Backgrounder
A Wabash & Erie Canal Corridor following the nineteenth century towpath that became the second longest canal in the world and hailed as an engineering wonder of its day, has strong name-value and historical appeal. By enhancing recreational and economic opportunities through a corridor, we interlace and celebrate its legacy shared by the communities that benefited from its infusion of people and prosperity.
- There are many Trails being developed in the
a. keep in shape physically and search for a different venue other than the local gym;
b. love the out-of-doors;
c. conserve of the environment;
d. learn more about the history that took place where they live;
e. encourage the attitude, spirit and willingness of people to engage together for the benefit of their shared community.
- A Wabash & Erie Canal Towpath Trail, in addition to offering health and recreation, will celebrate local history. Just as important, these byways offer economic development opportunities; tourist who seek restaurants, lodging, or tours; as well as business attractions to managers looking for quality of life benefits when locating or expanding their operations.
- Now is the time to begin working together to leave a great legacy to generations that will follow us.
- We sit on a gold mine of history that was the Wabash & Erie Canal route and provides many colorful stories during a time it made enormous contributions to the development of
- We fully respect the diverse character of the land traversed by the current Towpath, and we intend to work with property owners to establish a trail alignment that best suits all parties.
- It is encouraging to observe the many counties on or contiguous to the old Wabash & Erie Canal route that have produced or are planning a bike/hike/drive byway…
a.
b. Trail work has been completed in
b. Individual trail work that has been completed in so many counties already…Salamonie, Mississinewa, Little Turtle etc.
Has its time arrived?
a. To encourage the idea of a trail that would link each county with a marked route that celebrates why in fact we are connected together; what that link means to the enhancement of our towns; and how we each can work together to study if this idea should become a reality?
b. For a route that hikers/joggers can enjoy, that bikers can challenge over long distances, that in a car could approximate the old canal route over its 468 mile length…not to mention the other national trails it may intersect [North Country National Scenic Tail, Potawatomi Trail of Death or the several Indiana Trials proposals] offering new directions to any one who would take the challenge.
Situation Analysis
In November 2006 a group of twenty persons representing communities from
At the November 2006 meeting, a consensus of those attending agreed that the time had arrived to recall the historic Wabash & Erie Canal Towpath’s positive legacy that brought prosperity to
Building the path west for the earliest families; unleashing an agriculture breadbasket to the world; expanding markets for commercial enterprises; and tracking a pattern for our railroads and highways in use today.
Focusing on the corridor offers encouragement to communities - many of which the canal spawned - to connect their existing trails; assist in networking together to examine how they might be linked to enhance healthful recreation, encourage economic development interpret our rich canal transportation heritage.
Enhancing community pride within the cities, towns and between neighboring populations stemming from celebrating our common history and demonstrating to the nation how people of all backgrounds come together here at this time and place to achieve an improved quality of life.
At the
Resolve That, the Wabash & Erie Canal Towpath Trail Forum become a non-profit chapter member of the Banks of the Wabash, Inc., with the intentions of fostering the mission of establishing a recreational, economical developmental and historical pathway and for those other purposes that are to the mutual advantage of our organizations.
During the April 2007 meeting it was agreed by consensus that the group would be a chapter of the Banks of the Wabash, Inc. (BOW) with the ‘working’ name of “The Wabash Erie Canal Towpath Trail Chapter.”
Vision
Embrace interconnecting those already established county and community trails that revitalizes a transportation system virtually tracing the historic Wabash & Erie Canal Towpath for a bike/hike/drive route using trail logo markers, informational and directional signs, printed and/or digital information, for health, recreational, economic development and historical interpretation.
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