heritage Corridor Boundary 61

Figure 13: Interpretive Reaches of the Canal 62

Figure 14: Key Journey Elements 65

Figure 15: East-West Linkages 69

Figure 16: CanalWay Centers: New and Existing Venues 71

Figure 17: South CanalWay Center: Zoar and Bolivar 73

Figure 18: Potential CanalWay Improvements at Bolivar 74

Figure 19: Potential CanalWay Improvements at Zoar 74

Figure 20: Akron CanalWay Center Concept 76

Figure 21: Northside Area Visitor Center Option 77

Figure 22: Lock 1 Visitor Center Option 77

Figure 23: North CanalWay Center: Potential Activities 78

Figure 24: Potential Navarre Journey Gateway 81

List of TablesTable 1: Ohio & Erie Canal National Heritage Corridor 29

Summary of Historic Resource Inventories

Table 2: Characteristics of Corridor Journey Segments 63

Table 3: Interpretive Themes and Stories 87

Table 4: Interpretive Venues and Strategies 88

Table 5: OECA Grants to Date 105

Table 6: Status of the Towpath Trail (cost in $,000) 105

Table 7: Cost of Trails and Neighborhood Linkages 107

Table 8: Journey Gateways, Vicinity Improvements 107

Table 9: Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad Extension 108(costs in $, year 2000)

Table 10: Summary Cost Estimate to 2012 109

Table 11: Costs, by Program Element, Long and Short Term 111

Table 12: OECA's Partnering Strategy 113

Table 13: Projected Annual Spending by New Visitors 114to the Ohio & Erie Canal National Heritage Corridor

Table 14: Phasing of Improvements 115

Most photographs are referenced right next to the photograph itself.

Cover photo: Canal Society of Ohio and “APhoto Album of Ohio’s Canal Era, 1825-1913”; J. Gieck, Kent State University Press.

Background cover photo: Cuyahoga ValleyNational Recreation Area/NPS

Inside front & back cover: Cuyahoga ValleyNational Recreation Area/NPS

Page iv, background map: American Canaland Transportation Center

Page 1, background photo of dredge boat:Cuyahoga Valley National RecreationArea/NPS

Back cover, thumbnail images, left to right:Bruce Ford, City of AkronStark County Park DistrictICON architectureICON architectureBroadway Area Housing Coalition

Additional Photo Credits

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Ohio &Erie Canal

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1Corridor

As we stand at the dawn of the Internet millennium, it is hard to imagine

the rough-hewn character of rural nineteenth century Ohio and how the

Ohio & Erie Canal changed the landscape and lifestyles of our region.

Native Americans had enjoyed this remote protected land for centuries. Early

Europeans settlers were struggling to carve out a life along the Cuyahoga and

Tuscarawas Rivers, defining territories and redrawing international boundaries. A

young American nation was emerging.

The Management Plan for the Ohio & Erie Canal National Heritage Corridor pre-

sents a bold and comprehensive vision for an historic resource that dramatically

changed the culture and economy of its region. The vision has emerged from a grass-

roots process that has engaged many hundreds of citizens and officials to develop a

consensus about what is important and how the resources of the corridor can be

used to shape the future. The Plan offers an ambitious and collaborative framework

that will celebrate the culture and resources of the region, attract visitors, energize

investment, and further extend the powerful legacy of the Canal into the future.

ExecutiveSummary1

1.1 The Canal and Rural Ohio

The Ohio & Erie Canal affected the pace and character of thisrural land and changed the life of people of the region forev-er. When the Canal was completed in 1832 from Cleveland toPortsmouth, Ohio, it became part of a continuous link fromthe Atlantic Seaboard to the Gulf of Mexico, via the GreatLakes and the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers.

Relying upon a natural transportation corridor, a seven-mileNative American portage over the watershed divide connect-ing the Cuyahoga and Tuscarawas Rivers, the Canal connect-ed Ohio to the rest of the nation and the world. The Canalchanged national and local economic markets, creating dra-matic investment opportunities in its hinterland and influ-enced agricultural and industrial potentials across its regionand the growing nation.

