MONON Railroad Historical-Technical Society

M.P. 224.6 - 5th Subdivision - Ck

Clear Creek, Indiana. On May 26, 1917 a tornado hit Clear Creek just 1/4 mile north of the Monon Station. The next day Frank Mathers took a series of pictures of the damage at what may be his home and property. It would appear that he has been transported back to his residence by a Monon Passenger train that is standing by, waiting for him to re-board the train. The train is stopped. The photographer is facing West. The house with white trim at the upper left is still in existence. The barn, however, to the left of the house has been replaced. This could be a special sight seeing train because of the tornado. There are 4 coaches with no combine for local freight or mail. There are also people between the destroyed home and buildings to the right of it. This photo is part of the Frank Mathers Collection at Indiana University. Used with their permission.

One of the more scenic locations along the former Monon. The Clear Creek was often photographed. In this picture, Monon J-1 2-8-2 #524 is about to cross Clear Creek. This portion of the railroad was built as the Indiana Stone Railroad. No date is listed.

One of the most time honored pictures of the Monon. Streamlined Hoosier crosses Clear Creek during the 1947 exhibition tour of the Monon. It was the embodiment of the railroad John Barriger dreamed of.

Bridge E8 on the Stone Road. This is the same bridge as in the photo above where the kids are swimming.

Left: One mile north of Harrodsburg was the most remote and yet the most beautiful portion of the railroad. Monon #551 pulls a local freight through a rock cut and across Clear Creek, date unknown. Right: Monon #514 and crew pose on top the the bridge over Highway 37 at Clear Creek. The engine is sitting on the old Smithville line, which by the time this picture was taken was merely a spur to a quarry.

Two more looks at the old Smithville line. Left: Another picture of #514. Great shot showing not only the railroad bridge, but also the underside of the Highway 37 bridge. Right: In 1970, the bridge proclaimed Monon ownership.

Clear Creek depot, Unknown dates. -MRHTS Photo Archives-

Clear Creek Depot, date unknown.

Left: Buildings at Clear Creek. Monon crossing can be seen. Right: Crossing at Clear Creek. Both photos appear to be from the early 1900's, exact date unknown.

Another view of the crossing at Clear Creek. Exact date unknown.

Local stone train coming off the old stone spur line west of Clear Creek. It is coming back from Maple Hill, University, Carl Furst and Woolery Quarrys and Mills. -Photos, Tim Swan Collection-

Aerial photograph taken circa 1940. It is looking east at the Forburger-Harris Mill in the center and the Wylie Mill of the Bloomington Limestone Company at the top. The Wylie Mill is in Clear Creek, IN and was later used for Railroad tie creosoting. The railroad right of way of the IC (Bloomington Southern -Victor Branch) runs across the center of the photo for left to right. The Monon mainline is on the other side of the mill at the top running from left to right. The Clear Creek Depot is way out of the picture to the left. The track coming from top to bottom down the left side of the picture is the Monon branch that severed several quarries and mills back towards Bloomington. Notice the diamond where it crosses the IC. The branch turns north and serviced Woolery & Sons quarry and Mill, Maple Hill Quarry and Mill, Carl Furst Quarry, University Quarry and Bloomington Limestone Company Quarry. The IC right of way is now a Rails to Trails. The Monon Branch from the Diamond with the IC is also a Rails to Trails bike path now. -Clay Stuckey Photograph, information courtesy Pete Pedigo-

Left: Mainline at Clear Creek. Looking at the Cresol Plant. Right: April 1977. Another look at the Clear Creek depot and semaphores.

Clear Creek Depot, February 2005. The depot is on private property south of Bloomington. The same person also owns the former Elletsville Depot and it sits next to the Clear Creek depot pictured.

Former Triple Crossing Bridge near Clear Creek. This bridge was once part of the mainline and later the Smithville Branch line. Both pictures of of the RR south abutment.

Clear Creek 2005. Left: Looking to the RR north at tracks still visible. I wish I could find my notes as to what road is pictured. Right. Looking towards the RR south along the former right of way.

