The Ben Franklin III leaves behind 33 years of history and memories
April 20, 2022 at 12:37 p.m.
Passenger boat rides began on the canal in 1964 on the Valley Belle. The boat was motorized, had a wood hull, and carried passengers for 16 years. Among some of the first Valley Belle visitors were Mr. and Mrs. Kenneth Landreth of Milwaukee on the return home after visiting Brook-ville relatives.
The Ben Franklin II replicates the "passenger packet" type canal boat. Like the Valley Belle, it had a wood hull but was horse-drawn. She was named after the first canal boat to reach Brookville in June 1839, the Ben Franklin. The State of Indiana used this boat beginning in 1980 to give visitors to Metamora a feel for canal life. Unfortunately, after nine years of service, she was disassembled with sledgehammers and chainsaws. However, local historian Paul Baudendistel collected pieces of the boat before the state disposed of them. He salvaged the material to build and make patterns for the parts missing to reconstruct the boat. After a year of construction, the “Native Sun” opened as an interpretive center on April 1, 1991. The boat was named Native Sun after the first boat to be built in Metamora. Re-christened “The Native” in the year 2000, it is 50’ long and 10’ wide. Twenty years of prior research has gone into the design and fittings of this line boat.
The Ben Franklin III was launched in 1989 and allowed visitors to experience history by taking a leisurely 25-minute cruise on the canal for over thirty years. The vessel is 75' long and has a width of 12'. Constructed of wood and fiberglas, it held approximately 75 passengers and crew. Two Belgian draft horses pulled the boat in the same fashion they traveled on the canal in the 1840s and 1850s. Once onboard, an interpreter provided historical information about the canal. The highlight of the experience was riding through the Duck Creek Aqueduct, which carries the canal 16 feet over Duck Creek.
The future has been uncertain for quite some time as the operation of the canal boat at the Whitewater Canal State Historic Site was suspended indefinitely in February of 2021, primarily due to the pandemic. However, after removal the boat cracked and remains at the State Historic Site maintenance building as state officials are working with the board of directors for a resolution.
The history of the Whitewater Canal State Historic Site
The following Act was approved by the General Assembly Feb. 27, 1945.
An Act authorizing the Conservation Commission for and on behalf of the State of Indiana, to receive, accept, administer, maintain manage, control and restore the Whitewater Canal System situated in Franklin County, Indiana, and making an appropriation to meet the expenses thereof and declaring an emergency.
Whereas, in Franklin County, Indiana, there is the old Whitewater Canal System consisting of the feeder dam and reservoir at Laurel, the canal, the locks and other miscellaneous structures, building of which was started in 1836 and completed in 1840, including the viaduct at Metamora, which was constructed in 1844 and which was serverly damaged by flood in 1937; Whereas in 1944 the Whitewater Canal Association did acquire all right, title and interest of the aforesaid Whitewataer Canal System, and whereas the officers and members of said Whitewater Canal Association are willing to convey said canal system to the State of Indiana, so that it can be preserved as a public memorial to the pioneer transportation system of Indiana, now therefore, be it enacted by the General Assembly of the state of Indiana, that:
Whitewater Canal System - Conservation Commission is authorized to receive, accept, administer, maintain, Manage, control and retore.
Section 1 - The Conservation Commission be, and it hereby authorized and directed to receive and accept, for and on behalf of the State of Indiana, the Whitewater Canal System, including the feeder dam and reservoir at Laurel, the canal, locks, aqueduct and all other miscellaneous structures belonging to the Whitewater Canal Association, situated in Franklin County between Laurel and Brookville.
Real Estate Accepted - Condition - Title.
Section 2 - Such real estate be and it is hereby accepted, on condition that the officers of the said Whitewater Canal Association shall transfer the same to the State of Indiana free of encumbrances, and in consideration thereof the State of Indiana hereby pledges its faith to maintain the real estate so conveyed and transferred as a public memorial. The title of the real estate so conveyed and transferred shall be good and sufficient and the title shall be approved by the Attorney General and shall be taken in the name of the State o f Indiana.
Appropriation
Section 3 - There is hereby appropriated out of any monies of the general fund of the State Treasury of Indiana, not otherwise appropriated, the sum of ten thousand dollars, to be available upon the passage of this Act and the sum of fifteen thousand dollars on the first day of January, 1946. Said sum shall be used by the Department of Conservation in complying with the provisions of this act.
Emergency
Section 4 - Whereas, an emergency exists for the immediate taking effect of this act, the same shall be in full force and effect from and after its passage.
