Port Jefferson
The village of Port Jefferson was established in the 1830s as a result of the Miami-Erie Canal. Its location was determined by the juncture of the Great Miami River and the feeder canal was to service the main canal at Lockington, some 15 miles to the south. The remnants of the feeder canal can be seen as you cross the bridge in front of the venue.
The Miami-Erie Canal was one of a number of canals built in Ohio and New York in the early 1800s. Their purpose was to facilitate the movement of goods and produce from the western frontier of the country ( at that time ) to eastern markets, providing an incentive for settlers to move into the frontier area. Because Ohio streams and rivers often flooded in the spring and sometimes dried up in the summer, the canal did not use existing water ways.
Construction on the Miami-Erie Canal began in 1825, which was to connect Lake Erie at Toledo and the Ohio River at Cincinnati. Work was completed 20 years later. The canal covered a distance of 249 miles and utilized 103 locks, 19 aqueducts and 3 reservoirs. Those reservoirs are now named Grand Lake St. Marys, Indian Lake and Lake Loramie.
Allinger’s Mill
Long before The Canal House opened, Allinger’s Mill stood in its place. It was built by Gottlieb Allinger in 1871 and utilized the Sidney Feeder Canal. Allinger also served as Sheriff of Shelby County from 1887 to 1889.
The illustration is from Sutton’s History of Shelby County, Ohio, 1883.
Allinger’s Mill burned down in 1893. The pond here was originally created to supply power to the milling wheel by running water from the pond downhill to the wheel to the river. To this day, the pond maintains its water level from an underground spring.
Hussey’s Restaurant
In 1923, Lawrence Hussey purchased the mill property. He cleared the site of the remnants of the old mill and in 1933 built the first part of the restaurant with lumber from trees across the river. The restaurant’s first menu was a limited variety of sandwiches and beverages.
Walt Hussey began to assist in the management of the restaurant in the late 1930s and early 1940s except in 1943 when the restaurant closed and he went off to fight in WWII. When he returned in 1946, Walt ( now married to Edith ) reopened the restaurant and expanded the menu to include chicken, fish and steak dinners.
Many customers remember the dances, including square dancing, that were held on the second floor of the restaurant during these years. The pond served as a local recreational facility, providing a place for swimmers and fishermen. A quarter, plus a nickel for bait, would let you fish all day.
Edith helped establish the early success and reputation of the restaurant when she created the renown “breading” recipe for the chicken. Countless customers came to Hussey’s for their “chicken fix”. Another customer favorite, the homemade coleslaw dressing, was also created during this time.
In the early 1960s, a farmer who was leaving the area brought Walt a pair of domesticated ducks. The ducks adopted the pond as their home and wild ducks and geese soon joined them. Over the years, generations of ducks, geese and fish have been fed by countless “kids” of all ages, who considered the event just part of the dining experience at Hussey’s. As an added convenience for our feathered friends, part of the pond is aerated in the winter to provide a swimming area.
Throughout the 1960s, customers continued to frequent the restaurant in growing numbers, and in 1972 an expansion took place that included the Mallard Room and bar area. Live bands then entertained clientele for the next nine years, eventually giving way to provide more dining space.
Mike and Melda Hussey took over the restaurant in 1985 and the following year the kitchen was enlarged. Mike added new menu items including broiled chicken breast, prime rib, fresh fish and seafood. Many customers have remarked that the prime rib, broiled chicken breast and Walleye dinners are the best they had eaten anywhere.
The Canal House
Today, the Canal House proudly continues the tradition of celebration by hosting weddings and anniversary parties where friends and family gather.
Credits: Hussey’s Restaurant brochure, Hussey’s Restaurant Facebook page, Shelby County History website,