Towpath Trail XI (3/27/2016)

Sunday, March 27, 2016
Happy Easter!  What a beautiful day!
Hiked the Ohio & Erie Canal Towpath Trail from Lock 29 to the Deep Lock Quarry.

The Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad station (built in 1880
as the Boston Mill Depot, moved to Peninsula, OH in the 1970s)

Lock 29

Lock 29 used to cross the Cuyahoga River on an aqueduct

Remains of an 1832 grist mill, last owned by
Charles Thomas and Chandler Moody,
whose 1902 structure burned down in 1931

Mystery stone foundation

Trees growing in the canal

Rapids of the Cuyahoga River

Tussilago farfara/Coltsfoot

Lock 28 or Deep Lock was 5.2 m/17' deep,
as compared to 6' to 12' for other locks

Deep Lock algae

We took a side trip to Deep Lock Quarry.

Kent with a couple mill stones that were "scattered"
around the quarry area

Claytonia virginica/Spring Beauty

Moss covered stones

Deep Lock Quarry provided Berea sandstone blocks
to build the canal locks and other local structures

The quarry was purchased in 1879 by Ferdinand Schumacher, who is credited for introducing oatmeal to America by supplying it to Union troops during the Civil War. The quarry then produced mill stones used by Akron's American Cereal Works (later Quaker Oats). The Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) used stone from the quarry to construct Summit MetroPark facilities in the 1930s.

Mason mark?

They don't want us climbing these steps!

Leftover piles of quarried stones

Back in Peninsula, on the opposite side from the Towpath Trail:

The Cuyahoga River turns a left-hand corner to go under the bridge in the center if the photo

Another view of the grist mill ruins

Now to go eat some Easter chocolates!

(We hiked the "first" section of the Towpath Trail that follows the old Ohio & Erie Canal on July 6, 2014 from Harvard Road to the Marcy Trestle. We started at the Canalway Center near the trestle and walked to the overpass of I-77 on November 9, 2014. On December 26, 2014, we walked between the I-77 overpass and Quaker Steak on Canal Road in Valley View. On September 27, 2015, we hiked between Quaker Steak on Canal Road and Lock 38. On October 4, 2015, we went between Lock 38 and Alexander's Mill. On November 8, 2015, we hiked from Alexander's Mill halfway to Station Road Bridge. On November 29, 2015, we went from Station Road Bridge halfway back to Alexander's Mill. On December 6, 2015, we went from Station Road Bridge to Red Lock. December 13, 2015 was between Red Lock and Boston Store. On February 28, 2016, we hiked from Lock 29 back to Boston Store.)