The human and economic impact of the Ohio & Erie Canalwas immediate, as it positioned the State of Ohio to competewith the more established Atlantic states. The Canal attract-ed pioneers and immigrants, workers and entrepreneurs tothe region, first to build it, then to use it as a reliable trans-portation system for goods and passengers. The Ohio & ErieCanal was not only the first, but also the most extensive, pros-perous, and successful link of Ohio's state-wide canal system.The Canal brought prosperity to existing and new communi-ties along its route. Cleveland, Akron and Massillon becamebustling commercial and trade urban centers as a result of theCanal. Canal villages that are still apparent today sprang upand prospered at layover and transshipment points.

Later, as rail technology surpassed the slow-moving and smallcanal boats, industrial growth was attracted to the larger citiesthat were established along the Canal. Even as the trans-portation functions of the Canal declined and it ceased tooperate, industrial development continued on the banks ofthe Canal as its water supply system offered a source of powerand industrial process cooling.

Today the Ohio & Erie Canal corridor traverses a rich anddiversified cultural and natural landscape that is a direct lega-cy of the Canal era. More than 3.4 million people live in theregion surrounding the Ohio & Erie Canal National HeritageCorridor. Over 1.7 million hikers and bikers use the firstimproved stretch of the Towpath Trail in the Cuyahoga ValleyNational Recreational Area and the success of this recreationsystem, and its strong constituency, has prompted counties,park agencies, and localities to extend this recreational sys-tem, reconnecting the region to its past, and unifying theirefforts around the Canal Corridor.

The Canal first, then the railroad, openedOhio to the country and the world.

Ohio Canal Corridor

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Chapter 1: Executive Summary

1.2 The National HeritageCorridor

Northeast Ohio appreciates its recreational and open spaces.Metropolitan Park Districts were established in 1917 inCleveland and in Summit County in 1921, and both park dis-tricts began to acquire land that encompassed important sec-tions of the Canal in the Cuyahoga Valley. A four-milewatered portion of the Canal around Independence was des-ignated a National Historic Landmark in 1966 and a 19-milesection was later declared nationally significant under theNational Park Service new area criteria, becoming the spine ofthe Cuyahoga Valley National Recreation Area.

Following years of local advocacy, including formation of twolarge non-profit groups (the Ohio Canal Corridor, inCuyahoga County, and the Ohio & Erie Canal CorridorCoalition, in the southerly section of the corridor), Congressdesignated the Ohio & Erie Canal National Heritage Corridorin 1996 under the Omnibus Parks Bill.

National Heritage Corridors are eligible for limited assistancethrough the U.S. Department of the Interior. The intent ofdesignation is to help local entities to protect and use historic,cultural, and recreational resources for community benefit,while raising regional and national awareness of their uniqueimportance.

The Canal and access to the Great Lakes spurred theexplosion of industry in Cleveland and elsewhere inthe Corridor.

Cleveland's Industrial Valleyshows the Canal’s impact inattracting technology, entre-prenerial energy, and industry.

Casey Batule, Cleveland Metroparks

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The Corridor Management PlanCongress required that a Management Plan and an Environmental Assessment be prepared and submitted to theSecretary of Interior for approval, recommending actions and programs for the conservation, funding, management,and development of the Corridor for the first six years of the Plan.

The Management Plan takes advantage of previous studies done in cooperation with the National Park Service andother concurrent federal, state, county and local plans to develop a comprehensive set of recommendations and pro-grams. The planning process reviewed resources in the corridor, proposed approaches to coordinate federal, state,and local actions, and included an interpretive plan for the Corridor. The Environmental Assessment is also available.

The detailed recommendations of the Plan are contained in a Technical Report, published under separate cover andavailable in communities and libraries throughout the Corridor, as well as at the National Park Service, Ohio CanalCorridor, Ohio & Erie Canal Corridor Coalition, and Ohio & Erie Canal Association.

Chapter 1, The Executive Summary, provides an overview of the Management Plan.

Chapter 2, The Canal and its Region, describes the importance of the Canal and the Heritage Corridor, its development historyand key resource categories including the natural and recreational resources, the historic and ethnographic resources, and thecultural landscapes of the corridor.

Chapter 3, The Plan: Routes to Prosperity, Past and Future, provides a full description of the Plan and its componentsincluding the corridor boundary, the corridor journeys, the heritage venues, the interpretive strategy and the heritage programs.

Chapter 4, Implementation Strategies and Responsibilities, defines the implementation and action agenda, recommendedactions, and cost estimates for the next six years.

