History of the Abandoned Rail Corridor

1826 - Milan Canal Co. established - constructed 3-mile dug canal and towpath from the village of Milan, OH, north to Huron River. Canal towpath continued another 3 miles north along the Huron River, emptying vessels into Lake Erie at Huron, OH. Acquired small portion of the land from 2 deeds, Merry and Townsend. The rest had not been settled yet; was given to Canal Co. by State of Ohio.

1869 - Milan Canal Co. closed canal due to lack of use.

1877 - Canal Co. leased its land to railroad; legal description of property attached to court recorded lease. Railroad built tracks on towpath. The 99-year lease was renewable forever, as long as conditions were met. The two conditions, as stated in lease:

1) $50 rent due and payable annually
2) Land must be used for RR purposes.

If either of these conditions not met, lease was void and land reverted back to Canal Co. heirs.

1904 - Dissolution of Milan Canal Co. Land sold to Steven Lockwood at sheriff’s sale, recorded in Erie County courthouse. Same legal description as in lease was described and court recorded.

1954 - Lockwood heirs put Canal Co. land in trust in "Lockwood Trust"

1988 - Railroad federally abandoned the tracks – filed with the ICC (now called STB)

1989 - Railroad stopped paying annual $50 rent to Lockwood Trust

1989 - Railroad stopped maintaining rail corridor

1989-1992 - Railroad pulled up tracks, ties, ballast,etc. Railroad correspondence stated their intent to permanently abandon the corridor.

It is apparent that both lease conditions were breached and lease was voided as early as 1990. According to lease language, land should have reverted back to Canal Co. heirs - Lockwood Trust. NOTE: land sat idle from 1989 through November 1994. There was no interim use.

1993 - Adjoining landowner (Leber) received a portion of rail corridor from Trust.

November 1994 - ErieMetroparks (EMP) paid Railroad $214,600.00 and "bought" lease rights. Received quit claim deed from Railroad. Railroad deal excluded Leber land.

1997 - Adjoining landowner (Wikel) received deed for portion from Trust

1999 - Landowners (Coles and Rinella) received deeds for their respective portions from Trust.

September 1999 - EMP attempted to pay Key Trust, trustee for Lockwood Trust, $550.00 back rent (from 1989 to 1999). Key Trust returned check; stated lease was void.

September 1999 - EMP filed Declaratory Relief suit, asking the court to rule on the validity of the lease.

April 2000 - Key Trust publicly advertised and sold (to highest sealed bidder) the balance of the former canal company/Steven Lockwood real estate for $186,000. Purchasers were approximately 30 adjoining landowners along the 6-mile former canal route. All deeds are recorded in Erie County courthouse. EMP did not attempt to bid on the Key Trust land.