M.P. 157.8 - 4th Subdivision - DK

Ladoga was platted in 1836 by John Meyers. Meyers invited his friends to help him find a name. He required that the name not end in -burg or -ville and that it would not be named after another town. He chose Ladoga after finding Lake Ladoga on a map of Czarist Russia.

In 1840 there were fifteen buildings in Ladoga, including two large stores selling general merchandise. One owned by Taylor Webster and one owned by William Nofsinger. By 1848, there were thirty families living in the town.

The town of Ladoga lays claim to the Chicago World's Fair Ferris wheel. Designed by Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania bridge-builder, George Ferris, Luther Rice of Ladoga agreed to build it. After the Chicago World's Fair it was placed in Ferris Wheel Park for a while, and then move to St. Louis for its World's Fair.

 

Ladoga, Indiana depot. Date unknown.

 

 

 

The Ladoga Depot. Date unknown. -MRHTS Photo Archives Colletion-

Ladoga, Indiana. Looking south along the mainline past the depot. Photo is not dated, however, it looks early 1900's.

 

 

 

  

Left: Looking north along the mainline at Ladoga, October 1961. Pictured is the depot. Right: Another view north long the mainline. This time in 1964. Looks like the depot is in dire need of some repair. Based on the condition I would presume they experienced a fire.

 

South side of Main Street, Ladoga, Indiana, 1908

 

 

 

 

 

November 1979. A familiar sight in many small Indiana communities along the Monon, a grain elevator and water tower.

 

 

 

 

 

  

Left: Ladoga 2004. Late 1800's, early 1900's residences on Main Street. Right: Downtown Ladoga, July 2004, as seen from Main and Washington Streets, looking east.

  

Left: Main Street crossing, looking towards the northeast. Right: Main Street crossing looking south along the mainline.

CSX action at Ladoga. Southbound CSX rounding a curve near old depot location in Ladoga. Not sure who the original photographer is. I believe these were taken by Jim Davis. Please contact me so I can post the correct photographer crdit.

 

 

 

  

Left: South of town. Looking north along the mainline back toward Ladoga. I forget, and neglected to write down the County Road number, but this was Washington Street in Ladoga. Right: At County Road 1100S, I encountered this overpass with the Monon moniker still visible. Wonder what the county and CSX would say if the bridge and logo were repainted?

Ladoga area 2019

Pictures by Nathan Miles
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Raccoon Creek

M.P. 158.3 - 4th Subdivision -

 

Raccoon Creek bridge, south of Ladoga,

  

Left: Mainline at Raccoon Creek bridge. Right: Close up of the structure of the bridge. Roger Nulton Photographs

  

Left: Another structure look. Right and Left and Right Below: Seaboard System freight crossing Raccoon Creek. Roger Nulton Photographs.

  

 

M.P. 162.2 - 4th Subdivision - RD

Roachdale depot and veneer mill, circa late 1890's-early 1900's.

 

 

 

 

  

Interchange tracks with the B&O at Roachdale. Left: Interchange track looking back towards the Monon mainline, which are the tracks in the distance running left to right. Right: Roachdale interchange track. The black spot behind the last car, that's where the original interlocking signal (color position) was before the crossing was automated. It sat on the east side of the main street through town. The Monon mainline is to your back. The new town watertower is not in these photos but you can see the water pump bases. The block building is the new pumphouse that still stand. The large building pictured is the lumber yard, which is now gone. The depot would be off to the left, out of the picture. That small frame house stands yet today. By compass the photographer in facing northeast. -Thanks to Steve Long for additional information-

 

September 1960. Looking south along the mainline at the Monon/ B&O depot in Roachdale.

 

 

 

Northbound at Roachdale. View from the cab as the train approaches the B & O crossing at Roachdale.

 

 

 

 

  

Meeting near Roachdale. Left: View from cab of C-420 at F unit sitting on passing siding. Right: View from cab of BL2 at about the same location. Dates unknown.

  

Left: November 1976. Another look at the Monon/ B&O depot. Depot sat in the southeast quadrant of the crossing. Right: Another view of the depot.

Roachdale depot, late 1970's -Lowell Susdorf Photograph-

  

Left: Campaign Special. Vance Hartke's 1964 campain special makes a stop in Roachdale, Indiana. Unknown exact date. Hartke served Indiana in the United States Senate for many years. Right: Along the mainline south east of Roachdale. Train #73 is pictured with several C420s.

