BIOGRAPHIES – Canal Society

Jesse Lynch Williams
_{Chief Engineer for Internal Improvements}

It took many people to build the canals through the Hoosier state, from the influencers to the people turning the shovel, these are their stories. Peruse the page and click on the dropdown or link to explore these important persons in Indiana history.

Alphabetically

Name	Find A Grave	Canal Business
Armitage, Valerius	N/A	W&E Contactor – FTW Feeder Dam / Delphi
Atcheson, David	109068689	Annapolis / Coke Oven Pottery / Canal Shipper
Aveline, Francis	19635459	W&E Contractor – Sylvan Lake / FTW Hotel

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Name	Find A Grave	Canal Business
Babbs, Noah	Rising Sun, IN	Miami Canal worker 1825-28 Hamilton Co OH
Backus, Abner	145406689	W&E Ohio Portion Civil Engineer – Toledo
Bailey, Callum Jr.	34048788	Toll Collector – Terre Haute
Baker, Andrew	84552589	Canal Contractor / Boater / Mill – Parke Co
Ball, Cyrus	19310031	Toll Collector – Lafayette 1840
Ball, Owen	112053107	W&E Contractor – Lafayette
Ball, William	15565881	Resident Engineer W&E S. Div. Terre Haute
Banes, Jonathan	41720996	WW Superintendent – Metamora
Barlow, Jirah	11654783	W&E Toll Collector – Lagro
Barton, Gaylord G.	30553586	Board of Trustees W&E Canal / Washington IN
Bayless, Lott	159055338	Board of Trustees W&E Canal / Allen Co IN
Beach, Silas C.	26334843	Traveler -Allegheny Portage RR / Vigo Co IN
Beadle, W. H. H.	5993484	Capt 31st Ind Inf / Lived near Howard IN
Beard, John	21273614	IN Senate – Supporter W&E- Crawfordsville
Bechtol, Charles	73729359	W&E Canal Worker – Huntington
Bennett, Oliver	70694177	Store Owner on O&E Canal – Navarre OH
Benson, Erastus	74490971	Canal Warehouse/Montezuma Basin/Wabash Ferry
Bird, Oehmig	53317426	State & Local Politician – W&E Canal Supervisor
Blee Family	82850335	History of Home & Family Aboite Twp FTW
Boden, Augustus	35342081	Boatman -“The Swan” to Miami 1843
Bolinger, George Washington	35342081	Boatbuilder – FTW & Roanoke
Bowsher, Joseph	23504593	Built Gristmill – Sugar Creek
Bradfield, Thomas	34570685	W&E Canal Contractor – Logansport
Britton, Richard	27283392	W&E Canal Contractor – Peru “Old Dickey”
Brown, John	111984610	Stonemason / Canal House FTW
Brown, Norman	41412578	Worker – Erie / O&E / W&E / Attica IN
Burns, Joseph	82000881	Resident Montezuma owned Burns Ferry
Byers, Zachariah	160007713	Owner Rockport Mills – Shipper W&E

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Name	Find A Grave	Canal Business
Campbell, John Tenbrook	81585288	Canal Construction detailed in 1907 article
Cannon, Joe	10158	8 yrs Speaker of US House /Annapolis IN /Danville IL
Carpenter, Willard	15035200	Evansville Canal & Railroad / Willard Library
Carter, Chauncy	34643135	Super. W&E Canal – Miami Co
Carter, J. Newlin	34143206	Shipped – W&E- Parke Co
Carter, Thomas	26671300	W&E Contractor/Stone Quarry/Foundry Hollow
Case, Reed	36550593	Contractor Canal in Carroll Co /Businessman
Christman, Nicholas	97570300	FTW Driver on W&E Canal / Farmer – Yoder
Cissna, Robert	38815946	Mill Operator – Wabash – Lock 16
Cockrum, William Monroe	25646857	Warehouse at Dongola / Pork Packers
Coe, Isaac	45907990	Physician / Fund Commissioner / Fraud
Coffin, William Gaston	140602395	W&E Shipper / Sugar Creek Foundry / Lawyer
Coleman, Thomas	7847651	Driver O&E / Whse Lagro/ Banker Lafayette
Columbia, Dana	65039950	FTW Boat Captain – moved to Junction OH
Comparet, Charles	61369470	Recollections of Early FTW canal events
Comparet, David	16165326	Committee 1843 Celebration FTW – Whse
Comparet, Francis	82870608	Boat Builder / Canal Basin / Hotel /Mill
Comstock, Charles	15099208	Contractor W&E / Boat Builder / Roanoke
Conklin, Benjamin	96313132	Cambridge City / Mill / Hagerstown Canal
Conner, Samuel	7888027	W&E Canal Contractor – Parke Co
Conover, Aaron	36070826	Early Canal history -Terre Haute
Conwell, Abraham	136063024	Connersville resident – Canal Events
Conwell, James	47105183	Laurel resident / Minister / Canal Promoter
Cook, Henry	N/A	Cincinnati – boat driver Miamia & Erie
Cooper, William	N/A	Worked on W&E Canal – Fountain Co
Cotton, William	101834492	Whitewater Canal worker – Connersville
Cunningham, John	53664535	Contractor Battle Ground W&E Canal

