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MONON Timeline History

* 1847 The New Albany & Salem Railroad is organized with James Brooks as president.
   
* 1854 The NA&S trackage stretches from the Ohio River (at New Albany) to the Great Lakes
(at Michigan City).
   
* 1859 The overextended and struggling NA&S is reorganized as the
Louisville, New Albany & Chicago Railroad.
   
* April 30, 1865 The LNA&C becomes one of twenty railroads to haul Abraham Lincoln's funeral train, from
Lafayette, Indiana to Michigan City, Indiana.
   
* 1881 The LNA&C consolidates with the Indianapolis & Chicago Air Line, and the trackage of the
new division is soon extended to reach into its namesake cities.
   
* July 1, 1897 The LNA&C is reorganized as the Chicago, Indianapolis & Louisville Railway Co.
   
* 1932 The 300 pound (136 kg) MONON Bell is first presented as the trophy of the annual
football matchup between DePauw University and Wabash College.
   
* 1946: John W. Barriger III becomes President of the MONON, bringing aggressive plans
for modernization.
   
* June 29, 1949 Final day of steam locomotive service, as the MONON becomes one of the first Class I
railroads to fully convert to diesel motive power.
   
* January 11, 1956 The CI&L officially adopts its longtime nickname, MONON, as corporate title.
   
* 1959 The MONON's passenger service between Chicago, Illinois and Indianapolis, Indiana
is discontinued.
   
* September 30, 1967 Final day of regularly-scheduled passenger train service on the MONON.
   
* July 31, 1971 The MONON is merged into the Louisville & Nashville.


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