Webster Station in Dayton in Montgomery County, Ohio — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)
"What Shall We Do With The Canal?"
| | Patterson Boulevard Canal Parkway | |
Photographed by Craig Doda, May 4, 2024
1. "What Shall We Do With The Canal?" Marker
"What Shall We Do With The Canal?"
General A. A. Thomas, secretary of the National Cash Register Company, advocating abandoning the canal in 1911
The Miami Erie Canal fell into disrepair during the late nineteenth century. Discussions of its abandonment became more prevalent during the early 1900s, with John Patterson, founder of the National Cash Register Company and former canal toll collector, lending his voice to that cause. After much debate, the state of Ohio began to repair and rebuild large sections of the canal, replacing basic infrastructure such as locks and aqueducts. Replacement of the disused Miami River Aqueduct began in 1906, but was abandoned in 1912 due to a lack of funds. The canal era came to a sudden end with the destruction caused by the flood of 1913.
The Miami Erie Canal, Dayton, Ohio, photographed in 1911, before the flood. The canal had been in disrepair since the last quarter of the nineteenth century. By turn of the century, it had become a garbage dump. Two years after the photograph was taken, the canal infrastructure was extensively damaged during the flood of 1913.
Erected 2017.
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Disasters
this page online
Location. 39° 45.635′ N, 84° 11.208′ W. Marker is in Dayton, Ohio, in Montgomery County. It is in Webster Station. It is at the intersection of North Patterson Boulevard and East 3rd Street, on the right when traveling north on North Patterson Boulevard. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 315 E 3rd St, Dayton OH 45402, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in Ohio’s Miami Valley. It is also in the American Midwest and in the Corn Belt. Globally, it is in North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) Confederacy, the territory of the Mississippian Culture, and the Northwest Territory.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: The Miami Erie Canal / And Patterson Boulevard (here, next to this marker); John Patterson, Toll Collector (here, next to this marker); Filling the Canal (here, next to this marker); The Abrupt End of the Canal: The Flood of 1913 (here, next to this marker); The Patterson Legacy (here, next to this marker); Planning the Parkway (here, next to this marker); The Canal after the Flood (here, next to this marker); Miami Erie Canal between Third and Fifth Streets (within shouting distance of this marker). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Dayton.
Photographed by Craig Doda, May 4, 2024
2. Patterson Canal Obelisk #1
Credits. This page was last revised on May 16, 2024. It was originally submitted on May 12, 2024, by Craig Doda of Napoleon, Ohio. This page has been viewed 196 times since then and 8 times this year. Last updated on May 16, 2024, by Craig Doda of Napoleon, Ohio. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on May 12, 2024, by Craig Doda of Napoleon, Ohio. • Devry Becker Jones was the editor who published this page.
