OT The sad story of the Wabash and Erie Canal

Oct 07, 2023 Last reply: 2 years ago 12 Replies
M

The wabash and Erie Canal connected Lake Erie with the Wabash River in Indiana. It was about 450 miles long, the longest canal built in the US. But it was only profitable for about 10 years. Maintenance costs were too high, and the investors and I think the states of Ohio and Indiana lost money for years before it was abanddoned.



This is a sad story, and if it depresses me, I can only imagine how much it would sadden our dear public school students, so I'm going to see that this is removed from the Indiana History course that all junior high students in Indiana public schools take. And if Ohio students take Ohio History, I will do the same for them.



We cannot be upsetting youngsters in their formative years. Florida has it right.



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E

On the other side, the Erie canal across NY state did well into the mid

1900s. Last time I saw it, pleasure boats were cruising the canal and the locks were still working, but that was probably 30 years ago.

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Your comment about Florida is correct. Much of history needs to be wiped out and our governor has talked about how some of the black people benefited from slavery.

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M

I think the 13th Amendment prohibiting slavery only applied to 19th century slavery and earlier. Nothing prevents people from reinstituting slavery today, given all its benefits to everyone.

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R

Most all black people here benefited from slavery. Had it not been for slaves moat of the blacks would still be in Africa in grass huts. They are free to go back to Africa and the huts but Doubt any have or will.

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H

Gee Golly .. Ralph. It seems like skin tone is a really big deal .. ?

Whatever .. there are many more important issues out there ..

John T.

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E

Good point. They like being treated as second class. Hey, they even had their own drinking fountains.

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R

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I don't think this is unique to the Wabash and Erie but building an aqueduct for the canal across a river is interesting.

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I've been through that one. You may be driving under a ship in the Fort McHenry, Holland, or other tunnels but the Eisenhower Lock tunnel is the only one I've seen with a visual confirmation.

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E

I'm sure we've done it using many tunnels, but that is a great photo.

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M

The other side of the postcard says it's the only tunnel under a lock in the United States. But that doesn't mean there aren't tunnels under canals. And I've seen on the C&O canal where since 18 whatever, it goes over streams, smaller rivers.

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R

I was about 10 in Huntsville AL and very disappointed to find the colored drinking fountain didn't have colored water.

Von Braun must have been puzzledby the US treatment of the Untermenschen.

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B

It's true, some white southern democrats kept slaves. It's also true that white northern Republicans freed the slaves.

Maybe Africa could offer incentives to the descendants of slaves to return home?

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R

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That was tried; not many takers.

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B

It would be sad if Mayor Brandon Johnson's constituents moved.

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