In August of 2023 the Middletown Historical Society began plans to commemorate two important anniversaries connected to the Miami & Erie Canal – the Bicentennial of the beginning of the canal here in Middletown in 1825 and the completion of the first lock on the canal in Excello in 1826.

 

A committee was formed with members from the Middletown Historical Society, Downtown Middletown, Inc., the City of Middletown and MECCA (Miami & Erie Canal Corridor Association), and they have been meeting regularly.

 

The following projects have been identified:
 

Excello Lock Park

The Excello Lock was the first lock completed on the Miami Canal in 1826. It was originally designated Lock No. 3, but later renumbered to Lock No. 34.  The lock is still intact but for several years it was not visible or accessible to the public because of the growth of trees and honeysuckle.

 

Late in 2023, a cleanup effort began to clear out the honeysuckle and dead trees and open the view of the lock and the spillway.  A recent grant received by the Middletown Historical Society will allow for the creation of a park area with a gravel parking area, walking paths and informational signage.  At the completion of this project, a Bicentennial Celebration will be held.
 

First Dig Site

On July 21, 1825 an event took place in Middletown that signified great change for the

town and the entire area.  On that date a crowd of thousands gathered in a field just south of town at present day Verity Parkway and Yankee Road, to witness the ground breaking ceremony for the Miami Canal.

 

New York State Governor DeWitt Clinton, champion of the Erie Canal, lifted the first spadeful of dirt signaling the beginning of the Miami Canal, which when completed as the Miami & Erie Canal, linked Cincinnati and the Ohio River to Toledo and Lake Erie.

 

The site was commemorated in 1929 when a rock monument was erected and the canal was officially closed.

 

A Bicentennial Celebration will be held on or near July 21, 2025 to commemorate this significant event in Middletown’s history.  Also, additional enhancements of the site will be created including informational signage.  A promotional campaign will be developed to identify the site as a historical destination.

 

Additional projects:

Several other projects are in the works during the coming two years including:

•    Presentations on Miami & Erie Canal history

•    Canal Days festival sponsored by Downtown Middletown, Inc.

•    Creation of a Canal District in downtown Middletown