Wabash and Erie Canal of Allen County, Indiana

Jump to Additional Information, Aqueduct, Tom Castaldi, eBooks, Gronauer Lock, Markers, Summit, Wabash & Erie Canal Park. See the John Brown Stone Canal House - Warehouse 114 East Superior Street.

Quest Club Papers at the Allen County Public Library

  1. A Canal System and the Coming of the Railroad in this Area McKay John-13 Feb 1942-0001 14-page paper.
  2. The Impact of Indiana's Canals Miller Douglas E-08 Nov 1996-0001 23-page paper.
  3. Indiana's Canals: Impact of Growth and Commerce Brown_Joan_25_Oct_2019_001 19-page paper.

In the early 1800s, Indiana dreamed of connecting Lake Erie with the Ohio River via the Wabash and Maumee Rivers. In...

Posted by Indiana Bicentennial Commission on Friday, May 13, 2016

May 13, 2016 post by the Indiana Bicentennial Commission on Facebook:

In the early 1800s, Indiana dreamed of connecting Lake Erie with the Ohio River via the Wabash and Maumee Rivers. In 1827 the federal government financed Indiana's first major canal project, the Wabash and Erie Canal.

Work began on the project in the Fort Wayne area in 1832 and moved downstream along the Wabash River. Jesse L. Williams, the chief engineer, supervised skilled artisans who built locks, culverts, and aqueducts. More than a thousand laborers, many of them Irish immigrants, performed the backbreaking work of moving dirt with pickaxes and shovels.

The opening of the Wabash and Erie Canal as far south A Huntington was marked on July 4, 1835, with a grand celebration of speeches and toasts. Canal mania spread throughout the state!

Today there still is canal mania as the Wabash & Erie Canal Park has an endorsed bicentennial Legacy Project that celebrates and honors Indiana's rich canal history.

Wabash & Erie Canal historical marker

On March 2, 1827, Congress provided a land grant to encourage Indiana to build the Wabash & Erie Canal. The original plan was to link the navigable water of the Maumee with the Wabash through the seven mile portage at Fort Wayne. Work began five years later on February 22, 1832, in Fort Wayne. Construction proceeded west as the canal reached Huntington by 1835, Logansport in 1838, and Lafayette in 1841. Work was also performed east toward Ohio, but the canal did not open to Toledo until 1843. A second federal land grant enabled the canal to reach Terre Haute by 1849. Copied from Wabash and Erie Canal at IN.gov

February 22, 1832 ground was broken for the canal, which would link Lake Erie at Toledo with the Ohio River at Evansville. Jordan Vigus, Canal Commissioner, Charles W. Ewing, Samuel Hanna, Elias Murray participated in the ceremony. It was completed to Huntington County by July 3, 1835 and by July 4, 1843 was completed near Lafayette, Indiana. It was located where the south end of Headwaters Park is now located. and was replaced a couple of decades later by the growth of the railroads.

Happy groundbreaking day to all who celebrate! 🥳 192 years ago today, construction officially began on the Wabash & Erie...

Posted by Wabash & Erie Canal Park on Thursday, February 22, 2024

February 22, 2024 post by Wabash & Erie Canal Park on Facebook:

Happy groundbreaking day to all who celebrate! 🥳 192 years ago today, construction officially began on the Wabash & Erie Canal and it was a hot mess by modern standards. Read more on our blog: A Hurried Groundbreaking

Wabash & Erie Canal Marker is in Headwaters Park near the Little Turtle Memorial in this Street View photo from Google Maps.
See The Wabash & Erie Canal marker on The Historical Marker Datatbase HMdb.org.

July 4, 2011 post by Wabash & Erie Canal Park on Facebook:

When the canal first opened between Fort Wayne, Indiana, and the Wabash River at Huntington, Indiana, in 1835 it was celebrated on July 4th. As the route was extended westward to towns along the line, July 4th was the day usually set aside for the opening honors.

Read more about this, ask questions and contribute your thoughts in the "Discussions" section. HAPPY 4TH OF JULY EVERYONE! 

On January 27, 1836, Governor Noah Noble signed the Mammoth Internal Improvements Act, which authorized a $10 million...

Posted by Indiana Historical Bureau on Sunday, January 27, 2019

January 27, 2019 post by the Indiana Historical Bureau on Facebook:

On January 27, 1836, Governor Noah Noble signed the Mammoth Internal Improvements Act, which authorized a $10 million loan and provided for three major canal projects, a macadamized road, and a railroad. However, according to historian Kelly Wenig, "After years of crushing debt incurred from loans associated with the 1836 Mammoth Internal Improvements Act, the state finally defaulted on their payments to investors, and continued to do so for the next half decade. Hoosiers—because of their insolvency—were attacked from all angles by angry investors and newspapers from as far away as London."

As a result, exactly 11 years after the Mammoth Internal Improvements Act was signed, the Indiana General Assembly passed the Butler Bill to relieve the state some of the burden of the debt. The bill stipulated that the state would be responsible for half of the $11 million debt, and the other half would be assumed by bondholders, who in exchange for Wabash and Erie Canal stock promised to complete the canal.

Learn more about the Internal Improvements Act here and the effects it had on the state here: INDIANA MAGAZINE OF HISTORY Volume XLVII JUNE, 1951 Number 2 Historical Background of the Restrictions Against State Debt in the Indiana Constitution of 1851

The map below shows the proposed canals of the Mammoth Internal Improvements acts, as well as the sections which were completed.

On January 27, 1836, Governor Noah Noble signed the Mammoth Internal Improvements Act, which authorized a $10 million...

Posted by Indiana Historical Bureau on Wednesday, January 27, 2021

January 27, 2021post by the Indiana Historical Bureau on Facebook:

On January 27, 1836, Governor Noah Noble signed the Mammoth Internal Improvements Act, which authorized a $10 million loan and provided for three major canal projects, a macadamized road, and a railroad. However, according to historian Kelly Wenig, "After years of crushing debt incurred from loans associated with the 1836 Mammoth Internal Improvements Act, the state finally defaulted on their payments to investors, and continued to do so for the next half decade. Hoosiers—because of their insolvency—were attacked from all angles by angry investors and newspapers from as far away as London."

The image below, showing canals in Indiana and Ohio, many of which were constructed under the Mammoth Internal Improvements Act, is courtesy of the Indiana Album.

August 8, 2011 post by Wabash & Erie Canal Park on Facebook:

Work on the Fouts Log House is coming along nicely. Here, you see our MWF crew cut massive timbers from the old lock at Fort Wayne down to size (for replacement logs.) Since then, they have also finished roof preparation for nailing down the cedar shingles. Today, they will begin replacing logs on the lower section of the house.

July 4, 2018 post by The History Center on Facebook:

The Wabash and Erie Canal officially opened in Northeast Indiana. The festivities began on the 4th of July with the firing of the Perry Cannon. During the celebrations General Lewis Cass gave a speech praising the canal:

We have come here to rejoice together. Memorable deeds make memorable days. There is a power of association given to man, which binds together the past and the present, and connects both with the future. Great events hallow the sites where they pass. Their returning anniversaries, so long as these were remembered, are kept with sorrow or joy as they are prosperous or adverse. Today a new work is born, a work of peace, not of war. We are celebrating a triumph of art and not of arms. Centuries hence, we may hope the river you have made will flow both east and west, bearing upon its bosom the riches of a prosperous people, and that our descendants will come to keep the day which we have come to mark; and that as it returns they will remember the exertions of their ancestors while they gather the harvest.

