Canal stuff, generally interesting

 There are several blog items on this site that deal with the canals that ribboned across Indiana in the early 1800s. Generally, the claim is that the canals were bankrupt by 1840 and out of business 20 years later.

This photo from a state government canal history site, was probably taken around 1855, and shows how wide the trench was at the time. 

It's not a third that wide now. The photo appears to be somewhat near the aqueduct, which can be seen in the distance. That would put it just downstream from Metamora.

This clip from the Brookville American from January 1857 suggests that the people who did commerce on the canal weren't giving up without a fight. It's generally conceded that not much was being hauled by canal boat by then. The railroad was just next to it.

Most likely, shipping was quite local, perhaps from Brookville to Laurel. Not much farther because the canal wasn't useful by then.

As of this writing 2022, the village of Metamora and the state DNR have not replaced the boat that has fascinated tourists for a couple of decades. The Ben Franklin III was doomed to time.

The canal and the area around it in Metamora have been a rather constant drain on resources over the last 40 years. The place was old when the state made it into a memorial. 

A Whitewater Canal friends Facebook group exists.