Points of Interest Along the Ileena Zager "Birds for the Cure" 2015 Towpath Trail Hike

POINTS OF INTEREST ALONG THE ILEENA ZAGER "BIRDS FOR THE CURE" 2015 TOWPATH TRAIL HIKE

WED. SECTION 1 - DAY 1 from Rt. 416 & White Bridge Rd. to the Cra/q Pittman Memorial Park - 20.5 miles

1. BLAKE'S MILL LOCK 13 - Junction of Rtes. 250 & 416. Southern gateway of the Towpath Trail includes remnants of Lock 13 as well as several canal-era building's including the Lockkeepers House.

NOTE: Starting at Rt. 416 & White Bridge Rd. just before the Zoar Valley Trail due to the Towpath Trail is not yet completed from this intersection south to New Philadelphia. This will eliminate roughly 3 miles from the total length. This "thru-hike" will be going from south to north.

2. ZOAR VALLEY TRAIL - Camp Tuscazoar Foundation manages this 20-mile hiking trail. Portions of the trail use an abandoned railbed and part of the historic canal towpath.

3. DOVER DAM - Constructed in 1935, Dover Dam is one of a series of flood-control dams built by the Army Corps Of Engineers for the Muskingum Watershed Conservancy District.

4. ZOARVILLE STATION BRIDGE - This unique iron bridge is the last remaining cast-and-wrought-iron Fink Through Truss Bridge in the country. It was moved to this location in 1965. The Camp Tuscazoar Foundation restored the bridge, which will serve as part of a trail link to Camp Tuscazoar.

5. OLD ZOAR BRIDGE - This Three-span Pratt Truss Bridge was built in 1884 by The Wrought Iron Bridge Company Of Canton. It used to carry traffic over the Tuscarawas River and the Ohio & Erie Canal and is now restored for trail access to Zoar.

6. FISH HATCHERY - The remains of State Fish Farm No. 12 can still be seen along the Towpath. Constructed from the remains of Lock 10 by the Ohio Department of Natural Resources in 1921, this hatchery was designed to raise smallmouth bass. Floods and slow, warm water impeded the hatchery's success and it was abandoned in 1935.

7. FORT LAURENS STATE MEMORIAL - This preserves the site of the only outpost of the Revolutionary War Continental Army in the state of Ohio. The museum at the memorial displays artifacts from the fort's excavation.

8. BOLIVAR AQUEDUCT - West of Bolivar the Ohio & Erie Canal crossed the Tuscarawas River via a wooden aqueduct. The remnants of the stone piers of the aqueduct remain visible in the Tuscarawas River. A bridge is planned for this site.

9. CRAIG PITTMAN MEMORIAL PARK & SHELTER - South of Navarre along the banks of the Tuscarawas River is this small park. This maple-shaded park along a scenic stretch of the Tuscarawas River includes a shelter honoring the memory of Craig Pittman, a local Boy Scout who enjoyed canoeing. The shelter was funded through local donations and provides cover for canoe campers. This will be my first stop for the night.

THU. SECTION 2-DAY 2 from Craig Pittman Memorial Park to Trailside Campground north of Clinton - 21.3 miles

1. J.D. DEFINE BUILDING - The J.D. Define Building, a National Register property, is where William McKinley, before he became President, tried and won his first court case in 1867. The well-restored building dates back to the 1850's and was used for many years as a grocery store. It is privately owned and is now used for community and corporate functions.

2. STAHL-HOAGLAND HOUSE - William Stahl, a canal boat captain, constructed this Greek Revival style house in 1834 entirely from scrounged materials. Marquis Hoagland, a foreman for the canal's state maintenance boat, purchased the home in 1881. The Stahl-Hoagland House is listed in the National Register of Historic Places. It is privately owned.

3. JOHN GLENN GROVE TRAILHEAD - This area served as a turning basin for the canal, then later was used as a landfill. The Stark County Park District restored the site with grants from the National Tree Trust, American Free Tree Program and the U.S. Forest Service. A bronze bust of former U.S. senator and pioneer astronaut John Glenn is the center- piece of a 113-tree grove. The statue was created by artist Anij (Saran) Indigo, a 1971 Wooster High School graduate.

4. OAK KNOLL PARK - This small oasis of a park along the Tuscarawas River preserves a grove of mature oak trees and an historic bridge. The 1859 bridge is one of the earliest bridges dsigned by Joseph Davenport of Massillon, inventor of cantilever type bridges. The bridge was moved here from its original location in Alliance.

5. LAKE AVENUE TRAILHEAD - This popular trailhead was developed through a partnership between Stark County Park District and Ernie's Bicycle Shop which sells and rents bikes and offers repair services. Trailhead Canoe Livery offers canoe rentals during the boating season and a peddle-and-paddle program. A deli also occupies the site.

6. SMITH'S MILL - This historic mill, built in 1925 and operated via water power, ran various machines including a cider press. A restored turbine drives a 60-foot vertical shaft that provides motion to horizontal shafts on all four floors of the mill. Evidence of a canal sluiceway is nearby. 7. CRYSTAL SPRINGS BRIDGE PARK - Stark County Park District has established a rest area along the Ohio & Erie Canal at Crystal Springs. A few hundred feet south a 1914 wrought iron bridge was saved from demolition through the efforts of the Jackson Township Historical Society. It now provides a scenic view of the Tuscarawas River near the former western boundary of the United States.

