Relish in the opulence created with dynamic hues and sophisticated furnishings in this tworoom suite that pays homage to the longest canal ever built in north america. Canal interpretive center and museum in delphi little indiana. Special thanks to walter font and the fort wayne history center. A narrative account of its historical progress, its people and its principal interests, clarkson w. This is an informational booklet about travel along the wabash erie canal through huntington, roanoke, and fort wayne in at the opening of the canal in the 1800s. The canal provided traders with access from the great lakes all the way to the gulf of mexico. Over 460 miles long, it was the longest canal ever built in north america.
By 1896 lengthened chambers let most erie canal locks pass two boats through in tandem. But the boats that traversed it would be the beginning of the miami peoples sad journey west in a few years. It includes photographs, captions, a glossary, title page, bold print words, and labels. The project was completed in 1850, serving the wabash and erie canal system until 1861. Eventually, cheaper, faster, and more convenient trains made the canal obsolete. The first railroad to use only wabash and no other city in its name was the wabash railway in january 1877 which was a rename of the toledo, wabash and western railway formed on july 1, 1865. Vanderburgh county, indiana indiana historical bureau. History of wabash county indiana, volume 1 history of wabash county indiana, clarkson w. Edsall came to fort wayne as an attache to the surveying corps laying out the wabash and erie canal. General instructions to superintendents on the wabash and erie canal.
The people of fort wayne celebrated the connection of the canal to. Historical timeline erie canalway national heritage corridor. Past this point flowed the wabash and erie canal begun at fort wayne in 1832 and dedicated at fort wayne july 4, 1843. The people of fort wayne celebrated the connection of the canal to lake erie on july 4, 1842. The erie canal and the paradox of progress, 18171862. In 1830, the ohio legislature earmarked funds for the miami and erie canal s extension to defiance and lake erie. Two counties in indiana and illinois, eight townships in illinois, indiana, and ohio. He also owned and operated mills on eel river at north manchester and on the canal at wabash. Delphis canal park among 100 historical destinations in. Fort wayne on the old canal, prepared by the staff of the public library of fort wayne and allen county.
Price new from used from paperback, 1970 please retry paperback. The wabash is the state river of indiana, and subject of the state song on the banks of the wabash, far away by paul dresser. See all formats and editions hide other formats and editions. We met with dan mccain, president of the wabash and erie canal association. The main goal behind the construction of the canal was to link the navigable water of the maumee river with the wabash through the seven mile portage at fort wayne. This is a great group of folks whove made great contributions to preserving canal history.
One hand drawn map of the route of the wabash and erie canal as it went through vigo county, indiana. He was later responsible for the construction of the bluffton plank road. History of the home mcdonald funeral home wabash in. Handson and interactive, there are great places to play and learn in this spacious carroll county museum. By 1853, wabash and erie canal, americas longest at approximately 460 miles, linked lake erie at toledo, ohio with ohio river at evansville. When the wabash and erie canal opened, indians still lived in the area. By 1860, most of southern section no longer used because of repair costs and railroad competition. The wabash and erie canal was a shipping canal that linked the great lakes to the ohio river via an artificial waterway. Although it is a worthwhile read, to me this book is more of a political history of new york state from 1810 to 1830 than a book on the building of the erie canal.
Definitely more of a history book as opposed to an engineering book on how the canal was built, but definitely worth the read to realize the impact the canal had on. In its final phase the canal ran from maumee bay on lake erie, through fort wayne and southwestward to lafayatte and thence to the ohio river. However, the use of the canal was ultimately shortlived. The building of the erie canal in upstate new york proved so successful that the residents of indiana saw the potential of such a canal here. Part of the quitting the grave series of documentaries on american frontier history. The 45minute cruise located on the wabasherie canal in delphi, indiana has been condensed to 7. The canal was instrumental in the growth of the state of indiana. A new beginning work began on the wabash and erie canal in 1832, on the white water in 1836, on the central in 1837. The name wabash railroad or wabash railway may refer to various corporate entities formed over the years using one or the other of these two names. Inspired by the successful opening of fort waynes wabash and erie canal in july 1835, the general assembly passed the massive internal improvements act of 1836. It soon brought a focus to fort wayne, which was to become the seat of the wabash and erie canal.
