The canal's purpose was to connect the city of Cincinnati to Lake Erie because at that time no highways existed in the state and it was thus very difficult for goods produced locally to reach the larger markets east of the Appalachian Mountains.
The canal's purpose was to connect the city of Cincinnati to Lake Erie for water transportation. At that time no highways had been built in the state and it was very difficult for goods produced locally to reach the larger markets east of the Appalachian Mountains.