Tuesday, June 15, 2021

Metamora, IN: 1845 Grist Mill and Whitewater Canal State Historic Site

(Satellite)

According to the sign on the building, this grist & roller mill was built in 1845 and rebuilt in 1900.

Street View

IndianaMuseum
"As settlers moved into the old Northwest Territory after 1800, transportation routes became an important priority. Indiana’s brief experience with canal building began with the passage of the Indiana Mammoth Internal Improvement Act of 1836. Whitewater Canal was one of several projects funded by this act. The Whitewater Canal started in Lawrenceburg and originally ended at Cambridge City, on the Old National Road. Hagerstown merchants financed an extension to their town, making the canal 76 miles in length. Upon Indiana’s bankruptcy in the 1840’s, private enterprises stepped up to complete the canal. After the canal transportation era ended with the arrival of the railroads, the canal was used as a source of water power for many grist mills and other industry. The Metamora Grist Mill is an example, using water power to produce corn meal for over 100 years."

Lock 25 is just north of the mill building.
Lilly Tree, Feb 2019

IndianaMuseum

I remember visiting a "preserved town" along the Whitewater Canal with my kids about three decades ago. I think it was this town. It reminded me of Mackinac Island because there were a lot of fudge shops. There was also a book store that sold used books. It had a book on the Pennsylvania Railroad, but when I tried to call my wife to see if I owned a copy already, I learned that the town did not have cell reception. My Verizon service could not "hear me now." The owner of the book store said that if I went outside and stood on the bench, I might get enough bars. I didn't bother to do that and passed on buying the book. But when I got home, I discovered I did not own it. Bummer. Since most of the people in town were tourists, I would think that Verizon would have installed a repeater to service this town so that its big city customers that were visiting here could get the service that they expected.

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