Lock 36

Lock 36. Sandy and Beaver Canal. , The Sandy and Beaver Canal was constructed during the great 1827 to 1850 canal building era that transformed Ohio from a wilderness into a prosperous center of commerce, agriculture, and industry. Canals provided the first convenient and affordable means of transporting crops and other goods from the state's interior to east coast markets. With the economic boom that followed, new towns grew rapidly all along the canals. In 1834, the canal route was surveyed, and the Gaston Flouring Mill was built along the proposed canal site., The 1837 economic panic delayed the completion of the canal until 1848. The Sandy and Beaver was 73 ½ miles long and included the longest canal tunnel built in the United States, connecting the Ohio River at Glasgow, Pennsylvania, to the Ohio and Erie Canal at Bolivar, Ohio. The canal was fully operational for four years. Failure of a main reservoir in 1852 and growing competition from railroads led to its early demise., Nearby canal structures are among the best preserved remnants of the Sandy and Beaver Canal Lock 36 and Gaston Mill serve as a continuing reminder of the rich history of Columbiana County and the State of Ohio in mid-19th century America.