Mules are led down the towpath the last day of the 1996 season at Providence Metropark Photo: Fred Folger |
Providence Metropark and Historic Area
Providence Metropark and Historic Area is one
of the nine Metroparks run by the Metropolitan Park District
of the Toledo Area. The historic area encompasses a restored
section of the old Miami & Erie Canal, Lock # 44, the
Providence dam, and the historic Isaac Ludwig Mill. The park
is named after the canal boomtown of Providence, and is a
living reminder of the prosperity that swept across the
northwestern portion of the state during the early to mid 19th
century.
The Metropark staff provide educational programs that
help keep the history and traditions of northwest Ohio alive. At
the park, visitors can learn about the canal era from costumed
interpretive guides. To reach the mill, they must take a mule-drawn
canal boat, which glides down the Miami & Erie Canal. As
visitors walk through the water-powered mill, they can hear the
humming of the sawmill, and the grinding of the gristmill where
corn is turned into fine meal, and wheat becomes flour. The
"miller" will carry on a friendly discourse with visitors while the
"blacksmith's" hammer is heard pounding out iron and steel. The
"tinsmith" works at creating lanterns and other items that would be
useful to early Ohioans.
Outside the mill, visitors can also watch how a woman
operates a spinning wheel. Nearly 25,000 people, comprising school
groups, seniors, families, and tourists, visit Providence Metropark
and Historic Area each year.
Documentation includes an 18-page report, slides, a
video and 10 photographs.
Originally submitted by: George V. Voinovich, Senator.
More Local Legacies... |
|
|
The Local Legacies project provides a "snapshot" of American Culture as it was expressed in spring of 2000. Consequently, it is not being updated with new or revised information with the exception of "Related Website" links.
Learn More About It... |
|
|
|