[6] Prior to the advent of railroads, regional farmers had to bring their harvests to Lake Erie ports by wagon.

The sandy and wet prairies north and west of Milan were not easily crossed by a wagon with a heavy harvest load.

[7] During the canal era, Milan became the birthplace of businessman and inventor Thomas Alva Edison, and the small hillside brick home where he was born on February 11, 1847, is open to the public as a museum.

In 1868, the canal's feeder dam failed due to a flood, permanently ending Milan's direct connection to the lake.

The original canal route can be observed and followed today along the Erie MetroParks "Huron River Greenway.

During the period, the canal-based prosperity allowed the construction of a large number of buildings of architectural note.

Today, Milan retains a significant number of both residences and commercial buildings from the 19th century, representing typical architectural styles of the time.

In the 1840s and 50s, the Greek Revival style predominated in Milan, as it did in the rest of the Connecticut Western Reserve (the northeastern counties of Ohio).

Today, Milan’s neighborhoods abound with original Greek Revival houses, along with a number of other later, Victorian architectural styles.

[citation needed] With the threat of proliferating railroads, mid-century canal interests were able to prevent their incursion into Milan.

This effectively isolated the village from the flourishing post-Civil War economy that occurred in other Midwestern towns.

Today, the majority of the canal-era mansions and other buildings remain intact, making Milan one of the finest sites for 19th-century architectural history in the Midwest.

Although many residents commute to other cities for employment, the general culture of the area is decidedly rural, agricultural, and historic.

Because of its limited development after the closure of the canal, Milan retains the ambiance of a 19th-century village with New England cultural and architectural affinities.