October 2004

September 2009

M.P. 147.3 - 4th Subdivision - C

Host City Of The 2009 Convention

In 1823 the area now known as Crawfordsville begins to take shape. William Miller had built the first cabin on a high bluff along Sugar Creek and Henry Ristine opened a log tavern; Ambrose Whitlock platted lots for a town. In 1831 the area is incorporated as a town and in 1834 the town is incorporated into a city and a town board is elected. In 1845 James Marshall leaves Crawfordsville for California and is first to discover gold at Sutter's Mill, which started the Gold Rush in 1849. In 1851, prominent citizen Lew Wallace is elected prosecuting attorney for First Congressional District. During the Civil War the City sends volunteers to fight in war and Lew Wallace named adjutant general of state. Wallace would later write the classic novel "Ben Hur"

Of historical note: In 1892, shortly after a Monon passenger train pulls out of depot at Crawfordsville it leaves track and crashes down 60- foot embankment with several killed, including Madame Irma Van Rokey of Hungary and her troupe who had performed at Music Hall. In 1894, the first scheduled basketball game in Indiana is played on March 16 at the YMCA between Crawfordsville and Lafayette; Crawfordsville won, Also the first intercollegiate basketball game was played at the YMCA gym between Wabash and Purdue with Wabash winning, 23-18. During 1933 the worst fire in city's history wipes out a quarter block at southwest corner of Main and Green streets. -Excerpts from Montgomery County's Crawfordsville History Timeline-

Crawfordsville is also the home of Wabash College, one of the last all male colleges in the United States. The annual football game between DePauw University and Wabash College is better known as the "Monon Bell" game. The DePauw-Wabash rivalry is the sixth most-played Division III rivalry and equals the 12th-most played in college football.

Left: The Crawfordsville depot and freight house, date unknown. As was the case with many railroads, Monon depots were varried and displayed a great variety of design and construction methods. The depot survives today. The freight house is no longer there. NEW 06-28-2009 Right: Another view of the depot. Ron Stuckey Photograph.

The freight house, circa December 1974.

Local 42, works in Crawfordsville, June 9, 1958. The train is northbound behind RS2 # 21.

Left: The Montgomery County Courthouse. Right: The Henry S. Lane Antebellum Mansion at 212 S. Water St. is a beautiful, carefully restored Greek Revival home. Henry and his wife Joann built the home in 1845. Lane was elected to the U.S. Senate in 1860. His most noteworthy accomplishment may be his involvement in securing the nomination of Abraham Lincoln for the presidency. Lane later served as a pallbearer at Lincoln's funeral.

Crawfordsville Post Office, circa 1920.

Willis Grocery, Market and Washington Street, early 1900's. -Courtesy Digital Image Collection, Crawfordsville Library-

Left: Postcard depicting Market Street, early 1900's. The center track is the Monon mainline. The depot would be to the right side of the image, but is out of the picture. Courtesy Steve Long. Right: Downtown Crawfordsville, early 1900's, West Main and Washington Streets. -Courtesy Digital Image Collection, Crawfordsville Library-

Crawfordsville Hotel, circa 1920-1930's. Right: Crawfordsville Journal building, South Glenn Street, 1930's. -Courtesy Digital Image Collection, Crawfordsville Library-

Crawfordsville. Left: South Green Street. Right: Looking down Washington Street.-Courtesy Digital Image Collection, Crawfordsville Library-

Left: Indiana Bell Building, North Water Street. Right: Looking south from Spring Street. -Courtesy Digital Image Collection, Crawfordsville Library-

One of Crawfordsville largerst companies and shippers by rail, R. R. Donnlley and Son. -Courtesy Digital Image Collection, Crawfordsville Library-

Downtown Crawfordsville. The former Monon Hotel. Today the lower floors are used as a bar. Pictures are circa 1987 and are courtesy of Roger Nulton.

Crawfordsville Depot, date unknown, as seen from a southbound train.

General Motors Train Of Tomorrow toured the Monon, arriving at Crawfordsville, circa 1947. The Train Of Tomorrow so perfectly embodied John W. Barriger's concept for modern railroading.

Alco RS2 #21 making a run through Crawfordsville, June 1958.

The mainline, looking south, at the Wabash Avenue overpass. Photo is circa 1950's. Note tell tale in the background.

Passenger action at Crawfordville. Left: November 1958, F unit #81A leads the passenger at Carwfordsville. Right: This train has just north of Ames Junction. Next stop the depot at Crawfordville. Both pictures are circa 1958.

Left: Looking down the mainline towards the Wabash Avenue bridge. The truss bridge at Pike Street and the Wabash Avenue had Interurban tracks on them and were used at different time periods. At one time both were concurrently active, each was used by different companies and finally ran by the THI&E Co. This photo is circa 1971. Right: Same general view in the 1980's. Note truss bridge has been taken out.

March 20, 2004. Left and Right: CSX action along the former Monon. These pictures were taken from the Wabash Avenue bridge of a northbound freight passing through Crawfordsville.

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