8. LOCK 4 PARK - This park, maintained by the Stark County Park District, includes a picnic area, restrooms, operating lock gates, a mill raceway, a stocked fishing area, and replica lock tender's house. Hiker's and bicyclists can access the Ohio & Erie Canal Towpath Trail from the Lock 4 Trailhead.

9. ST. HELENA III - Operated by the city of Canal Fulton, the St. Helena III represents a typical canal freight barge. It is 67 feet long on the keel, 13 feet wide, and weighs 22 tons. Visitors can enjoy a 45-minute trip into the past as the canal-era replica is pulled by horses, from downtown Canal Fulton to Lock 4 Park and back. The St. Helena III offers public rides from May to October.

10. ST. HELENA HERITAGE PARK - Home to the Canalway Center, visitors to this park can walk to downtown Canal Fulton to visit its historic district, stores, restaurants, and gift shops via a bridge and boardwalk. McLaughlin's Dry Dock, the only functioning dry dock that dates back to Ohio's canal era is a short walk down the towpath.

11. CANALWAY VISITORS CENTER & HERITAGE SOCIETY MUSEUM - The Canalway Visitors Center is operated by the City of Canal Fulton and is a hub of information and activity for trail users and tourists Tuesday-Saturday from April to October. The Heritage Museum next door is operated by the Canal Fulton Heritage Society and is available by appointments.

12. NIMISILA FEEDER - This narrow stream near Lake Lucerne comes from the Portage Lakes in Summit County and supplies water to the Ohio & Erie Canal in Canal Fulton. Numerous feeders of this type were constructed along the canal to provide a steady and reliable source of water.

13. GUARD LOCK - This type of lock did not raise or lower boats. Guard locks were only necessary where the canal emptied into and crossed a river. Slack water above a dam on the Tuscarawas River allowed boats to be safely poled across the river and into the guard lock. The lock, with gates at both ends, guarded the village from flooding and helped regulate the water level in the canal south of this point. The Clinton Guard Lock is a rare type of canal structure in the heritage corridor and is the only guard lock from this point north to Cleveland.

14. CLINTON LOCKS 2 & 3 - Clinton Locks 2 & 3 were built in 1827 and refaced with concrete in 1907-08. In its heyday, the area around the locks had a dry dock for repairing canal boats, a canal slip (a place for boats to land for repairs) that serviced Rogues Hollow (coal mines west of Clinton that yielded thousands of tons of coal from the 1850's to the 1920's), and a lock tender to assist boats "locking through."

15. TRAILSIDE CAMPGROUND - These rustic campsites were put in by Metro Parks, Serving Summit County to give thru-hikers on the Ohio & Erie Canal Towpath Trail a place to sleep for the night. They are merely flat ground campsites, no fires allowed and no restrooms or running water. Tent camping only.

FRl. SECTION 3 - DAY 3 from Trailside Campground north of Clinton to home in Merriman Valley-19.8 mites

1. PPG LIME LAKES - For over 100 hundred years PPG Industries has operated an industrial facility south of Barberton along the Ohio & Erie Canal. Lured by the promise of reliable forms of transportation, including the canal and the railroads, plus a steady labor market and raw materials, PPG Industries established a 3,500-acre industrial facility here for the manufacture of chemicals and glass products. One of the byproducts of the glass-making industry is soda ash. It was pumped out of the factories to settling ponds, called Lime Lakes, adjacent to the Ohio & Erie Canal. Today PPG Industries is reclaiming the Lime Lakes and creating green space in southern Summit County.

2. PORTAGE LAKES FEEDER - Just west of Manchester Rd. the trail goes over a small bridge. This water is coming from the Portage Lakes, and when combined with the water from Summit Lake, it supplied all the water needed to operate the canal. During the canal era a lock located east of here allowed canoes and excursion boats to pass between the Portage Lakes and the canal.

3. SOUTHERN TERMINUS OF THE PORTAGE PATH - When settlers first arrived in this part of Ohio they found a path that Native Americans used to portage canoes between the Cuyahoga & Tuscarawas Rivers. The 1785 Treaty of Fort Mclntosh also established the Portage Path as one of the boundaries demarcating Native American territories from lands claimed by the United States Congress. The Summit County Historical Society and the Yeck Family Foundation have erected a life-sized statue here commemorating the Southern Terminus of the Portage Path. The southern terminus is owned and managed by Metro Parks, Serving Summit County.

