Carroll County Wabash & Erie Canal Park * Delphi, Indiana
Bridges to the Future
Dan McCain, President Emeritus, shares about the bridges saved by Wabash & Erie Canal Park
For over two decades, volunteer efforts have brought unique outdoor beauty and utility to the Delphi Historic Trails.
Volunteers and grants have been extremely valuable to the efforts by the nonprofit Canal Association to rehabilitate three historic iron bridges that now serve as trail crossings over the historic Wabash & Erie Canal in Delphi.
Beginning in 1998, an effort to acquire the Red Bridge began when we needed a footbridge across the upper north end above Washington Street. Finding this 1873 wrought iron relic abandoned by the County on the Wilmer Hodges farm near Camden provided a compelling challenge to our eager volunteer crew.
Learning a how to deal with properties of wrought iron versus today’s predominant use of steel proved a learning experience and involved a professional blacksmith teaching us how to repair the 80-foot span. After total disassembly (there were more than 3,000 individual parts including 1,000 bolts). The blacksmith taught us how to repair and reuse 95 percent of those century old parts.
Painting the bridge red was important because that was the favored color for Carroll County bridges in that early period. Many of those early bridges replaced “ford crossings” where a horse and buggy literally swam across the creek. The span was reassembled and placed over the canal in 1999 and remains today as the beautiful arched structure enjoyed by all that hike across it.
The second bridge was a Stearns Truss from near Winamac in Pulaski County. It was used initially as an inroad to the vast marshlands being drained in the late 1800s. It was actually manufactured to be moved as the dredging was extended. In fact, the bridge was moved once before we brought it here.
Our volunteers were able to acquire this lightweight bridge from Pulaski County as it would be destroyed by spring dredging if it weren’t removed and saved. A crane contractor was available to lift the structure off onto the field and the M-W-F crew was able to fully disassemble and bring the sections back to Delphi for rehabilitation. Again a metal restoration expert from a Michigan college came as a volunteer and guided our efforts to rehabilitate this one of a kind structure remaining in the US.
This Blue Bridge became a symbol of safety in crossing the canal trail behind Dairy Queen and Pizza Hut. It was dedicated in 2007 and has already received a new wood deck with help from youth from Camp Tecumseh.
The third bridge, called the Gray Bridge, was obtained from an Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT) listing of available structures being replaced statewide by counties and was obtained at no cost delivered here. There was a catch: we had to find the monetary resources to do the restoration, painting and installation over the waterway. Again the volunteers came to our rescue.
This span now serves as a crossing in Canal Park to our Little White Church on the opposite side. Creating this crossing was a special challenge to our volunteer crew as we were dealing with the longest and heaviest of any bridges we’ve dealt with to date.
Finally a bridge that became known as the Freedom Bridge was obtained from Conner Prairie near Indianapolis as it was surplus on their land and they donated it to the Canal Association. And with extra grant money, engineering, and construction support from INDOT, we enjoy the replacement section of the former Monon Rail Trail destroyed when the new Hoosier Heartland Highway was built in the 2010s. Since then the City of Delphi has paved the trail to the original Monon High Bridge crossing Deer Creek. Yes, the Canal Association was the original developer in early 2000s of this scenic foot trail.
From humble beginnings cleaning out a derelict canal to reaching for the sky with majestic bridges, the "can-do" attitude of volunteers has been the key to Canal Park's success over the years. All gratitude goes to the people who have supported this organization over its fifty year history through finances, time, expertise, and grit.
When you visit Wabash & Erie Canal Park, you'll notice the absence of several features.
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There are no entrance gates to block visitors.
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There are no admission kiosks to charge an entry fee to the park.
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There is no centralized entry point. We welcome visitors from many spots throughout the park and trails, whether by foot, bicycle, car, or canal boat!
Many guests assume we are a public park, funded by tax dollars, like the rest of Delphi's beautiful parks. We consider this a badge of honor as we provide accessible recreation and education opportunities to all who visit.
All things considered, we are able to steward about 60 acres of land on a very efficient budget. However, sometimes we are faced with special expenses, and we are inviting you to help if you can!
Donations may be made electronically at this link, or you can mail a check to Canal Park, 1030 N. Washington Street, Delphi, IN 46923.
INfields for Indiana Fun
Wabash & Erie Canal Park is a proud founding member of INfields, a new nonprofit organization promoting rural tourism in our part of the state. You'll want to check it out: visit INfields.org today!
The mission of the organization is to promote Indiana's rural attractions focusing on art, history, nature, and recreation. In our part of the state, we are blessed with numerous such attractions and resources!
Please be sure to sign up for the email newsletter so you can keep up to date with all the happenings of member organizations.
Other members include Wolf Park and the Farm at Prophetstown in Battle Ground. As rural, small nonprofits, INfields helps spread the word about upcoming events and draws in new audiences for its members.
It has been an absolute pleasure to work with these other nonprofits because we are all part of the same ultimate goal: to promote local attractions that showcase Indiana's natural, historical, and cultural treasures.
Please be sure to sign up for the newsletter, visit the website, and follow INfields on social media! It is a valuable tool to connect you with enriching and fun experiences for all ages and interests.
The Museum Is OPEN
Warmer weather means that a new season is dawning at Canal Park for our 50th Anniversary year!
The canal boat will soon enough be plying the waters of Delphi, but for now you can visit the interactive Canal Museum any weekday afternoon from 1:00-4:00 PM.
The exhibits in the museum were designed with children (and kids at heart) in mind, and there are plenty of hands-on activities to bring Indiana's Canal Era to life.
Starting in April, the museum will also be open on Saturday afternoons, also from 1:00-4:00 PM. If you'd like more information, be sure to visit our new website. We hope to see you soon!