The Perry Cannon came from a British ship engaged at the Battle of Lake Erie during the War of 1812. Following the war it was brought to Fort Wayne. The cannon eventually became a hitching post in front of the Franklin Randall home at the northeast corner of Lafayette and Berry streets, as evidenced by an image in the 1880 Allen County Atlas. In 1916 the cannon was given to the City of Fort Wayne, who donated it to the Historical Society in 1960. Today it guards the front entrance to the History Center. #sociallyhistory

The Wabash and Erie Canal posted March 22, 2021 by Friends of the Rivers on YouTube.

October 9, 2019 post by The Landing Fort Wayne on Facebook:

The Landing—and Fort Wayne as a city—only existed because of the Wabash and Erie Canal that ran through it. The last boat was seen on the canal in 1882.

Old Canal on 1898 Geo Ogle atlas

The old canal is visible on various maps such as in Adams Township south of the Chicago & St. Louis Railroad in the northern sections of Adams Township near New Haven on the 1898 Standard Atlas of Allen County, Indiana by Geo. A Ogle at Historic Map Works or Adams Township on page 58 of the Standard atlas of Allen County, Indiana : including a plat book of the villages, cities and townships of the county ... patrons directory, reference business directory ... by Geo. A. Ogle & Co. cn on Archive.org.

2023 canal boat on a canal!

Septemberr 29, 2023 post by the American Canal Society on Facebook:

Lock 44 Park in Grand Rapids, Ohio at the Toledo Metroparks and the Canal Experience.

 

See the local Sweet Breeze canal boat replica launched in June 2017 on the 3 rivers sponsored by Friends of the Rivers, forfw.org, Fort Wayne Friends of the Rivers on Facebook.

Map of the Wabash and Erie Canal from the Ohio state line to Terre Haute

Map of the Wabash and Erie Canal from the Ohio state line to Terre Haute: Showing its course through the public surveys and the area of selection for said work under the acts of Congress of 1824, 1827, 1841 and 1848. From the Indiana State Library Digital Collection where it is zoomable.
Detailed survey map of the Wabash and Erie Canal as it cuts across Indiana from the Ohio state line, through Fort Wayne to Terre Haute. Details such as land sections and names of land grant holders are included. Sheet 1 is from the Ohio State line to just west of Logansport. Sheet 2 continues from that point to Terre Haute. Terre Haute is cut off of the map.

1875 zoomable Allen County, Indiana map

1875 - zoomable Map of Allen County, Indiana, Item ID ISL_IND_MapL_AllenCo_1875, Description:This 1875 detailed map of Allen County, Indiana, was drawn by Samuel Morrison and include railroads, churches, schools, and canals. at the Indiana State Library Digital Collection.

Rotate map to the right to see the Wabash & Erie Canal in this Map of Allen County, 1876, Baskin, Forster and Company, Andreas, A. T. (Alfred Theodore), 1839-1900, Dave Rumsey Map Collection

1993 Wabash and Erie Canal map by Tom Castaldi, used with permission, was printed on page 15 in the September 2005 Allen County Lines periodical for the Allen County Genealogical Society of Indiana.

Tom Castaldi, local historianPosts

  1. December 26, 2011 post by Wabash & Erie Canal Park on Facebook:

    Hope everyone enjoyed Christmas. See you at 1pm for the walk today!

    Here's a bit of canal history, contributed by our friend and historian, Tom Castaldi.

    By December, it was not uncommon for the water in the canal in northern Indiana to ice over...and why boat navigation was suspended until the following spring. However, an enterprising Fort Wayne couple, Dr. and Mrs. Charles A. Schmitz, back in June of 1840, arranged for a Christmas tree to be sent to Fort Wayne, Indiana, from a supplier in Cincinnati, Ohio. The tree arrived on a canal boat, and on Christmas Eve it was festooned with lighted candles and glittering ornaments. Near the tree in a basket, the proud Schmitz couple placed their infant daughter, and guests from all around were invited in for a holiday celebration. Among the guests that Christmas Eve were a number of local Native Americans who were delighted with the beautifully decorated tree, and thoroughly admired the infant they found there.

    By 1840 the Wabash & Erie Canal had extended from Fort Wayne to Lafayette, Indiana. Lafayette was not connected with Lake Erie at Toledo, Ohio until 1843. That meant that if, as historians have reported, the doctor's Christmas tree had been delivered from Cincinnati by canal boat, it must have traveled on a few roads as well. By 1840, the Miami Erie Canal, destined to join the Wabash & Erie, had reached Piqua, Ohio, not far north of Cincinnati. It did not join the Wabash Erie Canal at Junction, Ohio, until 1848. How that Christmas tree got to Fort Wayne from Cincinnati is not told by the historians, only that it arrived on the Canal. One possibility is that it might have traveled on the National Road to Indianapolis, north on the Michigan Road through Carroll County Indiana, to Logansport...and there placed on a Wabash Erie canal freighter to Fort Wayne.;

  2. January 15, 2012 post by Wabash & Erie Canal Park on Facebook:

    Two Seasons: Throughout Indiana, winter's low temperatures froze the Wabash Erie Canal and free movement in the water within the 40 feet width from towpath to berm bank came to a halt. Each year the change of seasons transformed the canal into a solid sheet of shimmering ice, perfect for horse drawn sleigh travel through a winter wonderland. Surly it was a delight for all who ordinarily were accustomed to slow, rough cart and wagon rides. Ice skaters too could enjoy the smooth surfaces for the fulfillment of their sport. An old illustration by Wils Berry depicts a frozen Eel River at Logansport (Ind.) providing an ice skaters' haven beneath the canal aqueduct on the Eel. Overhead a span of the frozen water-filled aqueduct trunk is graced with long Icicles hanging low. Such scenes were no doubt repeated under the aqueduct at Saint Mary's River in Fort Wayne or on the wide turn basin at Delphi or the landing at Huntington. - Tom Castaldi

  3. October 7, 2012 post by Wabash & Erie Canal Park on Facebook:

    Making it over Barriers
    (contributed by historian, Tom Castaldi)

    For centuries people used waterways to travel from the Great Lakes to the St. Lawrence, but they were faced with crossing a land barrier between the Maumee River (at Fort Wayne) and the Wabash River. It’s part of the Continental Divide and is known as a “Portage” or the “Carrying Place,” usually described as nine miles in length. More specifically it joined the navigable portions of the Saint Mary’s River - which flows via the Maumee into Lake Erie - and the Little Wabash River that empties into the Wabash ultimately meeting the Mississippi. It has been a strategic location for all of our history. The great Miami Chief Richardville was heard to say it was used to ascend the Wabash to the Portage and then descend the St. Mary’s and the Maumee to Lake Erie. He continued that when the water was high and the marshy area between the Little Wabash and the St. Mary’s was flooded, and boats could literally be pushed across thus achieving an all-water travel from Lake Erie to Vincennes without unloading. As early as 1784, George Washington encouraged studying the Portage to be crossed by a water route that ultimately became a reality we know as the Wabash Erie Canal.

  4. December 17, 2012 post by Wabash & Erie Canal Park on Facebook:

    A bit of Canal history from our friend, historian Tom Castaldi:

    "During cold months such as December, the canal water could be frozen over and boat movement on the water suspended until the following spring. Judge Samuel Hanna, considered the man who made the Wabash Erie Canal a reality, served in the Indiana Legislature. It was Hanna who pointed out the practicality of a canal, and along with David Burr, began the correspondence with the Indiana law makers. Later, Hanna, Burr and another literally surveyed the feeder canal that convinced the legislature to proceed.