A series of Appendices presents the Ohio & Erie Canal National Heritage Corridor authorizing legislation, a summary of theEnvironmental Assessment for the Plan, and other data regarding resources and the planning process.

The Ohio & Erie Canal Association (OECA), a non-profit entity, was identified in the legislation as the managemententity responsible for the Management Plan. OECA has launched initial programs and provided matching grants forearly improvements, administering federal funds appropriated for the Corridor.

The Ohio & Erie Canal National Heritage Corridor Committee is an appointed body of local citizens and officialsthat provides oversight to the work of the OECA and must approve the Management Plan prior to its submittal tothe Secretary of the Interior.

Public Participation During the PlanThe Management Plan is the result of an intensive 12-month planning process that involved dozens of public work-shops and meetings at different locations along the corridor at each stage of the work. Staff and consultants met withmunicipal officials, interest groups, residents, and community leaders. Regular newsletters and other outreach activ-ities ensured a high level of participation throughout the process. A broad level of interest and support in theHeritage Corridor was identified in each public forum as a result of the planning process. Appendix D summarizesthe public process during each phase of the work plan.

Remnants of a bridgenear Zoar punctuate thepeaceful rural qualities ofthe Tuscarawas River.

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Chapter 1: Executive Summary

1.3 The Story of the Canal

The story of the Ohio & Erie Canal is complex and multi-lay-ered, involving historical evolution over several centuries, andhas resulted in today's cultural landscape, extending along a100-mile corridor and spanning four counties. The Canalhas provided not one, but many "Routes to Prosperity," cap-turing human struggle and ingenuity, successive generationsof transportation, and the evolution of the Corridor andregion. Four broad themes are proposed for interpretation ofthe Corridor; together, the themes and development historyof the Corridor provide a powerful background for thenumerous natural, historic, and cultural resources of the areaand a framework for the Plan and each of its components.

The LandThe geography and land influenced human settlementlocations, agricultural patterns, natural resources, selectionof the Canal route, later industrial developments, and,eventually, environmental reclamation and conservation.

Moving along the CorridorThe Canal revolutionized the region's transportationdevelopment. The Corridor has been a connecting route,a two-way north-south line which was first used as a trail,then as a boundary, and later as canal route. The Canalset in motion a regional economic engine that demandedmore and better transportation, eventually offering across-section of transportation technology, from riversand portage trails to canal to railways and highways.

Prosperous ValleysThe Canal was pivotal to the economic growth of theregion and state of Ohio. It incorporates the nature ofhuman action in shaping and renewing the land for eco-nomic expansion including agriculture, commerce,industry, and capitalism. The Canal contributed to therapid economic growth of the corridor and facilitated thetransition from leader in commercial trade and exporterof natural resources to leader in industrial developmentand innovation.

People and Communities of the RegionThe people drawn by the Canal's opportunities shapedthe identity of the Corridor and its region. As a princi-pal crossroad between south-north and east-west travel,the area attracted many migrants from the Atlanticseaboard as well as immigrants drawn towards econom-ic opportunity. It extends through a long continuum:from the earliest presence of humans to pioneers to latermigrants and immigrants during Canal and industrialdevelopment. The communities of the Corridor werecreated by people who built the Canal, worked in facto-ries, and stayed in neighborhoods with distinctive cul-tural traditions that are still preserved today.

German picnic, 17-mile lockin Independence.

The Cuyahoga River:Native American for'crooked river.'

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1.4 Elements of the Plan

The Plan proposes that the Ohio & Erie Canal NationalHeritage Corridor, crossing four counties and multiple com-munities, serve as a focus to reinvest in historic settings, toconserve the natural environment, to support recreation, andattract new development. The Corridor and its resources -ranging from major historic urban and industrial areas tosmall preserved villages and rural landscapes - is a settingwhere the public can understand how the forces of historyhave shaped their region and communities. The Plan recom-mends a management strategy to make wise long-term use ofthe area. The Plan is described in detail in Chapter 3 of thisdocument. The approach recommended has four major ele-ments - Boundary, Corridor Journeys, Heritage Venues, andHeritage Programs.