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Name	Find A Grave	Canal Business
Darby, Joseph	52589707	Worker Central Canal / Miami Co later
Davis, George Dutch	131695601	Canal Boat Captain – W&E Canal – Toledo
Davis, Oliver Perry	67607468	Parke Co Businessman / Wabash Ferry owner
Deardorff, Robert	96441307	Worked on O & E Canal moved to Lafayette
DePuy, John	39839440	Physician – Lagro / Wabash
Digby, William	19243643	1825 founded Lafayette IN / Marque Lafayette
Dodson, Samuel	35277032	W&E Contractor on Summit at Riley
Dole, William	117538872	Partner William Kile at Clinton Locks Parke
Donaldson, Walter	75800473	Parke Co Judge / Co commisioner / Rockville
Douglass, William	34645585	W&E canal boat operator – Logansport
Dowling,Thomas	15565889	Board of Trustees W&E Canal – Terre Haute
Downing, Andrew	Green Co.	Richland Iron Furnace Bloomfield Greene Co
Driscoll, Daniel	36496453	Canal Worker Lagro & Wabash Co
Drover, Henry F.	67808914	Huntington (Drovertown)Canal Boat & Business
Dunn, David M.	54816201	Board of Trustees W&E Canal
Dunn, George	7782648	Lawrenceburg Congressman/RR promoter/ IN Treas

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Name	Find A Grave	Canal Business
Edgerton, Alfred	7116871	FtW land/canal & RR promotor Politician
Edmonston, Benjamin	Haysville Farm	Board of Trustees W&E Canal
Edsall, Samuel	65597973	Part-Owner/ Rudisell saw mill & Orff grist mill FtW
Edsall, William	19662399	Surveyor/ Contractor W&E Ft Wayne/ Businessman
Elward, James	36497610	Lagro – hauled stone , farmer
Embree, Elisha	7779398	Princeton Judge/lawyer /politician plat Port Gibson
English, Robert	36497778	Huntington Patent Waste Gate / Carrollton Bridge

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Name	Find A Grave	Canal Business
Fairfield, Asa	83729545	Canal Boat Captain – W&E Canal – Ft Wayne “Indiana”
Farquhar, John	7666403	Asst. Surveyor WW canal / Richmond Brookville canal
Finney Family	Annapolis	Parke-Co.
Fisher, Stearns	38833982	Super. W&E Canal – Wabash Co
Fitch, Nathaniel	47218593	Canal Worker / married Sarah Delong Allen Co
Fleming, William	54404231	1876 Purchase W&E Lafayette- State Ln
Fletcher, Calvin	19836853	Indianapolis politician / Visit along W&E Canal
Ford, Gayle	96594588	Capt. The Patriot 1st to Connersville
Forrer, Samuel	98766074	Ohio Canal Contractor / Commissioner / IN Contractor
Frybarger, George	96106591	Connersville Businessman, Banker, Postmaster

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Name	Find A Grave	Canal Business
Garfield, James	381	20th US President , General, Ohio Canal
Goethals, George Washington	399	Panama Canal – Chief Engineer
Gordon, James	19982774	Physician, Store Owner – Cass Co.
Gordon, Mahlon	41755827	Canal Boats & Mill / Lock #24 Metamora
Graham, A. E.	Savannah, OH	Black Pastor / traveled Canal Boat in Ohio
Guard, David	Dearborn Co.	Whitewater Canal Contractor

