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. |
| 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 |
| 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 |