1836 – 1849
(76 Miles: 69 Miles in Indiana / 7 Miles in Ohio)
Connecting Hagerstown (Wayne County) to the Ohio River at Lawrenceburg and later Cincinnati OH. opening the agriculturally rich valley of the Whitewater Valley. The main trunk of the canal was built along the Whitewater River in Indiana and Ohio. The Whitewater River is one of the steepest rivers in Indiana. In the canal’s short 76 miles, it drops 490ft through a series of 56 locks. Three additional canals were proposed to be part of a broader Whitewater Canal System but only two were built: the Hagerstown Extension Canal and the Cincinnati-Whitewater Canal. The third, the Richmond-Brookville Canal was not built but advertisements exist for its construction.
Today much of the Whitewater Canal in Franklin, Fayette and Wayne Counties is still visible. Franklin is home to the small canal town of Metamora which has the last standing wooden aqueduct of its design in the United States.
COUNTIES OF THE WHITEWATER CANAL
Indiana Counties
Ohio County
Hamilton
WHITEWATER CANAL MAP & STRUCTURES
WHITEWATER CANAL TOUR GUIDES
WHITEWATER CANAL ARTICLES
The Tumble
(2017 – Present)
The Tumble is the Canal Society of Indiana’s (CSI) current publication. The Tumble was the first publication of CSI to be completely internet based starting in 2017.
Volume VIII (2024)
Volume VII (2023)
Volume VI (2022)
Volume V (2021)
Volume IV (2020)
Volume III (2019)
Volume II (2018)
Volume I (2017)
The Hoosier Packet
(2002-2016)
The Hoosier Packet was the official Canal Society of Indiana’s publication from 2002 through 2016.
The Newsletter
(1986-2002)
The Newsletter began being published in 1986 and was a companion publication of the Canal Society of Indiana’s (CSI) that ran concurrent with Indiana Canals publication. The Newsletter was initially printed with information about CSI. In the mid 990s Newsletter took on a new format and absorbed Indiana Canals into this one publication which became the primary publication of the Canal Society of Indiana until 2002.
Indiana Canals
(1989 – 2002)
Indiana Canals began being published in 1986 and was a companion publication of the Canal Society of Indiana’s (CSI) that ran concurrent with Newsletter publication. Indiana Canals was initially printed with information about the how the canals function, mechanical features of old and what was still remaining. In the mid 990s Indiana Canals publication was absorbed into the Newsletter which became the prime publication of the Canal Society of Indiana.
Volume II (1990)
Volume III (1991/92)
Volume V (1993/94)
Volume VI (1994/95)
- About the Drawings
- Canal Celebration
- Canals of the White Water Valley
- Serious Accident on the Whitewater Canal
- Richmond & Brookville Canal Notice
- Table of Tolls in the Whitewater Valley Canals
- Whitewater Canal: Notice to Bidders
- The Canal Opens
- The Canal Celebration
- Duck Creek Aqueduct (Photograph)
- Whitewater Canal Statistics
Volume VII (1995/96)
- Letter from Dawne Slater-Putt: Vol. 6 No. 3 – Connersville Explosion
- The Watchman Article from January 23, 1836
- A Strike
Volume VIII (1997)
Volume X (1999)
- The Dam at the Junction
- Report to the Ohio Board
- Sale of Land by John & Mary Godley
- Research Paper Submitted for Marker
Volume XI (2000)
Volume XII (2001)
Indiana Waterways
(1981 – 1986)
Indiana Waterways was the first publication of the Canal Society of Indiana. The first edition was published in 1981 several months before the establishment of the Canal Society of Indiana and became the source of information about the development of CSI and information to the members until the creation of Indiana Canals and the Newsletter in 1986.
Volume IV (1985)
Volume V (1986)
CANALS OF THE WHITEWATER CANAL SYSTEM
Hagerstown Extension Canal
Built as a ten (10) mile extension from Cambridge City connecting Hagerstown to the Whitewater Canal.