4. WILBETH WETLANDS - This flooded timber wetlands just south of Wilbeth Rd. and east of the Towpath Trail offers great viewing opportunities for wildlife. Birds that can be found here are Wood Ducks and other waterfowl during the migration season as well as nesting Osprey and Great Blue Herons. 5. SUMMIT LAKE - Summit Lake is a natural lake which, prior to 1800, was surrounded by a tamarack swamp and was part of a water route used by Native Americans traveling between the Cuyahoga and Tuscarawas Rivers. Summit Lake took on a whole new appearance during the construction of the Ohio & Erie Canal when it was incorporated into the canal system and lowered nine feet in order to be at the same level as the Tuscarawas River and Long Lake. Its size was reduced to three-quarters of a mile long by one-third mile wide. A floating towpath along the swampy shore of the lake made it possible to pull the canal boats from one end to the other. The new Towpath Trail includes a floating section reminiscent of the original towpath.

6. RICHARD HOWE HOUSE - Richard Howe as a Resident Engineer supervised the completion of the Ohio & Erie Canal from Cleveland to Massillon from 1825 to 1832, including designing the prisms and locks. Today, his home is one of the two Federal-style homes in the City of Akron. This regional landmark located at 47 West Exchange St. has been restored to its original glory and serves as a visitors' information center and office of the Ohio & Erie Canalway Coalition.

7. LOCK TWO PARK - Lock Two played an important role in the economic development of 19th. Century Akron. Today towpath travelers can enjoy an urban pocket-park with a reconstructed canal lock and an adjacent ghost frame of a life-sized 1850's canal freighter boat.

8. CANAL PARK BASEBALL STADIUM - This facility is home of the Akron Rubber Ducks, formerly known as the Akron Aeros, a AA minor league affiliate of the Cleveland Indians. Constructed in 1996, Canal Park sports a clock tower modeled after the one at The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co.'s headquarters, paying homage to its rubber-city roots.

9. THE AKRON CIVIC THEATRE - Formerly Loew's Theatre, the Akron Civic Theatre was built in 1929 by famed theater architect John Eberson and is one of only five "atmospheric" theaters left in the country. The interior was fashioned after a Moorish castle, complete with medieval carvings and Italian alabaster sculptures. A 23 million dollar renovation has completely restored the theater.

10. LOCK 3 - Lock 3 features a dynamic variety of entertainment. The amphitheatre hosts live concerts and Lock 3 is the site of Akron festivals, Lock 3 Farmer's Market, and the authentic German Christkindl Market.

11. FERDINAND SCHUMACHER CASCADE MILLS - This site includes a Water Wheel Public Art piece as the focal point, an outline of the building floorprint, an event and entertainment area with a round 35 foot diameter stage, a trail entry from Howard St. at the historic location of Cascade St. (where wagons would enter to load and unload at the mill), a bridge across the canal for direct connection to the Towpath Trail, and plantings to show the location of the canal turning basin in front of the mill.

12. CASCADE LOCKS - Fifteen "staircase" locks in a single mile were necessary here to lift boats up the steep escarp- ment to the continental divide separating the Cuyahoga Watershed (Great Lakes Basin) and the Tuscarawas Watershed (Mississippi Basin). It was the largest ascent within the shortest distance on the entire Ohio & Erie Canal. The construction of the innerbelt and 20th. Century development along Main St. destroyed several of the locks. However, Locks 10 through 15 remain intact and illustrate this significant engineering feat.

13. MUSTILL STORE VISITOR CENTER - The Mustill Store and House, located at Lock 15, are two of the oldest structures in Akron. Built around 1850, the store served canal travelers and the local community. Mustill Store Visitor Center opened in July 2000 and features the history of the store and the Cascade Locks' importance to the development of Akron.

14. NORTHERN TERMINUS OF THE PORTAGE PATH - Portage Path follows the route that Native Americans used to portage canoes between the Cuyahoga and Tuscarawas Rivers. This important portage made it possible for Native Americans to travel from Lake Erie to the Ohio River and beyond. The 1785 Treaty of Fort Mclntosh also established the Portage Path as one of the boundaries demarcating Native American territories from lands claimed by the United States Congress. A boulder and plaque west of the Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railway notes an early surveying headquarters and a War of 1812 military post associated with this site. East of the railway, the Summit County Historical Society and the Yeck Family Foundation have erected a larger than life-sized bronze statue designed by Native Amer- ican sculptor Peter Jones to commemorate The Portage Path.

SAT. SECTION 4-DAY 4 from home in Merriman Valley to Quaker Steak & Lube in Valley View - 22.4 miles

1. BOTZUM VILLAGE - Initially known as Niles during the canal era, this small settlement (located at the intersection of Bath & Riverview Rds.) was renamed after John Botzum during the 1870's. Botzum had a general store, a warehouse and a Valley Railway depot. Like other communities in the Cuyahoga Valley, Botzum benefited from both canal and railroad traffic. None of the town's buildings exist today.

2. IRA BEAVER MARSH - From farm fields in the 19th. Century to an automobile salvage yard in the 20th. Century, the land that comprises the Ira Beaver Marsh has gone through several changes over time. After the property was purchased by the National Park Service in the 1970's, beavers created wetlands by damming the canal basin. Today the area contains a diversity of plants and animals including river otters, muskrats, wood ducks and other waterfowl, frogs, turtles, and a variety offish and insects. In 1993 the National Park Service bridged the Towpath Trail through the marsh by building a boardwalk with observation platforms. The marsh is an Ohio Watchable Wildlife site. 3. HUNT FARM VISITOR INFORMATION CENTER - Norman and Martha Hunt began farming in the Cuyahoga Valley in the 1860's. The National Park Service purchased the farm in 1977 and in 1993 opened it as a visitor information center. The center contains exhibits presenting the agricultural heritage of the valley, especially the role of small family farms.

