Webster Station in Dayton in Montgomery County, Ohio — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)
Filling the Canal
"A step forward in the path of beauty"
| | Patterson Boulevard Canal Parkway | |
Photographed by Craig Doda, May 4, 2024
1. Filling the Canal Marker
In its heyday during the nineteenth century, the Miami Erie Canal had driven the growth of Dayton from a modest trade-post to a mid-sized industrial city. Now, in the 1920s, the city could barely wait for the parkway to be constructed over the abandoned canal. As an article in Dayton Herald from September 15, 1927 proclaimed: "An evil, ugly, foul-smelling muck [the abandoned canal] has been painlessly removed from the center of the city the city will have a boulevard traversing the bed of the old stream. This will be a utility as well as a step forward in the path of beauty."
[Caption:]
Aerial view of Dayton showing the filled Miami Erie Canal bed during the construction of Patterson Boulevard during the 1930s. The Armory Building is visible in the center of the picture, nestled between Fifth and Sixth Streets. The Oregon Historic District is located on the right, east side. A portion of Patterson Boulevard near Cooper Park was already open to traffic.
Erected 2017.
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Industry & Commerce • Waterways & Vessels. In addition, it is included in the The Miami & Erie Canal series list. A significant historical date for this entry is September 15, 1927.
Location. 39° 45.635′
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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: Planning the Parkway (here, next to this marker); John Patterson, Toll Collector (here, next to this marker); The Patterson Legacy (here, next to this marker); The Canal after the Flood (here, next to this marker); The Abrupt End of the Canal: The Flood of 1913 (here, next to this marker); "What Shall We Do With The Canal?" (here, next to this marker); The Miami Erie Canal / And Patterson Boulevard (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. Filling the Canal Marker
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 214 times since then and 13 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.
