Milling around for more than a Century

Near Youngstown you can find a wonderful piece of Ohio history tucked along a creek. Not only can you tour an important cog in the wheel of industry in Ohio's history, but take a walk along the wonders that nature carved over  thousands of years millions of years ago.

Lanterman's Mill is the third mill since 1797 to operate at this spot along what today is known as Mill Creek.  Youngstown founder John Young and Phineas Hill surveyed the falls along what is today U.S. Route 62 west of Youngstown.  Young sold 300 acres surrounding the falls to Hill with the understanding that a mill would quickly be built there.

First a grist and saw mill, then later only a gristmill, the location was ideal.  The second mill on the location was struck by natural disaster when flooding in 1843 wiped out the mill.  The thousand+ pound mill grindstone can be seen today 500 feet downstream from that original location.  German Lanterman, and his brother-in-law Samuel Kimberly, built the third, and current, structure three years after the flood.  The mill has since born his name.

Lanterman used mother nature to his advantage, carving the bottom of the mill alongside the sandstone rock.  Touring the mill today, visitors descend three levels to view the indoor water wheel and gear assembly.  In what feels like a twist between an archaeological dig and a spelunking adventure, the bare rock walls still seep and drip with moisture, iron discoloration from exposure to oxygen baring testimony to the science of history.

Still operational, the mill grinds primarily wheat today but has examples to show of buckwheat and corn to those who view the grindstone on the main floor.  Mill interpreters lead visitors through the steps in the milling process and the mechanics behind working, maintaining and replacing mill stones, which have a life expectancy of a half-century but needed to be "dressed" weekly.  The two half ton grinding stones, depending on how fine the resulting flour should be, leave space between them no thicker than a piece of paper or as fine as tissue paper.

While competition from modern technology (of the day) caused the Lanterman's Mill to cease in 1888, a hundred years later it was restored and opened to the public as a fully operational mill. In the intervening century it had served the public interest as a bathhouse for swimmers, nature museum and historical museum.  In 1892 it was purchased as park property and for 25 years served the public good as ballroom, concession stand and bathhouse with the upper floors used as boat storage.  In 1974 the mill was added to the National Register of Historic Places.  In 1982 a full restoration was initiated, using historical records and blueprints.

The Mill is operated, and surrounded, by the Mill Creek Metroparks in Mahoning County.  The immediate park property includes a visitor center, gardens, a 400-acre working farm, golf course and walking trails that include an historic iron furnace marker and remains, a log cabin, two unique bridges (suspension and parapet).  Upstream from the mill is a covered bridge, originally built in the early 1800s to provide better access for farmers to deliver their grain to the mill.  Signage on the bridge today, after being rebuilt in 1989, states that covered bridges were built to help ease the stress of the horses.  Horses, quite aptly, were able to see that a typical bridge had no sides and the rushing river below was a danger.  The covered bridge, then, acts as a form of blinders to keep the animal focused on the task at hand.

The walking trails that extend up and downstream make the complex the centerpiece of an afternoon hike.  The mill has a small souvenir shop that sells flour milled onsite, other historic items but also remains historically faithful with concessions that include cold drinks and frozen treats.  A two mile loop takes hikers along the Mill Creek, sandwiched between glacier-carved sandstone rocks and the creek itself along a well maintained board walk.  

Today a tour of the five story mill costs all of $1, less if you are a Mahoning County resident.  Quite a bargain for a working piece of how you can see Ohio as America.  In the heart of what was to become the "rust belt" a mill still stands as a hopeful beacon that a region that once thrived industrially just might emerge in a new century in a new way for a new market.

- J.

Then and now: Seeing Ohio at 5 mph

Ohio grew from a wild, frontier state to a commercial hub during the 1840s thanks to the building of the Ohio & Erie Canal from Lake Erie at Cleveland to Portsmouth on the Ohio River. The earlier creation of the Erie Canal in upstate New York made it possible to ship goods from the Atlantic the west (at that time Ohio, Kentucky, Indiana and Illinois) quicker and cheaper. Goods then could flow from the west down the Mississippi to the Gulf of Mexico and Atlantic.

Akron, Massillon, Newark, Chillicothe and Portsmouth all became hubs of activity and grew by leaps and bounds thanks to the canal system. Today when many drive through some of these towns, or other smaller ones, and wonder "why is this city here" or "why are there so many century homes in this town" it is very likely due in part to the canals. Mills especially thrived along the Cuyahoga and Tuscarawas Rivers that fed the canals. (see left, click to enlarge)

The superhighway of its time, traveling the canal wasn't exactly like driving with the top down in a roadster clipping along at 7o mph with the wind whipping through your hair. Canal travel topped out at about 5 mph as your mule or horse pulled you through still water along the towpath. But unlike travel elsewhere over land, this was flat, continuous movement.

Today Ohio has been blessed with several organizations and societies (Ohio & Erie Canalway, Ohio & Erie Canalway Coalition, Nation Heritage Corridor, Visitor's Guide) that have preserved and reworked canal sections and opened them for tourism and recreation. One of the popular destinations in the Cuyahoga Valley National Park is the Towpath trail (see below, click to enlarge), that follows the old Ohio & Erie Canal. Hikers and Bikers hit the trail in large numbers to take in sun, shade, wildlife, plantlife and a lot of history. Those walking the trail are not far removed from the "speedy" 5 mph pace of days of yore.

The Ohio & Erie Towpath is a stretch of over 100 miles of crushed limestone, asphalt or even at times wood planked boardwalk from Cleveland to New Philadelphia (map of trail, detailed towpath descriptions). As of 2009 there are small sections that are incomplete or require sharing the road with automobiles, but for the most part you can travel a protected and scenic trail the entire route (towpath construction updates here).