    Hanna's daughter once told the story of her mother, Eliza Taylor Hanna, having received a telegraph at midnight during a cold wintery month. It was from Indianapolis and news was that her legislator husband Samuel had been taken seriously ill. She wasted no time in securing a sleigh and traveling along the canal towpath from Fort Wayne to Logansport, Indiana, intending no doubt to take the Michigan Road south to Indianapolis. When she reached Logansport, she received a message that her husband had made a recovery, however, she continued on her trip to Indianapolis and spent the winter there with her husband."

  5. January 15, 2013 post by Wabash & Erie Canal Park on Facebook:

    Here's another interesting historical tidbit from our friend, historian Tom Castaldi...

    Travelin’ Time and Fares
    The Wabash Erie Canal between Lafayette and Fort Wayne was opened in 1840 and by 1843 the Canal had reached Lake Erie at Toledo. However, before the line was opened across Ohio in 1842, one eastern lady passenger traveling to Peru, Indiana, wrote a letter published by the Fort Wayne News Sentinel dated October 22, 1935: “at 8 o’clock we were up the Maumee River, ready to take the Canal at Toledo. We came on about 18 miles, then we had to go about 32 miles by land. We went about 14 miles, then we put up for the night. Then we went on to the Canal and stayed on the Canal until we got to Peru. It is more expensive traveling on the packets than it is on the steamboats.” The article continued with examples of the costly travel of 1842: “Packet boat fares for passengers were established as follows: Fort Wayne to Toledo, 104 miles $3.25; to Lafayette 138 miles, $3.75.” What’s that a reminder of…the price of a gallon of gas in 2013?

  6. The Wabash & Erie Canal was a rough-and-tumble place, but Capt. Mary Ann Martin was master of two boats until the very...

    Posted by Fort Wayne Magazine on Friday, February 17, 2017

    February 17, 2017 post by Fort Wayne Magazine on Facebook:

    The Wabash & Erie Canal was a rough-and-tumble place, but Capt. Mary Ann Martin was master of two boats until the very end. Historian Tom Castaldi tells her story. Featured in the February issue of Fort Wayne Magazine.

    Capt. Mary Ann Mrs. Martin took over two canal boats by Tom Castaldi, local historianpublished Febraury 17, 2017 on Fort Wayne Magazine.

  7. Without the Wabash-Erie Canal, would Fort Wayne have boomed? Columnist Tom Castaldi tells the tale.

    Posted by Fort Wayne Magazine on Tuesday, May 3, 2016

    May 3, 2016 post by Fort Wayne Magazine on Facebook:

    Without the Wabash-Erie Canal, would Fort Wayne have boomed? Columnist Tom Castaldi tells the tale.

    Internal improvements: Canal put Fort Wayne in focus by

    Tom Castaldi, local historianpublished May 3rd, 2016 in Fort Wayne Magazine.
  8. Old Aqueduct Club by Tom Castaldi published October 3, 2013 on the History Center Notes & Queries blog. See Old Aqueduct information on our Places page.
  9. Pirogues are hollowed out from thirty to sixty foot long logs, these tree trunk boats brought families and cargo up the Maumee River from Toledo and Detroit, and returned with furs to Lake Erie in exchange for traders’ supplies. Read more on Pirogue Landing by Tom Castaldi published January 16, 2014 on History Center Notes & Queries blog.
  10. TAKE A DRIVE ON THE ROUTE OF THE WABASH ERIE CANAL THROUGH ALLEN COUNTY by Tom Castaldi published May 9, 2011 on the History Center Notes & Queries blog.
  11. Wabash & Erie Canal notebook : Allen and Huntington counties by Castaldi, Thomas E, Publication date 2002 on Archive.org.
  12. Wabash and Erie Canal Stop #17 Audio: Wabash and Erie Canal featuring Tom Castaldi, local historiancourtesy of WBNI-Fort Wayne on the Central Downtown Trail 19 stops on the Heritage Trail by ARCH ( Architecture and Community Heritage).
  13. December 17, 2022 post with many comments by Wabash & Erie Canal Park on Facebook:

    A bit of Canal history from our friend, historian Tom Castaldi:

    "During cold months such as December, the canal water could be frozen over and boat movement on the water suspended until the following spring. Judge Samuel Hanna, considered the man who made the Wabash Erie Canal a reality, served in the Indiana Legislature. It was Hanna who pointed out the practicality of a canal, and along with David Burr, began the correspondence with the Indiana law makers. Later, Hanna, Burr and another literally surveyed the feeder canal that convinced the legislature to proceed.

    Hanna's daughter once told the story of her mother, Eliza Taylor Hanna, having received a telegraph at midnight during a cold wintery month. It was from Indianapolis and news was that her legislator husband Samuel had been taken seriously ill. She wasted no time in securing a sleigh and traveling along the canal towpath from Fort Wayne to Logansport, Indiana, intending no doubt to take the Michigan Road south to Indianapolis. When she reached Logansport, she received a message that her husband had made a recovery, however, she continued on her trip to Indianapolis and spent the winter there with her husband."

  14. January 27, 2023 post by Wabash & Erie Canal Park on Facebook:

    Can you imagine the area around the I-65/IN-25 intersection being underwater? That may have been the reality during the Canal Era! Joining us for a short explainer over on TikTok is Allen County Historian Tom Castaldi.

    When the Wabash & Erie Canal crossed a natural waterway, there needed to be a structure to cross safely. At the Wildcat Creek, engineers completed a dam in 1843 that created a large slack water (where water backed up and created a "lake”) where towing animals could easily pull canal boats across.

    One of the most fascinating things about canal history is that we are still finding new sites and unraveling new mysteries that have been lost to the 150 years since the Wabash & Erie Canal shut down. A big part of our mission is to preserve these stories so future generations can enjoy learning them!

October 9, 2022 post by the Canal Society of Indiana on Facebook:

The Wabash & Erie Canal at the summit level in Fort Wayne, IN was supplied with water from the St Joseph River. A dam was constructed on the river and a 6 1/2 mile feeder dug to the main canal line just west of the town. That feeder supplied water for 47 miles east to Defiance, OH and 27 miles to the west to Huntington, IN IN. The signage above marrks the route of that feeder near Beckett's Run

November 9, 2022 post by Wabash & Erie Canal Park on Facebook:
This diagram shows the elevation change in the Wabash & Erie Canal from Toledo, Ohio to Evansville. Fort Wayne is the highest elevation on the route (in line "A") [the Summit] and Terre Haute is the lowest elevation (in line "C").

There are many details too small to read here, but hopefully this provides a visual representation of how canals can overcome natural elevation changes while minimizing pesky currents.

A large board of this chart can be found in our interactive museum, which is open Monday-Saturday afternoons 1-4 PM.

This image is identified as the Profile of the Wabash & Erie Canal, Meeks, Thomas & Julia, Anthony Wayne Printing, 1984. At The University of Chicago Library Catalog. Needs more research.

February 3, 2023 post by Wabash & Erie Canal Park on Facebook discussing Fort Wayne the Summit City:

How did they engineer the Wabash & Erie Canal to make water flow over the summit at Fort Wayne? 🤔 Watch the fast facts from this week for some topography fun!

How did Indiana build America's longest canal without having the right tools, building materials, or even a ready water...