 

Splitting the signals along the mainline south east of Roachdale. Another shot of Train #73

 

 

 

 

 

  

Left: Looking east at the downtown business district Roachdale, Indiana 2004. Right: Former monon mainline at the Washington Street crossing. Looking towards the southeast.

  

Left: Looking south from the Washington Street crossing. Right: Looking north from the crossing. The track running off to the right was once lead to the B&O. I did not investigate these tracks in detail.

 

Looking south along the mainline from the Indiana Street crossing on the southside of the town.

 

 

 

Roachdale area 2022

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

 

MP 165.5 1st Suddivision -

 

Driving the backroads between Roachdale and Bainbridge I came upon another of these unique underpasses. This one is located on County Road 1000N. The location is also known as Carpenterville. Yep some fresh paint would look pretty damn good up there.

 

 

 

This is how Carpentersville looked in 1979.

 

 

 

 

 

MP 167.7 1st Subdivision -

 

I came upon this elevator. It is owned by ConAg Corporation, and bears the signs Peavy Company. You are on the south side of the elevator looking north. Former Monon mainline is to the extreme left side of the image.

 

 

 

  

Haw Creek, circa 1970's. Left: Looking at the elevator from the south. Right: Looking south along the mainline.

M.P. 168.7 - 4th Subdivision - Bi

  

Left: Train wreck at Bainbridge, January 19, 1939. The southbound passenger train struck a truck, which resulted in the accident. Right: Another photo of the accident. The gentleman in the RPO is Willard Bowman. Below Center: Another look at the wreck site. -MRHTS Photo Archives Collection-

 

The first four images below are courtesy of Ken Weller. He does not claim ownership. No original photographer is listed.

 

Bainbridge depot, circa 1912. Looks as if it has just been completed.

 

 

 

  

Left and Right: Two shots of the depot at Bainbridge, circa 1923. -Ken Smith Photographs, Courtesy Chuck Smith-

Bainbridge, circa 1910

  

Bainbridge, circa 1918. Left and Right: Looking north along the mainline.

 

Looking along the mainline, circa 1922. Not sure if looking north or south. No indication on image.

 

 

 

  

Left: Depot at Bainbridge. Right: Mainline loking north.

 

Bainbridge depot, late 1960's early 1970's. Nice wintery day. Train is northbound.

 

 

 

 

  

Action at Bainbridge. Left: Southbound rumbles through town past the depot. Date unknown. Right: Northbound Train 6 at Bainbridge with 502 on the point. Date unknown.

 

  

Left: Bainbridge, Indiana 2004. Main Street in town, looking east. Typical small town America. Right: The Main Street crossing, looking towards the north.

  

Left: J&N Feed Company. This business sits on the southeast corner of the Main Street crossing. Right: Looking to the south along the old mainline.

  

Left: Bainbridge 1976. Looking south along the mainline at the J&N Feed Company. Right: Bainbridge depot, October 1964

  

Left: Looking north along the mainline. Depot is showing its age. Right: In 1979, the depot was abandoned and really starting to show her age.

  

Left: Some foundations I found south of the West Depot Street crossing on the south side of town. Since the closest street is indeed known as Depot Street, it would be a better than average chance this was the location of the former depot. The surface is tile and it is very close to those I saw in Rennselear, Indiana. Right: Conrail derrick stitting on an old siding across from where the foundation are. I toyed with the idea of putting a "for sale" sign on it, but reasonable judgement ruled the day. Besides, I couldn't find a hardware store open to buy the sign.

 

Looking south along the former Monon mainline. I was standing on the foundation's southeast corner when I took this image.

 

 

 

 

  

CSX action southbound through Bainbridge. The line is still being used occasionally. Not sure who the original photographer is. I believe these were taken by Jim Davis. Please contact me so I can post the correct photographer crdit.

MP 173.0 1st Subdivision -

TREE OF HOPE MP 170.0

I am not sure if the "Tree Of Hope" was close to Cary or not. While I was in this region, I neglected to try and locate it. I had the directions, just was getting hungry and decided to push on to Greencastle. When I passed through Brick Church, I had a feeling I was missing something important. I did. Next trip I make a pilgrimage to the "Tree".

 

 

 

 

 

  

Left: November 1979. Looking south along the mainline at Carey. Right: The Tree Of Hope. Looking north along the mainline, October 1984

 

Looking railroad south at the tree. Several retired Monon engineers have told me that southbound, this tree had no significance what so ever.

 

 

 

 

Cary area 2021

Pictures by Nathan Miles
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| Bygone Monon Main | Fourth Subdivision |