![Whitewater Canal (Metamora, Indiana)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e7/Whitewater_Canal_%28Metamora%2C_Indiana%29.JPG)
The Whitewater Canal, which was built between and , spanned a distance of and stretched from
Lawrenceburg, Indiana
Lawrenceburg is a city in Dearborn County, Indiana, United States. The population was 5,042 at the 2010 census. The city is the county seat and largest city of Dearborn County. Lawrenceburg is in southeast Indiana, on the Ohio River west of Cinci ...
on the
Ohio River
The Ohio River is a long river in the United States. It is located at the boundary of the Midwestern and Southern United States, flowing southwesterly from western Pennsylvania to its mouth on the Mississippi River at the southern tip of Illino ...
to
Hagerstown, Indiana
Hagerstown is a town in Jefferson Township, Wayne County, Indiana, Jefferson Township, Wayne County, Indiana, Wayne County, in the U.S. state of Indiana. As of the United States Census 2010, 2010 census, the population was 1,787.
History
Hagers ...
near the
West Fork of the White River.
History
Birth of a canal
![Indiana Whitewater Canal map2](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/52/Indiana_Whitewater_Canal_map2.jpg)
As with most
transportation improvements during the early nineteenth century, industry paved the way within individual states. After successful
canal
Canals or artificial waterways are waterways or engineered channels built for drainage management (e.g. flood control and irrigation) or for conveyancing water transport vehicles (e.g. water taxi). They carry free, calm surface flow un ...
development projects further east in the
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
, it was not long until canals were dug across the
Midwest
The Midwestern United States, also referred to as the Midwest or the American Midwest, is one of four Census Bureau Region, census regions of the United States Census Bureau (also known as "Region 2"). It occupies the northern central part of ...
. The opening of the
Erie Canal
The Erie Canal is a historic canal in upstate New York that runs east-west between the Hudson River and Lake Erie. Completed in 1825, the canal was the first navigable waterway connecting the Atlantic Ocean to the Great Lakes, vastly reducing t ...
in 1825 paved the way for improvement projects across the United States and changed the course of American transportation history. The Erie Canal was an immediate financial success. This set the precedent for future canals and proved canals could provide a viable contribution to local economies.
There was the need for a high-speed transportation system that could link the Whitewater Valley to the Ohio River. Before the canal, farmers had to transport their goods and livestock to
Cincinnati, Ohio
Cincinnati ( ) is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located at the northern side of the confluence of the Licking and Ohio rivers, the latter of which marks the state line wit ...
on badly rutted and often impassable roads. The journey to Cincinnati could take several days.
[Donald Burden, ''Whitewater Canal Historical Corridor Guide''. Ball State. May 2006]
In 1836 the
Indiana State Legislature
The Indiana General Assembly is the state legislature, or legislative branch, of the state of Indiana. It is a bicameral legislature that consists of a lower house, the Indiana House of Representatives, and an upper house, the Indiana Senate. ...
approved the
Mammoth Internal Improvement Act
The Indiana Mammoth Internal Improvement Act was a law passed by the Indiana General Assembly and signed by Whig Governor Noah Noble in 1836 that greatly expanded the state's program of internal improvements. It added $10 million to spending and ...
, which allowed for the development of the Whitewater Canal and a host of other improvements throughout Indiana.
Construction
The Whitewater Canal was built based on an 1834 survey conducted by Charles Hutchens.
[James M. Miller, ''The Whitewater Canal''. Indiana Magazine of History. March 1907, pp 109] The design called for a canal seventy six miles long starting at Nettle Creek near Hagerstown and following the river valley through Connersville, Brookville and into Harrison, Ohio, then back into Indiana to finish at Lawrenceburg. In the the canal dropped . This a very ambitious route as it was quite steep and required the crossing of the Whitewater over an aqueduct at Laurel as well as several other streams of lesser size. The drop compares to the Erie Canal that dropped but did so in . The Wabash & Erie Canal dropped in while the Chesapeake & Ohio dropped in . That meant that the Whitewater descended 6.4 feet per mile compared to the Chesapeake & Ohio at 2.9 feet per mile, the Erie at 1.7 feet per mile and the Wabash & Erie at 1 foot per mile. The steepness became a problem whenever heavy rains came.
Because of the steep grade, the canal required 56 locks and seven dams.
