Cuyahoga River

For thousands of years, Native Americans followed a north-south trade route through this area. The Cuyahoga River allowed travel by canoe to an eight-mile portage trail leading to the south-flowing Tuscarawas River, which eventually led to the Ohio River. Although these river routes were shallow, they suited the needs of Native Americans and early explorers and traders. Settlers and farmers, however, needed a safe and dependable way to take their products to market and found the swift spring currents treacherous. In the early 1800s, the Ohio & Erie Canal provided a solution and generally followed the same ancient river routes.

Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio · United States