4. THE VILLAGE OF EVERETT - Originally called Unionville, Everett emerged as a crossroads agricultural community during the first half of the 19th. Century. It is located in the fertile lowlands surrounding the confluence of Furnace Run and the Cuyahoga River. The settlement grew up around Johnny Cake Lock (Lock 27) and continued to develop with the opening of the Valley Railway in 1880. Residents renamed the town in honor of Sylvester T. Everett, the Valley Railway's Treasurer. Everett was a depot stop, and railroad service continued until the 1930's. During the 1990's, the National Park Service rehabilitated many of Everett's structures, preserving the community's rural hamlet character. Cold drinks, snacks, fresh fruits and vegetables, and gifts can be purchased at Szalay's Sweet Corn Market from July through October. Szalay's is well-known locally for its sweet corn.

5. DEEP LOCK QUARRY - Deep Lock Quarry provided much of the Berea Sandstone used in the construction of nearby canal locks and building foundations. It is named after Deep Lock, or Lock 28, which raised and lowered boats 17 feet, the most of any lock on the 308-mile canal. Sandstones from the quarry also made good mill stones for removing hulls at the American Cereal Works in Akron, later Quaker Oats. In 1934, the Cleveland Stone Company donated the 41-acre quarry to the Summit County Metropolitan Park District (now known as Metro Parks, Serving Summit County) to develop the area as a park. Once devoid of plants, it is now covered with trees and shrubs, including more Ohio Buckeye trees than any Metro Park in Summit County. This is an excellent area for observing migrating birds in the spring.

6. THE VALLEY RAILWAY - Developed by local entrepreneurs during the 1870's, the Valley Railway linked the coal fields of Stark and Tuscarawas counties with the burgeoning industrial centers of Akron and Cleveland. The Valley Railway also transported passengers between Cleveland and Akron. Within the valley, there were seven railroad depot stops, with Peninsula being the busiest. Today the Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad conducts popular scenic excursions and shuttle service for cyclists

7. THE VILLAGE OF PENINSULA - In 1824, Hermon Branson plotted the village of Peninsula on the west bank of the Cuyahoga River, deriving the name from a large loop in the river that formed a "peninsula" of land. During the canal era, the village was home to a grist mill and several boat-building operations. The town continued to thrive in the late 19th. Century with the construction of the Valley Railway and served as the railroad's only water and fueling stop in the valley. Construction of the Valley Railway, however, rerouted the Cuyahoga River across the peninsula for which the town was named. Today, the village of Peninsula contains many buildings from its canal and railroad eras, most privately owned, some serving as shops and galleries. Peninsula is an attractive stop for travelers and is known as the Heart of the Arts in the Cuyahoga Valley.

8. STUMPY BASIN - One of many wide sections of the Ohio & Erie Canal, Stumpy Basin allowed canal boats to turn around, stop over, or be put in storage for the winter. The basin is now a biologically interesting area, with a concen- trated and diverse array of plants.

9. THE OHIO TURNPIKE & INTERSTATE 271 BRIDGES - Both the Ohio Turnpike and 1-271 bridges were totally rebuilt between 2002 and 2009, adding lanes to accommodate increased traffic. Groundbreaking ceremonies for the entire Ohio Turnpike were held on October 27, 1952 in Boston Township on the west side of Riverview Rd. where the turnpike now crosses. Just 38 months later the entire 241-mile highway, from Pennsylvania to Indiana, opened for traffic. The twin bridges over the Cuyahoga Valley are the longest on the Ohio Turnpike.

10. THE VILLAGE OF BOSTON - Settled by James Stanford in 1806, the village of Boston is one of the oldest settlements in Summit County. Utilizing the power of the Cuyahoga River, Boston's first grist mill opened in 1821. The opening of the Ohio & Erie Canal in 1827 expanded the community's economy, and the town grew to include a broom factory, a sawmill, a brick factory, boatyards, and several stores. The opening of the Valley Railway in 1880 brought new types of business.

11. BOSTON STORE - The Boston Land & Manufacturing Company store, built in 1836, demonstrates a high-level of craftsmanship as well as the influence of both Federal and Greek Revival styles of architecture. The building functioned as a warehouse, post office, and store. The National Park Service purchased the Boston Store in 1980 and reopened it in 1996 as a visitor center with exhibits interpreting the canal boat-building heritage in the Cuyahoga Valley. The M.D. Garage next door houses seasonal art exhibits and programs.

12. STANFORD HOUSE - Built between 1848 and 1852 by George Stanford, this Greek Revival farmhouse was the center of his 300-acre farm. The National Park Service purchased the property in 1978. The Stanford House is available for conferences and has several primitive camping sites for Towpath Trail users.