The canal was started as a state project and ground was broken on September 13, 1836. The first boat arrived in Brookville from Lawrenceburg on June 8, 1839. Because of budget problems construction was suspended in August 1839 not to be resumed until 1842.
[Paul Fatout, ''Canalling in The Whitewater Valley''. Indiana Magazine of History. March 1964, pp 37 - 78]
In 1842, the state of Indiana transferred its ownership in the canal to the White Water Valley Canal Company which was required to complete the canal to Cambridge City in five years. By 1843 boats were arriving in Laurel. 1845 saw the canal operating into Connersville. The canal company was running out of money and borrowed from Henry Valette of Cincinnati to finish the canal into Cambridge City from Connersville. From Cambridge City to Hagerstown the Canal was built by the Hagerstown Canal Company and was finished in 1847.
[
]
Canal decline
The Whitewater Canal was a short venture, but it left a lasting mark on the communities it traveled through. The canal development project was funded under the Act of 1836 and was allotted $1,400,000 to build the canal through the Whitewater Valley. This was a huge sum at the time and investors did not take out many loans due to the prediction that they stood to make considerable profit.[ It was the Mammoth Internal Improvement Act of 1836 that ended up straining the coffers of the State of Indiana. Indiana went ]bankrupt
Bankruptcy is a legal process through which people or other entities who cannot repay debts to creditors may seek relief from some or all of their debts. In most jurisdictions, bankruptcy is imposed by a court order, often initiated by the debt ...
during the summer of 1839, and canal construction was halted until 1842.[
In November 1847 the Whitewater Valley flooded and many sections of the canal were washed out. The section between Harrison and Lawrenceburg was never rebuilt. This effectively ended the canal era in Lawrenceburg after only eight years of service, and only a few months after the canal was finished to Hagerstown. It was ten months before the canal was again operational north of Harrison. Debt incurred to finance repairs in 1847 were a serious problem for the rest of the canals active history.][
]
White Water Valley Canal Company
The White Water Valley Canal Company was granted a charter by the Indiana General Assembly of 1825–26.[Traces and Trails: Intersections of Wayne County. DVD V.Ball Center and Ball State, Muncie, Indiana 2004] The company was set up after the State of Indiana could no longer afford to finish the Whitewater Canal system. The White Water Valley Canal Company finished the canal through Cambridge City, Indiana
Cambridge City is a town in Jackson Township, Wayne County, in the U.S. state of Indiana. The population was 1,870 at the 2010 census.
History
Cambridge City was laid out and platted in 1836. The community was named after the city of Cambridge, ...
.
It constructed the Canal House
A canal house ( nl, grachtenpand) is a (usually old) house overlooking a canal. These houses are often slim, high and deep. Canal houses usually had a basement and a loft and attic where trade goods could be stored. A special beam or pulley in ...
at Connersville
Connersville is a city in Fayette County, east central Indiana, United States, east by southeast of Indianapolis. The population was 13,481 at the 2010 census. The city is the county seat of and the largest and only incorporated town in Fa ...
in 1842. The building was added to the National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...
in 1973.
Hagerstown Canal Company
Hagerstown was supposed to be the northernmost terminus of the Whitewater Canal, but after the state went bankrupt, Hagerstown was forced to finance and construct its own canal to Cambridge City. The Hagerstown Canal Company completed an eight-mile (13 km) long canal between Hagerstown and Cambridge City in 1847.[
]
Cincinnati And Whitewater Canal
A connecting canal built to reach Cincinnati was known as the Cincinnati and Whitewater Canal. This canal was built by Ohio interests and went from Harrison to Cincinnati. It was completed in 1843 and replaced Lawrenceburg as the end of the line after the 1847 November flood. This stretch of canal closed in 1862 and was used as a railroad right-of-way at that time.[ A canal tunnel constructed to obviate a ridgeline at ]Cleves
Kleve (; traditional en, Cleves ; nl, Kleef; french: Clèves; es, Cléveris; la, Clivia; Low Rhenish: ''Kleff'') is a town in the Lower Rhine region of northwestern Germany near the Dutch border and the River Rhine. From the 11th century ...
still exists, although badly silted up.
The Whitewater Canal today
Little is left of the Whitewater Canal today. Some towpath was bought by the Whitewater Valley Railroad
The Whitewater Valley Railroad is a heritage railway, heritage railroad in southeastern Indiana between Connersville, Indiana, Connersville and Metamora, Indiana, Metamora.
