By MARK A. SMITH
Guest Columnist
Hitch up your canal mules, board the boat and be prepared for another adventure along the Wabash and Erie Canal.
Today, we visit the Burnett’s Creek Culvert, or, as some call it, the “Arch.”
The area in discussion is entitled the Burnett’s Reserve. For an explanation as to why that is the case, let me explain that, in the treaty with the Potowatomi of 1826, we see a “Schedule of grants referred to in the foregoing treaty,” which states: “To Abraham Burnett, three sections of land; one to be located at and to include Wynemac’s village, the centre of the line on the Wabash to be opposite that village, and running up and down the river one mile in a direct line, and back for quantity; the two other sections, commencing at the upper end of the Prairie, opposite the mouth of the Passeanong creek, and running down two miles in a direct line, and back, for quantity.
To Nancy Burnett, Rebecca Burnett, James Burnett, and William Burnett, each one section of landf, to be located under the direction of the President of the United States; which said Abraham, Nancy, Rebecca, and James, are the children, and the said William is the grandchild of Kaukema, the sister of Topenibe, the principal Chief of the Potawatami tribe of Indians.” I might state that the other two sections, commencing at the upper end of the Prairie, opposite the mouth of the Passeanong creek, etc. is the area of Carroll County commonly known as being situated along the Bicycle Bridge Road and in the Wabash River bottomland, owned by prominent landowners such John S. Case and Edward Grimm.
So who were these Burnetts, and what was their contribution to pioneer life in the United States, and, more specifically, the state of Indiana, and, of course, Carroll County?
According to the source “The Potowatomis, Keeper of the Fire,” by R. David Edmunds, Page 157: “Other traders were of British or American origin. Among the most prominent was William Burnett, a native of New Jersey, who had moved to the St. Joseph Valley at the close of the Revolution. Burnett established a trading post and warehouse neat the mouth of the river (St. Joseph) and married Kakima, daughter of Nanaquiba, the old chief who half-heartedly had supported Hamilton’s journey down the Wabash in 1778. Burnett, an enterprising man, cleared land and raised crops of corn and wheat, which he shipped to Mackinac for sale. He also maintained warehouses on the Kankakee and near Chicago.” This was excerpted from a related Rootsweb site entitled the “Thelen and Margraf Family Tree — Family Database of Michelle Margraf.”
William was blessed with the four offspring mentioned in the treaty, to wit: James, Abraham, Rebecca and Nancy. According to “Historical Sketches of the Wabash Valley,” pages10-12, the Burnetts made their home in what is now Wabash Township, Fountain County. Of their children, Abraham adopted his nephew, Abram. who was a full-blooded Potowatomi. He was also on the side of the Prophet during the Battle of Tippecanoe, according to Shirley Willard’s Trail of Death Web site. Nancy Burnett, daughter of William, was married to John Davis, who, according to the Davis Ferry link on the Tippecanoe GenWeb site, operated a ferry near the outlet of Burnett’s Creek (in Tippecanoe County) in 1823. Near this site, John and Nancy Davis built a log cabin, believed to be the first in what is now Tippecanoe Township (Tippecanoe County). He also set up both a grist mill and a still. Both Davises passed away at a rather young age, John passing away July 30, 1830 at the rather tender age of 43, followed by his wife three months later at the age of 31. The pair left behind two small sons, Richard H., age 7, and his older brother, William B. The ferry operated under their supervision only seven years.
Regardless of how “American” the Burnett family may have appeared, historian J. Wesley Whicker states that: “The Burnetts’ sympathies were always with the Indians and British. While they received large grants of land from the United States government, they took an active part always with the Indians.” — Whicker, Pages 10-12.
Now we turn to the culvert, constructed during a bit different time period. To explain what a culvert is, we all know that a bridge is constructed to carry both passengers and freight over bodies of water, both large and small, at right angles (roughly) to the stream. Well, a canal culvert goes one step further, in that it usually carries the canal over small streams, also at right angles to the stream.
So, in the case of the Burnett’s Creek Culvert, you have a tidy piece of construction which carries the canal over Burnett’s Creek — an engineering miracle in days before the internal combustion engine.
According to Allen County Historian Tom Castaldi’s Web site, the culvert was constructed during what was a rather nasty period of time in the state’s history — the Trail of Death. It is generally acknowledged that the arch was built during 1839 and 1840 and the canal opened to Delphi in August 1840. A lifting lock was constructed west of the arch, but exactly how the two interconnected has been lost over one hundred and thirty years of history. The lock was constructed using a process called “kyanizing,” a treatment using mercuric chloride to inhibit decay. The culvert was constructed using little or no mortar in the stone-ring arch formation seen in early-day Rome. There were also walnut planks, still visible, placed in the stream to prevent erosion. Earlier days saw two mills constructed by the Barnes family on the same body of water.
The road that passes over this masterpiece was probably constructed in 1887, according to bridge expert and DePauw University history professor Dr. James Cooper. Readers are heartily encouraged to use this road to discover this unique piece of Carroll County lore which was a vital part of transportation history during a bustling time period. There is also a faithful rendition executed by artist Terry Lacy in the Canal Interpretive Center at Canal Park in Delphi.
Mark A. Smith is a board member of Carroll County Wabash and Erie Canal Inc.