13. JAITE PAPER MILL - Founded by Charles Jaite in 1905, the Jaite Paper Mill manufactured bags for bulk-product industries, such as flour and ready-mix concrete. To house the mill's employees, Jaite built five Queen-Anne style duplexes (only two survive) along Riverview Rd. The four gambreI-roofed bungalows (on Vaughn Rd.) were added in 1919. The rehabilitated buildings serve as headquarters for the Cuyahoga Valley National Park. The mill continued to produce paper until 1984. After a fire destroyed much of the building the National Park Service demolished the Jaite mill, leaving the Fourdrinier paper machine as part of an outdoor exhibit. 14. GOOSE POND WEIR - Water levels were an ever-present concern in the day-to-day operation of the Ohio & Erie Canal. Weirs, like the Goose Pond Weir, were used to control the water level in the canal basin, draining excess water above the four-foot depth needed in the canal basin. This weir also had a flood gate to drain this section of the canal for repair and cyclical maintenance.

15. STATION ROAD BRIDGE - The opening of the Valley Railway in 1880 dramatically changed this location. The Brecks- ville Depot sat on the west side of the railroad tracks, just southwest of the Station Road Bridge, which was erected a year after the opening of the railroad. This iron bridge was erected in 1881 (the 1882 date on the plaque probably marks the dedication) by the Massillon Bridge Company. The bridge is a Pratt Truss design with iron pins and is 127 feet long. The National Park Service restored the bridge and reopened it for trail use in 1992. The Station Road Bridge served as an important connection across the Cuyahoga River for the Brecksville and Northfield communities in the late 19th. and early 20th. Century prior to the construction of the Route 82 Bridge. Station Road derived its name from the depot. The existing shelter and platform are located not far from the original Brecksville railroad depot.

16. CANAL FEEDER- River water, impounded by a low-head dam, charges or "waters" the canal at this point. This feeder system was one of two along the section of canal between Akron and Cleveland. Today only dry ruins mark the location of the other one, at Lock 30 just north of Peninsula.

17. ROUTE 82 BRIDGE - The Route 82 Bridge was designed by Alfred M. Felgate and constructed by the Highway Con- struction Company in 1930-31. The bridge is a double-ribbed, parabolic-arched structure, constructed of reinforced concrete. The bridge is 1,132 feet long, 145 feet high and is listed in the National Register of Historic Places for its engineering significance.

18. PINERY NARROWS- In contrast to the section of trail north of here, this part of theTowpath Trail is out of sight and sound of any roads. Just north of the Route 82 Bridge the trail becomes very secluded, wide enough only for the canal, the towpath, the river and the Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad and is an excellent area for travelers looking for wildlife. The Towpath Trail continues through Pinery Narrows for about 2.7 miles with a steep hillside to the east covered in Eastern hemlock trees before giving way to mostly oaks before it reaches its parallel journey with Canal Rd.

19. FRAZEE HOUSE - Built in 1826 by Stephen Frazee, the Frazee House is one of the oldest houses in the Cuyahoga Valley. In 1994 the National Park Service restored the building which now houses exhibits about the settlement of the Western Reserve and the architecture of the home.

20. WILSON'S MILL - Originally known as Alexander's Mill, Wilson's Mill was constructed in 1855 and utilized water from Lock 37 (14 Mite Lock) to power its grinding wheel. This milling operation was a common type of business located near the canal and demonstrates the close relationship between the Cuyahoga Valley's farming heritage and the Ohio & Erie Canal's transportation links to markets. The mill no longer grinds grain, but remains popular to purchase feed and seed.

21. TINKERS CREEK AQUEDUCT - Aqueducts, literally bridges of water, were a vital part of the canal system, but were subject to damage from flooding. The original Tinkers Creek Aqueduct, built in 1825-27, was replaced several times. The most recent structure, which was severely damaged, was removed in 2006. The National Park Service built a new structure in 2013 to once again carry the canal and towpath across Tinkers Creek.

22. PILGERRUH - In June of 1786, three Moravian missionaries and approximately 100 Native American converts built a temporary village called Pilgerruh, or Pilgrim's Rest, along the Cuyahoga River near Tinkers Creek. Delayed in their attempt to reach the Muskingum River for spring planting, they stopped here to plant and establish a campsite before the onset of winter. The exact location of Pilgerruh is not known. Its significance lies in marking a critical point in history, the early contact between the native population and the European immigrants.

23. CANAL VISITOR CENTER AT LOCK 38 - Built in the 1820's and "improved" in 1853, the Canal Visitor Center building is an excellent example of Greek Revival architecture from the canal era. In the 1980's, the National Park Service rehabilitated the structure into a visitor center with exhibits that focus on 12,000 years of human habitation in the Cuya- hoga Valley with emphasis on the Ohio & Erie Canal era. Canal lock demonstrations are conducted seasonally on weekends. Lock 38 is a standard lift-lock typical of those found on the Ohio & Erie Canal system. By releasing and admitting water in its chamber, the lock was capable of lifting and lowering boats about eight feet. In 1992 the National Park Service restored Lock 38 to its 1905 condition.

