“Traced From” Plan & Profile of Canal from Lick Creek to Dam Plan from Old Map Field Sketch by D. Laudermilk

A portion of the Whitewater Canal almost a century after it was first completed.

This interesting plan of part of Indiana’s Whitewater Canal was copied from an earlier (undated) map in 1953 by D. Laudermilk, presumably an engineer for the Cleveland, Cincinnati, Chicago and St. Louis Railway. The image presents an approximately 10-mile segment of the entire route (about 75 miles total), covering from Lick Creek (north of Connorsville) to the Whitewater River near Milton. The C.C.C. & St.L. R.R. parallels about half before joining with the Nickel Plate Road. The upper portion of the sheet provides a simple map of the waterway, while the lower half presents an elevation profile noting sewer locations and the approximate canal height.

The Whitewater Canal in southeastern Indiana was constructed in the 1830s as part of the state’s ambitious internal improvements plan to boost transportation and commerce. Stretching approximately 76 miles from Hagerstown to Lawrenceburg, it connected communities along the Whitewater River to the Ohio River. Frequent flooding and engineering challenges, including a significant elevation drop, made maintenance difficult and costly. In 1862, the entire canal was acquired by the Cincinnati & Indiana Railroad Company, a predecessor to the White Water Valley Railroad (part of the Big Four). Recent improvements to the track likely prompted the creation of this sheet.

Sources: Intra Transport History; IndCanals.org