New exhibits coming to Delphi trails
Comet staff report

Artist's sketch of developed site

Over the next few years, new trailside interactive exhibits will begin to pop up along Delphi Historic Trails.

The first of these exhibits arrived last week at the back of Canal Park, off the towpath. Volunteers moved an old Wabash Railroad baggage building that originally was used at Burrows Station. This small building represents the Wabash Line when it was built through Delphi in 1856.

The building, with its crossbuck doors, has been on a farm north of Rockfield for many years after it was last used for the railroad. Dr. Tom Anderson donated it to the Canal Association.

The developed railroad site will become one of ten commemorative sites highlighting the canal period.

Railroads quickly took over the lucrative shipping business that canals were developed for. The quicker pace and year-round shipping offered by rail was favored, and the use of waterways diminished. By 1874 Delphi saw the final run of the Wabash & Erie Canal boats. Boats always moved too slow and in winter they were unable to operate at all. The favored transit was pulled by steam locomotives.

Interpretive sites under development The first of 10 trailside exhibits is being developed along towpath trail at the back of Canal Park in Delphi. The photo shows the centerpiece of the exhibit, an old Wabash Railroad baggage building, being brought to the site. The other nine interactive exhibits will be developed along Delphi Historic Trails over the next few years. Photo provided

The interpretive site also will include a section of narrow gauge/standard gauge rail. At this site, the two great historic transportation systems crossed. The canal has been dredged for a mile and is also accessed by the Canal Association's pontoon boat in the summer.

The intersecting live railroad is owned by US Aggregates to haul crushed stone products away from their Delphi plant. Since the rail spur line is still operating, a tunnel was installed two years ago for the convenience of trail hikers accessing the Underhill Towpath Trail.

The site will be developed by canal volunteers in the next few months. It will be a rest stop along the towpath at the tunnel beneath the railroad.

Design for all ten historic sites along the trails has been developed by Len Mysliwiec. Also to his credit are the dozen galleries inside the Canal Interpretive Center.