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The Ohio and Erie Canal and the towns along it used to be regional arteries. Connecting Lake Erie to the Ohio River and Cleveland to Portsmouth in the 1830s, the canal helped unite Ohio settlements and grow them from sparse to flourishing. After the rise of railroads and the Great Flood of 1913, the canal was abandoned and the way of life in its towns was largely forgotten.
But not Roscoe Village.
Mid-19th-century buildings stand alongside a few newer private homes and businesses in the vibrant village that’s full of living history. Immerse yourself in olden buildings, historic re-enactors and quaint shops that keep the canal era alive.
Start your journey at the visitors’ center where you’ll learn about the canal era through an intricate model of canals, a working grist mill and detailed dioramas. While locks are preserved and some canal sections remain, Roscoe Village is the best marker of a town that was once the fourth largest wheat port in the 350-mile Great Lakes canal system.
Stop by the Toll House, once the home of a toll collector in the 1830s and now an interactive exhibit on the extensive restoration work that went into reviving the historic property. Learn how the “Canal Days” mural inspired Coshocton industrialist Edward Montgomery and his wife, Frances, to begin restoration in the 1960s and what techniques they used.
Mary Ellen Given volunteered as a young adult to help with the bustling restoration. “You could feel the excitement,” she recalls.
Given is now the executive director of the Roscoe Village Foundation and remembers seeing Frances Montgomery tend to the village garden that’s now a memorial to Frances.
“Mrs. Montgomery could be found in the garden every day,” she says. “She designed a traditional garden of her day — ivy, perennials. Today it’s more brightly colored flowers.”
Stroll the village and observe craftspeople at work: a blacksmith hammering out iron wares, a printer fashioning bookmarks, a broommaker shaping straw into a tool. Get a sense of what life was really like with a tour of Dr. Maro Johnson’s furnished home or the Caldersburgh Pearl boat that’s like one canal families lived in.
“We are teaching about something that doesn’t exist anymore,” Given says.
Fine art and culture await at wine sipping spots, antique shops and the nationally recognized Johnson-Huminghouse Museum with cultural art from Native American to East Asian.
The bucket list item for each visit is a cruise on the Monticello III through an actual part of the canal filled with water and restored to its former glory. A favorite among visitors, the replica boat is pulled by Percheron draft horses fronted by a lead horse known as the hoggee. That slow glide over a 45-minute ride is long enough to drift away to a bygone era.
Ways to Visit
Take a self-guided tour of eight Greek Revival buildings where guides in 1830s costumes embody history.
Head out on a weekend when music and festivals fill the streets.
Enjoy renowned shops hawking gifts, fine crafts, clothing and jewelry.
Dine at Medbery Cafe, Uncorked wine bar or Warehouse Steak n’ Stein. Take home a sandwich made with local ingredients or an ice cream treat.
Browse the elegant village garden designed by Frances Montgomery and stop at the nearby pocket Clary Gardens on your way out.
Unplug with the kiddies and partake in regular hands-on activities at the visitors’ center like candle dipping or rope making.
Cap off your visit by following the Three Rivers Wine trail to six wineries, Killbuck Creek Distillery and nearby Wooly Pig Farm Brewery.
