Published: October 11, 2008 09:35 pm         

Canal Society of Indiana visits Wabash Valley to check out remains of Locks 47 and 49

TERRE HAUTE — Standing in the middle of Woodsmall Drive outside of Riley, it’s difficult to imagine that the land now covered with browning corn stalks was once underwater.

But as about 54 members of the Canal Society of Indiana would learn while on their tour “Across the Cross-Cut” this weekend, more than 100 years ago the spot at what is now 590 Woodsmall Drive east of Indiana 159 served as “the summit level” of the Cross-Cut Canal.

And, around 1900, where now stands a house was once a large park with a dance hall and recreational facilities.

“This is a pretty historical group,” said Jeff Koehler, Clay County historian and member of the Canal Society’s board of directors. “I really enjoy it.”

Koehler served as a tour guide and gave a short presentation on the history and impact of coal mining in the area while the group ate lunch Saturday at the VFW Park outside Riley.

Bob Schmidt of Fort Wayne serves as president of the Canal Society and said the group plans two bus tours a year. Next April they’ll be up in Wabash at the Wabash-Erie Canal.

But this weekend, the group traversed a 42-mile stretch of rural Vigo, Clay, Greene and Owen counties, to check out the remains of Locks 47 and 49, which served to let water and boats flow up- and downstream from the high point in Fort Wayne.

Schmidt explained that some locks were “timber locks” as opposed to those cut from stone, and in some places not much remains.

“The Riley area has one of the few stone locks,” he said, noting that most locks in Indiana were made from timber as builders had an abundant supply of that and not much suitable stone.

The group, which advocates for heritage trails around the state, would like to see a park built in Riley to commemorate the canal heritage, similar to others around Indiana.

“The life of the canal” roughly spanned 1832 to 1874, Schmidt said, noting that the Cross-Cut was running up until about 1860.

But the heritage is still visible throughout the area today, and Schmidt noted that the town of “Lockport” was platted in 1836, only changing its name to “Riley” many years later.

“Terre Haute was the headquarters for the canal,” Schmidt said, noting that control was handed over from the state to a board of trustees here in July of 1847.

The town of Linton was in fact named after trustee William C. Linton, and other founders such as Thomas Dowling and Thomas Blake are buried in the Wabash Valley.

Koehler explained the economic significance of the canals as well as the coal, clay and railroad industries in the area.

In 1900, Clay County boasted 117 schools with about 10,000 children in attendance, compared to about 3,000 students today.

“There were more people living in Clay County 100 years ago than are there today,” he said, noting the “huge families” with 10 to 15 children of generations past.

And not all residents were too keen on the canals, he said, noting the “canal wars” along the Eel River where neighbors destroyed them blaming their “vapors” on the outbreaks of malaria.

In point of fact, it wasn’t the swamp vapors that caused malaria, but rather the mosquitos drawn to the waters, he said.

But it was too fine a hair to split for many and vandalism ensued.

The canals only lasted about 10 years in Clay County, he said, as they brought rail ties and engines down only to see themselves replaced by the railroads.

“The engineering aspects of this are truly tremendous,” he said pointing to the cornfields where a canal once operated before the mass mining operations of yesteryear.

Koehler noted that the land was surveyed by hand, and the operations were built without computers or modern technology.

The Canal Society of Indiana has about 400 members, said Carolyn Schmidt, Bob’s wife and group historian who creates a monthly publication running anywhere from 24- to 100-plus pages, full of historical data not just on the canals but many other topics.

Most of the raw history, she said, is scattered in old newspaper articles, and one of the group’s goals is to centralize it for everyone to access.

Bob, retired from General Electric and Prudential, and Carolyn, a retired elementary school teacher, said this weekend’s tour drew people from Washington D.C. and Ohio.

“Mostly transplant Hoosiers,” Bob explained, recounting the friendships made since becoming a member in 1988.

Saturday afternoon the temperature was in the mid- to upper 70s with a cool breeze, and all agreed it made for great traveling on the big charter bus rented for the trip.

“I got interested when I was a kid,” Schmidt said, noting his grandmother took him down to the canal’s basin in Evansville.

And over the years, his involvement in Boy Scouts and other groups helped foster a love of history, like most other members of the Canal Society.

“I just wish there was more money in it,” Koehler joked, noting that he took the weekend off from farming to participate.

Brian Boyce can be reached at (812) 231-4253 or brian.boyce@tribstar.com.