Wabash and Erie Canal
Montezuma, Parke County, Indiana
Marker Inscription
Wabash and Erie Canal The Wabash & Erie was the longest canal built in North America, running from Toledo to Evansville. Montezuma was the main port of Parke County. This portion was abandoned about 1865.
Erected by Indiana Sesquicentennial Commission
The Story
The Wabash and Erie Canal was the longest canal ever built in North America, stretching from Toledo on Lake Erie to Evansville on the Ohio River. Montezuma served as the principal port of Parke County along its route. Like most canals, this stretch was overtaken by the railroads and abandoned around 1865.
Why it matters
The great canal embodied the brief, ambitious era when artificial waterways promised to bind the young interior together—an experiment soon eclipsed by the railroad.
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