The Central Canal was part of the Internal Improvement Act of 1836, which was a legislative effort to construct a series of canals, roads, and railroads throughout Indiana. The Central was a major component of this, but poor planning and economic collapse resulted the collapse of the projects, financial ruin for the state, and only a short section of the canal in Indianapolis being completed. These posts explore various aspects of the Central Canal, also sometimes called the Downtown Canal or Indianapolis Canal, in and around the Indianapolis metropolitan area.