[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 788 Agreed to Senate (ATS)]

<DOC>






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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