Canal Towns Were Numerous (1922), Part Three

Editor’s note: this is Part Three (Conclusion) of a series reprinted in the John Paulding Historical Society newsletter. Part One appeared in the society’s October/November newsletter and Part Two in the January/February edition; neither has yet been added to this archive. The original newspaper article enumerated the communities along the county’s two canals starting in the 1840s. The article’s author is not named.

From the Paulding County Republican, Jan. 19, 1922:

Although the Wabash canal was in operation at least two years earlier than the Miami & Erie, it never seemed to support quite so many towns, even though the two had nearly the same amount of mileage in the county.

This lack of towns has been accounted for on two leading points.

One was that the Wabash railroad followed closely on the heels of the canal. Even while the canal was being dug, there was talk of the railroad. This had a tendency to keep down the canal traffic. On the other hand, it was not so far to market for the products along the Wabash. A goodly portion of the timber found ready sale close to home, necessitating but short hauls.

During the latter days of the great civil strife [the Civil War], capital became interested in two large enterprises along this canal. One of them was located in Section 23, Crane Township, and the other a half mile east of Antwerp. They were blast furnaces and were placed in operation in 1864-65.

In those days, the secret of melting iron ore with coal had not yet been discovered. They thought it all had to be done with charcoal. Charcoal being made from wood, it was decided that the cheapest way to get the wood and ore at the same place was to bring the ore to the wood. This proceeding was adhered to from 1845 to 1887. During the latter year, the furnace [Paulding Furnace] in Crane Township was discontinued. The one at Antwerp [Antwerp Furnace] had ceased operations a couple of years before.

During the time these plants were in operation they furnished employment for several hundred men. There was an almost constant stream of ore boats coming down from the Lake Superior region. The iron was shipped to the eastern mills to be converted into the finished product.

Folks who were early enough on the scene to witness the operation of these two enterprises describe them as being a couple of wonderful industries for their day. They averaged a run of about eight months out of every 12. About 2,500 tons of iron were produced by each plant per year. Most of it was what was designated as pig iron, but a portion of the time they made a better grade than this.

On account of these flourishing enterprises, it was not necessary to have many towns along the Wabash.

Taking it from Junction there was no settlement worthy of the name for five or six miles, when you came to Reid’s Post Office, or Tate’s Landing, as it was more commonly called. It was a flourishing little place and was scattered along the canal banks for a distance of nearly a quarter of a mile, despite the fact that Emerald Station, on the railroad, was only a short distance away.

Going toward the west there were no more towns until you are to the Paulding Furnace, a mile and a half south of where the town of Cecil is now.

From there on west to the state line there was no town except Antwerp, which has always been a flourishing place. It was laid out when the canal was put through. It had the advantage of the others as it was on both the canal and the railroad.

That portion of the canal which was in Indiana was entirely abandoned about the year 1870. This rendered almost useless that portion between the state line and Junction. This was abandoned by an act of the legislature in 1888.

Before it was finally done away with, however, there was a long fight, with the state authorities on one side and a number of land owners on the other. Considerable enmity was engendered. The bulkheads of Six Mile Reservoir in Carryall Township was blown up and much of the water let out. Most of the locks were demolished, thus rendering the canal useless. A company of state militia was sent into the county to quell what was termed the lawless element. Most of the dynamiting had been done before the arrival of the soldiers and they did not remain long.

The fight over the abandoning of the reservoir and canal [the “Reservoir War”] make one of the most interesting chapters in the history of Paulding County. It fills one with something akin to pride when listening to a recital of the doings of the swarthy pioneers who took the execution of their rights into their own hands and made possible the cultivation of not only all of the lands within the banks of the reservoir, but several hundred acres that were practically useless on account of backwaters.