women who were coming in to congress at this point. her colleague from new york city was bell labs sock who served for a couple terms -- bella bzug who served for a couple of terms. these were two women who spoke their minds. >> you are watching american history tv, 48 hours of programming on american history every weekend on c-span3. follow us on twitter @cs panhistory to keep up on the latest history news. >> this year, c-span is touring cities across the country exploring american history. next, a look at our recent visit to lafayette and westlaw fayed indiana. -- and west lafayette, indiana. you are watching american history tv. >> the development of canals and

railroads was important to the early growth of lafayette. we visited the four depot to learn more about transportation's role in the city's history. >> the first canal got here from fort wayne in 1843, connecting the wabash river down to the ohio river and then up to toledo. it was possible to go by canal boat that distance. it made it possible for products from here to go to the northeast, up to new york city. that was significant because this was a transfer point. the farmers could bring their grain. the animals could be processed here at various packing plants here. they could transfer those products, the slaughtered animals and the grain, to canal boats and later on to the railroad.

the railroads began to finish off the canal. trains came in in the 1850's prior to the civil war. it put us in contact with chicago, put us in contact with toledo, and that meant also new york and the great lakes. of course, southwest, all the way to new orleans. there were a lot of trains coming through. they went right through the center of the town. once that went directly north and south, from the south end of lafayette all the way to the north crossing on the wabash river. the other ones came through at a diagonal along the wabash river through attica to the southwest, and so those trains went diagonally across the city. you had one set of tracks -- you had to have hospitals on either side. you had to have fire stations on either side. we always had excuses for why you relate because you said, the train held me up, and everybody

would believe you. ultimately, you begin to see railroad cars being built here, and at one time, the largest employer in the county move their shops from down in new salem to lafayette. lafayette's location near the river, the resources, the people here -- you had a significant budget enterprising people -- those are all the reasons why lafayette became significant. >> find out where c-span's local content vehicles are going next online at c-span.org/localcontent. you are watching american history tv, all weekend, every >> we feature a 1965 episode of the u.s. army's, the big picture, narrated by paul newman

. december marks the 70th anniversary of the world war ii battle of the bulge. american and german veterans reflecting on their experience. that is today at 4:00 here on c-span 3. >> you are watching american history tv, 48 hours of programming on american history every weekend on c-span 3. follow us on twitter. >> today, project runway cohost tim gunn host a discussion of holiday traditions at the white house. that is today at 6:30 p.m. eastern time on c-span 3.