Webster Station in Dayton in Montgomery County, Ohio — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)
John Patterson, Toll Collector
| | Patterson Boulevard Canal Parkway | |
Photographed by Craig Doda, May 4, 2024
1. John Patterson, Toll Collector Marker
Collectors stationed at several points along the Miami Erie Canal collected tolls and water rent to pay for the maintenance of the canal. Perishable goods garnered a higher toll than bulk freight like lumber. Until 1840, toll revenues steadily increased. With the arrival of the railroad, collections began to fall. By the 1870s, the Dayton-Cincinnati segment of the original Miami Canal remained profitable only because of the water rent collected from mills and factories, rather than from tolls.
The building depicted to the left is the toll booth at Third and Kenton Streets. John Patterson, founder of the National Cash Register Company, worked there as a collector from 1867 to 1876. Patterson also opened a wood and coal business in the same premises to augment his modest income as a toll collector. Patterson's grandfather, Robert Patter- son, had been an advocate for the construction of the canal during the early nineteenth century. In the early twentieth century, John Patterson became a vocal advocate of the abandonment of the canal.
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 year for this entry is 1840.
Location.
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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: Filling the Canal (here, next to this marker); "What Shall We Do With The Canal?" (here, next to this marker); The Patterson Legacy (here, next to this marker); The Miami Erie Canal / And Patterson Boulevard (here, next to this marker); Planning the Parkway (here, next to this marker); The Abrupt End of the Canal: The Flood of 1913 (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. John Patterson, Toll Collector 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 191 times since then and 11 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.
