The Muskingum River flows through the center of McConnelsville, shaping the landscape, history, and character of the village we call Ohio’s River Town.
The name Muskingum comes from an Indigenous language and is most commonly interpreted as “Elk’s Eye,” a reference to the elk that once gathered along the river. The name was carried forward from the Native peoples who first lived and traveled along its banks.
For generations, the river has been a route for commerce, transportation, recreation, and connection. It helped communities grow and remains one of McConnelsville’s most defining landmarks.
Today, visitors can enjoy river views from downtown, watch boats move through the historic lock system, and discover the story behind one of Ohio’s most remarkable waterways.
A River That Helped Build Ohio
During the early development of Ohio, the Muskingum River became an important transportation route between communities in southeastern Ohio and the Ohio River.
Construction of the Muskingum River navigation system began during the 1830s and was completed in 1841. The improvement project created a navigable route along approximately 112 miles of river between Zanesville and Marietta, helping open southeastern Ohio and the Midwest to trade and development.
Steamboats and other vessels carried people, agricultural goods, building materials, and merchandise along the river. Communities such as McConnelsville developed in close relationship with this steady movement of people and commerce.
The river was not behind the town.
It was one of the reasons the town was here.
The Muskingum River Parkway includes a series of locks and dams that allow boats to safely move around changes in water level.
Unlike modern automated systems, the Muskingum River locks are operated by hand. Lock tenders continue to open and close the gates using methods that closely resemble those used during the nineteenth century. The system remains one of only two surviving hand-operated lock systems in the United States.
The locks create a living connection between Ohio’s early transportation history and the river as it is enjoyed today.
Watching a boat lock through is more than a recreational experience. It is a chance to see historic engineering still at work.
The Historic Muskingum River Lock System
The Historic Muskingum River Lock System
A Nationally Recognized Historic Waterway
Photo Credit William Fischer, Jr.
The Muskingum River Parkway is listed on the National Register of Historic Places as the Muskingum River Navigation Historic District. The district is recognized for its importance to engineering, maritime history, and transportation.
The navigation system was also designated a National Historic Civil Engineering Landmark by the American Society of Civil Engineers in 2001.
These recognitions make the Muskingum River more than a local treasure. They identify it as an important part of America’s transportation and engineering history.
McConnelsville and the River
McConnelsville grew along the Muskingum River, and the village continues to face the water with pride.
From downtown streets and historic buildings to riverfront recreation and community gatherings, the river remains woven into daily life. Visitors can walk from Main Street toward the water, enjoy views of the river and bridge, and experience a town whose story is inseparable from the water flowing through it.
The river gives McConnelsville its sense of place.
It brings movement to the landscape, calm to the riverbank, and a visible connection to the generations who came before us.
That is why we proudly call McConnelsville:
Ohio’s River Town
This identity reaches beyond a slogan.
It represents our history, our location, and the experience visitors find here. McConnelsville is a place where historic Main Street meets the Muskingum River, where nineteenth-century engineering still operates, and where the pace of life slows beside the water.
Whether you arrive by road or river, McConnelsville invites you to pause, explore, and discover the community that grew along one of Ohio’s most historic waterways.
Experience the Muskingum River
Visitors can enjoy the river in many ways:
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Watch boats move through the historic lock system
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Explore the riverfront and nearby public spaces
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Go boating, paddling, or fishing
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Photograph the river, bridge, locks, and surrounding landscape
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Learn about the river’s role in Ohio transportation history
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Visit McConnelsville before or after your time on the water
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Follow the river north toward Zanesville or south toward Marietta
The operating locks allow recreational boats to travel around ten dams between Zanesville and the Ohio River at Marietta.
Lock passage is offered free of charge, although operating schedules and river conditions should always be checked with the Ohio Department of Natural Resources before traveling.
Plan Your River Town Visit
Begin along the Muskingum River, then explore the shops, restaurants, historic buildings, public art, and welcoming businesses throughout McConnelsville.
The river may have carried travelers here for generations, but today it invites you to stay awhile.
Come discover McConnelsville, Ohio’s River Town.