Canal Biographies (N-Z)

The following are biographies and/or genealogies of those who were officially connected to Indiana’s canals, worked on them or had businesses related to them.

Click on highlighted names to learn more about those canawlers.

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
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
Palmer, Nathan Billings 10402874 IN State Treas./ Fund Comm.
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
Quantrill, William 5556 FTW Teacher, Missouri Border guerilla leader
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
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 / Superintendant
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
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
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
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
Yandes, Daniel 46054827 Canal Commissioner
Yeakel, David T 30164733 Built Canal Boatman’s Infirmary