Fayette county was created by an act of the Indiana General Assembly in December 1818 from portions of Wayne and Franklin counties. The county’s name sake is the French Revolutionary War hero General Marquis de la Fayette. The surface of the county is divided nearly in the center by the west fork of “Whitewater”. The county is rolling in the east and south, and level in the north and west, with a large proportion of bottoms, and known for its agricultural success. Forests once dominated the area.
Connersville, the county seat was platted in 1813 by wilderness explorer John Conner. Connersville in it’s early days served as a fort and safe haven for European travelers heading west into the wild. John Conner, founder and namesake of Connersville, served as the first sheriff and surveyor for the young Hoosier community. Mr. Conner left Connersville sometime before 1820 to travel with his brother, William, to what is now Noblesville, Indiana, along the White River. Others followed Mr. Conner, such as John Wesley McCormick, namesake of McCormick Creek State Park in Owen County, Indiana.
Connersville saw slow growth until the Whitewater Canal Company was set to enter the picture making travel from Cincinnati to Hagerstown much easier for travelers. By 1845 the Whitewater Canal entered Connersville, which had established itself as a modest furniture producing and farm town, particularly the hog market, with boats shipping hundreds of head of hog to Cincinnati daily to be slaughtered. The canal also paved way for what would be come Connersville two largest industries, transportation and Roots-style blowers.
Limpus Family
The following tabs correspond to articles written from past Canal Society of Indiana publications and the county you are viewing. Click on the link to read the associated article.
(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.
Volume V (1993/94)
Volume VI (1994/95)
- Serious Accident on the Whitewater Canal
- Canals of the White Water Valley
- The Canal Opens
- Whitewater Canal Statistics
Volume VII (1995/96)
(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 I (1981)
Volume II (1982)
- Whitewater Canal Cleanup
- Canal Restoration Project Update
- Whitewater Canal Cleanup Project / Canoes Now, Packet Boats Later