Browse Interviews

Lester gives an well-rounded history of the town of Dover, Ohio. His interest in and appreciation for Dover's history and history in general stems from the work his family has done in this field. The subjects he discusses are vast in scope. Everything from racial discrimination to the Ohio Canal are discussed in detail as they pertain to Dover. Interview was conducted by various members of the Rivers Roads and Rails (TAH Project) Dover team.

Rebecca Jones is an interpretive ranger with the National Park Service at the Cuyahoga Valley National Park. This interview was conducted to get information about the history of different park sites, including the Ohio & Erie Canal, the Everett Road Covered Bridge (with contra dancing), and the Frazee House.

Involved in historic development in Cleveland, especially the warehouse district and gateway district, Cleveland native Thomas Yablonsky discusses the Ohio and Erie Canal He is on the Ohio and Erie Canal association board as well as the Ohio canal corridor. He also discusses the changes and developments in the Tremont region.

A graduate of Kent State University in urban geography, Jim Kastlic outlines his vision for reconstructing the towpath trail. Centered around the national park, Kastlic outlines how the towpath can provide Cleveland with a sense of history, economic opportunites through tourism, and how the towpath falls in line with new residential visions. This path, a utilization of the natural landscape in an urban setting, he belives, is vital to Cleveland's future.

Tim Donovan explains his work with the Ohio Erie Canal Corridor and the Erie Canalway Association. Focused on articulating a sense of Cleveland's history and culture through a Canal Heritage project, Donovan believes that a connection and understanding of the Canal and its usefulness both historically and in the present can reinvigorate the city of Cleveland and the surrounding areas. Donovan details the political and professional work that he has done and continues to do to ensure the goals are…

Dan Rice, Curator at the Summit County Historical Society, discusses his role promoting the Ohio and Erie Canalway project and working with developers seeking to mesh their projects with the canal. Rice discusses the roles of congressmen John Seiberling and Ralph Regula in building public support for the Canalway initiative. He also discusses the use of the canal in educational programming and efforts to teach about sustainability. Throughout the interview, Rice emphasizes his faith in the…

In this 2005 interview, Tim Donovan, Director of the Ohio Canal Corridor, discusses the history of this non-profit organization dedicated to preserving and restoring the Ohio canal and its towpath. Donovan, who grew up on the west side of Cleveland in the 1950s, and attended St. Ignatius High School and Cleveland State University, recounts early jobs he had in the Cleveland area, including working at Jones & Laughlin's steel mills and serving as a Census Bureau surveyor. He was working at J&L…