State canal society tour to feature local sites

Local canal enthusiasts and the general public are invited to join the Canal Society of Indiana on a tour of historic and canal-related sites in Carroll and Tippecanoe counties May 4-6. Pre-registration is required - by April 9.

Included in the three-day weekend will be a banquet and annual meeting at the Canal Center in Delphi on Saturday evening, May 5. The state canal organization is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year.

Participants can register for the entire weekend or for separate tours. Banquet tickets are also available separately.

The tour will follow the Wabash & Erie Canal from Carrollton, through Delphi and Pittsburg in Carroll County, then through Americus and Lafayette to Granville in Tippecanoe County.

The Roadway Inn in West Lafayette will be tour headquarters. From there, the group will see results of restoration at the Tippecanoe County Courthouse on Friday afternoon. A visit to Wolf Park in Battle Ground will follow dinner (not provided) on Friday evening.

Saturday morning starts with a bus tour of the Wabash & Erie Canal in Tippecanoe County, including stops at Prophet's Rock, Tippecanoe Battle Ground Park, canal prism at Americus, Wildcat Creek towpath/buggy bridge abutments, Greenbush Cemetery, mansions of canawlers in Lafayette, Riehle Plaza, Wea Plains, Granville, Davis Ferry, Fort Quiatenon and more canal sites along the way.

The afternoon will be spent at Canal Park in Delphi, offering pontoon boat rides on the canal, tours of the Reed Case House and Canal Park Village, hikes on the trails, a visit to the proposed site of the second restored iron bridge over the canal, trolley tours of Delphi's historic homes and businesses, and tours of the Interpretive Center Museum. Dress will be casual for dinner at the Canal Center, with Bob Kriebel speaking on "Lafayette and the Wabash & Erie Canal."

On Sunday, the group will make a car caravan tour of canal sites in Carroll County such as Mentzer Tavern, Carrollton Bridge, Pittsburg dam and locks locations. There will be a chance, too, to join a docent-led hike on the old canal towpath.

For registration information, contact indcanals@aol.com.