Boundary The Plan recommends designation of a boundary for the her-itage corridor that encompasses the primary resources associ-ated with the Ohio & Erie Canal and its regional legacy. As aresult, the Ohio & Erie Canal National Heritage Corridor hasbeen expanded from the 87-mile length proposed in the leg-islation to 110 miles between Lake Erie and Dover/NewPhiladelphia. The boundary has been drawn to encompassimportant natural and man-made resources, linked togetherby a history of settlement, transportation, industrial growth,and urbanization. These resources include not only theimmediate Canal Corridor but also areas whose growth anddevelopment were prompted by the Canal or by subsequentdevelopments and uses that were enabled by the economicprosperity the Canal provided. Areas within this boundarywould, in general, be eligible for receipt of financial and/ortechnical assistance with federal funds appropriated for theHeritage Corridor, although such assistance would be subjectto policies, procedures, and priorities established as part ofthis Plan.

Key resources within the corridor boundary includethe core Canal resources and key cultural landscapes:

• The Canal setting and Towpath Trail

• Urban settings with close associations to the Canaland its legacy of transportation, industrial, and com-munity development

• Rural and natural settings along the Canal

• Rural and natural settings along the Cuyahoga ValleyScenic Railway corridor

• The Ohio & Erie Canal Scenic Byway

• The former Lincoln Highway Corridor, linkingMassillon and Canton.

“Indiana Bob” Sammartino of Canton,owner of Indian River Canoe Outfitters

The transnational Lincoln Highway came out ofthe Good Roads Movement in the early 1920s,led by the League of American Wheelmen.

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The Plan:Routes toProsperity

Figure 1

Legend

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Corridor Journeys Residents and visitors can best understand the HeritageCorridor by moving along it. The Plan recommends that thevisitor and interpretive experience be centered on Journeysand loops along the corridor to capture the interpretive ideaof a regional transportation system that brought wealth to thesparsely developed Ohio countryside. This Plan emphasizesvarious transportation modes to provide residents and visi-tors choices of multi-modal journeys which can tell the storyof the corridor, while supporting improvements that will pro-vide community benefits along the length of the corridor.The Plan will facilitate these journeys through its support oftransportation elements and will support interpretationalong the many routes. The journeys will take place on a seriesof linkages between transportation modes. Some of these arein place and others are in the process of development. Typesof transportation modes will include the following:

• Towpath Trail

• Existing and Future Navigable Reaches of the Canal

• Ohio & Erie Canal Scenic Byway

• Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railway

• East-West Connecting Trails and Greenways

Used together, these transportation modes create a JourneyNetwork that will facilitate exploration and use of the corridor.

Heritage Venues The Plan identifies a multi-layered system of heritage venuesthroughout the corridor. The heritage venues, includingexisting and new locations, are widely distributed throughoutthe corridor and offer various levels of visitor support, fea-tures of interest, local capabilities, and interpretive focus. Thekey venues along the Journey Network contain scores ofnationally and locally recognized historic districts and thou-sands of properties and settings that recall the legacy of theCanal era and the subsequent growth of the region. The Planencourages support for historic resources throughout thecorridor, with special emphasis on the immediate Canal cor-ridor, on journey linkages, and at places where residents andvisitors will begin and end trips. Heritage venues are settingswhich include important resources associated with the Canaland its legacy, and closely associated with the "journeys" thatwill explain the corridor. Four types of heritage venues arerecommended:

• CanalWay Centers - areas with specific Canal-related interpreta-tion that explain the corridor. CanalWay Centers are venues whichare close to the Canal, convenient for visitors, and where a Canaloverview and detailed interpretation and staff are available. Threenew CanalWay Centers are proposed where special efforts shouldbe made to provide corridor-wide interpretation - in Cleveland,Akron, and Bolivar/Zoar. Several existing locations where specificCanal-related interpretation is already provided are recognized asCanalWay Centers and should be supported and featured in pro-ject maps and literature.

• Electronic Gateway - a planned high-technology educationalcenter in Stark County, is recognized by the Plan to have thepotential to serve as an interpretive and educational resource.

• Journey Gateways - these areas are important nodes where corri-dor users feel a sense of arrival to a special resource, are providedinformation on experiencing the corridor, and may find interpre-tation and/or services associated with that experience. A numberof general settings are identified at this time as important JourneyGateways, due to location and existing characteristics, while oth-ers may be established and recognized during the process ofimplementation of the Plan.

• Landings and Trailheads - these areas, typically on the TowpathTrail and/or Scenic Byway, include places of orientation to theCorridor, with minimal services or interpretation.

