Wabash & Erie Canal Park in Delphi, Indiana Traces History of America's Longest Canal

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If you own a mule and it happens to be named Cal, Gal, Hal, Pal, Val, or preferably Sal, grab your towrope and head over to Delphi, Indiana, to check out the Wabash and Erie Canal Park and Museum.

Opened in 2004, the museum features twelve interactive galleries tracing the history of the Wabash and Erie Canal from its inception and construction to its use and eventual closure. The park grounds have an extensive trail system and an 1850s pioneer village, where craftsmen ply their trades during canal season (mid-May through mid-September).

The Wabash and Erie Canal connected the eastern side of Indiana, near Fort Wayne, to the state's southwestern corner at Evansville on the Ohio River. Construction began near Fort Wayne in 1832, and when completed, the canal stretched 468 miles from Toledo, Ohio, to Evansville. Construction reached Delphi in 1840, and reports indicated that three mules pulled canal boats at speeds of 5 to 6 miles per hour. At the peak of construction in 1837, approximately 1,000 immigrants, primarily Irish, worked on the canal. Using only hand tools, they endured disease, snakes, and frequent accidents. Many were buried along the towpath they had helped create.

The canal had a tremendous impact on the growth of Indiana. When it began operating, the state's population was approximately 350,000. By 1840, it had grown to nearly 1 million. Ironically, canals are believed to have helped bring about their own demise by transporting the rails used to build the expanding railroad network across the United States. The last boat to travel the Delphi section of the canal was the Keystone State in 1874. The state then auctioned off the canal lands, and Indiana's canal era came to an end.