A section of the Wabash and Erie Canal remains visible in Gibson County. Construction of the approximately 460 mile canal, the longest in North America, began in 1832 and was completed in 1853. During construction connecting Lake Erie at Toledo, Ohio, with the Ohio River at Evansville, one worker for every 6 feet of canal died. The canal became an important means of transportation and commerce before it was eventually replaced by the introduction of railroads.