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Name	Find A Grave	Canal Business
Hager, Jacob	15565900	Chief Clerk W&E Terre Haute
Hamman, Christopher	44964396	Canal Worker – Warrick Co
Haney, William	34775299	Canal Engineer – Penn. & Miami Co Indiana
Hanna, Joseph S.	46612822	W&E Trustee – Lafayette / Banker/ H Sample partner
Hanna, Samuel	7117129	Canal Commissioner
Harris, Horatio J.	77175141	Asst. Engineer Canal near Delphi IN
Harris, Persius	73459605	Canal Warehouse – Montezuma Parke Co.
Harrison, William Henry	452	9th US President / Gov Indiana Territory
Hedekin, Michael	82808438	Owner Hotel in FT Wayne, canal travelers
Henton, Rachael	28342936	Buttermilk Babe at Lock 20 – Peru IN
Heron, James	101501680	WW Canal Officer/Heron Lock Connersville
Hill, Samuel Denny	76588876	Home on Water St Montezuma
Hinton, James Sidney	7183765	Last Board of Trustees W&E Canal
Hoagland, Pliny	16170465	Ohio/In Canal Engineer promoter/business
Hogan, Michael	36539212	Lagro Businessman
Holladay Brothers	56813900	Lodi Saloon, Warehouse, Boat Owner
Holman, Solomon	132928555	Founder of Miamisport later (Peru) IN
Houser, James A.	141729065	Tale of death of Dennis on Miami & Erie
Hovey, Benjamin	195265299	Indiana Canal Company (Falls Canal)
Hudson, Benjamin	76742946	Memories of Montzuma early days
Hudson, Robert	6733445	Terre Haute Attorney / Legislator
Hughes, Morris	92117611	Canal Boat Owner / Pork Pack – Montezuma
Hurd, Joseph C.	106477741	Locktender – Wabash R at Grand Rapids

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Name	Find A Grave	Canal Business
Jenks, Gideon	121080334	WW Lock Landowner
Jocelyn, Augustus	95065341	Brookville Minister / Newspaper Publisher
Jones, Clem Aquilla	22759377	Canal Worker in Greene Co – CrossCut
Jones, Daniel Amasa	99514704	Ferry Operator Howard, Lived in Newport
Jones, Lemuel G.	California	Canal work Lock at Wabash / Mill Roanoke

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Name	Find A Grave	Canal Business
Kellogg, Elizabeth Ann	N/A	Tale of canal travel west to Parke Co
Kendall, Enion	9280561	Wrote Poems about Canal Cass Co
Kile, Wiliam	N/A	Canal Boat Owner Parke Co
Kilgore, David	7185108	Congressman Legis Politician Delware Co
Kiser, Peter	44939945	Fort Wayne Butcher Canal Celebration

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Name	Find A Grave	Canal Business
Lake, Josepheus	111075456	Canal Boatman / 54th & 123rd IN Inf / Teacher
Lee, Alexander	45958363	Pottery Business – Parke Co
Lewis, Samuel	55425418	Canal Commissioner replaced Hanna
Linton, William C.	15565867	Canal Finance Comm Terre Haute
Logan, Robert	41674138	Pike Co Highbanks, Built Riley Lock
Long, Elisha	154154869	Canal Commissioner
Longworth, Nicholas	18989969	Cincinatti Businessman / Lockland plotted
Lotz, Henry	16169766	Contract St Marys A 3rd Mayor FTW
Lovall, Samuel	120370749	Hauled Timber for FTW Locks to State Line
Lucas, Ebenezer	20194965	Responsible for toll collecting & land sales

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Name	Find A Grave	Canal Business
McKahan, Daniel	39875388	W&E Boat Owner / Sheriff Wabash Co
Manwarring, Robert West Union	14318825	Businessman / Mill operator – Parke Co
Maris, John & Zimri	119654055	Canal Superintendent – Parke Co / Minister
Martin, Mary Hassett	N/A	Canal Boat Captain – Defiance OH
McCarty, Nicholas	8381692	Canal Fund Commissioner
McClure, Nelson	N/A	Mill Operator, Sugar Creek Feeder
McCulloch, Hugh	6661898	FTW Banker / US Sec. Treasury
McCune, Alexander	71151843	Trips to New Orleans / Mill – Big Racoon Creek
McIntyre, William	30027647	Canal Worker – Parke Co . Boat operator
McMannomy, John	22149282	Canal Contractor – Fountain Co
McMannomy, James	22149100	Canal Contractor – Fountain Co
McRoberts, David	59155322	Worked on Miama & Erie / Gibson Co later
Maxwell, David H.	28858083	Canal Commissioner
Meeker, Minor	49922863	Fayette Co Senator IndianaSenate
Meyer, Diedrich	34879676	Brothers FTW established Meyer Drugs
Meyer, Frederick J.	62201984	Worked on W & E Canal FTW area
Meyer, Frederick G.	75772918	Partner of Meyer Drug business
Meyer, William	19298497	Canal Boat worker / Drug Business
Milligan, Lambdin P.	10789999	Huntington lawyer, Copperhead Supreme Ct
Minesinger, John	37038230	Chief Engineer Hagerstown Canal
Moffatt, James Tillery	128483347	Associate Judge in Terre Haute/ IN Senator
Moore, Henry C.	139312595	Engineer/ Supervisor – Whitewater Canal
Morgan, Goodlet	116650667	Petersburg Merchant / Son in L G Profit
Morgan, Oliver P.	36037815	Toll Collector & 2nd Mayor FTW
Morris, Thomas A.	8537742	Surveyor- Central Canal
Murray, Elias	Decatur IN	Huntington Merchant / at Groundbreaking
Mushett, James	77352905	Canal boat operator – Montezuma
Myers, Peter	15309091	Gibson Co canal worker

