These four 8" x 10 "(20.3 x 25.4 cm) photographs document the Miami and Erie Canal in northwestern Ohio. The Miami and Erie Canal was built between 1825 and 1848 and extended from Toledo to Cincinnati. Boats shipped cargo along the canal, including bulk agricultural products such as shell corn, wheat, wool, pork, and lard. As an intersection point for Lake Erie and both the Wabash and Erie Canal, which ran west to Indiana, and the Miami and Erie Canal, Toledo played an important role in this type of commerce. The growth of the canal system resulted in a population boom in Toledo and other cities along the canal routes, cheaper shipping costs for farmers, and less expensive goods for consumers.