Posted by Wabash & Erie Canal Park on Tuesday, March 26, 2024

Tuesday, March 26, 2024 post by Wabash & Erie Canal Park on Facebook:

How did Indiana build America's longest canal without having the right tools, building materials, or even a ready water source? 🤔

Read the latest Canal Notes from Allen County Historian Tom Castaldi on our blog to find out! Canal Notes: Water and Stone Mike Tetrault March 26, 2024

Page 382 drawings of THE CRUMBLING RUINS OF THE CANAL IN FORT WAYNE in The pictorial history of Fort Wayne, Indiana : a review of two centuries of occupation of the region about the head of the Maumee River by Griswold, B. J. (Bert Joseph), 1873-1927; Taylor, Samuel R., Mrs, Publication date 1917 on Archive.org.
THE CRUMBLING RUINS OF THE CANAL IN FORT WAYNE. There are but few reminders of the existence of the Wabash and Erie canal within the limits of the city of Fort Wayne. The upper sketch shows the last remaining piece of masonry that formed a part of the abutment of the canal aqueduct which crossed the St. Mary's river at the point of the location of the present New York, Chicago & St. Louis (Nickel Plate) railroad bridges. The stone work is on the west bank of the river, directly between the two railroad bridges. A — The canal stone work. B and C — The abutments of the railroad bridges. The lower sketch shows the last remaining portion of the aqueduct which conveyed the waters of the feeder canal across Spy Run creek, near Clinton street. The two maps indicate the location of the points described.

Robison Park and Wabash & Erie Canal Feeder Canal

Map showing Robison Park in relation to the Wabash & Erie Canal Feeder Canal posted on Fort Wayne, IN: Wabash & Erie Feeder Canal on the Towns and Nature blog.

 

The feeder canal is referenced as The St. Joseph Pathway and Becketts Run Trail follow alongside of it in places. in the blog CANAL ROUTES by Steve NewbauerPosted on October 17, 2022 on Tadpolerider.com.

 

Robison Park: Then and Now! has historic and more recent photos showing what remains by Casey Drudge an archived website updated 08/21/2003 and The Remains of the St. Joseph Feeder Canal updated 05/27/02 which mentions Robison Park with lots of photos hosted on Geocities but not included when archived on oocities.org. These links with photos are archived on the Internet Archive Wayback Machine.

 

A January 21, 2024 post on True Fort Wayne Indiana History on Facebook has several photos of abutment remnants on Beckett's Run. One comment states: the county GIS maps have historical imagery from as far back as 1938 that show this whole area with the trolley line path and others in Robison park still intact!

Wabash & Erie Canal white sign and black historic marker on Barr Street south of East Superior Street near elevated Nickel Plate RR tracks Street View photo from Google map

Wabash & Canal Markers

Black triangle marker in Headwaters Park near Little Turtle monument Street View photo from Google map
The Wabash & Erie Canal
page at The Historical Marker Datatbase HMdb.org has a Google map showing location of 9 historic markers in Headwaters Park.

  1. Wabash and Erie Canal Stop #17 Audio: Wabash and Erie Canal featuring Tom Castaldi, local historiancourtesy of WBNI-Fort Wayne on the Central Downtown Trail 19 stops on the Heritage Trail by ARCH ( Architecture and Community Heritage).
  2. Wabash and Erie Canal Groundbreaking marker and The Wabash & Erie Canal marker at The Historical Marker Datatbase HMdb.org are at the intersection of West Main Street and Growth Avenue. "On February 22, 1832, ground was broken two blocks north for the canal, which would link Lake Erie at Toledo with the Ohio River at Evansville. Jordan Vigus, Canal Commissioner, Charles W. Ewing, Samuel Hanna, Elias Murray participated in the ceremony."
  3. Wabash & Erie Canal Historical Markers listing 78 markers on The Historical Marker Datatbase HMdb.org states: Measuring 468 miles long, the Wabash & Erie Canal was the longest artificial waterway in the United States.
  4. Several photos of the marker in Rockhill Park near the pavilion were posted June 6, 2022 on True Fort Wayne Indiana History on Facebook.
  5. January 4, 2016 post by Hofer and Davis, Inc. Land Surveyors on Facebook:

    Shared January 4, 2023 on True Fort Wayne Indiana History on Facebook:

    "Out in the Field " with Hofer and Davis, Inc. Back in November we shared a picture of the smokestack from the old Wayne Knitting Mills. This historical monument is located at the corner of Growth Avenue and Main Street as erected by the INDIANA HISTORICAL BUREAU in 1992. The Wayne Knitting Mills is pictured to the left.

Aqueduct

The Wabash & Erie Canal Aqueduct posted March 22, 2021 by Friends of the Rivers on YouTube. See the Old Aqueduct Club.

  1. Wabash & Erie Canal Aboite Creek Aqueduct No. 2 photos posted January 15, 2023 on True Fort Wayne Indiana History on Facebook.
  2. Aboite Creek Aqueduct by Mike Fromholt July 4, 2022 on YouTube. He describes himself as: Just some retired guy that likes to go around and take photos and videos of the Northeast Indiana region and other places on our travels.
    A short video of the Aboite Creek Aqueduct, which carried the Wabash & Erie Canal over Aboite Creek in western Allen County. As it is a short video, I will explain more at what you're looking at as well as it's history. The Wabash & Erie Canal linked Lake Erie (via the Miami & Erie Canal) with the Ohio River, near Evansville. The major cities along the 460+ mile route were Fort Wayne(located a few miles east of this point), Lafayette and Terre Haute. Construction started in 1832 and was finished in 1853. The railroads came soon after, and abanondonment began shortly there after, with most sections no longer used by 1870. However, from the 1937 aerial, it appears the aqueduct was still in place, although not in use. Sometime before 1957, the aqueduct either fell into the creek or was removed, but the timbers across the bottom of the aqueduct ended up in the creek, and the creek now flows over them. In the video, you can see where the straight edges of these timbers as the water flows over them. I will try to get there during the fall or winter for better views. Along the south tow-path of the canal, ran an interurban railway which connected Fort Wayne to Lafayette. A power line marks it's path for most of it's leangth between here and Fort Wayne. I was told about this location by an employee of Indiana-Michigan Power back in 1981 when I was inspecting the poles on this right-of-way for my job at the time with Osmose. The Interurban railway, sometimes called the Wabash Vally Railway, operated up until about 1936, when it too was abandoned, after only operating for less than 40 years. Redding Road, at this spot, actually crossed Aboite Creek, and was the main route from Fort Wayne to Huntington. This bridge was taken out when the four-lane US 24 was built in the early 1950's. So, at this spot, three forms of transportation, water, rail and road.
  3. Wabash & Erie Canal Aqueduct over Aboit Creek in Allen County, IN on Industrial History blog.
  4. NS/NKP Bridge and Wabash & Erie Canal Aqueduct over St. Marys River in Fort Wayne, IN has maps and photos from various sources on Industrial History blog.

Old Cabin-Tavern log home on US 24

Diamond in the Rough...Very Rough originally had a video of a two-story log cabin tavern/home built in the 1830s siting along old US 24 near Woodburn, at the edge of the Wabash and Erie Canal as it has for more than 150 years. It was the only stopping off point for canal travelers between the Ohio state line and Fort Wayne. Passengers would climb off the canal boat and walk fifty yards to this house for refreshment. By Eric Olson, 21Country Featured Reporterpublished January 14, 2014 on 21Country at 21AliveNews.comnow on the Internet Archive Wayback Machine. Log cabin is shown in the Daniel Baker photo below:

"Time goes so slowly"

"Time goes so slowly" by Daniel Baker on flickr
Street View photo on Google map near 19593 US 24 where the old canal bed is still obvious for several miles along the highway
For as long as I remember, this log cabin sat empty amongst a small grove of trees in a field along US 24 near Woodburn. It predated the highway, being built near where the Wabash and Erie Canal carried passengers and supplies to Fort Wayne and beyond. Historical aerial photos show that it continued as a farmhouse through at least the middle half of the 20th Century. A barn that stood behind was removed sometime between 2003-2006. The cabin remained mostly intact until around early 2015 when its roof gave in. When I returned this summer, it had totally collapsed. US 24 (between Maumee Center and N. Sampson Roads) Allen County, Indiana 12.11.2015
A similar 1830's log cabin was a tavern on the Wabash Erie Canal in Woodburn photo is on Pinterest

Beginnings of the Wabash and Erie Canal starts on page 277 of the The pictorial history of Fort Wayne, Indiana : a review of two centuries of occupation of the region about the head of the Maumee River by Griswold, B. J. (Bert Joseph), 1873-1927; Taylor, Samuel R., Mrs Publication date 1917 on Archive.org.