24. OLD STONE ROAD - Named after the industry it served, Old Stone Road connected Independence's sandstone quarries with the Ohio & Erie Canal, and later the Valley Railway. The quarries, producing everything from grindstones to foundation stones, operated from the 1840's to the early 20th. Century, when increasing competition forced them to close. Today, Independence's architecture is marked by several cut-sandstone buildings that commemorate the heritage of the industry.

25. THORNBURG STATION - In 1830 Zimmerman Tavern was built at this site, serving rowdy canalers and quarrymen and gaining a reputation as a cock-fighting establishment. Today Thomburg Station - a 65,000 square-foot mixed-use facility between the Ohio & Erie Canal and the Cuyahoga River - provides a variety of food and refreshment for today's canalers. Thornburg Station features a public plaza with interpretation and visitor facilities adjacent to the towpath. The complex is designed to resemble structures that would have lined the canal during the height of the canal era. SUN. SECTION 5 - DAYS from Quaker Steak & Lube in Valley View north to Wendy Park at Lake Erie -14.0 miles

1. INTERSTATE 480 BRIDGE - Each span of this bridge is 4,150 feet long and contains 50 million pounds of steel. It is the third longest bridge in Ohio and carries over 130,000 motorists a day.

2. CABLE-STAYED BRIDGES - North of Rockside Rd. the 10-foot wide asphalt paved trail is part of the Cleveland Metre-parks Ohio & Erie Canal Reservation. Two dramatic cable-stayed bridges carry the trail over Granger Rd. and Warner Rd. Steel strands wrapped into cables support the long spans from 65-foot towers.

3. MILL CREEK AQUEDUCT - Aqueducts were necessary to carry the canal across other watercourses, in this case, Mill Creek. Louis J. Bacci Recreational Park, on the east side of Canal Rd., is situated along Mill Creek. Plans call for constructing a trail from Bacci Park to the 45-foot Mill Creek Falls, two miles upstream. The first section opened in 2008 and includes a spur trail to the confluence of Mill Creek and the Cuyahoga River. At the Mill Creek Falls History Center visitors can leam about the history of Newburgh Township, Slavic Village, and the ethnic neighborhoods in southeast Cleveland. Visitors can also enjoy spectacular views of the waterfall from nearby overlooks.

4. WILLOW-Willow was a small industrial settlement founded in the 1870's. An 1880 description of the town indicates it had a post office and a combination depot that was an assigned stop for the Valley Railway. By the early 20th. Century, Willow was eclipsed and incorporated by other area communities. Today, light industry and commercial buildings line the trail from Rockside Rd. north to Bacci Park.

5. SOUTHERLY WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANT - The original plant was built in 1927. The current center began operation in 1975 and can treat up to 400 million gallons of wastewater a day from 530,000 people in the greater Cleveland area.

6. CSX "SHORT LINE" TRESTLE - Built in 1907 by the New York Central Railroad to bypass the congestion of downtown Cleveland, this impressive structure is 160 feet high (13 stories), spans 1,988 feet across the valley, and carries an average of 44 trains a day.

7. LEONARD KRIEGER CANALWAY CENTER - Located at E. 49th. St., Cuyahoga Heights in Cleveland's unique urban "Hidden Valley", the Leonard Krieger CanalWay Center tells the historically intertwined stories of nature, people, and systems at work in the valley. Trails and outdoor exhibits continue the center's educational stories. The park's entrance road is named Whittlesey Way after Colonel Charles Whittlesey, a chief participant in Ohio's first geological survey and founder and president of the Western Reserve Historical Society. During the mid-1800's, Colonel Whittlesey surveyed and studied ancient earthworks in northeast Ohio and noted evidence of "Ancient Inhabitants" in numerous locations along the Cuyahoga River and nearby bluffs. Whittlesey was a Cleveland lawyer, graduate of West Point, Civil War vet- eran, and a respected geologist. His early archaelogical studies dating from the 1840's to 1870's, laid the groundwork for subsequent archaelogical investigations.

8. DAM & CANAL TERMINUS - The present-day dam, reconstructed by Cleveland Metraparks, was formerly used by American Steel & Wire to pond canal water for use as cooling water in industrial operations. Today the canal provides wildlife habitat and fishing opportunities.

9. THE HIDDEN VALLEY - From the Southerly Wastewater Plant north to Harvard Ave., the 10-foot wide asphalt paved trail basically follows the route of the historic towpath and travels into a surprisingly wild area set against the backdrop of industrial structures, utility infrastructure, and Cleveland's skyline. The trail north of Harvard Ave. has been designed and will be constructed in the future. A temporary route follows streets north to Steelyard Commons.

10. STEELYARD COMMONS - One mile of Towpath Trail passes through this 122-acre retail development. The trail was built by the developer, First Interstate Properties, Ltd., with the western side taking Towpath Trail users to the shopping center's amenities while the eastern side provides views of the industrial valley with outdoor signs and exhibits detailing the history of steel and railroad operations from the past to the present day as well as the environmental movement.