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Name	Find A Grave	Canal Business
Newman, John	40027485	Board of Trustees W&E Canal- Wayne Co. IN St Treas.
Nofsinger, William (Revisited)	45981747	Board of Trustees W&E Canal
Nye, Pearl R	191194198	Ohio Boatman and Songwriter

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Name	Find A Grave	Canal Business
O’Brien, Dennis	82995179	Allen Co. / W&E Canal worker & Boatman
O’Brien, Patrick	71855088	Wabash – W&E Superintendent & Paymaster
Olin, Townsend	35441830	Canal Worker Central Canal – Evansville 1836-38
Orff, John	82817896	Mill Owner in Ft. Wayne / Notary for IN

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Name	Find A Grave	Canal Business
Palmer, Nathan Billings	10402874	IN State Treas./ Fund Comm.
Parker, Samuel Wilson “Judge”	N/A (Private Cemetery at Elmhurst)	Second President of Whitewater Canal/US Representative
Paterson, Chambers	15748749	Armiesburg mill owner / Judge Vigo Co
Peters, John Claus	63606010	Fort Wayne Sawmill on basin / Carol Lombard’s GF
Puett, Austin	N/A	Board of Trustees W&E Canal
Putnam, Harvey	81733979	Fort Wayne, Canal Boat Captain, City Councilman

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Name	Find A Grave	Canal Business
Quantrill, William	5556	FTW Teacher, Missouri Border guerilla leader

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Name	Find A Grave	Canal Business
Rader, Jennie Brown	N/A	Memoirs of Huntington & Roanoke Canal times
Ray, James Brown	11179	IN Governor Feb 1825 – Dec 1831
Rayl, Franklin	30008822	Foundry Operator Sugar Creek Parke Co.
Reagan, Michael D.	68893643	Worker Whitewater Canal – Lawrenceburg
Redford, Frank	179081760	Coke Hollow on Sugar Creek – Parke Co.
Reemer, William	9719821	Allen Co Farmer – Remembers Canal Times
Rice, Thomas	126776949	IN House / Speech on Canal – Soldiers to CW
Richards, Caleb	Tuscola Cemetery	Montezuma Constable, Stage owner
Ridgway, Jospeh Jr.	19982769	W&E Engineer FTW Summit
Roberson, William N.	N/A	Contractor Central Canal- Madison Co
Roche, John	71867245	Canal Worker Wabash Co.
Rockhill, William	7116987	Canal Contractor – Allen Co, businessman
Roberts Willam N	46003265	Central Canal Contractor
Ropa, William	51553710	Ft. Wayne Canal Boat Captain
Rothrock, Zachariah	7968249	Boat Builder Carroll Co.
Rowley, Nathan	89359366	Evansville Canal Politician & Canal Contractor
Rumsey, Philo	81592124	Manager of the Rockhill House – FT Wayne
Russell, Andrew	81307897	Wheat shipper W&E – Armiesburg Parke Co