Water stop near Diamond, Indiana, circa 1938. -Cookie Eberhard Collection-

Water facillities near Diamond. You are looking southbound. -Mahlon Eberhard Collection-

Head on collision at Diamond. May 14, 1909. The accident was the result of an operator failing to deliver an order for Train #3 to use the Smithville line. -Cookie Eberhard's Private Collection-

Diamond, Indiana. Left: Looking at the mainline near Diamond, circa 1979. (Photo does not identify either North or South.) Right: April 1977. Another view of the former Monon mainline at Diamond, Indiana.

Diamond Indiana 2005. Pictured is the bridge which is pictured on the left above. In this view you are looking towards the south. Right: Another look at the bridge. The road leading back to this bridge, has a county road number and a stop sign at the end of it. It is actually was a driveway which goes under the bridge and followed the mainline north for a little ways before reaching the property owner's house. ALWAY GET PERMISSION FIRST.

Bridge along the former Monon right of way. This bridge is located on Fluckmill Road about three miles south of Clear Creek near Ketchams. Although not seen in these pictures Justin advises that you can still see the word "Monon" on the bridge.

Close up of the "Monon" still visible on the bridge. The Fluckmill Road is extremely narrow.

1992 CSX action near Ketchams. Before the line was abandoned and taken up, southbound CSX freight crossing the bridge pictured above.

Old Ketchams Depot. This station was located on the west side of the tracks between the Diamond siding and Fluckmill Road and Clear Creek bridge. The land is currently owned by the Travis family own the land where the old Ketcham farm was including the old right of way where the depot was located. The foundation is still there. There is a story that Colonel Ketcham would give the railroad an easement if they would locate a station on his farm, and they did. -Thanks to Steve Mosier for passing along the image.-

This shot is taken facing south and the old roadbed is to the left. You can see the three stone pilings the wood foundation of the depot once rested on and another stone to the right of the tree that seems to have had something to do with the station.

Left, Center and Right: Bridge E 4.5. This bridge is south of Ketchum and one of 8 bridges that crossed Clear Creek. These photos are from February of 2009. -Justin Asbery Photographs-

There was a passing track (called Victor) and a lead off to the west to the Victor-Oolitic quarries. More information coming soon.

Originally part of the New Albany and Salem's mainline, the route through Smithville was one of the most rugged and difficult portions. With grades in excess of 2% and prone to washouts. The best locomotive, at the time, could only handle 15 loaded cars over this part of the mainline. In January 1898 the CI&L chartered a new railroad, called the Indiana Stone Railroad. It was built to tap the limestone resources of the area. With grades of .57%, immediately the Indiana Stone Railroad became the CI&L's mainline and the old line through Smithsville became a double-ended branch. The line was abandoned in the winter of 1939-1940 after a major washout occurred.

Left: The depot at Smithville, date unknown. Right: Monon passenger train at Smithville, circa 1916. At one time five passenger trains ran on the Smithsville line. The Depression all but killed that traffic and by 1935 all passenger service was discontinued.

NEW 07-07-2012 Winter in Smithville, unknown year. Townspeople help clear the tracks so the trains can get through. -Martha Fox Collection-

These photos, courtesy of Pete Pedigo were taken March 19, 2005 while on an expedition hunting railroad spikes along the old Smithville Line right of way. Pete's daughter Amanda is pictured in several shots.

Former Smithville Line 2005. Left: Little Clear Creek. Looking at the south abutment on the former right of way. Right: The north bridge abutment. This location is about one and a half miles north of the former Harrodsburg depot location.

Left:Pictured is a 150 year old stacked stone drainage structure. The former line is on top of the culvert. Right: Looking along the former right of way. Some railroad ties still survive in the mud of a landslide.

Left: Another shot of the former right of way. Amanda is using a metal detector looking for spikes. Right: Looking at the former right of way. Evidence of an old landslide are to the right of Amanda.

New Jane, Now Known as Harrodsburg. "A Pleasant Little Place of Clever People and Live Businessmen." In the year 1835 a man by the name of Alexander Buchanan, originally from Harrodsburg, Kentucky, emigrated to the State of Indiana and located in the southern part of Monroe county for the purpose of making that his future home. Being a public-spirited man, the idea of establishing a little town about him was fully considered in as much as no trading point was nearer than Bloomington, a distance of twelve miles, in those days of dense forests and ungraded hills, a hard day's travel.