(2017 – Present)
The Tumble is the Canal Society of Indiana’s (CSI) current publication. The Tumble was the first publication of CSI to be completely internet based starting in 2017.
(2002-2016)
The Hoosier Packet was the official Canal Society of Indiana’s publication from 2002 through 2016.
(1986-2002)
The Newsletter began being published in 1986 and was a companion publication of the Canal Society of Indiana’s (CSI) that ran concurrent with Indiana Canals publication. The Newsletter was initially printed with information about CSI. In the mid 990s Newsletter took on a new format and absorbed Indiana Canals into this one publication which became the primary publication of the Canal Society of Indiana until 2002.
(1989 – 2002)
Indiana Canals began being published in 1986 and was a companion publication of the Canal Society of Indiana’s (CSI) that ran concurrent with Newsletter publication. Indiana Canals was initially printed with information about the how the canals function, mechanical features of old and what was still remaining. In the mid 990s Indiana Canals publication was absorbed into the Newsletter which became the prime publication of the Canal Society of Indiana.
Cincinnati-Whitewater Canal (Ohio)
The Cincinnati-Whitewater Canal was built as a branch line canal to connect the Whitewater Canal to the city of Cincinnati. It split from the main trunk of the Whitewater Canal near the town of West Harrison Indiana and shortly thereafter enters into the State of Ohio on the north side of the Whitewater River while the main trunk of the Whitewater Canal continued toward Lawrenceburg on the south side of the river. The Cincinnati-Whitewater canal passed near Cleves Ohio where it passed through a hill via a canal tunnel before following the north bank of the Ohio River into Cincinnati.
(2017 – Present)
The Tumble is the Canal Society of Indiana’s (CSI) current publication. The Tumble was the first publication of CSI to be completely internet based starting in 2017.
(2002-2016)
The Hoosier Packet was the official Canal Society of Indiana’s publication from 2002 through 2016.
(1986-2002)
The Newsletter began being published in 1986 and was a companion publication of the Canal Society of Indiana’s (CSI) that ran concurrent with Indiana Canals publication. The Newsletter was initially printed with information about CSI. In the mid 990s Newsletter took on a new format and absorbed Indiana Canals into this one publication which became the primary publication of the Canal Society of Indiana until 2002.
(1989 – 2002)
Indiana Canals began being published in 1986 and was a companion publication of the Canal Society of Indiana’s (CSI) that ran concurrent with Newsletter publication. Indiana Canals was initially printed with information about the how the canals function, mechanical features of old and what was still remaining. In the mid 990s Indiana Canals publication was absorbed into the Newsletter which became the prime publication of the Canal Society of Indiana.
Richmond-Brookville Canal
The Richmond-Brookville Canal was a proposed canal to run along the east fork of the Whitewater River. This canal was never built but the idea of this canal came as canal fever was hitting its high in Indiana.
(2017 – Present)
The Tumble is the Canal Society of Indiana’s (CSI) current publication. The Tumble was the first publication of CSI to be completely internet based starting in 2017.
(2002-2016)
The Hoosier Packet was the official Canal Society of Indiana’s publication from 2002 through 2016.
(1986-2002)
The Newsletter began being published in 1986 and was a companion publication of the Canal Society of Indiana’s (CSI) that ran concurrent with Indiana Canals publication. The Newsletter was initially printed with information about CSI. In the mid 990s Newsletter took on a new format and absorbed Indiana Canals into this one publication which became the primary publication of the Canal Society of Indiana until 2002.
(1989 – 2002)
Indiana Canals began being published in 1986 and was a companion publication of the Canal Society of Indiana’s (CSI) that ran concurrent with Newsletter publication. Indiana Canals was initially printed with information about the how the canals function, mechanical features of old and what was still remaining. In the mid 990s Indiana Canals publication was absorbed into the Newsletter which became the prime publication of the Canal Society of Indiana.