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Name	Find A Grave	Canal Business
Salsberry Daniel S	N/A	Worker on Cross Cut
Sample, Henry	57270060	Hog Slaughtering in LaFayette on W&E
Sanger, David III	18767819	Canal Contractor – Fox River Aqueduat Ottawa IL
Sanger, Lorenzo	48921168	Contractor – Beaver & Erie / llinois & Michigan
Sasse, Theodore	N/A	Gibson Co- Tobacco Shipper
Saxe, Johann ‘John’ Jacob	53665642	Canal boat freighter/trader
Saylor, Ulerick Sr.	98487682	W&E Locktender Lock 1 – Indiana St Line
Schmidt, Frank	132113649	Canal Boatman Vigo Co businessman official
Schwegmann, Herman	52008166	Cook on W&E State Boat
Scott, Lucius	60343992	Vigo Lawyer / Legislator – founder of Lamasco Vand Co.
Sell, Sarah	169101631	Cambridge City _ Boat Cook married Val Sells
Sell, Valentine	170717038	Whitewater Boat Captain – See Vinton
Semans, John B.	70936600	Lafayette newspaper publisher
Shanahan, Michael	114690494	Wabash Co – Canal work foreman timekeeper
Shank, John	136932887	Assistant Engineer Whitewater Canal
Sherwood, Marcus	82145956	Evansville Contractor & Politician
Shirk, David	113364178	Operated saw mill on Montezuma Benson Basin
Shoup, George	Bochim/ Franklin Co	Laurel / Legislator / buys Central Canal / married J Conwell
Shrode, Hudson M.	47497694	Warrick Co – Worked on Central Canal – Evansville
Sloan, Joseph	25310050	Covinton Merchant and Postmaster
Smith, Dennison	108555300	Toldedo Area – Freight Forwarding business
Smythe, Thomas	118050303	Warrick Co. Boat Captain / Superintendent
Spooner, Lysander	18821908	Claim founder of Gilead in OH / abolitionist
Stacey, Jedidiah	N/A	Montezuma grain shipper on W&E
Stapp, Milton	41812673	Madison politician / Finance Board of State Canal Commission
Starkey, John	N/A	Worker on W&E near Lafayette
Steedman, James	5893560	Canal Contractor / Union General – Toledo Waterville
Stedman, William H.	185194463	Captain on Wabash & Erie Canal
Stitt, Archibald	47477323	Huntington Canal Contractor / Treasurer Wabash Co.
Stopher, John & Christopher	97603195	Lived in Roanoke and upper Wabash
Stuart, Robert	37711653	Covington Canal contractor – Fountain Co.
Stuenkle, Henry	99094125	Worked on Erie Canal / moved to Gibson Co farmer
Sturgis, Solomon	6159570	Contractor in Gibson Co with Hosmer & Forrer
Swaim, Riley	103065931	Annapolis IN / made carts for W&E workers

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Name	Find A Grave	Canal Business
Taylor, Silas	15390276	Worker W&E at Clinton Locks – Parke Co
Thomas, Norbourn	44535110	Salt Well & Shipper on W&E – Fountain Co
Thompson, Itha Meril	131431160	Worked on a W&E Canal boat – Delphi-Lafayette
Tipton, John	8349	Indian Agent / US Senator
Torbert, Simpson	141573918	Chief Engineer – Whitewater Canal / Eastern Canal work
Tousey, Omer	87672081	Lawrenceburg Banker
Tower, Benjamin	70788633	Contractor -Gronauer Lock rebuild

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Name	Find A Grave	Canal Business
Vanlandingham, John	79141365	Operated ferry boat near Montezuma
VanSlyke, Peter	11783632	Early Settler of Greene County
Viberg, Conrad	38933007	Roanoke Hotel oner & Huntington Co farmer
Vigus, Jordan	41207739	Canal Com. / Mayor Logansport
Vinton, Elbridge	167554271	Innkeeper Cambridge City

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Name	Find A Grave	Canal Business
Wallace, David	7956	6th IN Governor/ Congressman
Waterman, Richard	61967454	Physician, Lodi / Newspaper / Capt. Civil War
Watkins, John	N/A	Montezuma Blacksmith
Welch, John	39439102	Coke Hollow on Sugar Creek – Parke Co
Wheelock, Elbridge	50323877	Physician, W&E Canal
Whitcomb, James	7957	8th IN Governor / Lawyer
White, Albert Smith	9187	US Senator Congressman
Wilcox, Elias Crane	54223544	Clerk of the Court for Fountain County
Wilhelm, Jacob	108453142	WW Canal Worker – Dearborn Co Lawrenceburg
Williams, Jesse Lynch	20495966	Chief Engineer – Indiana Canals
Wilson, James S.	34902916	Logansport Canal Boat Captain
Wilson, Jane L.	N/A	Owner of Montezuma “Phoenix House”
Wilson, Lazarus Brown	39931298	Canal Engineer / War 1812
Wilson, Thomas H.	34902977	Logansport Warehouse & forwarder
Wines, Marshall	81258821	W&E Canal Contractor
Wolf, Adolphus	58944711	W&E Canal Worker – New Haven
Wright, Joseph	3942	10th IN Governor / Lawyer