[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 788 Agreed to Senate (ATS)]
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118th CONGRESS
2d Session
S. RES. 788
Recognizing the 50th Anniversary of Carroll County Wabash & Erie Canal,
Inc.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
July 31, 2024
Mr. Braun (for himself and Mr. Young) submitted the following
resolution; which was considered and agreed to
_______________________________________________________________________
RESOLUTION
Recognizing the 50th Anniversary of Carroll County Wabash & Erie Canal,
Inc.
Whereas, following the success of the Erie Canal in the State of New York, the
leaders of the State of Indiana had a dream of digging a statewide
network of canals;
Whereas, in 1836, the General Assembly of the State of Indiana passed ``An Act
to provide for a general system of Internal Improvements''(commonly
known as ``the Internal Improvements Act of 1836'' or the ``Indiana
Mammoth Internal Improvement Act''), which appropriated millions of
dollars for canal building and other improvements that launched the
State of Indiana into the Canal Era;
Whereas only 2 canal lines were successfully completed in the State of Indiana,
including--
(1) the 101-mile Whitewater Canal from Hagerstown, Indiana, to
Cincinnati, Ohio; and
(2) the 468-mile Wabash & Erie Canal from Toledo, Ohio, to Evansville,
Indiana, on the Ohio River;
Whereas the Wabash & Erie Canal economically and culturally connected the State
of Indiana to the rest of the United States through the Erie Canal and
other canal networks;
Whereas, at 468 miles in length, the Wabash & Erie Canal was the largest
fabricated structure in the United States when it was completed in 1853
and, as of 2024, is the second-longest canal in the world;
Whereas, to appreciate the impact that the Wabash & Erie Canal had on the
population of the State of Indiana, consider that, when the Wabash &
Erie Canal began operations, the State of Indiana had a population of
350,000, and by 1840, it had a population of 988,000;
Whereas, in 1835, the counties in the State of Indiana that bordered the Wabash
& Erie Canal boasted 12,000 inhabitants and, by 1850, the number of
inhabitants was 150,000;
Whereas, in the 3 years following the opening of the Wabash & Erie Canal, 5 new
counties were created along the route of the Wabash & Erie Canal from
Fort Wayne, Indiana, to Huntington, Indiana;
Whereas, in the 1870s, the Wabash & Erie Canal closed due to the high cost of
maintenance and low income amidst competition from railroads;
Whereas, after the Wabash & Erie Canal closed, the canal section in Delphi,
Indiana, was left to decay, becoming a festering public hazard and
eyesore;
Whereas, in February 1971, the very first meeting of the dozen people concerned
with forming a Canal history group, later known as Carroll County Wabash
& Erie Canal, Inc., was held in Carroll County, Indiana;
Whereas, in 1974, the Internal Revenue Service granted nonprofit status under
section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to Carroll County
Wabash & Erie Canal, Inc.;
Whereas Carroll County Wabash & Erie Canal, Inc., has invested thousands of
hours to repair the Wabash & Erie Canal and surrounding areas to
represent its former glory and to educate the public of its history;
Whereas, in 2003, the Wabash & Erie Canal Interpretive Center opened, and,
thanks to volunteer labor, community donations, and grant funding,
offers an interactive museum, a reception hall for community events, and
a research archive of canal history;
Whereas Carroll County Wabash & Erie Canal, Inc., has developed and maintained
miles of trails along historic sites of Delphi, Indiana, for public
enjoyment and recreation;
Whereas the volunteers of Carroll County Wabash & Erie Canal, Inc., restored and
relocated several historic bridges to span the Wabash & Erie Canal,
including the wrought iron 1874 Paint Creek Bridge;
Whereas, since 2009, Carroll County Wabash & Erie Canal, Inc., has offered
public canal boat tours aboard a 54-foot replica canal boat named, ``the
Delphi'';
Whereas the volunteers of Carroll County Wabash & Erie Canal, Inc., built an
open-air 1850s canal-era village by relocating and restoring historic
structures from around the State of Indiana; and
Whereas, besides 1 full-time executive director and limited part-time staff, the
rest of Carroll County Wabash & Erie Canal, Inc., and its activities and
programs are staffed by local volunteers: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the Senate--
(1) celebrates the Wabash & Erie Canal as a historic
landmark that preserves the story of the canal systems of the
United States and their importance to early settlers for future
generations;
(2) recognizes the prominent role that the Wabash & Erie
Canal, the second-largest canal in the world as of 2024, had in
the growth and expansion of the United States, especially in
the Midwest and in the State of Indiana;
(3) recognizes Carroll County Wabash & Erie Canal, Inc.,
for its extensive community efforts to preserve the Wabash &
Erie Canal while offering educational and recreational services
to the public; and
(4) commemorates the 50th anniversary of Carroll County
Wabash & Erie Canal, Inc., that was founded to preserve canal
history and make it possible for visitors to enjoy the natural
beauty of the last remaining navigable section of the Wabash &
Erie Canal in the State of Indiana.
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