Taming the Wilderness
Canals
(This is an online version of a 1996 exhibit that was held in the Weaver Gallery at Conner Prairie.)
Canals
Canals were, in essence, man-made mini-rivers. They were viewed as nature leashed, controlled, tamed. Theoretically, and often in practice, they offered the benefits of water travel without hazards like torrents, and obstructions. Unlike rivers, canals usually offered constant, water-depth regulated travel during at least three seasons of the year.
The opening of the Erie Canal in 1825 sparked a canal building mania which swept much of the country. Indiana and the Old Northwest were not immune to this craze, with the Hoosier state having 3 major canal systems under construction by 1838.
During their short reign these marvels of engineering proved to be a very efficient means of transporting people and goods. However, canals soon fell victim to their construction difficulties, vast expense, economic downturns, and, most importantly, the coming of the railroad. By the Civil War, the canal era was all but dead