Year Ending 2010 Wabash Erie Towpath Trail Report: New Directions
The Situation: During 2010, our Wabash
Erie Canal Towpath Trail mission has been modified to meet new and changing challenges. As you know, we set out to promote the vision of connecting each of the Wabash Erie Canal communities - one with another that have already established trails or may be in the planning stages for a trail - by following the historic canal pathway that became the second longest canal in the world.
Spread across the state: the trail covers the area from the Indiana-Ohio state line near
New Haven in Allen County, Indiana, across the state's north central counties then down the western reaches of Indiana to Evansville on the
Ohio River. The scope of our project covers an long distance and it's difficult to assemble a good representation of persons at any one time.
Meeting facilities, however, were generously hosted by the Charley Creek Foundation in Wabash's
Honeywell Center, Delphi Canal Interpretative Center, Lafayette Railroad Relocation Center and the Allen County
Fort Wayne History Center for which we are most grateful. Support from the Canal Society of Indiana, Purdue University's Landscape Architecture School, the
Wabash River Heritage Corridor Commission and National Parks to mention a few has been outstanding. However, fewer and fewer persons were able to attend those meetings and we understand that many were busily engulfed with trail planning for their own communities.
The unfortunate economic downturn we have been experiencing surely has pushed planners to focus on what is in-hand and to "back-burner" other possibilities such as expanding to neighboring cities and towns. Building
new trails can be expensive.
Communications with communities discussing the route of the Canal through their town has continued. We've talked of the possibilities of cooperating with their neighboring counties' planners: how the two might connect; use the established Canal Towpath route directional signage; expand recreational experiences; add to historical interest; enhance quality of life; and gain an
economic development element. All benefit the individual communities.
Going forward we find it impractical to be scheduling meetings. We encourage you, however, to continue the concept of using the Wabash
Erie Canal route and take advantage of the directional signs - with their common graphics - that will guide the traveler over our colorful Hoosier history into your community.
Byways: It may be impractical to consider placing a new trail on the actual Canal towpath. Rather several of us have concluded that we should endeavor to create a Byway that will place the traveler on established roads, streets, and highways that most nearly approximates the early Canal route. Obviously, there
are places where the old towpath, in fact, is the newer roadway or very nearly atop the original path.
A Wabash Erie Canal Towpath Trail directional marker has been designed in association with the
Wabash River Heritage Corridor Trail signage. These directional signs are already in use in parts of Allen County, across
Wabash County and through
Carroll County. When your county is ready to add this new dimension to enhance your trail routes, the signs are available from Halls Signs of Bloomington, Indiana. Pricing is based on quantity, however, the graphics are ready for your use.
New Direction:
We are
not planning a next meeting at this time due to geographical logistics,
We
remain a chapter of the Banks of the Wabash, Inc. Don't forget to sign up and designate your membership as "Towpath Trail Chapter" and send your $15.00 or greater check to: PO Box 1253, Lafayette, Ind. 47902.
We will
use this website as a means of communication.
Remember: As your community discovers that it may wish to "connect trails" with your surrounding counties, we would like to work with you in ways that might be helpful locating the byway nearest the old towpath, interact with you on collateral canal-era history for historical markers and put you in touch with the sign producer when you're ready to purchase your
Wabash Erie Canal Towpath Trail directional signage.
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