Walk Through History

Indiana became the 19th U.S. state on December 11, 1816.

Delphi was platted by General Samuel Milroy. Visit Centennial Stone on the abandoned Monon Railroad via the Monon High Trail.

Following the success of the Erie Canal from New York to Buffalo, Indiana's leaders had a dream of digging a statewide network of canals. Several attempts were made before and after Indiana was granted statehood in 1816, but all failed for lack of funds. The first Hoosier lottery was conducted in 1819, with the hope of raising the necessary funds to build a canal around the Falls of Ohio, but the game garnered only $2,536. This was considerably shy of the dollars needed to begin construction. It was the Internal Improvements Act of 1836, which appropriated a time-sensitive 6 million dollars for canal building and other improvements that launched Indiana into the Canal Era.

The Irish Canal Construction Camp was the site which housed the mostly Irish workforce that built the canal. It can be visited via the VanScoy Towpath Trail.

The Canal reached Logansport in 1838 and Delphi in 1840. An article from Cass County historical records declared, "The whole town turned out to see the first boat come in on the 'raging canal' drawn by three mules—made 5 or 6 miles per hour."

The land where our Pioneer Village lies was once owned by Reed Case, contractor for the Carroll County section of the Wabash & Erie Canal, and his business partner from Lafayette, James Spears. At one time, the site was home to two brick kilns, which were responsible for firing bricks for many of the buildings in downtown Delphi. 

We have an authentically replicated passenger boat called The Delphi for you to take a smooth 40-minute narrated tour down the canal!

Canal Barges delivered lime and goods down the canal including plaster, mortar, and whitewash.

Go see the overlook of Deer Creek Dam where the calamity of 1874 saw the spilling of the boat and cargo into the Wabash River. It began when the towing animals fell through the “rotting floorboards” of the bridge over the dam’s spillway, and the boat was swept up by the current and ran into the earthen dam and it burst. That was the “last straw” event that closed the already dilapidated and financially failing canal. Within two years the State sold all the land at an auction.

Visit the site, accessible on the Campbell Ridge Trail.

Trail Map

Railroads moved passengers faster and year around and when compared to canal boat travel the public was ready to ‘ditch’ the boats for the more expedient travel on rails.

See the 1901 Stone Arch in use today as vehicles pass over while the boat The Delphi passes under this arch. It replaced two earlier bridge spans.

Experience how a road or pedestrian crossing over the Canal could swing out of the way for boat traffic on this outdoor “kid” sized exhibit. See the Little Red Mill that represents how flour and meal were ground by early water powered mills.

"Interurbans" are commuter electric trains. There was once one in downtown Delphi, carrying passengers throughout the town.

Visit their narrow track trail on the Interurban Trail.

Trail Map

Moving, restoring and resetting this historic span began in 1998 by the canal’s volunteer crew and it took over a year to complete this project.  Funding came from donations and a Hometown Indiana State grant. 

See the iron Stearns Truss bridge that marks the location of the early paper mills which were powered by diverted canal water. Built in 1905, this “last one known to exist in the US” Sterns Truss was disassembled and moved in 2005 from Pulaski County, Indiana and restored by volunteers.

Delphi participated in the 2016 Bicentennial Torch, a beloved ceremony marking the 200th anniversary of Indiana. The torch was carried on our canal boat, The Delphi.