• Related Visitor Facilities - there are many existing interpretiveand informational venues throughout the corridor that serve thepublic, but do not currently provide information specifically ori-ented to the Canal or its effects. These venues can play an impor-tant function through cooperative efforts with other aspects of theCorridor Plan.

Journeys in the Corridor will feature hiking,bicycling, and water excursions.

At Lock 4 in Stark County, visitorscan appreciate a watered Canal andrehabilitated lock in a park setting.

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Heritage ProgramsThe OECA will use federal heritage funds to provide techni-cal and financial assistance to entities in the Corridor. TheOECA's programs will supplement the substantial efforts ofmany regional and local entities, including the National ParkService, regional park districts, municipalities, and otherinstitutions throughout the Corridor, who will continue toact as the primary developers and stewards of the Corridor'sresources. OECA's programs and activities will be catalystefforts to build upon and expand partnerships with these pub-lic and private entities to initiate "bricks and mortar" improve-ments for corridor-wide linkages, to provide interpretationalong the corridor journeys and at heritage venues, and toencourage resource stewardship, education, and economicdevelopment to take advantage of these initiatives.

The activities of the OECA will reflect the goals for the her-itage corridor:

• Resource stewardship will encompass protection, preservation,enhancement, and management of the natural, cultural, and his-toric resources of the Corridor for future generations. Resourcestewardship activities by OECA may include assistance to publicor private local entities to preserve resources and settings as wellas advocacy for conservation initiatives.

• Heritage interpretation will explain the story and significance ofthe Corridor to residents and visitors, providing informationalmaterials and exhibits that will help them appreciate its historicaland contemporary importance.

• Facility development will include investments in areas andvenues where the interpretation, education, recreation, and visitorexperience will occur. OECA can support direct improvements topreserve and rehabilitate historic resources and associated keysettings, as well as the recreation-oriented trail expansions thathave prompted strong community interest in the corridor.

• Educational, cultural, community and economic developmentprograms of OECA will partner with existing organizations andentities to develop programs, events, and materials that reachacross municipal borders to provide regional benefit. OECA canalso encourage economic development activities designed toincrease information about the entire corridor and its parts andinclude marketing, financing assistance, and promotional activities.

• Planning and design assistance could be provided to entitiesalong the Corridor. OECA will be in a unique position to provideeither direct planning and design assistance or to establish pro-grams to assist localities or other entities to encourage site-specif-ic or area-wide development and preservation that is compatiblewith the goals of the Plan.

Resource stewardship—beginning with education for all—is a key heritage program.

The Canal Corridor haswide appeal for schoolchildren.

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Chapter 1: Executive Summary

1.5 Implementationof the Plan

Heritage PartnershipsThe Plan will require public and private partnerships andcooperative actions among governmental units and non-profit interests. Partnerships have been essential since theidea for the heritage corridor was conceived. It is importantthat these partnerships continue and be given direction bythis Management Plan as the partners seek to implement asingle, shared vision.

The OECA should be a catalyst and an advocate for its publicand private sector partners both for proposed "bricks andmortar" improvements, as well as for the supportive pro-grams and activities described above. The OECA can facili-tate actions by others to respond to the needs and opportuni-ties along the Corridor, initiating programs and actions. TheOECA's role in implementation of the Plan should include:

• Providing grants to partner entities to implement specific projects.

• Providing grants to support programs and activities related toheritage resources.

• Providing technical assistance in preservation.

• Advocating, defining, and supporting partnership efforts withstate, federal, and local governments, and developing consensusand constituencies for fiscal commitments from these partners toimplement the Plan.

• Providing assistance and guidance in interpretation of Corridorresources.

• Developing staff capacity and sources of funding support forbroader Corridor-wide organizational initiatives and programsthat require centralized staff support.

The two non-profit entities, Ohio Canal Corridor and theOhio & Erie Canal Corridor Coalition, have played formativeroles in developing the regional constituency for the Ohio &Erie Canal National Heritage Corridor. Both organizationshave established important contacts and forged valuable part-nerships with businesses, local, state, and national politicalunits, non-profit organizations, planning and park agencies,and the media. Each takes a lead on specific local projectswithin its area of influence. Both collaborate on regional,state, and national issues and projects and will play a vital rolein the future success of the Corridor.

