Canals were the interstate transportation systems of the early 19th century. A land grant in 1827 started the Wabash & Erie Canal connecting Lake Erie to the Ohio River. Construction on the Central Canal began in Evansville in 1836. When the canal was completed in 1853, water was let into its ditch and it became operational. The "Pennsylvania" was the first boat to make the entire trip from Lake Erie to Evansville and arrived September 22, 1853. The canal in Evansville included a basin used for turning boats for return trips and docking facilities for loading and unloading passengers and cargo. Despite efforts to make the Wabash & Erie Canal work, the project was impractical from the onset. Its limited use (the canal was disabled by freezing temperatures, drought, or flooding) couldn't compete with the reliability of the railroad. Additionally, the fear that stagnant water might bring disease made the canal unpopular with Evansville citizens. By 1860, most of the southern section was no longer used, and the entire Wabash & Erie Canal from Terre Haute was abandoned in 1861. The flat towpath of the canal was suitable for railroad development, and a section of the old W & E canal was used for the Lake Erie, Evansville & South Western (L E E & S W) RR c1871. This line was later part of the Louisville, Evansville, & St. Louis (L E & St L) RR and later still part of the Southern RR. The old canal and tracks can still be seen along Morgan Ave near Wesselmen Park and Stockwell Rd.
Today few remnants of the old W & E Canal can still be seen, but its influence has been solidified in Evansville's history: the canal helped the city grow. Despite its failure, the speculation alone put the Evansville on the map and brought the railroads that helped connect our city to the larger world. The original leg of the Canal is just North of this Cache.