Monon logo

BR 146.0 - 4th Subdivision

Sugar Creek Bridge, circa 1893. This photo is part of a collection from the Indiana Limestone Corporation. The main focus was the limestone bridge piers. Luckily the photographer captured some of the bridge too.

 

 

 

 

 

 

    

(Above) Sugar Creek bridge. -Mahlon Eberhard Collection-



(Below) Sugar Creek bridge.

(Photo 1) Mahlon Eberhard Collection-                (Photo 2) Jim Smith Photo

  


Jim Smith notes on the two photos above.


Photo 1: Mahlon Eberhard photo.

Note: The Howe truss span on the north end of the trestle.
This trestle spans Sugar Creek north of Crawfordsville and the south of Manchester.
The trestle is 282 feet long.

Photo 2: Was taken by Jim Smith on Thanksgiving Day 1972.
The man standing on the trestle is his Dad.
He had checked with the Ames Tower man (south of Crawfordsville) and he told them the best traffic-free window for safety to view the bridge.

The 2004 Tour Book states the trestle was renovated in 1956-1957 time period.
In 1957 Jim Smith lived on Pike Street. His yard backed up to the Monon ROW. One day there he witnessed a short train pulling a derrick. and now wonders if he saw the train that would assist in upgrading the trestle.

Note: The two deck spans north and nearest the camera that have replaced the Howe truss. He submitted question #599 to the THL Q&A. With some research he answered his own question with help from Ron Marquardt.

Both photos are of the same trestle spanning Sugar Creek near Crawfordsville. Google Maps & Bridgehunter.com can assist in finding this trestle. It is still used by Amtrak and CSX and is not open as a pedestrian bridge.



These next two images were taken by former Monon Engineer Ron Marquardt


  Looking north across the Sugar Creek bridge.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Another great shot of the Sugar Creek bridge and a Monon freight north of Crawfordsville.  



 

 

 

 

 

M.P. 147.3 - 4th Subdivision - C

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-

Found this image at the Crawfordsville Library. There is no date listed and it is described as a train wreck at Crawfordsville. I am still researching records for exact date and location.

  

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-

  

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

  

Street scenes, 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, early 1900's. Southbound passenger arriving.

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.

 

 

 

 


Crowd gathers at the Crawfordsville depot. This may be the first run of the new passenger trains with the rebult hospital cars. -Lloyd Kimble Collection-

  

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.Right: Another view of the depot. Ron Stuckey Photograph.

 

  

Left: Look at the Freight House and Monon boxcar spotted there. Picture is circa 1950's, no exact date was listed. Right: MOW cars sitting on a siding near the Crawfordsville Depot. -Lloyd Kimble Photograph/ MRHTS Photo Archives-

 

Southbound freight rumbles through Crawfordsville with an Alco C-628 in the lead. The train is coming up on the freight house. -George Hockaday Photograph-

 

 

 

 

  

Two views of the old Freight Station. Left: December 1974. Right: November 1979. Five years has certainly taken its toll on the old freight house.

Crawfordsville Depot, October 11, 2002. The Crawfordsville depot sat on a broad curve on th north side of the town. Amtrak stops in Crawfordsville, however, instead of making use of the former depot, they use a small passenger shed.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Crawfordsville Depot, March 2004. Left: Former Crawfordsville Depot and present Amtrak Depot. Looking toward the northwest. Right: View of the former depot looking towards the southwest.

 

Crawfordsville, March 2004. Looking toward the north along the former Monon mainline at the Market Street crossing.

 

 

 

 

The depot is currently being restored. The plan is for a business and cafe to open. The new owner Nancy Morrison, is really enthused about the project.

  

Inside the Crawfordville depot. Left and Right: Restoration work on the south passenger waiting area inside the depot.

  

Inside the Crawfordville depot. Left: Looking at the ticket agents office. Right: Ticket window as seen from the north passenger waiting area.

  

Inside the Crawfordville depot. Left: Looking north from the ticket agents office window. Right: Looking south. The present Amtrak shelter can be seen.

Crawfordsville is the home of Wabash College, one of the last all male colleges in the United States. The Monon Railroad crossed the Pennsylvania, Peoria and Eastern in and around Crawfordville.

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

 

 

 

 

 

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

 

 

 

 

 

 

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

 

 

 

 

  

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.

  

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 Southbound Train #5 approaching the College Avenue Bridge. Train is passing the southbound home signal. Right: Train #5 is passing Mid States Seel and Wire approaching Ames Junction. -George Hockaday Photos-


Crawfordsville area 2020

Pictures by Nathan Miles
click on map to view all pictures by number




| Bygone Monon Main | Fourth Subdivision |

Up and Down the Monon WE SUPPORT
Look Listen Live
       Look Listen Live

 

Return To Home  |  Contact Us  |  About Us @2004-2024 Monon Railroad Historical-Technical Society, Inc. All rights reserved.