Many of the old locks, which were used to elevate a boat to the next canal level, still exist in some form (see left, click to enlarge). Most are identified and have a learning station with historic photos included. At many locks one can walk on, around and between the thick, chiseled rock walls of the lock. Some are 10-15 feet tall, others are massive structures of 30 feet or more high.



At Peninsula, the Cuyahoga River actually passes below the canal. What may seem odd today, they actually built aqueducts to carry the canal over rivers, and the sharp turn the river makes at the remants of Lock 29 clearly show the labor and materials needed. One can walk deep inside this tall lock and marvel and the cut stone and even read at learning station that masons would mark their stones for quality assurance, in this case with Roman numerals. (see right, click to enlarge)

Lock 29 in Peninsula is a popular jumping on point to canal towpath. Located on Route 303, it is a short drive from either State Route 8 or I-271 to reach the historic town of Richfield (map) and Peninsula. Bikes can be rented here for a towpath ride. Along the towpath you also can see the mode of transportation that made the Age of Canals short lived. A major rail line mirrors the canal and is used by the Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railway for historic and picturesque tours of the valley. On weekends bike riders can hop on the train with their bikes for a few dollars and ride back to their starting point.

Heading north from Lock 29 towards Cleveland, a few miles walk or pedal will bring you below two massive bridges that span the valley as they carry vehicular traffic on the Ohio Turnpike and I-271. For those with a love of architecture, the towpath offers many different bridges to marvel at. Beyond the two recently rebuilt bridges over the valley, there is also a large span on Route 82 near Brecksville that is near the Rock Bridge trailhead in southern Cuyahoga County. An iron bridge carries foot and bike traffic from the trailhead parking to the towpath. (see left, click to enlarge)

Further towards Cleveland, two suspension bridges were built to safely move towpath travelers over busy roads in Valley View (see left, click to enlarge). All along the towpath, great care and forethought was made to keep the towpath protected. Along the Akron stretch two bridges have been built, one a steel span that crossed the busy innerbelt highway system and another south of town is a floating Brazilian wood deck that resolved the issue of purchasing private right-of-way along Summit Lake. In southern Stark County, near Bolivar, a bridge was built to carry towpath traffic over I-77.

For the visitor who wants to learn more of the history of the canal, there are four important stops to make along the towpath in each of the three most northern counties of the canal. Just south of Downtown Cleveland, the Canalway Visitor center (see right, click to enlarge) is a trailhead and two-room museum to Canal, the Cuyahoga River and the economic history both had in Northeast Ohio. A short video loop is informative and the exhibits are very family-friendly.

In Summit County two stops are easily accessible in one day for the moderate biker. Both are general stores and likely stops on different days during the canal era. Today they are about 10 miles apart and both offer a restored look at history.

Just a stone's throw from the Boston Mills ski area, the Boston Store (see left, click to enlarge) serves as a rest break along the towpath but offers a small museum to the canal era. The back of a canal boat has been constructed in cut-away style to show the size and the inner workings of the stern. Hands on exhibits allow you to build the ribs of the boat and a diorama gives a realistic vision of a busy lock area. Next door is a mid 20th Century garage and gas station that today serves as an art gallery. Ice cream and natural snacks can be found across the street.

Just outside of downtown Akron is Mustill's General Store (see right, click to enlarge). While serving as another trailhead for the towpath, this store has been carefully restored to it's 1840s look when it was a thriving business (see related news story). The sharp rise in the geography from the Cuyahoga Valley to the "summit" in Akron led to a series of over 20 locks. Making your way through Akron would take some time and hence the growth of Akron resulted from overnight stops and general shopping while waiting to traverse the locks. Mustills also offers interactive exhibits and photos of the thriving general store business during the height of the canals.

To see how a town was impacted by the rise and fall of the canals, visit Canal Fulton in northern Stark County. Many historic buildings still exist and there is a small town, historic charm to the main street along the canal. But it is also evident to see how a community changed once a town was bypassed after the canal era ended. Canal Fulton is a popular trailhead, there is a small museum here as well, plus a picnic, park and top-notch ice cream parlor open during warm weather months.


A mile south from this trailhead along the towpath is Lock 4 (see above, click to enlarge), which may be the best location along the canal today to see what a typical lock would look like. While not operational, the gates for the lock have been rebuilt and the lockkeepers station house, a well-built brick building, still stands. While empty with no plans evident for the historic building, Lock 4 is a trailhead with a well-manicured park and Ohio historic marker explaining the canal system.

One can take a ride on a reproduction canal "packet" boat -- one used primarily to haul freight -- on a two-mile round trip down the canal that begins in Canal Fulton and turns around here at Lock 4. The boat, the St. Helena III (see right, click to enlarge), is at times is pulled by pair of horses and at times by a large motorized farm tractor. The St. Helena sometimes has difficulty navigating the canal as plant life growing in the water make it hard for the animals to pull. The State of Ohio is responsible for maintaining waterways and the one-mile stretch of canal is not top priority.

While the rapid growth of the rail system in the 1850's impacted the value of the canal, it was still in use until 1913, when massive flooding in Northeast Ohio rendered the canal economically impractical to restore. Along the towpath you can see the remnants of the many hours of manual labor, and where the still water allows for wildlife to take refuge.

One wonders if the during the 1830's while sections of the canal were being carved from the soil, if the low-paid, unskilled, primarily immigrant labor pool would have envisioned thousands of hikers and bikers each year traveling along the canal for fun and fitness? At 5 mph, it's not a bad way to see Ohio.

- J.