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THE WESTERN RESERVE HISTORICAL SOCIETY IS PROUD TO
PRESENT BUILDING AMERICA’S CANALS EXHIBIT THIS OCTOBER!
CLEVELAND, OH –Building America’s Canals makes its debut
at The Western Reserve Historical Society’s Norton Gallery on Friday, October
24. This new exhibit blends history and science with hands-on activities that
place the visitor in the role of a canal engineer. Guests can discover the most
effective routes of travel, build an aqueduct supported by a masonry arch, learn
how to build and operate a lock, and explore the science behind suspension
bridges.
Building America’s Canals will help students, educators and
visitors understand how the construction and operation of towpath canals had
profound effects on the economic development of the United States in the 19th
century. Each activity station in the exhibit is accompanied by interpretive
graphics that provide important historical information about canal engineering.
Canals were constructed in America to meet the pressing need for a
reliable and inexpensive means for linking sources of raw materials with inland
factories and for transporting bulk cargoes. Canals also made it possible for
the country’s inland farmers to send their crops to the bustling markets of
Boston, New York City, Philadelphia, Baltimore, and Charleston, as well as ports
in Canada. Likewise, manufactured goods were sent westward over these same
canals.
The canal that many Northeast Ohioans are familiar with is the
Ohio & Erie Canal. According to the Ohio & Erie Canal Association, the Ohio &
Erie Canal was the first, and among the most successful, of the canals built in
the West. Its construction immediately followed completion of the Erie
Canal across New York. The Erie Canal linked the East to the edge of the
West. The Ohio & Erie Canal also pushed the connection into the heartland.
Before the canal, it took 30 days to travel by land from Akron to New York City.
By canal, it took just 10 days. “We’re very proud to have the Building
America’s Canals exhibit at The Western Reserve Historical Society,” said Ed
Pershey, vice president for Museums and Properties at WRHS. “This interactive
exhibit tells the story about the foresight and ingenuity of Ohioans and the
importance of canals to the nation’s economy, using fun, hands-on activities for
children and families.”
In conjunction with the exhibition, John Powers’
Ohio & Erie Canal Photographs will be on display throughout the run of the
exhibit. John Powers uses a special 7”x17” camera to capture stunning
studies of the Ohio & Erie Canal today.
Public Programs for Building America’s Canals during the
month of October include:
Discover the WRHS Library Archives Canal
History Resources Saturday, October 25, 2008 11:30 a.m. and 2 p.m.
Visit the WRHS Library Archives before or after the 1 p.m. canal program for an
introduction to our canal collections by WRHS Librarian Ann Sindelar. Free
with museum admission.
The Ohio & Erie Canal: Then and Now
Saturday, October 25, 2008 1 p.m. Join Tim Donovan of the Ohio & Erie
Canal Corridor as he shows how the canal, envisioned by George Washington in
1787 to connect the Great Lakes to the Gulf of Mexico, is being reused today as
a recreational and economic resource. Free with museum admission.
Meet the Author: Jack Gieck Sunday, October 26, 2008 1 p.m. – 3:30 p.m. Visit with the author of A Photo Album
of Ohio’s Canal Era, 1825 – 1913, and view his documentaries: Ohio’s Canal Era –
Part 1 Historical Background – 1:15 p.m., and Part 2, The Ohio & Erie Canal –
2:15 p.m. View the Building America’s Canals interactive exhibit.
Jack may be able to answer your canal engineering questions.
Building
America’s Canals will be on exhibition through Friday, January 9. For more
information on the Building America’s Canals programs, call 216-721-5722, ext.
320.
New Hours As of October 1, WRHS museum hours are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Tuesdays,
Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays. Wednesday hours are 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.,
and Sunday hours are 12 p.m. to 4 p.m.
The Western Reserve Historical
Society headquarters is located at 10825 East Blvd. in University Circle.
Admission is $8.50 for adults, $7.50 for seniors, and $5 for children and
students. Members are free. With admission, visitors gain access to
The Crawford Auto-Aviation Museum, The History Museum, The Chisholm Halle
Costume Wing, The Hay-McKinney mansion and the WRHS Library.
The Western
Reserve Historical Society was founded in 1867, making it the oldest cultural
institution in Northeast Ohio. With headquarters in University Circle, the
renowned arts and culture district of Cleveland, the Society operates nine
separate but related collections at five historic properties throughout the
region. The mission of WRHS is to collect, preserve and present the history of
all the people of Northeast Ohio.
FOR
IMMEDIATE RELEASE: