Rep. Patterson: State Will Pour $7M into Whitewater Canal Project

Wednesday, May 10, 2023 at 10:03 AM

By State Rep. Lindsay Patterson (R-Brookville), news release

The matching grant would help pay for various repairs at the canal.

File photo.

INDIANAPOLIS - Indiana's recently approved two-year state budget includes a $7 million matching grant for Metamora's Whitewater Canal rehabilitation efforts, according to State Rep. Lindsay Patterson (R-Brookville).

Patterson, who supported the budget and the additional funding for the canal project, said the matching grant would help pay for various repairs including two locks, an aqueduct, dam, boat, dock and digging silt out of areas for renovation. According to the first-term lawmaker, the Indiana State Museum and Historic Sites will receive $7 million from the state if they can match that amount using private donations or tapping local government funds.

"This waterway is a standing record of Indiana's past and has attracted visitors from near and far to our area," Patterson said. "This state investment will not only help preserve our history, but also support one of the biggest attractions in Franklin County for many years to come."

At the canal sits the Ben Franklin III, which has been in operation since 1989, and the boat carried visitors down the waterway via horse. In 2022, it was removed from the canal to be repaired. Patterson said the funding would help preserve this piece of Hoosier history and could also revitalize local tourism.

Construction of the Whitewater Canal began in Lawrenceburg in the 1800s and from there, the canal extended to Cambridge City and then later to Hagerstown. Hoosiers can tour the canal and visit the Duck Creek Aqueduct, considered the United States' only wooden aqueduct. "Over the last few months, I've seen legislators and community members work together to make this investment possible," Patterson said. "The support shown by Hoosiers in and outside of Franklin County shows just how much Whitewater Canal means to our state. It was great to work alongside State Sen. Jean Leising of Oldenburg and State Rep. David Abbott of Rome City as we pushed this funding over the finish line before the legislative session concluded."

Visit indianamusuem.org for more information on the Whitewater Canal's history. To learn more about the state's two-year budget, visit iga.in.gov.

Ben Franklin III Canal Boat Falls Apart