The Wabash-Erie Canal posted Jan 4, 2015 by Decater Collins on YouTube
Part of the Quitting The Grave series of documentaries on American frontier history. Special Thanks to Walter Font and the Fort Wayne History Center. Please visit their website here: fwhistorycenter.com/ Back to top

Indiana's Canal Experience [Full Documentary] published December 11, 2017 by Canal Society of Indiana on YouTube.

Gronauer Lock

Rediscovered in June of 1990 by construction workers working on the widening of US 24 just East of I-469.

  1. Gronauer Lock Prospectus by Hon. Lynn Shaw, Mayor of New Haven prepared by Craig Leonard at The Genealogy Center at the Allen County Public Library in Fort Wayne, Indiana

    Saving the Gronauer Lock Canal Society of Indiana by the Canal Society of Indiana published January 22, 2017 on YouTube
    The story of rediscovering the Gronauer Lock, a wooden lock that operated on the Wabash and Erie Canal.

  2. Canal carried Fort Wayne fortward four page The News-Sentinel newspaperarticle

    July 27, 2017 post by Hofer and Davis, Inc. Land Surveyors on Facebook on Facebook:

    : In June of 1990 construction workers stumbled on the Gronauer Lock while working on the widening of US 24 just East of I-469. The News SENTINEL ran a four page pullout by Bob Caylor on February 19, 1992 or February 19, 1991 (dates on pullout are conflicting). This is the opening page about THE WABASH AND ERIE CANAL for "Throwback Thursday"!

  3. Page 2, Locks inched boats through the canals

    August 3, 2017post by Hofer and Davis, Inc. Land Surveyors on Facebook on Facebook:

    For "Throwback Thursday" we share Part 2 of the 4 part News SENTINEL pullout by Bob Caylor from February 19, 1991.

  4. Page 3, Hardship marked canal travel

    August 10, 2017 post by Hofer and Davis, Inc. Land Surveyors on Facebook on Facebook:

    For "Throwback Thursday" we share Part 3 of The News Sentinel pullout by Bob Caylor from 1991.

  5. Page 4, Lock holds keys to the past

    August 16, 2017 post by Hofer and Davis, Inc. Land Surveyors on Facebook:

    The last of the 4 page pullout from the Fort Wayne News Sentinel by Bob Caylor on THE WABASH AND ERIE CANAL dated February 19,1991 for "Throwback Thursday"!

  6. 63 black & white photos of the lock at the contruction site are found at the Wabash & Erie Canal, Lock No. 2, 8 miles east of Fort Wayne, adjacent to U.S. Route 24, New Haven, Allen County, IN PHOTOS FROM SURVEY HAER IN-74 at The Library of Congress. Notes - Significance: Lock No. 2 is an example of a wood lock, many of which once existed along the original line of the Wabash and Erie Canal. More fragile than those supported by dressed stone, locks which were constructed on either the timber frame or crib plan were subject to greater wear, deterioration and rot. Lock No. 2 provides an example of nineteenth century wooden lock technology. Engineered to provide a seven-foot lift, Lock No. 2 was one of three similar locks between Fort Wayne and the Ohio/Indiana state line. It was originally constructed between 1837-43 as a Timber Frame Lock (according to the engineer's report of 1837) and in 1849 it was rebuilt as a Timber Crib Lock, the latter being a sturdier type of wood lock construction. At least one additional major repair and/or reconstruction occurred. Lock No. 2 is locally known by the name of its former lockkeeper, Joseph Gronauer and his family. Their farm and store were located adjacent to the lock on the north side, throughout the years of its operation. The family farmhouse remained intact at the site until its demolition between 1942 and 1945. The 20-mile section of the canal within which Lock No. 2 is located, once formed a link between the Fort Wayne-Lafayette portion of the Wabash and Erie Canal to the west and the Miami and Erie Canal in Ohio, to the east. When it was finally completed in 1843, travel and commerce to the Great Lakes and the eastern seaboard, via Toledo, Ohio became possible for the citizens of Indiana. - Survey number: HAER IN-74.
  7. On U.S. 24 facing west toward the I-469 overpass in this Street View photo from Google map

    Is Image 34 the same general location as the Street View photo from Google map? 34. A photograph from the east forebay, toward the west gate, showing all of the opened cribs on the south side. The hoses along the top of the cribs keep the timbers moist. The overpass of the new I-469 is in the background. - Wabash & Erie Canal, Lock No. 2, 8 miles east of Fort Wayne, adjacent to U.S. Route 24, New Haven, Allen County, IN Photos from Survey HAER IN-74. From Prints and Photographs Division Washington, D.C. 20540 USA at The Library of Congress.
  8. 68 photos are found in a search for Wabash & Erie Canal, Lock No. 2 at Historic American Buildings Survey/Historic American Engineering Record/Historic American Landscapes Survey: Search Results at The Library of Congress. Photo posted October 31, 2022 on True Fort Wayne Indiana History on Facebook.
  9. File:Grovenour Lock location.JPG photo at Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia
  10. New Haven, IN: Wabash & Erie Canal Lock #2 (HAER (63 photos) via in0341; HAER photo list; Satellite, evidently the south lanes of US-24 were built over the canal. According to some of the photos, it was located just east of where the ramp now joins US-24.) Starting on Page 8 of the data file [23-page document above] is a general history of the canal. posted March 6, 2019 on Towns and Nature blog.
  11. WABASH & ERIE CANAL, LOCK NO. 2 (Gronauer Lock) 23 page document, original construction between 1837 and 1843, rebuilt in 1849. 8 miles east of Fort Wayne, adjacent to U.S. 24 New Haven vicinity Allen County, Indiana, discovered in 1992 when building an interchange on I-469. HAER No. IN-74, /NO PHOTOGRAPHS, WRITTEN HISTORICAL AND DESCRIPTIVE DATA, HISTORIC AMERICAN ENGINEERING RECORD, Northeast Field Area, Chesapeake/Allegheny System Support Office, National Park Service, U.S. Custom House, 200 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia, PA 19106.
  12. Canal's Gronauer Lock could be reburied 25 years after it was first resurrected by Kevin Leininger published April 5, 2016 in The News-Sentinel newspapernow on the Internet Archive Wayback Machine.
  13. Some of canal's Gronauer Lock timbers previously found a second home by Kevin Kilbane published April 6, 2016 in The News-Sentinel newspaperno longer online.
  14. A short video dated 10-3-1992 of the public visiting the Gronauer Lock was posted March 8, 2023 on True Fort Wayne Indiana History on Facebook

