Cincinnati & Whitewater Canal Tunnel

The Cincinnati & Whitewater Canal Tunnel is an abandoned canal tunnel in Hamilton County, Ohio. Constructed in 1837, it was used until 1888.

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The Cincinnati & Whitewater Canal Tunnel is an abandoned canal tunnel in Hamilton County, Ohio. Constructed in 1837, it was used until 1888.

In 1835, the Indiana General Assembly requested that Ohio build a canal connecting Lawrenceburg and Cincinnati. Ohio approved the request through legislation in 1836, leading investors to construct the Cincinnati & Whitewater Canal to link the Whitewater Canal with Cincinnati. ²

On March 31, 1836, the steamer Moselle transported passengers from Cincinnati to the North Bend farm of retired war hero William Henry Harrison for the canal groundbreaking ceremonies. ¹⁰ At the site, workers excavated a tunnel through a steep ridgeline separating North Bend from Cleves. ⁵

The tunnel’s construction was marked by tragedy when a collapse killed six workers. ³ Engineered by Darius Lapham, ^{4 9} it was completed in 1837—six years before the canal officially opened—and passed through land owned by Harrison. ⁴

A strong advocate for the canal, Harrison sold land for the right-of-way and provided wood and bricks for construction. ^{6 10} After his brief presidency and sudden death, he was buried atop the ridgeline near the tunnel’s southern portal.

The tunnel measured 1,574 feet long, 24 feet wide, and 20 ½ feet high, with brick lining and ashlar stone portals featuring wing walls. ^{4 7 10} It included a towpath, eliminating the need for leggers. ⁵

The Cincinnati & Whitewater Canal was completed in 1843 from Harrison to Cincinnati. ² However, frequent flooding damaged much of the canal, leading to its abandonment in 1856. The tunnel was then repurposed for a railroad, remaining in use until a rerouting through an open cut in 1888. ^{1 6} Over time, it became nearly silted up to the ceiling. ⁸

In 1959, ⁹ a project to widen U.S. Route 50 caused part of the tunnel to collapse. ³ In 2000, the Ohio Historical Society and private organizations placed a historical marker at its northern portal. The tunnel was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2001.

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Details

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Sources

1. Indiana State Historic Architectural and Archaeological Research Database. Department of Natural Resources, Division of Historic Preservation and Archaeology.
   • Starrett, Robert D. “Whitewater Canal Historic District.” National Park Service.
2. “Canal Mania in Indiana.” The Indiana Historian, Ju. 1997.
3. “Bridge, Tunnel Named to Historic Register.” Cincinnati Post, 6 July 2001.
4. “Cincinnati and Whitewater Canal Tunnel.” National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service, 9 July 2010.
5. “Cincinnati and Whitewater Canal Tunnel.” Ohio History Central, 17 July 2013.
6. “Cincinnati & Whitewater Canal Tunnel.” Ohio Historical Society, 2000.
7. “Cincinnati & Whitewater Canal Tunnel.” Ohio Historical Society, 2007.
8. Reilly, Mary Bridget. “Unearthing a Buried Treasure.” University of Cincinnati, 14 Mar. 2000.
9. O’Hanlon, Herbert. “Canal Tunnel.” American Canal Society, Aug. 1975.
10. “William Henry Harrison and the Cincinnati & Whitewater Canal.” The Historical Marker Database.