Canal Postcard, ca. 1900 ID: 627 | This file appears in: Ohio and Erie Canal Railroads became the dominant form of commercial transportation around the time of the Civil War, quickly making canals obsolete. Much of the Ohio & Erie Canal was abandoned and became used primarily by recreational boaters, such as the boys depicted in this idyllic canal scene around 1900. | Date: ca. 1900 | Source: Cleveland Public Library Download Original File SourceCleveland Public LibraryDateca. 1900 "Canal Postcard, ca. 1900" appears in: Ohio and Erie Canal