Archive.org ebooks

  1. Catagories: Canals -- Indiana, Canals -- Ohio, Wabash and Erie Canal (Ind. and Ohio), United States -- Wabash and Erie Canal
  2. Fort Wayne during the Canal era 1828-1855; a study of a Western community in the middle period of American history by Poinsatte, Charles R, Publication date 1969 on Archive.org. A couple of interesting lines on page 91 is Then in the late 1830s “Dame Fashion” played her role. Just as she had decreed earlier that silk was to replace beaver in the making of hats, now she demanded mink, deer, and, above all, raccoon skins. Since the Maumee Wabash region “produced enormous numbers of raccoons” it became “for a few years the center of interest of the fur business of America.” Thus between 1838 and 1842 Fort Wayne became the base from which an extensive war for this fur trade was carried on.
  3. The Canal boat case: who done it?: not us, we were asleep (~1850) - Canal Society of Indiana ebook on Archive.org.
  4. A trip on the Wabash and Erie Canal by Steele, Marilyn, Publication date 1900 on Archive.org
  5. Fort Wayne In Canal Days (1900) ebook on Archive.org.
  6. The 10 Volume book: Newspaper clippings on the Wabash and Erie Canal (Book) at the Allen County Public Libraryhas volumes 2, 3, 4, 6, and 10 online shown below:
  7. Newspaper clippings on the Wabash and Erie Canal, Volume 2, April 1835 - January 1841, Publication date 1903 on Archive.org.
    v. 1. March 1814-Jan. 1835 -- v. 2. April 1835-Jan. 1841 -- v. 3. Dec. 1841-July 1844 -- v. 4. March 1845-Aug. 1850 -- v. 5. Feb. 1851-June 1863 -- v. 6. June 1863-Oct. 1872 -- v. 7. Dec. 1872-April 1874 -- v. 8. April 1874- March 1877 -- v. 9. March 1877-Aug. 1880 -- v. 10. Dec. 1880-July 1903
  8. Newspaper clippings on the Wabash and Erie Canal, Volume 3, Dec. 1841-July 1844, Publication date 1903 on Archive.org.
    v. 1. March 1814-Jan. 1835 -- v. 2. April 1835-Jan. 1841 -- v. 3. Dec. 1841-July 1844 -- v. 4. March 1845-Aug. 1850 -- v. 5. Feb. 1851-June 1863 -- v. 6. June 1863-Oct. 1872 -- v. 7. Dec. 1872-April 1874 -- v. 8. April 1874- March 1877 -- v. 9. March 1877-Aug. 1880 -- v. 10. Dec. 1880-July 1903
  9. Newspaper clippings on the Wabash and Erie Canal, Volume 4, March 1845 - August 1850, Publication date 1903 on Archive.org.
    v. 1. March 1814-Jan. 1835 -- v. 2. April 1835-Jan. 1841 -- v. 3. Dec. 1841-July 1844 -- v. 4. March 1845-Aug. 1850 -- v. 5. Feb. 1851-June 1863 -- v. 6. June 1863-Oct. 1872 -- v. 7. Dec. 1872-April 1874 -- v. 8. April 1874- March 1877 -- v. 9. March 1877-Aug. 1880 -- v. 10. Dec. 1880-July 1903
  10. Newspaper clippings on the Wabash and Erie Canal, Volume 6, June 1863 - October 1872, Publication date 1903 on Archive.org.
    v. 1. March 1814-Jan. 1835 -- v. 2. April 1835-Jan. 1841 -- v. 3. Dec. 1841-July 1844 -- v. 4. March 1845-Aug. 1850 -- v. 5. Feb. 1851-June 1863 -- v. 6. June 1863-Oct. 1872 -- v. 7. Dec. 1872-April 1874 -- v. 8. April 1874- March 1877 -- v. 9. March 1877-Aug. 1880 -- v. 10. Dec. 1880-July 1903
  11. Newspaper clippings on the Wabash and Erie Canal, Volume 10, December 1880 - July 1903, Publication date 1903 on Archive.org.
    v. 1. March 1814-Jan. 1835 -- v. 2. April 1835-Jan. 1841 -- v. 3. Dec. 1841-July 1844 -- v. 4. March 1845-Aug. 1850 -- v. 5. Feb. 1851-June 1863 -- v. 6. June 1863-Oct. 1872 -- v. 7. Dec. 1872-April 1874 -- v. 8. April 1874- March 1877 -- v. 9. March 1877-Aug. 1880 -- v. 10. Dec. 1880-July 1903
  12. The Wabash trade route in the development of the old Northwest by Benton, Elbert Jay, 1871-1946, Publication date 1903 on Archive.org.
  13. Canal celebrations in old Fort Wayne - 1916, Public Library of Fort Wayne and Allen County. cn, ebook on Archive.org.
  14. The Wabash-Erie Canal : Fort Wayne on the old canal ([1952]) - Public Library of Fort Wayne and Allen County ebook on Archive.org.
  15. As I remember … by Randall, Winifred J. Topics Fort Wayne (Ind.) -- History Publisher [Fort Wayne, Indiana] : Public Library of Fort Wayne and Allen County, 1960 on Archive.org. Another brighter scanned version of As I remember...
  16. The Irish War on page 129 of Pamphlets by the Public Library of Fort Wayne and Allen County, Publication date 1953, on Archive.org.
  17. March 17, 2016 post by The History Center on Facebook:

    Happy St. Patrick's Day! Irish immigrants have been a part of Fort Wayne's history from the early days of the frontier. The Irish helped build the Wabash and Erie Canal, laid rail and worked in machine shops for the Pennsylvania Railroad, and are  represented in some of Fort Wayne's most recognizable names such as Hamilton, Hanna, and Swinney.

  18. July 12, 2023 post by the Indiana Historical Bureau on Facebook:

    #OTD in 1835, two factions of Irish immigrants—the Corkonians and Fardowns—who had been constructing the Wabash and Erie Canal, skirmished at Lagro. The militia was called in and arrested those laborers who had not already dispersed. According to historian Jay M. Perry, “The Irish War stemmed from real and perceived grievances related to laborers’ economic concerns.” He expounded that “members had organized themselves into protective associations aimed at securing and defending the economic interests of their membership, namely preserving access to employment on the nation’s canals and railroads. Violence and intimidation, their key tools in achieving these goals, periodically resulted in brawls like the one on the Wabash and Erie [Canal].” Learn more: Canals & Conflict: How Irish Immigrants Built and Battled on the Wabash & Erie Canal

    The image of canal workers below is courtesy of Indiana Public Media.

Wabash & Erie Canal Park

Wabash & Erie Canal Park Delphi, Indiana, county seat of Carroll County. Their Facebook description states: Visit the only navigable section of the historic Wabash & Erie Canal in Indiana! Enjoy the Museum, Village, Canal Boat Tours, miles of Scenic Trails. Canal Park attractions include an interpretive center, pioneer village, replica canal boat tours, trail & towpath system, canal boat playground, campground, museum and gift shop. Conference Center is available to rent for weddings, receptions, family reunions, special events, business conferences and more. Ask about the Little White Chapel for smaller weddings. The “Delphi” Canal Boat is also available for private charters for up to 30 people. Website: https://wabasheriecanalpark.org/.

January 20, 2023 post by Wabash & Erie Canal Park on Facebook.

‼️ DID YOU KNOW we’re on TikTok? ‼️

We are excited to use it to drop some Wabash & Erie Canal fun facts each week, so give us a follow and learn something new!

In November 2022 they posted ten days of WABASH & ERIE CANAL FACTS AND FAQ's with photos and maps. We include the first sentence from each below, click the date to read the complete Facebook post.