The railroad is dedicated to the preservation and presentation of a 1950s ...
Company and has been used in various train operations over the years. A section of the rail line is still in use as a tourist railroad. The Whitewater Valley Railroad operates between Connersville, Indiana
Connersville is a city in Fayette County, east central Indiana, United States, east by southeast of Indianapolis. The population was 13,481 at the 2010 census. The city is the county seat of and the largest and only incorporated town in F ...
and Metamora, Indiana
Metamora is an unincorporated town and census-designated place in Metamora Township, Franklin County, Indiana. The town was once a stop along the Whitewater Canal and is now primarily dependent on tourism. As of the 2010 census, it had a populat ...
. The remains of many of the canal locks on this section of the canal can still be seen as well as the diversion dam near Laurel, Indiana
Laurel is a town in Laurel Township, Franklin County, Indiana, United States. The population was 512 at the 2010 census.
History
Laurel was platted in 1836 by James Conwell, a native of Maryland. Conwell had first intended to name his settlement ...
that was rebuilt in the 1940s and provides water for the restored canal section in Metamora as well as the mill. The restored grain mill in Metamora which runs on water provided by the canal shows that transportation was not the only use of the canal. Hydro power was in use for many decades after the canal was closed as a transportation route and even was used to generate electricity in Connersville in the early part of the 20th century.
The most visible area of the Whitewater Canal that exists today is in Metamora. This section from the Laurel Feeder Dam to Brookville was listed on listed on the National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...
in 1973 as the Whitewater Canal Historic District.[ The district encompasses 1 contributing building and 31 contributing structures. They include the Metamora Roller Mill, Laurel Feeder Dam, ]Duck Creek Aqueduct
Duck Creek Aqueduct, also known as the Metamora Aqueduct and Whitewater Canal Aqueduct, is a historic aqueduct carrying the Whitewater Canal over Duck Creek in Metamora Township, Franklin County, Indiana. Built in 1846, it is the only surviving ...
, and Millville Lock.[ ''Note:'' This includes and Accompanying photographs an]
boundary map
Here the Canal Era is recreated and tourists can stroll through a nineteenth-century town. There are museums, shopping, eateries, and you can even take a horse drawn ride on the canal.
Civil Engineering Landmark status
An aqueduct carries the canal over Duck Creek at Metamora. It is a twentieth-century reconstruction of the wooden aqueduct built in 1846 to replace an earlier one that was washed out by a flood, and was listed as a National Historic Civil Engineering Landmark
__NOTOC__
The following is a list of Historic Civil Engineering Landmarks as designated by the American Society of Civil Engineers since it began the program in 1964. The designation is granted to projects, structures, and sites in the United State ...
by the American Society of Civil Engineers
American(s) may refer to:
* American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America"
** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America
** American ancestry, pe ...
(ASCE) in 1992.
Cities along the canal
* Cincinnati, Ohio
Cincinnati ( ) is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located at the northern side of the confluence of the Licking and Ohio rivers, the latter of which marks the state line wit ...
- by way of Cincinnati and Whitewater Canal and Ohio River
* Harrison, Ohio
Harrison is a city in Hamilton County, Ohio, United States. The city is located in the Cincinnati-Northern Kentucky metropolitan area. The population was 9,897 at the 2010 census, and was estimated in 2019 to be 11,896.
History
Harrison was l ...
* Lawrenceburg, Indiana
Lawrenceburg is a city in Dearborn County, Indiana, United States. The population was 5,042 at the 2010 census. The city is the county seat and largest city of Dearborn County. Lawrenceburg is in southeast Indiana, on the Ohio River west of Cinci ...
* Brookville, Indiana
Brookville is a town in Brookville Township, Franklin County, Indiana, United States. The population was 2,596 at the 2010 census. The town is the county seat of and the largest community entirely within Franklin County.
History
Brookville was ...
* Metamora, Indiana
Metamora is an unincorporated town and census-designated place in Metamora Township, Franklin County, Indiana. The town was once a stop along the Whitewater Canal and is now primarily dependent on tourism. As of the 2010 census, it had a populat ...
* Laurel, Indiana
Laurel is a town in Laurel Township, Franklin County, Indiana, United States. The population was 512 at the 2010 census.
