THE CONSTRUCTION OF the Indiana Central Canal, intended to connect the Ohio River to the Wabash and Erie Canal, brought many challenges for Hoosiers in 1836. A major obstacle to the Indianapolis stretch of the waterway? Crossing Fall Creek. The solution was an aqueduct consisting of three 32-foot spans. Lead engineer J. L. Williams claimed that the canal and aqueduct, funded by the Indiana Mammoth Internal Improvement Act, would be completed by 1838. But a financial collapse across the U.S. in 1837 halted the project for good, leaving only 9 operating miles of water instead of the intended 296. By then, the aqueduct had been completed. Located off 16th and Aqueduct streets, it was originally built of timber due to a scarcity of quality stone in Indianapolis, but this early version collapsed 10 years later due to heavy flooding. In 1881, it came under the ownership of the Indianapolis Water Company, which used the canal to power turbines driving the pumps that distributed the city’s water supply. Repeat damage required the aqueduct to be rebuilt five times before a catastrophic 1904 flood prompted the water company to design a more durable, all-new structure. Finally completed in 1905, this is the Fall Creek aqueduct we know today. Unlike the previous iterations, this new aqueduct boasted a reinforced concrete foundation, high arches, and an impressive length of 330 feet. It is not only a significant component in providing Indianapolis with water, with about 200 million gallons passing over each day, but a symbol of Hoosier perseverance.