  1. WABASH & ERIE CANAL FACTS AND FAQ'S: Day 1 - November 3, 2022 - Welcome to a mini-series we are posting for the next ten days, and we hope you learn something new about our organization and the history we seek to preserve.
  2. WABASH & ERIE CANAL FACTS AND FAQ'S: Day 2 - November 4, 2022 - Many visitors are astonished at the beauty and scenery of Canal Park, and we often hear, "You are so fortunate to have such a beautiful outdoor space!"
  3. WABASH & ERIE CANAL FACTS AND FAQ'S: Day 3 - November 5, 2022 - Today we'll talk about everyone's favorite topic: TAXES! But seriously, you may be surprised to learn that Carroll County Wabash & Erie Canal Inc. is not a government-affiliated entity and we don't take a penny of city, county, or state taxes.
  4. WABASH & ERIE CANAL FACTS AND FAQ'S: Day 4 - November 6, 2022 - When visitors see how long the Wabash & Erie Canal was, they sometimes ask where else they can go see it. The unfortunate truth is that we are one of the VERY few spots along the full route where you can clearly see the canal as it once was! The canal brought extensive and rapid change to Indiana, and yet it is a "hidden wonder" today. Here are a few quick examples of how the Wabash & Erie transformed the Hoosier State.
  5. WABASH & ERIE CANAL FACTS AND FAQ's: Day 5 - November 7, 2022 - Sometimes visitors stop in and they are disappointed to learn that the boat or Pioneer Village isn't open on the day of their visit. If we're a historical park, why aren't all the attractions open daily?
  6. WABASH & ERIE CANAL FACTS AND FAQ's: Day 6 - November 9, 2022 - Today's fact is one that often shocks guests: Wabash & Erie Canal Park is, in fact, private property! The common assumption is that our outdoor spaces are part of Delphi's public park system. While the City offers many wonderful outdoor destinations, we are a separate, non-government organization.

  7. WABASH & ERIE CANAL FACTS AND FAQ's: Day 7 - November 9, 2022 - with photo and profile map states: Every so often, a visitor will refer to our canal as "a river," "creek," "stream," or some other naturally-occurring waterway. We don't like to be too picky, but canals are completely different because they are artificial! During Indiana's early years, water transportation was essential. In Delphi, we are next to the Wabash River and Deer Creek. But these waterways weren't enough to bring widespread commerce and development to our area. Why?
  8. WABASH & ERIE CANAL FACTS AND FAQ's: Day 8 - November 10, 2022 - In honor of the incredible weather we're having, let's talk about fishing Are there fish in the water here at Canal Park? YES, and you are welcome to come try your luck! While we do not actively stock the canal, there are still a variety of fish that reside and thrive in there. Our friend George, pictured here, said that he has caught (and released) crappie, largemouth bass, walleye, grass pike, yellow bullhead catfish, and others!
  9. WABASH & ERIE CANAL FACTS AND FAQ's: Day 9 - November 11, 2022 - When people hear that there's a museum to visit in Delphi, there can be some skepticism out there: "What sort of museum can I expect in a town of 3,000 people?" As it turns out, you can expect a top-quality, engaging experience! When the museum opened, it was named best volunteer-driven museum in the United States Most of the museum was built by volunteers, which is a testament to the resourceful generosity of our community in Carroll County.
  10. 468 Club is an informal association of donors who lend operational support to the Wabash & Erie Canal organizationin Delphi, Indiana.

February 24, 2023 post by Wabash & Erie Canal Park on Facebook:

James S. Hinton was the first African-American Hoosier to be elected to statewide office, but did you know his first trailblazing role was with the Wabash & Erie Canal? Check out this week's video to learn more!

Additional Information

  1. American Canal Society Canal Index for Wabash & Erie Canal.
  2. August 13, 1847 Canal Stock

    August 13, 1847 certificate for Special Canal Stock issued by the State of Indiana for the Wabash and Erie Canal payable in 1853 at 5% per annum interest shared May 15, 2015 on a May 15, 2015 post by the Indiana Bicentennial Commission on Facebook.

    5. Wabash & Erie Canal Certificate in the March 2021 in the The Tumble newsletter by the Canal Society of Indiana.

  3. Memorial to the General assembly of the state of Indiana, of the holders of certificates of stock of the Wabash & Erie canal, issued by the state of Indiana Publication date 1871 on Archive.org 

  4. Annual Report of the Trustees of the Wabash and Erie Canal, to the General Assembly of the State of Indiana: December, 1847 (Classic Reprint) Hardcover – August 24, 2018 on Amazon.com. It is likely there were reports for other years.
  5. Annual Report of the Board of Trustees of the Wabash and Erie Canal By Indiana. Board of Trustees of the Wabash and Erie Canal ¡ 1865 a Google eBook
  6. Two images described as A trip down the canal. Wabash and Erie Canal toll receipt from 1851. Describes a boat named J.Q. Adams hauling 2000 Bushels of corn weighing an incredible 120,000 pounds from Pittsburg Indiana (near Delphi Indiana) to the Ohio state line (120 miles) with a tax charge of $40.32. A wagon was also transported. I am not sure what was transported for 20 cents on the third line. Mentions what appears to be ‘Logan’ which I believe refers to Logansport. Let me know if you are able to decipher any more of the cursive writing. posted January 2, 2023 on True Fort Wayne Indiana History on Facebook.
  7. May 7, 1900 Fort Wayne News newspaper article posted May 7, 2016 on You know you've lived in Fort Wayne too long when... Private Facebook group.
  8. May 17, 1914 in The Journal Gazette newspaper Barge Canal project article was discussed October 7, 2017 on You know you've lived in Fort Wayne too long when... Private Facebook group.
  9. CANAL HISTORY - 1828-1881* from New Haven Area Heritage Association, Inc.
  10. Canal Mania in Indiana 16 pages with maps, photos, and more from the June 1997 The Indiana Historian magazine at the Indiana Historical Bureau.
  11. Canal Society of Indiana founded in 1982, has biographies and/or genealogies of those who were officially connected to Indiana’s canals, worked on them or had businesses related to them on their website: https://indcanal.org, a Historical Archive with past issues of their publication The Hoosier Packet, and 173 page publication Fort Wayne Newspapers 1830-1879 that mention canals. A January 15, 2022 post by the Canal Society of Indiana on Facebook states: Want to know more about Indiana canals? Go to the CSI Website: indcanal.org There you will find all of issues of "The Tumble" to view. Go to Videos & Statistics or to Historical Archives. In the Archives are back issues of "The Hoosier Packet" from 2016 - 2021 and also tour Guides For a guide about Fort Wayne go to "The Beginnings" - 1977. Patience! Let if load up and then just go below the display box of the guide where it says "Click open for a new Tab." Again Patience! This will give you a full screen that you can magnify for an even better view. Try it out and give me a "Like" if you succeed. There are hundreds of pages of canal information on our website. Several posts with photos for Fort Wayne have been on their Facebook page.
  12. Canals: Towpaths West 1963 video by Indiana University Media Collections Online. Canal history plus dramatization of 1840s life along a canal.
    A document of the day March 21, 2018 was the 1961 letter explaining the purpose of this video by Indiana U. Archives on Twitter.
  13. Fleeting canal era had impact on Indiana - INDIANA AT 200, A COLUMN BY ANDREA NEAL published July 30, 2014 in The News-Sentinel newspaper.
  14. Fort Wayne during the Canal era 1828-1855; a study of a Western community in the middle period of American history by Poinsatte, Charles R, Publication date 1969, borrow online as on Archive.org.
  15. Fort Wayne, IN: Wabash and Erie Canal has maps and photos from various sources on Towns and Nature blog.
  16. How The Landing and Dock Street Got Their Names (It's for the Same Reason) by Shane G. posted on August 10, 2012 on Visit Fort Wayne blog. See The Landing for more information.
  17. Indiana's canal heritage by Harlow, Alvin F. (Alvin Fay), 1875-1963, Publication date 1954, on Archive.org.
  18. Internal Improvements in Indiana: No. III—The Wabash and Erie Canal a Google eBook. Original source: Cottman, G. S. (1907). Internal Improvements in Indiana: No. III—The Wabash and Erie Canal. Indiana Magazine of History. Retrieved from https://scholarworks.iu.edu/journals/index.php/imh/article/view/5608, Volume 3, Issue 3, September 1907 from the Indiana Magazine of History journal in the archives at Indiana University Scholarworks.
  19. Lost Birds of Canal Days - a new sign in 2013 at Eagle Marsh lists Prairie Chicken, Carolina Parrot and Passenger Pigeon as birds canal riders may have seen. See October 28, 2013 photo from Stockbridge Audubon Society shared on Little River Wetlands Facebook page.
  20. Map of Indiana Canals 1805-1915 by the Indiana Historical Bureau on IN.gov.
  21. Take a Motor Tour on the Wabash Erie Canal Towpath TrailNovember 18, 2008 on We Canal Corridor Tour.
  22. New Haven Canal Days on Facebook.
  23. New Haven Fun Fact: Canal Landing is a 1/3rd acre pocket park on Broadway between Main and Bell. Its historic plaque tells the importance of the canal in New Haven’s development. From Moser Park, the canal traveled northeast along the north side of Main Street and through town to cross Green Street between Bell and Canal. It then followed the route of U.S. 24 East. The canal bed is very apparent on the south side of U.S. 24 driving east. Copied from a September 1, 2022 post by City of New Haven Indiana on Facebook.
  24. Wabash-Erie Canal Through New Haven, Indiana November 28, 2022 Mike Fromholt on YouTube
    This short video shows the route of the Wabash-Erie Canal through the city of New Haven, Indiana. The canal operated from the 1830's and was abandoned c1878. Maps from: Google Earth, IMaps