Decades of work on the canal quickly came to naught. The most successful years for the canal were between 18471856. The wabash and erie canal is the largest manmade canal in the united statesand you can learn all about it at the canal interpretive center and museum in delphi, indiana. Southern indiana trails wabash and erie canal trails.
The canal never turned a profit despite its frequent use. He ventured into other businesses such as buying and selling wheat, shipping the grain east on the wabash and erie canal. Definitely more of a history book as opposed to an engineering book on how the canal was built, but definitely worth the read to realize the impact the canal had on society at the time. Wabash and erie canal is a waterway, stretching up to 468 miles from toledo, ohio to evansville, indiana. Wabash and erie canal indiana was incorporated as a state in 1816, fountain county, in 1825, and attica was laid out and platted, also in 1825. Canal interpretive center and museum in delphi little. It stands at the point where state road 57 crosses the southern indiana portion of the wabash and erie canal, that mid19thcentury aqueduct, now defunct, built at monumental costnot just in dollars, but in workers lives. The crosscut canal another abandoned canal project connected from terre haute to worthington. The erie canal is a 363mile waterway that connects the great lakes with the atlantic ocean via the hudson river in upstate new york. It was the longest canal constructed in north america, running for more than 460 miles. There are handwritten notes at the bottom of the map which seems to be a listing of railroads and a handwritten note attached to the map.
The portion of the canal to toledo was finished in 1843 and to evansville in 1854creating a 468mile canal. Wabash erie canal park delphi 2020 all you need to. Voted best new volunteer driven museum in the united states in 2006 by the american association of state and local history aaslh. Dan grew up along the canal on property that belonged to his greatgreatgrandfather. In his 1816 book, the history of the late war in the western country, robert mcafee wrote, the miami maumee river is navigable for boats from this place to the lake i. The miami and erie canal would take an additional twelve years to finish, because the state legislature only originally authorized its completion from cincinnati to just north of dayton.
In 1830, the ohio legislature earmarked funds for the miami and. Bonds like this were issued to citizens and speculators for funding of the failed internal improvements act of 1836, courtesy of the indiana historical society. In its final phase the canal ran from maumee bay on lake erie, through fort. One of the many canal era homesteads was the house of william s. Apr 30, 2016 wabash and erie canal indiana was incorporated as a state in 1816, fountain county, in 1825, and attica was laid out and platted, also in 1825. Hotel suites with king beds in wabash, in charley creek inn. Photo by in an 1890 lecture, indiana state geologist john collett shared a fascinating anecdote from natural history that he had learned from the surveyor perrin kent.
This is an informational booklet about travel along the wabasherie canal through huntington, roanoke, and fort wayne in at the opening of the canal in the 1800s. Chemung, chenango, crooked lake, oneida lake, and genesee valley canals abandoned, late 1870s. Route of the wabash and erie canal through vigo county. His greatgreatgrandfather owned a limestone processing operation on the property. Jul 24, 2011 the 45minute cruise located on the wabash erie canal in delphi, indiana has been condensed to 7. Sep 28, 2017 more recent wabash and erie canal history. Were sending you this message to inform you of steps we are taking to protect you from the covid19 illness that is spreading throughout the state.
Dec 29, 2018 when the wabash and erie canal opened, indians still lived in the area. Wabash and erie canal is situated north of millersburg. Jan 03, 2015 part of the quitting the grave series of documentaries on american frontier history. The wabash and erie canal in delphi is the subject of one of the book s 100 historical essays urging hoosiers to hit the road and discover more about their state.
It was abandoned in 1874, sold in 1877, and its path through fort wayne sold in 1881 to the nickel plate railroad. The wabash and erie canal in delphi is the subject of one of the books 100 historical essays urging hoosiers to hit the road and discover more about their state. The economic panic of 1837 and the dissolution of the second bank of the united states left the country gripping with economic hardship. Bashores historical atlas of paulding county, ohio, published in 1892. Dear friends of the wabash and erie canal, your health and safety, and the health and safety of all our visitors, staff, volunteers, and the community are the wabash and erie canal s top priority. This ended state control of the canal and put the wabash and erie canal in the hands of private trustees by 1847. Remnants of the wabash and erie canal tippecanoe, carroll, cass.
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