Whitewater Canal State Historic Site
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- Listed in Franklin, Historical, Living, Metamora, Transportation
- 19074 75 Main St, Metamora, IN 47030
- (765) 647-6513
- www.indianamuseum.org/explore
Metamora Whitewater Canal State Historic Site preserved 14-mile section of the Whitewater Canal, features a horse-drawn canal boat and Metamora Grist Mill.
As settlers moved into the old Northwest Territory after 1800, transportation routes became an important priority. Indiana’s brief experience with canal building began with the passage of the Indiana Mammoth Internal Improvement Act of 1836. Whitewater Canal was one of several projects funded by this act.
Early canals were hand-dug waterways meant to bring goods and people inland. They were located near rivers and natural waterways which provided necessary water. Draft animals pulled long, narrow boats by a rope next to the canal on a towpath. Although canal travel was painfully slow, this method was much better than wagons for large, heavy loads.
The Whitewater Canal started in Lawrenceburg and originally ended at Cambridge City, on the Old National Road. Hagerstown merchants financed an extension to their town, making the canal 76 miles in length. The state of Ohio also built a 25-mile spur linking Cincinnati to the canal. Along the canal, 56 locks accommodate a fall of nearly 500 feet.
Upon Indiana’s bankruptcy in the 1840’s, private enterprises stepped up to complete the canal. After the canal transportation era ended with the arrival of the railroads, the canal was used as a source of water power for many grist mills and other industry. The Metamora Grist Mill is an example, using water power to produce corn meal for over 100 years.
The State of Indiana assumed management of a 14-mile section of the Whitewater Canal in 1946 and operates a horse-drawn canal boat and the Metamora Grist Mill. Visitors can also take a leisurely 25-minute cruise on the Ben Franklin III. During the cruise, they pass the Duck Creek Aqueduct, a covered bridge that carries the canal 16 feet over Duck Creek. It is believed to be the only structure of its kind in the nation.