Chapter 63, General Assembly, 194
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Passenger boat rides began on the canal in 1964 on the Valley Belle. The boat was motorized, had a wood hull, and carried passengers for 16 years. Among some of the first Valley Belle visitors were Mr. and Mrs. Kenneth Landreth of Milwaukee on the return home after visiting Brook-ville relatives.
The Ben Franklin II replicates the "passenger packet" type canal boat. Like the Valley Belle, it had a wood hull but was horse-drawn. She was named after the first canal boat to reach Brookville in June 1839, the Ben Franklin. The State of Indiana used this boat beginning in 1980 to give visitors to Metamora a feel for canal life. Unfortunately, after nine years of service, she was disassembled with sledgehammers and chainsaws. However, local historian Paul Baudendistel collected pieces of the boat before the state disposed of them. He salvaged the material to build and make patterns for the parts missing to reconstruct the boat. After a year of construction, the “Native Sun” opened as an interpretive center on April 1, 1991. The boat was named Native Sun after the first boat to be built in Metamora. Re-christened “The Native” in the year 2000, it is 50’ long and 10’ wide. Twenty years of prior research has gone into the design and fittings of this line boat.
The Ben Franklin III was launched in 1989 and allowed visitors to experience history by taking a leisurely 25-minute cruise on the canal for over thirty years. The vessel is 75' long and has a width of 12'. Constructed of wood and fiberglas, it held approximately 75 passengers and crew. Two Belgian draft horses pulled the boat in the same fashion they traveled on the canal in the 1840s and 1850s. Once onboard, an interpreter provided historical information about the canal. The highlight of the experience was riding through the Duck Creek Aqueduct, which carries the canal 16 feet over Duck Creek.
The future has been uncertain for quite some time as the operation of the canal boat at the Whitewater Canal State Historic Site was suspended indefinitely in February of 2021, primarily due to the pandemic. However, after removal the boat cracked and remains at the State Historic Site maintenance building as state officials are working with the board of directors for a resolution.
The history of the Whitewater Canal State Historic Site
The following Act was approved by the General Assembly Feb. 27, 1945.
An Act authorizing the Conservation Commission for and on behalf of the State of Indiana, to receive, accept, administer, maintain manage, control and restore the Whitewater Canal System situated in Franklin County, Indiana, and making an appropriation to meet the expenses thereof and declaring an emergency.
Whereas, in Franklin County, Indiana, there is the old Whitewater Canal System consisting of the feeder dam and reservoir at Laurel, the canal, the locks and other miscellaneous structures, building of which was started in 1836 and completed in 1840, including the viaduct at Metamora, which was constructed in 1844 and which was serverly damaged by flood in 1937; Whereas in 1944 the Whitewater Canal Association did acquire all right, title and interest of the aforesaid Whitewataer Canal System, and whereas the officers and members of said Whitewater Canal Association are willing to convey said canal system to the State of Indiana, so that it can be preserved as a public memorial to the pioneer transportation system of Indiana, now therefore, be it enacted by the General Assembly of the state of Indiana, that:
Whitewater Canal System - Conservation Commission is authorized to receive, accept, administer, maintain, Manage, control and retore.
Section 1 - The Conservation Commission be, and it hereby authorized and directed to receive and accept, for and on behalf of the State of Indiana, the Whitewater Canal System, including the feeder dam and reservoir at Laurel, the canal, locks, aqueduct and all other miscellaneous structures belonging to the Whitewater Canal Association, situated in Franklin County between Laurel and Brookville.
Real Estate Accepted - Condition - Title.
Section 2 - Such real estate be and it is hereby accepted, on condition that the officers of the said Whitewater Canal Association shall transfer the same to the State of Indiana free of encumbrances, and in consideration thereof the State of Indiana hereby pledges its faith to maintain the real estate so conveyed and transferred as a public memorial. The title of the real estate so conveyed and transferred shall be good and sufficient and the title shall be approved by the Attorney General and shall be taken in the name of the State o f Indiana.
Appropriation
Section 3 - There is hereby appropriated out of any monies of the general fund of the State Treasury of Indiana, not otherwise appropriated, the sum of ten thousand dollars, to be available upon the passage of this Act and the sum of fifteen thousand dollars on the first day of January, 1946. Said sum shall be used by the Department of Conservation in complying with the provisions of this act.
Emergency
Section 4 - Whereas, an emergency exists for the immediate taking effect of this act, the same shall be in full force and effect from and after its passage.
Chapter 63, General Assembly, 194