Metamora Township in Franklin County, Indiana — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)
Building the Whitewater Canal
an 1840s Engineering Feat
Photographed by Craig Doda, June 3, 2023
1. Building the Whitewater Canal Marker
Using detailed plans provided by engineers, construction crews built the 76-mile canal up the steep Whitewater Valley.
To raise boats a total of 491 feet, the canal required:
56 locks (on average, a lock every 1.5 miles)
7 feeder dams (to supply the water)
12 aqueducts (to carry boats over streams)
Multiple culverts, landing docks and bridges
The State of Indiana now owns and manages this 14-mile section of the canal. You can hike on the public trails alongside the canal.
Jinks Lock No. 29 Laurel Feeder Dam No. 4 Simontons Lock No. 28 Ferris Lock No. 27 Murrays Lock No. 26 Metamora Lock No. 25 Duck Creek Aqueduct Gordon Lock No. 24 Twin Locks No. 23 and 22 Yellow Bank Lock No. 21 Boundary Hill Lock No. 20 Reeds Lock No. 19
The Canal Met Specific Measurements
The Whitewater Canal followed standard dimensions established by the Erie Canal in New York, built between 1817 and 1825.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Man-Made Features • Waterways & Vessels. A significant historical year for this entry is 1817.
Location. 39° 26.814′ N, 85° 8.097′ W. Marker is in Metamora, Indiana, in Franklin County. It
this page online
Regionally, this marker is in the American Midwest and in the Corn Belt. Globally, it is in North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture and also the Northwest Territory.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Building A Hand-Dug Canal Was Hard Work (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 the Whitewater Canal Marker
Photographed by Tom Bosse, May 22, 2021
3. Building the Whitewater Canal Marker
Photographed by Tom Bosse, May 22, 2021
4. Building the Whitewater Canal Marker
Credits. This page was last revised on October 15, 2024. It was originally submitted on July 9, 2023, by Craig Doda of Napoleon, Ohio. This page has been viewed 189 times since then and 9 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on July 9, 2023, by Craig Doda of Napoleon, Ohio. 3, 4. submitted on October 12, 2024, by Tom Bosse of Jefferson City, Tennessee. • Andrew Ruppenstein was the editor who published this page.
