The Miami and Erie Canal once sliced through this scenic region of western Ohio, taking freight and passengers from Cincinnati to Toledo and points between. Today, visitors can see many reminders of canal days, as well as many other points of interest in the old canal towns of St. Marys and New Bremen.
St. Marys’ canal history is celebrated at Memorial Park downtown with the re-created canal boat Belle of St. Marys and at the newly restored Lock 13N nearby. Other downtown attractions include the Memorial Park covered bridge and clock tower and Heritage Park.
The historic town of New Bremen, about nine miles south of St. Marys, also features a reconstructed canal lock as the focus of a downtown park. Another attraction is the Bicycle Museum of America, which features almost 300 bicycles, many of them rare, illustrating the history of the vehicle. For information, call 419-629-9249 or visit www.bicyclemuseum.com.
For information about the history of the Miami and Erie Canal and plans for the canal route’s future, visit the website of the Miami and Erie Canal Corridor Association at www.meccainc.org.
For more history, and for maps and information about the 40-mile stretch of the old Miami and Erie Canal towpath now maintained as a hiking trail, visit www.hiking. ohiotrail.com.
For visitors information about the region, call the Auglaize & Mercer Counties Convention and Visitors Bureau at 800-860-4726 or visit www.seemore.org.