11. ST. THEODOSIUS RUSSIAN ORTHODOX CATHEDRAL - Built in 1911 and listed in the National Register of Historic Places, this cathedral was featured in the church scenes in the 1975 film "The Deer Hunter" featuring Meryl Streep, Robert De Niro and Christopher Walken. The domes represent Christ and his twelve apostles.

12. INDUSTRIAL HEARTLAND - The expansive floodplain of the Cuyahoga River where it empties into Lake Erie has long been a crossroads of water and rail transportation. Early industrialists considered these flats ideal for locating factories and large foundries. The isolated neighborhoods perched on the bluffs above the flats provided housing for the workers and created ethnic enclaves with diverse heritages. Tremont, one of Cleveland's oldest neighborhoods, includes thirty different ethnic groups. This heritage is reflected in its varied architecture. This changing neighborhood has also become home to artists' galleries, antique shops and fine dining. In the industrial heartland of Cleveland the historic canal was filled in and converted to other uses. Here the Towpath Trail will be located on the west side of the Cuyahoga River. The route will pass close to steel mills where visitors can get a taste of the industrial might that made Cleveland the steel capital of the Midwest. The trail will visit redeveloped industrial land and have connections to adjoining neighborhoods. 13. LINCOLN PARK - Lincoln Park's colorful history dates back to 1850, when Thirsa Pelton purchased 70 acres on Cleveland's south side with the intent of creating a girls' school. She died before her dream was fulfilled, and her heirs shut the property off from the local residents. Neighbors, however, had come to enjoy "Pelton Park" and regarded it as a public recreation site. A bitter controversy ensued over the use of the land until 1879, when the city purchased the property from the owner. By 1896 the park had a fountain, walks, and a bandstand and was renamed "Lincoln Square", then later Lincoln Park. In 1989 a community-based effort to revitalize the park and its neighborhood resulted in the construction of a new gazebo located close to the site of the original bandstand.

14. TERMINAL TOWER - Completed in 1927, the Cleveland Union Terminal Tower served as the main railroad terminal servicing five of the six major passenger lines. Until 1967 the Terminal Tower was the tallest building outside of New York City. Although the last intercity passenger train departed in 1977, the tower continues to serve as a rapid transit hub. Major redevelopment in the 1980's created Tower City, a commercial center located in the lower levels of the tower.

15. SETTLERS' LANDING - Heritage Park features a replica of Lorenzo Carter's log cabin. Carter was the first white settler in the Cleveland area and built his cabin here in 1797. The original terminus of the Ohio & Erie Canal lies underneath the Valley Railway tracks immediately opposite the raised drawbridge. This terminus was abandoned in 1875 when the railway bought and filled the northern most several miles. A new canal outlet to the river was built at Dille St. near Kings- bury Run, closer to the industry and shipping it served.

16. BRIDGE CROSSINGS - As Cleveland grew, so too did the cross-river traffic. Initially the city built bridges at water level and designed them to open for boat traffic. But as more frequent shipping caused more frequent traffic, city planners introduced "high level" bridges to replace low level crossings. The first of these high level bridges was the Superior Via- duct, completed in 1878. However, the Superior Viaduct still relied on a center swing span (much like the Center Street Bridge near Settlers' Landing) to accommodate tall schooners. In 1918 it was replaced by the higher (96-foot clearance) Veterans Memorial (Detroit-Superior) Bridge. Seven semi-circular stone arches are all that remain of the Superior Viaduct. Entertainer Bob Hope's father worked as a stonemason on the Art Deco-styled Hope Memorial (Lorain-Carnegie) Bridge which was completed in 1932.

17. THE CLEVELAND FLATS - In 1796, as part of the push of migration west into the Ohio Territory, General Moses Cleaveland led a surveying party to the mouth of the Cuyahoga River. His party proceeded to plot a new town on the east side of the river for private speculators from the Connecticut Land Company. They named the town after Moses Cleaveland, though the spelling was later changed to "Cleveland." The canal and historic towpath no longer exist in this part of the Canalway. The alignment for the Ohio & Erie Canal Towpath Trail route in this section has been mapped out by the Towpath Trail Partnership Committee, a group of nine agencies and organizations. The trail will pass through Cleveland's industrial center to reach Canal Basin Park, the site of the historic terminus of the canal. Connector trails will link east and west to nearby neighborhoods and downtown Cleveland, and north to the lakefront.