Public-Sector Partnerships As a catalyst organization, the OECA should create partner-ships to accomplish its mission and to evolve into a sustain-able organization when direct federal heritage funds are nolonger available. These public-sector partners include theNational Park Service, Ohio Department of TransportationFederal Highway Administration, County Park Districts,other state and federal agencies, county governments, andlocal Governments.

Private-Sector PartnershipsThe private sector—individuals, businesses, and non-profitorganizations—have been key to the preservation andenhancements in the Corridor to-date and will continue tomake major contributions to new business developmentopportunities in the Corridor. Increased use of the Corridorby regional residents, such as restaurants, overnight accom-modations, and other services will spur similar developmentfuther.

There is also potential for other business development oppor-tunities. Increased opportunities and visitation to theCorridor will create a demand for recreational amenities suchas bicycle rental, canoe and kayak rental, touring outfitters,camping outfitters, guided tours, travel and transport servicesand additional uses for the Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad.A Chamber Coordinating Group made up of members of thevarious Chambers of Commerce in the Corridor region couldassist with many of these activities and could establish theOhio & Erie Canal Partnership Services Program for outsidefunding in the form of grants and direct contributions and aCorridor-wide Loan Fund .Partnerships with other groups

are key to implementing thePlan and its Journey Networks. IC

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Coordination and Resource ManagementThe success of the Plan depends on the OECA's ability toeffect changes in resource management, land use planning,and infrastructure investment. The OECA can serve, figura-tively, as a regional "conscience" for good design and appro-priate treatment of resources in the following ways:

• Comment in an advisory capacity on major federal "actions"taken within the boundary.

• Enter into cooperative agreement(s) with the National ParkService for technical assistance, financial assistance, opera-tional support, and a range of other activities.

• Execute cooperative agreement(s) regarding the scope andmethod of funding for significant State and/or County Parkdistrict funding.

• Coordinate with the Metropolitan Planning Organizations inthe Corridor as well as with County governments to play a sig-nificant role in promoting trails and improving traditionaltransportation projects to better meet the goals of the Plan.

OECA can also serve as an advocate for effective comprehen-sive planning in the Corridor. OECA should encourage coun-ties to adapt their long-range plans to reflect the NationalHeritage Corridor and its resources and develop comprehen-sive plans to incorporate the heritage corridor.

The OECA should also promote effective historic preserva-tion regulations within the boundary and in encouraginglocal units of government, who are responsible for land usemanagement and related policies, to enact measures that willenable improved stewardship

Costs and Benefits of the Management PlanThe estimated capital costs to implement the HeritageCorridor Management Plan are approximately $150.2 mil-lion. Of this total, about $77.6 million is for facility develop-ment, including trails, railroad extension, gateways, linkages,etc. Over $70 million would be spent on preservation, eco-nomic development, education, and interpretation. Thesecosts incorporate a range of actions taken by public and non-profit entities throughout the Corridor, and will be more thanthe amount available from authorized federal heritage funds.The major types of expenditures envisioned by the CorridorManagement Plan include:

The Plan recommends that OECA enlist major cooperativefunding commitments from key public agencies. This willnot be easy, but it will be essential to implement improve-ments of the magnitude recommended across a wide region.The State of Ohio should be encouraged to target funds to theCorridor, matching or exceeding the authorized federal fund-ing. County Park Districts should be encouraged to seek spe-cial bond authorizations for the Corridor, perhaps in a coor-dinated effort, to continue their exceptional progress with theTowpath Trail and its connectors. Ohio DOT and US DOTshould be encouraged to support funding for bikeway linksand other elements of the Corridor. The OECA should con-tinue soliciting support from foundations and non-profits forprograms and construction throughout the Corridor. TheOECA should also continue to coordinate with and encour-age local governments to see the Corridor as a major elementof community revitalization, supporting projects andimprovements in their jurisdictions.

