 The canal also provided a route for immigrants to reach Maria Stein.After its completion it provided transportation for farm goods to developing urban centers in Toledo and Lake Erie to the north and Dayton, Cincinnati and points further down stream on the Ohio and Mississippi rivers to the south and fostered the development of railheads to connect with the canal, facilitating the industrial development of the surrounding region.Many farmers in Maria Stein and surrounding towns worked on their farms and held a second job in one of the many surrounding manufacturing plants.