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Charlie H. Wesler, "The Whitewater Canal" volume

 Collection — Volume: V248
Identifier: V248

Scope and Contents

This collection includes one volume titled, "The Whitewater Canal" written by Charlie H. Wesler from Batesville, Indiana before 1937. It was originally donated to the Historical and Philosophical Society of Ohio. The volume includes handwritten edits from Minnie E. Wycoff, also from Batesville, on February 5, 1937. The 167-page bound volume concerns the history of the Whitewater Canal, presented in typescript with original photos mounted to the pages and one loose newspaper clipping.

Dates

  • 1937, undated

Creator

Conditions Governing Access

This collection is open for research.

Conditions Governing Use

Literary rights, including copyright resides with the creators of the documents or their legal heirs and assigns. All requests to publish or quote from manuscripts must be submitted to Rare Books and Manuscripts. The publisher must also obtain permission of the copyright holder.

Biographical Note

Charlie H. Wesler was born on December 29, 1866, in Lawrenceburg, Indiana, to Christian H. and Margareth (Hornberger) Wesler. On May 8, 1892, he married Emma Louise Unnewehr in Versailles, Indiana. Eventually the couple settled in Batesville, Indiana. Interested in history, Charlie H. Wesler was a member of the Indiana Historical Society, contributing his recollections on several topics, including local government, politics, woodworking, and music. He died on August 16, 1962, in Batesville, Indiana.

Sources:

Item in this collection.

FamilySearch. “Charles Herman Wesler.” Accessed January 29, 2025. https://www.familysearch.org/tree/person/about/KHGZ-5H7.

Findagrave.com. "Charles Herman “Charlie” Wesler." Find a Grave Memorial. Accessed January 29, 2025. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/28914129/charles_herman-wesler.

Indiana Historical Bureau. “Reminiscences of Charlie Wesler.” Indiana Historical Bureau Indianapolis, 31, no. 6 (June 1954): 111-112. Accessed January 29, 2025. https://indianamemory.contentdm.oclc.org/digital/collection/p16066coll16/id/11218.

Historical Note

The Whitewater Canal was one of many canal projects created through the passage of the Indiana Mammoth Internal Improvement Act of 1836. The canal’s source begins in Lawrenceburg and originally ended at Cambridge City located on the Old National Road. However, an extension was added, financed by merchants in Hagerstown, Indiana. When completed, the canal reached seventy-six miles in length and had fifty-six locks.

Funding for the canal dried up after Indiana’s bankruptcy in the 1840s, which led various private enterprises to step up and complete the canal. Later, as railroads became the primary method of transportation, the Whitewater Canal’s purpose shifted to providing a source of waterpower for grist mills and other industries.

Source:

Indiana State Museum. “Whitewater Canal.” Accessed March 19, 2025. https://www.indianamuseum.org/historic-sites/white-water-canal.

Extent

0.1 Cubic Feet (1 box)

Language of Materials

English

Arrangement

This collection consists of one item.

Custodial History

This collection was received by Rare Books and Manuscripts as a donation from Joseph M. White on 2023/12/30

Accruals

No further additions are expected.

Processing Information

Collection processing completed 2025/03/19 by Shannon O'Donnell. EAD finding aid created 2025/03/05 by Shannon O'Donnell.
Title
Charlie H. Wesler, "The Whitewater Canal" volume
Status
Completed
Description rules
Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Language of description
English
Script of description
Latin

Repository Details

Part of the Rare Books and Manuscripts Repository

Contact:
140 North Senate Avenue
Indianapolis, Indiana 46204 U.S.A.
317-232-3671