Location 0107

Left: Monon freight crossing Little Calumet River, southbound. Borman Expressway is in background. Right: May 1967, F3A 204 and a BL2 get set to cross the Little Calumet River with a local freight heading for Lafayette.

When in 1845 Allan and Julia Brass established a two-story inn, they also established the foundations for what is now Munster, Indiana. This structure, which was originally a tavern built by David Gibson, was located at what is now the corner of Ridge Road and Columbia Avenue. After 1853, many Dutch farmers began establishing truck farms for supply to a growing Chicago market, and residents built a church and a small school. Munster is named after early residents, the Monster family (later anglicized to Munster), from the Netherlands In 1875, a three-room brick school was built. "Town on the Ridge" in connection with Ridge Road and the natural ridge of land separating Cady Marsh and the Little Calumet River. The draining of Cady Marsh through the excavation of ditches assisted in the development of the area, enabling more land to be utilized. It also helped eleviate problems with flooding along the Little Calumet River. The town was incorporated in 1907. In the time between the two World Wars, Munster became an evolving suburban community, populated with skilled oil and steel workers and business professionals, or in other terms a "bedroom community."

Also included in the area known as Munster are Strathmore (MP 24.6), Maynard (MP 25.5) and GT Crossing (25.8).

Steam locomotive #421 crossing the Little Calumet River bridge with passengers cars behind. Date of photo unknown. Train is northbound. Courtesy Kevin Heggi.

Left and Right: Munster Lumber Company and the Ridge Road crossing, November 5, 1979.

Monon 207 leading southbound passenger along Monor Avenue close to Broadmoor Street. Date unknown. On the end of the train, note the yellow car tagging along. Kevin Heggi photo.

Monon A-B-A F-units wait on the GTW interchange at GT Crossing, October 31, 1952. What are the odds they either spotted or are waiting to pick up traffic? Sandy Goodrick photos, courtsey Jeff Strombeck.

Left: Looking south along the Monon mainline at Airline Junction. Here the Monon crossed the Pennsylvania. Right: Closer look at the tower.

Southbound passenger crossing the GTW diamond. This photo is early 1950's. Note Nike Missle base to left of photo.