Midtown Dayton in Montgomery County, Ohio — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)

The Canal in Dayton

— Patterson Boulevard Canal Parkway —

Photographed by Craig Doda, July 5, 2025

1. The Canal in Dayton Marker

Inscription.

The Miami Canal was constructed along the east boundary of Daniel Cooper's plat, with its basin on Mill Street (Patterson Boulevard). The location was practical because a nearby millrace built earlier by Daniel Cooper could be used as a feeder to provide water for the canal. From the Basin, the canal headed south 66 miles to Cincinnati, serving over 60 mills along the way. In Dayton, its path skewed west, digressing from the grid-iron pattern of the downtown streets. The layout of the present-day Patterson Boulevard, built over the filled canal, is a footprint of the old waterway.

The Miami Erie Canal, early twentieth century, looking north toward the Sixth Street bridge in the Oregon District area. The Armory building stands in the foreground and the mills along the canal and its branch are visible in the background.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Industry & Commerce • Waterways & Vessels.

Location. 39° 45.344′ N, 84° 11.264′ W. Marker is in Dayton, Ohio, in Montgomery County. It is in Midtown Dayton. It is at the intersection of South Patterson Boulevard and East 6th Street, on the right when traveling north on South Patterson Boulevard. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 322 E 6th 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.

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At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: The Miami Erie Canal (here, next to this marker); The Canal and Industrial Growth (here, next to this marker); The Canal and the Parkway (here, next to this marker); Adaptive Reuse of the Armory (here, next to this marker); Trade at the Canal Basin (here, next to this marker); The Armory (here, next to this marker); Bridges (about 500 feet away, measured in a direct line); Dayton and the Canal: Timeline (about 500 feet away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Dayton.

Photographed by Craig Doda, July 5, 2025

2. The Canal in Dayton Marker

Credits. This page was last revised on July 26, 2025. It was originally submitted on July 6, 2025, by Craig Doda of Napoleon, Ohio. This page has been viewed 126 times since then and 38 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on July 6, 2025, by Craig Doda of Napoleon, Ohio. • Devry Becker Jones was the editor who published this page.