Estimated Expenditures for the Ohio & Erie Canal Corridorare as follows:

Scenic Byway $1,800,000signage, rest areas, roadside improvements

Interpretation $1,300,000corridor-wide interpretive prospectus, regional and community maps, kiosks, wayside exhibits

New CanalWay Centers $ 53,300,000initial scoping and other assistance,construction exhibits

Support to Existing CanalWay Centers $280,000supplemental corridor exhibit and technical assistance

Linkages $85,000,000construction and maintenance of the towpath trail, water linkages, connecting trails,and extension of the Scenic Railroad

Journey Gateways $3,400,000technical assistance, local streetscape and signage improvements

Heritage Programs $4,500,000programs to foster preservation, economic development, education, and technical assistance

Total $150,000,000- Ken Higgs and Jim Coats, Ontario

“”

My daughter uses the towpath on a

regular basis with her kids. The

more the hiking trails extend over long dis-

tances, the better the trails – like the Trans-

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Chapter 1: Executive Summary

The economic benefits of the Plan will be substantial. TheCanal will become a focal point of visitation and a generatorof economic benefits and will be an engine for local econom-ic development. Investment in the corridor improvementswill create jobs and economic opportunities and will ripplethrough the economy through local spending. Cities andtowns along the Canal can focus development of vacantparcels of land to a scale that is appropriate and to uses thatcomplement the Canal.

The Corridor communities will see benefits from increasedtourism, tax generation, new jobs, related development, andspending from people using the recreational facilities. Themajor benefits that are associated with expanded use of theCorridor will be felt as the project is completed, and will besustaining and repetitive:

• an estimated additional 3.3 million new residents and visi-tors per year will use the Corridor;

• these Corridor users will spend an estimated $69 million per year;

• approximately 328,000 new overnight visitors will createdemand for new hotel rooms, bed and breakfasts, and othervisitor services.

Grassroots support and volunteer projects build astrong constituency for the Corridor.

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1.6 ActionAgenda

Implementation of the Corridor Management Plan will takeplace over the next 10 to 20 years. The first six years of thePlan will be critical to increasing the regional constituencyand building a track record for implementation projects andactivities.

Phase I

Establish Identity (2000-2006)This six-year Phase builds on existing efforts andgoes halfway through the period identified for fed-eral funding. Projects that are underway, such as theScenic Byway and Towpath Trail, have momentumthat will be sustained through this initial phase.Other elements, such as interpretation, are early-action items because they are key to other elements.

Key priorities during this phase would include:

• Continue extension of the Towpath Trail and othercore linkages; support other regional trail linkages

• Develop marketing materials and supportiveimprovements for key journey loops and gateways

• Develop an interpretive prospectus, standards forinterpretive exhibits, and a corridor-wide assistanceeffort for wayside exhibits

• Assist in developing partnerships to scope the threenew CanalWay Centers

• Coordinate with the development of the StarkCounty Electronic Gateway at Sippo Lake

• Initiate cooperative actions with the National ParkService for technical and financial assistance

• Initiate demonstration grants for educational, cul-tural, and economic programs

Phase II

Pilot Projects that use the RegionalFramework (2007–2012)This phase of the Plan should focus on completionof the physical improvements. It should also be aperiod in which the OECA makes a concerted effortto establish programs that take advantage of thephysical improvements done in Phase I.

Key priorities during this phase would include:

• Complete key linkages that have been defined as theJourney Network

• Expand the connecting trail network

• Market the entire Corridor and its journeys

• Assist the CanalWay Center project partners to com-plete construction

• Continue coordination with NPS for programinvolvement

• Develop Corridor-wide programs and mechanismsfor their continued operations

The Towpath Trail and its linkages are thespine of the National Heritage Corridor. TheBoston Store, in the Cuyahoga ValleyNational Recreation Area, is a well-usedvenue for bicyclists and visitors.

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Chapter 2: The Canal and its Region

Phase III:

The Long Term: A Self-SustainingRegional AssetIn the long-term, when heritage funds are no longeravailable, the National Heritage Corridor will retainits designation and prominence, and local entitieswill be responsible for the stewardship and pro-gramming of its key resources. The long-term mis-sion for the OECA would be to develop revenuesources to sustain its operations, to continue mar-keting the Corridor as a destination, to encourageappropriate development and use, and to insure thatlocal entities maintain the quality of the experience.

Alliances and regional coalitions are critical to thelong-term success of the National Heritage Corridoras well as to the accomplishment of short-term pro-jects. In addition, the OECA should pursue a widerange of funding mechanisms, including regionaland community-based voluntary support, licensingof CanalWay Ohio products, and state support.

A broad-based constituency forthe Corridor—state, regional,and community—will ensurelong-term success. St

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