Historical Features

Fouts Cabin

 

 

 

 

The Wabash & Erie Canal which runs from east to west through the center of France Park operated from 1840 - 1875. Its main use was to transport the stone mined at the quarry. Canal boats were pulled by mules up and down the " Towpath". The canal was built by the immigrants who came to America from Ireland and Italy. The canals operations ceased when the railroads began operations throughout Logansport and Indiana. Park visitors may still walk or bike the towpath and view the remains of the Wabash and Erie Canal.  Historical information and photos at the Recreation Building.

The Wabash-Erie Canal in early spring.

The Italian Oven: During the 1800's, France Park was home to a large community of people - primarily those immigrants employed by the canal or the quarry operations. The oven, located near the entrance of the park, was used weekly as a community resource for anyone needing to bake their bread.  It was recently renovated.

Links

   Indiana Canal Society

   Carroll County Wabash & Erie Canal, Inc.

Remains of the park's origin--France Stone quarry.  These, old timers tell us, are the final remains of what, in its day, were the girders that supported the largest stone crusher in the world.

The Chief Logan's Port of Living History rendezvous will be held at the end of September.  It has been moved to the Cass County 4-H Fairgrounds.

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If you're wondering what happened to the iconic 170 year old Fouts cabin that used to sit at the park's entrance:  Without proper maintenance (which the Cass County Historical Society and France Park could no longer afford), the cabin was slowly deteriorating.  The Fouts family supplied the costs to dismantle and transport the cabin to Delphi where it will be restored and become a part of the Canal Society's display area.  Kudos to the Fouts family and the many Canal Society volunteers who will again make the historic cabin a point of interest for years to come!

For posterity, we will continue to post this information so that it will not be lost.  (The Fouts Cabin is 170+ years old and was built around 1839 in Deer Creek township by Noah Fouts. The 2 story Fouts cabin is made of beech logs which are "half-dovetail notched". The Fouts home consisted originally of one large room downstairs and a second room upstairs. Heat was provided by a central fireplace. In 1976 the cabin's top and bottom half were moved separately to France Park, its new home. In June 2011, the cabin was dismantled and moved to Delphi.)