Lock 37 on the Whitewater Canal - Connersville, Indiana
N 39° 36.050 W 085° 09.246
16S E 658484 N 4385082
Known as the Updegraft lock, lock 37 is a composite lock; a combination of stone and timber construction. The canal is not in water at this location, and the lock has deteriorated.
Waymark Code: WMJFT2
Location: Indiana, United States
Date Posted: 11/12/2013
Views: 5
On September 13, 1836 State and local officials met in Brookville for an earth-turning ceremony for the Whitewater Canal. Actual construction started in October or November 1836, and by June 1839 the canal between Lawrenceburg and Brookville was finished and ready for business. The line between Brookville and the Laurel Feeder Dam (Dam 4) was open by October 1843. The Cincinnati & Whitewater Canal was completed in November of 1843. In June 1845 boats could travel to Connersville, and by October 1846 the canal was navigable to the National Road at Cambridge City. The eight mile Hagerstown Canal (Cambridge City to Hagerstown) opened for business in 1847.
The details above were culled from an excellent resource, the
Whitewater Canal Historical Corridor Guide. Authored by Don Burden for his master’s thesis at Ball State University, the ‘Guide’ is directed toward the history of the Whitewater Canal between West Harrison and Brookville. In order to tell this story, a general overview is given about the other sections of the canal.
Additional details about the Whitewater Canal can be found at the web sites of the
Canal Society of Indiana and the
American Canal Society (also listed below).
Wikipedia contains a good summary of the canal's history.
Another organization that is seeking to preserve the canal has actually established walking trails along the old towpath between Brookville and Metamora. The goal of the
Whitewater Canal Trail, Inc., a 501c3 non-profit corporation, is to foster activities along the Whitewater Canal corridor that focus on historical preservation and interpretation, outdoor recreation and natural resource conservation while promoting sustainable development and improved quality of life in connected communities.