18. WHISKEY ISLAND - Whiskey Island was the first piece of solid land amid the swamps lining the river one-quarter mile down the Cuyahoga River when Moses Cleaveland visited the area in 1796. Lorenzo Carter built his family farm on Whiskey Island, which got its name after a distillery was built on the site in the 1830's. The area was settled, largely by Irish immigrants, when the Ohio & Erie Canal was constructed in 1825 and the river was rechanneled in 1827. in 1831 the Buffalo Co. and the New Harbor Co., representing investors from Buffalo and Brooklyn, purchased the Carter farm and divided its 80 acres into allotments along 22 streets. Manufacturing plants and docks were constructed. The Lake Erie Iron Works made steamboat shafts and railroad axles on the island and thirteen saloons were located in the area. Cleveland's second hospital, the "pest house", was built on Whiskey Island following the cholera epidemic of 1832. The Cleveland & Toledo Railroad (later the New York Central) ran its northern division through Whiskey Island "stopping at the river to ferry passengers across the Cuyahoga because the city refused permission for the railroad to connect to the eastbound line". The Irish moved from Whiskey Island when better employment and housing opportunities became available and except for a Depression-era Hooverville, Whiskey Island was left largely to the railroads, a salt mine owned by Cargill, and the set of four large Hulett ore unloaders at the Pennsylvania Railway Ore Dock, which when built in 1911 was the largest ore-unloading dock on the Great Lakes. The Huletts were dismantled by the Cleveland-Cuyahoga County Port Authority in 2000 to create room for additional bulk storage. Two of the Huletts were scrapped, and the other two were disassembl- ed and remain on the site. In the early 2000's, the Cleveland-Cuyahoga County Port Authority pursued the purchase of the eastern portion of Whiskey Island in order to expand port facilities. However, the port did not buy the land. The open space and marina were purchased by Cuyahoga County in 2004 and preserved as a public park. The area's protection was due in large part to the efforts of activist Ed Hauser, known as the "Mayor of Whiskey Island." Wendy Park opened to the public in 2005, and includes sand volleyball courts, a prairie garden, and a restaurant/bar. In 2014, Whiskey Island was purchased by the Cleveland Metroparks as the new regime wants to be more involved in getting people access to Lake Erie. Part of this access will include a new SB-million pedestrian bridge to bridge the gap between the west bank of The Flats, over the Cargill Salt property and the Norfolk & Southern Railroad property over to Wendy Park and the old Coast Guard Station. Designed by well-known Boston architect Miguel Resales, the plan is to have the bridge finished by 2017. 19. WENDY PARK - Wendy Park is a 22-acre park that runs along both the Cuyahoga River and Lake Erie in the heart of Cleveland. It is home to a variety of animals and has recently gained attention as quite a stopping point for migrating birds. The wildlife share this beautiful space with boaters, kayakers, jet-skiers, fishermen, volleyball players, hikers, bikers, and even the occasional train watcher. Summers here offer league play, educational events, Great Lakes Brew- ing Company's annual "Burning River Fest", or just the opportunity to see the sunset over Lake Erie. Wendy Park's green space stands out among the stone piles, warehouses and smokestacks that are part of Cleve- land's heritage. The unique and amazing bridges that span the Cuyahoga River are a wonderful backdrop for the birds and cottonwood trees that lift the eye to the impressive downtown skyline. Wendy Park sits right at the water's edge, and the spires of the city's buildings loom gracefully on the bluffs above - exposing what many believe to be the best view the City of Cleveland has to offer. The park is named for Wendy Moore. Wendy was an artist, an athlete, a teacher, a champion, a sister and a friend. Her experiences took her to a silversmith apprenticeship in Nepal, to a more conventional summer of study in Provence, to teaching in Oregon, and eventually to the film industry and studying and exhibiting her art in Los Angeles. It is impos- sible to sum up a person in a paragraph or even a book, but Wendy had a tremendous love of life. Her legacy is her art, and the inspiration she left behind. Her severe brain injury inspired a company called Team Wendy, which is devoted to making safer multi-impact helmets and foam inserts. Her artwork is still touring and seen from time to time at various shows. She was an avid skier and captain of the first Hawken girls swim team to win the state championship. The park commemorates her eye for beauty, her love of athletics and her unquenchable zest for life. Wendy Moore: 1967-1997. The Wendy Park Foundation is a 501 c-3 non-profit organization established to help preserve Wendy Park. The foundation's mission is to develop and restore the natural environment at Wendy Park to National Park standards of excellence, facilitate the restoration of the historic Coast Guard Station, integrate Whiskey Island Marina into Wendy Park and to provide public access to Lake Erie through connecting Wendy Park to the Ohio & Erie Canal Towpath Trail. Further, to create programs and activities that educate the public on Great Lakes ecology, ecosystem sustainability, maritime heritage, and maritime safety and youth training, (http://wendyparkfoundation.org)

20. THE CLEVELAND COAST GUARD STATION - Completed in August, 1940, the Cleveland Coast Guard Station, designed by architect J. Milton Dyer, was considered at the time the "most beautiful in the nation". Dyer, a Ctevelander, is known for the Brown-Hoist Building, the Cleveland Athletic Club, Cleveland City Hall, First Methodist Church (E. 30th. and Euclid), the Peerless Motor Car Company (later the Carting Brewery), the Tavem Club, and this building. The complex, a significant piece of Cleveland architectural history, was built just off the end of Whiskey Island, at a cost of $360,000 (well over $6 million today). The main building contained quarters for officers, crew, and staff, recreation room, a communications room, mess hall, and storage. The boat house had slips for three vessels and space to work on them. A three car garage is also part of the complex. The Coast Guard operated at the site until 1976, when they relocated the Ninth District headquarters to new facilities near North Coast Harbor. It has sat unused since then, except for a brief period in the 1990's when it served as a nightclub. The City of Cleveland purchased the station for $1 in 2003, and is in development plans for its restoration and reuse.

The Cleveland Coast Guard Station