History
Laurel was platted in 1836 by James Conwell, a native of Maryland. Conwell had first intended to name his settlement ...
* Connersville, Indiana
Connersville is a city in Fayette County, east central Indiana, United States, east by southeast of Indianapolis. The population was 13,481 at the 2010 census. The city is the county seat of and the largest and only incorporated town in F ...
* Milton, Indiana
Milton is a town in Washington Township, Wayne County, in the U.S. state of Indiana. The population was 490 at the 2010 census.
History
Milton was laid out and platted in 1824. The community was named for the presence of several watermills in t ...
* Cambridge City, Indiana
Cambridge City is a town in Jackson Township, Wayne County, in the U.S. state of Indiana. The population was 1,870 at the 2010 census.
History
Cambridge City was laid out and platted in 1836. The community was named after the city of Cambridge, ...
* Hagerstown, Indiana
Hagerstown is a town in Jefferson Township, Wayne County, Indiana, Jefferson Township, Wayne County, Indiana, Wayne County, in the U.S. state of Indiana. As of the United States Census 2010, 2010 census, the population was 1,787.
History
Hagers ...
Gallery
Image:Duck Creek Aqueduct.JPG, Duck Creek Aqueduct
Image:Whitewater Canal near Duck Creek Aqueduct.JPG, Canal near Duck Creek Aqueduct
Image:Whitewater Canal (Metamora, Indiana).JPG, Canal near Metamora, Indiana
Image:Historic marker, Gordon's Lock.JPG, Gordons Lock
Image:Gordons Lock 2 2007.JPG, Gordons Lock
Image:Laurellock.JPG, Jenks Lock Ruins at Laurel Dam
Image:Laureldam.JPG, Diversion dam at Laurel
See also
* Canal
Canals or artificial waterways are waterways or engineered channels built for drainage management (e.g. flood control and irrigation) or for conveyancing water transport vehicles (e.g. water taxi). They carry free, calm surface flow un ...
* List of canals in the United States
The following is a list of canals in the United States:
Transportation canals in operation
This list includes active canals and artificial waterways that are maintained for use by boats. While some abandoned canals and drainage canals have stret ...
* List of State Historic Sites in Indiana
The Indiana State Museum is a museum located in downtown Indianapolis, Indiana, United States. The museum houses exhibits on the science, art, culture, and history of Indiana from prehistoric times to the present day.
History
The original coll ...
* Whitewater Valley Railroad
The Whitewater Valley Railroad is a heritage railway, heritage railroad in southeastern Indiana between Connersville, Indiana, Connersville and Metamora, Indiana, Metamora.
The railroad is dedicated to the preservation and presentation of a 1950s ...
* Wabash and Erie Canal
The Wabash and Erie Canal was a shipping canal that linked the Great Lakes to the Ohio River via an artificial waterway. The canal provided traders with access from the Great Lakes all the way to the Gulf of Mexico. Over 460 miles long, it was th ...
* Indiana Central Canal
The Indiana Central Canal was a canal intended to connect the Wabash and Erie Canal to the Ohio River. It was funded by the Mammoth Internal Improvement Act, Indiana's attempt to take part in the canal-building craze started by the Erie Canal. ...
* Indiana Mammoth Improvement Act
The Indiana Mammoth Internal Improvement Act was a law passed by the Indiana General Assembly and signed by Whig Governor Noah Noble in 1836 that greatly expanded the state's program of internal improvements. It added $10 million to spending and ...
References
Further reading
* Gordon Mitchel
"The Whitewater Canals of Indiana and Ohio".
''Professional Surveyor.'' 2009. Frederick, MD. Online-only
External links
Canal Construction in Indiana
- ''The Indiana Historian,'' September 1997
Canal Society of Indiana
White Water Valley Railroad
Cincinnati and Whitewater Canal
{{Authority control
Canals in Indiana
Canals on the National Register of Historic Places in Indiana
Historic districts on the National Register of Historic Places in Indiana
Transportation buildings and structures in Dearborn County, Indiana
Transportation buildings and structures in Franklin County, Indiana
History of Cincinnati
Transportation buildings and structures in Fayette County, Indiana
Transportation buildings and structures in Wayne County, Indiana
Canals opened in 1847
Historic districts in Franklin County, Indiana
National Register of Historic Places in Franklin County, Indiana
1847 establishments in Indiana
Historic Civil Engineering Landmarks