  25. Newspaper Clippings on the Wabash and Erie Canal, Vol. 2: April, 1835 January, 1841 (Classic Reprint) Paperback – February 5, 2018 at Amazon.com.
  26. Old Towpaths, The Story of The American Canal Era by Alvin F. Harlow, Publication date, 1926, on Archive.org.
  27. Remnants Of The Wabash & Erie Canal: Fort Wayne/New Haven, Indiana has photos of area remnants on Facebook such as June 14, 2012 with a photo stating: Travelling along Rose Street out to 469 from New Haven, turn to the right and voila, you will see the old traces of the canal. Here is the remnant of the towpath and dip, behind homes in Tanglewood. — in New Haven, Indiana.
  28. The Remains of the Wabash-Erie Canal through Allen County with photos on an archived April 12, 2002 Geocities site on the Internet Archive Wayback Machine. The Remains of the St. Joseph Feeder Canal an archived 04/12/2002 Geocities user generated web page without the photos is mirrored in October 2009 to the archive site oocities.org.
  29. Report of the Commissioners of the Wabash and Erie Canal By Indiana. Board of Canal Commissioners ¡ 1835 a Google eBook. It is likely there were reports for many years.
  30. The route to Swift's Park (Robison Park) with photos was discussed July 1, 2016 photos and discussion and Fort Wayne Feeder Canal for the Wabash & Erie Canal discussion with photos August 24, 2015 on You are positively from Fort Wayne, if you remember... Archived group only visible to existing members on Facebook.
  31. Take a Boat Ride on the Wabash and Erie Canal! by Sara published May 24, 2014 on the Home of Purdue blog.
  32. Wabash & Erie Canal on Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia.
  33. Wabash and Erie Canal group on Facebook.
  34. Wabash & Erie Canal map and photos from Ed Pope
  35. Wabash & Erie Canal earthlink site links on to other web sites from 19th Century U.S. Canals.
  36. Wabash & Erie Canal Towpath Trail follows along the path of the former canal connecting various area trails. It is 5.5 miles from Rockhill Park to the Lutheran Hospital campus, weaving through beautiful neighborhoods, scenic marshlands and near areas of commerce. The trail is a bike and pedestrian connection between the Aboite Trails and the Rivergreenway, providing more than 60 miles of connected trails within the trail network. Copied from the Fort Wayne Parks Trails page which also has a map.
  37. Wabash and Erie Canals collection at the Indiana State Library.
  38. Wabash & Erie Canal Park on Facebook in Delphi, Indiana and their web site.
  39. Remnants Of The Wabash & Erie Canal: Fort Wayne/New Haven, Indiana Facebook page that shares and posts photos and information.
  40. Wabash and Erie Canal Company Records, 1833–1877 are available from the Manuscripts and Archives Department, William Henry Smith Memorial Library, Indiana Historical Society, 450 West Ohio Street, Indianapolis, IN 46202-3269.
  41. Wabash and Erie Canal in Indiana Rates of Toll for 1850 poster shown in the digital collections at the Indiana Historical Society
  42. Collection # M 0758, OM 0392 WABASH AND ERIE CANAL COMPANY, RECORDS, 1833–1877 (BULK 1833–1862) Collection Information, Historical Sketch, Scope and Content Note, Series Contents, Cataloging Information, Processed by Colby Barkes, 12 June 2001, Revised 23 September 2003, Manuscripts and Archives Department, William Henry Smith Memorial Library, Indiana Historical Society
  43. Wabash & Erie Canal marker State Highway 58 and State Highway 57, Elnora (Daviess County, Indiana), installed in 2007 Indiana Historical Bureau and Elmore Township Community Association, Inc. lists lots of interesting references on the webpage by Indiana Historical Bureau.
  44. St. Patrick Oratory celebrates patron saint by Joshua Schipper published March 22, 2022 in Today's Catholic. It starts out: A good deal of early Catholic history in northeastern Indiana revolves around the building of the iconic Wabash-Erie Canal in the 19th century. Fort Wayne has two streets named for prominent Catholic Francis Comparet, who hosted priests ministering to the area’s canal workers during the time that the Diocese of Vincennes had jurisdiction over the city. Comparet even notified the diocese that an estimated 2,000 Catholic canalmen had gone roughly six months without access to the sacraments. The article continues discussing Lagro a town in Lagro Township, Wabash County.
  45. April 8, 2022 Mitch Harper on True Fort Wayne Indiana History on Facebook shared the article Water Over Water: The History of the Fall Creek Aqueduct on the Central Canal in Indianapolis saying it will deepen your appreciation fo the aquaduct over the Saint Marys near West Main Street for the Wabash & Erie Canal.
  46. Irish Immigrants Left Their Mark Building the Wabash-Erie Canal by Joshua Schipper | Oct 4, 2022 | on  Fort Wayne Media Collaborative. See our Irish section.
  47. A December 10, 2022 discussion on True Fort Wayne Indiana History on Facebook with many photos near a sign on I-469 near Rose Avenue for the Wabash & Erie Canal.

    June 14, 2012 post by Remnants Of The Wabash & Erie Canal: Fort Wayne/New Haven, Indiana on Facebook:

    Travelling along Rose Street out to 469 from New Haven, turn to the right and voila, you will see the old traces of the canal. Here is the remnant of the towpath and dip, behind homes in Tanglewood. — in New Haven, Indiana.

  48. Check out this interesting article from our friends at the Erie Canal Museum! Similarly, when the Wabash & Erie Canal...

    Posted by Wabash & Erie Canal Park on Friday, February 23, 2024

    February 23, 2024 post by Wabash & Erie Canal Park on Facebook:

    Check out this interesting article from our friends at the Erie Canal Museum! Similarly, when the Wabash & Erie Canal froze in the winter, ice would be harvested from certain segments.

    Just north of Lafayette (along present-day 9th Street near Oscar Winski), there was a basin that was used to harvest ice. We aren't sure if Indiana ice could last as far into the year as upstate New York ice, so we'll have to investigate that 🤔

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Page updated: March 27, 2024