Metamora in Franklin County, Indiana — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)
Building A Hand-Dug Canal Was Hard Work
Photographed By Craig Doda, June 3, 2023
1. Building A Hand-Dug Canal Was Hard Work Marker
"I [have] two degrees in the business of Engineering and have for my pay forty-seven dollars p[e]r month. I have for my companions men of talents and respectability who are like me, far away from their native homes."
Whitewater Canal Chief Engineer Myron J. Webb in a letter to his parents
A Typical Construction Unit
31 engineers
1 secretary
24 rodmen
20 axmen
975 laborers
The canal broke the bank, several times
It took 11 years (1836-1847) to complete the 76-mile canal and cost nearly $1.2 million, or about $15,000 per mile in the 1840s.
Floods and constant, expensive repairs that always exceeded revenue ultimately doomed the canal. The last boat traveled the canal in 1863.
Regular maintenance and repair work on a 14-mile section of the canal continues today by staff of the Whitewater Canal State Historic Site.
Labored 12 to 15 hours per day, summer and winter, rain or shine
Exposed to malaria, dysentery, typhoid and cholera
Grubbed the land (cleared trees, stumps and bushes)
Dug the channel and removed the dirt
Broke rocks into smaller pieces and hauled them away
Constructed towpaths and berms
Cut and hauled timber
Quarried andhauled limestone
Click or scan to see
this page online
Built lock chamber masonry work
Constructed aqueducts, bridges, dams and culverts
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Industry & Commerce • Waterways & Vessels. A significant historical year for this entry is 1863.
Location. 39° 26.813′ N, 85° 8.097′ W. Marker is in Metamora, Indiana, in Franklin County. Marker is on Main Street (Local Road 75) just west of Holland Alley, on the right when traveling west. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 19053 Main St, Metamora IN 47030, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Building the Whitewater Canal (here, next to this marker); Farmers Bank (within shouting distance of this marker); Odd Fellows Hall (within shouting distance of this marker); Canal Front Dry Goods Store (within shouting distance of this marker); Jackson Meat Market (within shouting distance of this marker); Jonathan Banes House (within shouting distance of this marker); Christian Thorpe House (within shouting distance of this marker); Jenks and Martindale Grocery (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Metamora.
Photographed By Craig Doda, June 3, 2023
2. Building A Hand-Dug Canal Was Hard Work Marker
Credits. This page was last revised on July 12, 2023. It was originally submitted on June 30, 2023, by Craig Doda of Napoleon, Ohio. This page has been viewed 74 times since then and 10 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on June 30, 2023, by Craig Doda of Napoleon, Ohio. • Devry Becker Jones was the editor who published this page.
