Hunting the haunted: Peninsula's Lock 27

Most of the locks along the Ohio and Erie Canal are allegedly haunted. Ghosts and other spirits seem to be attracted to the man-made waterway. The ghost of a young boy has been witnessed near Lock 27. Many people think that he drowned in the canal in the late 1800s.

History
Lock 27, also called Johnnycake Lock was named as a result of an incident that happened with a canal boat shortly after the canal opened. Passengers and workers got stranded due to a flood. They survived by eating cornmeal Johnnycakes. The lock is part of the Ohio and Erie Canal.

The Ohio and Erie Canal began construction on July 4, 1825 in Newark, Ohio. Construction lasted through 1832. When completed, the canal was 308 miles long with 146 locks. The canal was used to haul freight and supplies from Lake Erie to the Ohio River. Railroads eventually took over freight hauling in 1861 and the canal was soon abandoned.

Most of the canal was destroyed on March 23, 1913 when a major storm flooded the waterway. In this disaster, 479 people were killed statewide.

Haunted History
There seems to be hundreds of ghost stories involving the Ohio and Erie Canal. Town after town along the canal, people have encountered things that they can't explain. Some of them have witnessed the canal's ghosts. Johnnycake Lock is allegedly haunted by former canal workers, Native Americans, and even a little boy that died in the canal.

Location
Lock 27 is located in the Cuyahoga Valley National Park, in Peninsula, Ohio.

Be sure to check out John's other columns:
Akron Paranormal Examiner
Cleveland Haunted Places Examiner

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Many locations that are listed in John's Hunting the Haunted series require permission to visit or investigate. Most of these places are patrolled by the authorities and trespassers could face fines or possibly even be arrested.

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