So with a few of the earlier settlers, in the year 1837, Mr. Alexander Buchanan first surveyed and laid out the town, now known as Harrodsburg, Indiana, and named it for his wife, "New Jane." This name listed until the place became quite a village, when for some reason it was changed to Harrodsburg, supposed to be called for Harrodsburg, Kentucky, Buchanan's native home. It was not long after until the L. N. A. & C. railroad passed by the place, a half mile to the east. When the place was first laid out it grew rapidly and for a time promised to out rival Bloomington, but for some reason in a short time its prosperity ceased, and now Harrodsburg is little larger than twenty years ago, with something over 300 inhabitants.

For the size of the place, Harrodsburg has always enjoyed considerable business and few places of its size, unless new towns, have better stocked stores with a better trade. A surrounding farming district of six miles or more do their trading here.

The year is 1948. Steam locomotive #445 on a local freight at the Highway 37 bridge.

The Highway 37 bridge was always a favorite spot to photograph the Monon. This photo, taken in May, 1970 has a brand new U23B #606 on the lead as a freight roars under the bridge. J.F. Bennett made this spot famous with his photography. The bridge pictured was replaced when the highway was widened and a new modern bridge built.

F3 A-B-A consist on a freight moving tractors on the curve at Harrodsburg. Unknown date and photographer.

From the talented camera of J.F, Eudaly Left: Northbound Train 6 rounding the curve at Harrodsburg, May of 1957. Right: Southbound Train #5 meets local freight #40 northeast of Harrodsburg, 1960. -J. F. Eudaly Photographs, Steve Hill Collection-

Left: Freight action near Harrodsburg. Southbound freight labors around curve. Highway 37 bridge in the distance. Right: The Highway 37 bridge was a popular location with Monon photographers. Here J.F. Bennett catches the Train Of Tomorrow.

Southbound on the big curve at Harrodsburg, early 1970's. Also pictured is the construction work on the 4 lane Highway 37.

Two looks at the mainline at Harrodsburg. Left: Rural grade crossing. Right: Sweeping curve at Harrodsburg with the Highway 37 bridge in the distance.

Old water tower foundation and pump house at Harrodsburg. Looking north along the mainline.

Southbound passenger captured at Harrodsburg crossing Clear Creek, exact date unknown. -Mahlon Eberhard Collection -

Flooding near Harrodsburg. Not sure of the exact date, but these shots were taken prior to 1964 when the Lake Monroe was formed to help with flood control. - Mahlon Eberhard Collection -

Southbound Amtrak stopped at Harrodsburg, mid 1970's. -Jim Craig Collection-

Left: The Harrodsburg depot (Built in 1898) and water station were on the banks of Clear Creek. This photo illustrates the rural flavor of Southern Indiana railroading. The depot was located east of Highway 37, south of Clear Creek on Depot Hill Road. Right: NEW 01-17-2011 Section gang poses at Harrodsburgh in 1920. -MRHTS Archives Photograph-

Looking south down the mainline at Harrodsburg, 1924. -Ken Smith photograph, Courtesy of Chuck Smith-

NEW 05-31-2005 Left: Downtown Harrodsburg. Right: Looking to the RR south down the former right of way near the new Highway 37 overpass. The former right of way is overgrown and may be hard to see.

Left: Looking back (RR north) towards the new Highway 37 bridge at Harrodsburg. Right: Some of the curves that were typical of the southern section of the Monon. Here you are looking towards the RR north and Bloomington.

Left and Right: Right of way near the former depot location, off Depot Hill Road.

Looking across the Clear Creek bridge, pictured above. - Steve Stafford Collection -

Very treacherous footing on the old bridge. Looking across. -Justin Asbery Photo-

Left: Side view of the bridge at Harrodsburg. Right: BMIA Operative John Butler and son look across the bridge. - Amy Butler Photos-

Left and Right: Local freight northbound at Guthrie, Indiana. July 31, 1971. The gentleman standing by the tracks and waving is Mahlon "Cookie" Eberhard, longtime Monon employee and friend of this web site.

CSX passing through Guthrie, circa 1992. Before this section of the mainline was abandoned and removed, J.E. Landrum captured a CSX freight.

Guthrie. Left: Looking RR north along the mainline at Guthrie. Right: Looking RR south along the former mainline.

Old telegraph pole among the trees at Guthrie. All of the insulators are still attached.