Beardstown and Sangamon Canal facts for kids

The Beardstown and Sangamon Canal was a big idea from the 1830s. It was a plan to build a canal and improve the Sangamon River in Illinois. The goal was to help boats travel easily between Springfield, Illinois, and Beardstown, Illinois. From Beardstown, boats could reach the Illinois River and then the mighty Mississippi River.

A young politician named Abraham Lincoln, who was then a state legislator in Illinois, strongly supported this project. He believed it would help the people and economy of central Illinois.

Why a Canal Was Needed

In the 1830s, many pioneers were settling in central Illinois. They were growing lots of crops like corn and wheat. However, it was very hard to get these crops to faraway markets. The land was still quite empty, and local towns like Springfield could only buy a small amount of what farmers produced.

Shipping goods by land was expensive and slow. Farmers needed a better way to send their products to places along the Mississippi River. This would help them sell more and earn more money.

Canals: The Best Solution

During the 1830s, canals were seen as the best and cheapest way to move goods over long distances. The Sangamon River, however, was too shallow in many places. Big steamers (boats powered by steam) needed deeper water to carry heavy loads of crops.

People had different ideas for how to fix the river's transportation problems. Some thought private companies should pay for the improvements. Abraham Lincoln, as a state lawmaker for the area, strongly pushed for a company to be created to build the canal.

The Canal Company

In 1836, the Illinois Legislature officially approved the creation of the Beardstown and Springfield Canal Company. This company was given $200,000 to start. Its job was to dig a canal for part of the route. It also had to make the Sangamon River deeper and easier to navigate, especially near Beardstown where it met the Illinois River.

Lincoln was very excited about the project. On February 13, 1836, he spoke to a large crowd in Petersburg, Illinois. He told them all about the Beardstown and Sangamon Canal and why it was important. People at the meeting were asked to buy shares in the company to help fund it.

Just two weeks later, Lincoln himself bought a share of stock in the company. He paid $1 right away and promised to pay $4 later. Many other local people also bought shares, showing how much they believed in the project.

Why the Plan Was Stopped

The people living in the area and local newspapers were very supportive of the canal idea. Everyone was enthusiastic!

However, engineers did a detailed study of the proposed canal route and the river improvements. They found that the project would cost a huge amount of money: $811,082. This was much more than the company had. Because of this very high cost, the Beardstown and Sangamon Canal project had to be stopped. It was never built.