(The following story by Justin Hesser appeared on The Courier-Journal website on July 9.)
LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Stretching 525 miles, the Monon Railroad’s size wasn’t a good measure of how much it benefited Indiana.
The railroad that began in 1847 in New Albany and eventually connected the Ohio River to Lake Michigan helped farmers get produce to markets that otherwise were nearly impossible to reach during that time, historians said.
Next Saturday, the railroad – originally the New Albany and Salem Railroad – will be recognized, with a state historical marker being placed where it started, near the entrance to Padgett Equipment Co.
“It was really important for the economy of our area to get produce to market,” said Pam Peters, secretary of the Floyd County Historical Society.
After considerable research, Peters submitted an application to the state more than a year ago to get the marker.
Floyd County Historian David Barksdale, who helped with the research, said the process is long and extensive.
“It’s almost like doing a term paper in college,” he said, describing the information and documentation required.
The railroad started in 1847 when area farmers could trade only within their communities and needed a way to reach other cities. So James Brooks and other businessmen from New Albany and Salem built the railroad. By 1854, it connected New Albany and Michigan City.
“It worked because everybody wanted the railroad,” said Frank Van Bree, president of The Monon Railroad Historical-Technical Society. “It wasn’t considered a pariah like it is now.”
Van Bree and other members of the society, which consists of historians and people interested in model railroading, will travel to New Albany for the dedication ceremony. The society is in Linden and has about 500 members, including some international ones, Van Bree said.
The railroad also served as a way for slaves seeking freedom to travel north, Peters said. She said the trains traveled slowly, making it possible for slaves to jump aboard.
The marker will be Floyd County’s 17th and the second new one this year. In March, a marker was placed to commemorate the tornado of 1917.