The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-03-12
WABASH ANDERIE CANAL
A BRIEF HISTORY OF FAMOUS IN
DIANA PUBLIC IMPROVEMENT.
How the Canal Was Built-Business
Done-Interview with Its Last SUI
pcrintendent and Paymaster.
Huntington Herald.

the bed and banks of the old Wabash and
Erie canal The towpath is still discernible
at many points and in the summer Its
shady bank. where the forests have not
yet disappeared, and its decaying locks
often make pretty and picturesque bit OF
scenery. In the cities the site of the canal
is frequently obliterated-in some places by
imposing business structures. while Iii
others the ditch has been filled up ana COM
Portable homes cover the spot.
There are still living a few citizens VINO
recall the palmy days of the old htch-re-
member the big packet passenger boats, the
freight boats unloading and receiving
freight at the warehouses. and ii has never
ceased TO be a wonder 10 them that the
canal was abandoned.
The history of this great thoroughfare is
interesting. In 1897 the United States grant
ed TO the State of Indiana every alternate
section of land five miles in width along
the proposed canal. the conditions being
that said canal. when completed. shall be
and forever remain a public highway for
the use of the government of the United
States, free from toll or other charge what
ever, for any property of the United states
or persons in their service, and that said
canal shall be begun within five years and
completed within twenty years" Suisse
quently, by acts of the State Legislature
in 1880 and 1882, the canal lands were offered
for sale by canal commissioners appointed
for that purpose. The prices ranged from
S1.5O to $3.50 per acre, and the inducements
were such as TO bring large influx of pop
ulation all along the line, and the large
amount of money expended by the State In
construction of the waterways, feeding
dams, canal locks etc, resulted in the rapid
building up of several thriving villages The
formal work of breaking ground for the
canal occurred near Fort Wayne in March,
1882, just within the time limited in the land
grant by Congress.
July 3, 1885, the water of the st. Joseph
river reached Huntington in the canal,
and the same day the canal boat Indiana,
in command of Captain Fairfield. arrived
from Fort Wayne, Landing at BUCK : lock,
just east Of the city. The boat brought
with it an enth:.siast:c party c. gentlemen
from Fort Wayne, who were greeted by an
citizens. The arrival of the boat was cele-
brated by the booming of small cannon
procured for the occa%' on by Or Fate, our
pioneer merchant, from Dayton, . ana To-
cal traditions affirm that both guess ana
hosts united in making night of it.
THE WORK COMPLETED.
Although the work of construction was
begun in 1882. the canal was not completed
through the county until 1885, 1t was fin
ished to Lafayette in 1871. to Terre Haute
in 1S49, and TO Evansville in 1852. Its
length was $40 miles in Indiana and eighty
four miles in Ohio, the total length being
459 miles The receipts from tolls for sew
eral years were something over an aver
age of 100000 annually, and the expendi-
lures annually about $4,000. Its manage
ment a board of directors, but how
selected We are not advised. But with the
completion of the Wabash Railroad its
DrOSDeFltX began racaiVpd
its fms when other crossroads were built.
and after a few years of Improbable opera
ton in the early seventies was, in 1874.
finally and permanently abandoned, its
tolls being no longer sufficient to keep up
repairs The bed OF the canal was sold at
auction to pay the debts of the canal. The
purchasers We're spectators, and there has
been more or less litigation to their til
tie but they have at last succeeded in es-
tablishing their claim in the courts In
the cities this land has become valuable
but in the country of no particular advan-
tage IL has always been believed that the
purpose of the spectators making The Dur
chase was to convert the bed of the canal
into railroad. and the fact that the VAN
derbiltS are Interested in the deal has
seemed 10 conflrm the supposition, but up
TO the present time nothing has resulted.
Patrick o Brien, a pioneer resident of this
CITY, was closely connected with the man
agement of the canal the last fourteen
years of its operation He is a native of
Wexford county, ireland. came TO America
in 1S49, and he has been resident of
civil engineer by profession and helped
to run the lines for both the Wabash Rail-
way and that part of the Lake Erie q
Western between Peru and indianapolis
For many years he filled the responsible
positions of civil engineer and city treas
urer, and was also member of the City
Council for several terms. He lives i'm "A
comfortable home on North Lafontaine
street. and his seventy-sx years find him
still vigorous and well preserved With a
view to learning something of canal
interest
aid paid him visit and was courteousy
accorded an interview.
MR.. O'BRIEN'S RECOLLECTIONS.
Yes, ] connected with the canal
management as superintendent and pay
master of the second division from 1860 until
its abandonment i'm 1874. Colonel Colten Of
Lafayette, the general manager A. z.
Edgerton of Fort Wayne, John L. Petit
of Wabash, Herman Sterne of Peru, were
among the members of the board of direc-
tors. The duties of my position were large
ly to see to repairs, and it expected
that would answer all calls in person. day
or night, wherever contingencies might
arise j made frequent trips over my di-
vision. which extended from the State line
TO Lafayette. 1t was expected that all re-
pairs be made before navigation set i'm in
April, and break in the banks was a
great calamity to the boatmen. These
boatmen were rough class, but good
had any trouble with them. In the later
years of the canal the locks gave me much
trouble as many of them needed to be re-
built rather than to receive temporary re-
pairs | had the lock repaired at Peru one
winter by an old canal captain by the name
of Buckley. but when the water was turned
in IL wouldn't hold enough water to float
a boat. Necessity required prompt work
and cold il was l was compelled to ex-
plore the lock by going into the water over
my head to discover the trouble. An error
on Buckley's part made il necessary to let
the water out of the level from Iagro to
Peru to correct ii. So YOU will see that the
position of superintendent and paymaster
entailed something more in canal days than
mere office work.
the Legislature passed an act by which
the counties in which il was located were
required TO appropriate 5000 each for its
maintenance. The money was subject TO
call upon presentation of bills for work
done in the county making the donation
presented bills. None of the counties on
my division were called upon for the full
appropriation. The canal was too near dead
for resurrection even with that aid
THE level between Lagro and Wabash
was kept filled with water several years
after the canal was abandoned. for the
purpose of supplying that city with water
power. Al that time j had three boats i'm
my charge-the state repair boat, dredge
boat and tender boat These remained i'm
the level named until they rotted down.
The machinery was reclaimed by the Buff
falo firm who sold II TO the canal. and
was probably all they got for their debt.
The money invested in boats. horses,
mules stc.. by boatmen, was largely lost
Some of the boats were taken to the Ohio
canal. where they sold for song; some
| rotted down at Wharves where they were
| tied up in the hope that the canal would