Completed in 1837, limestone lock nine served as a catalyst for the growth of Piqua. The lock helped connect the village to Cincinnati in 1837 and Toledo in 1845 by way of the Miami and Erie Canal. German immigrants traveled up the canal from Cincinnati and settled within a five-block area of the lock. Industries used the lock as a source of water power and developed products as diverse as flannel, flour, and flax seed. Lock nine remained a functioning part of the canal until its destruction during the flood of 1913.