Indianapolis, Indiana

September 2007

M.P. B 172.4 to 183.5 - 2nd Subdivision -

Host City To The 2007 Annual Meeting And Convention

Indianapolis was founded as the state capital in 1821. Jeremiah Sullivan, a judge of the Indiana Supreme Court, invented the name Indianapolis by joining Indiana with polis, the Greek word for city; literally, Indianapolis means "Indiana City". The city was founded on the White River under the incorrect assumption that the river would serve as a major transportation artery; however, the waterway was too sandy for trade. The state commissioned Alexander Ralston to design the new capital city. Ralston was an apprentice to the French architect Pierre L'Enfant, and he helped L'Enfant plan Washington, DC. Ralston's original plan for Indianapolis called for a city of only one square mile, and, at the center of the city, sat the Governor's Circle, a large circular commons, which was to be the site of the Governor's mansion. Meridian and Market Streets converge at the Circle and continue north and south and east and west, respectively. The Governor's mansion was finally demolished in 1857 and in its place stands a 284-foot-tall (86.5-meter-tall) neoclassical limestone and bronze monument, the Soldiers' andSailors' Monument . This is now known as Monument Circle.

The city lies on the original east-west National Road. The first railroad to service Indianapolis, the Madison & Indianapolis, began operation on October 1, 1847, and subsequent railroad connections made expansive growth possible. By the turn of the century, Indianapolis had become a heavy automobile manufacturer, rivaling the likes of Detroit. With automobile companies as Duesenberg, Marmon, National, and Stutz, Indianapolis was a center of production rivaling Detroit, at least for a few years. With roads leading out of the city at all directions, Indianapolis was on its way to becoming a major hub of regional transport connecting to Chicago, Louisville, Cincinnati, Columbus and St. Louis, as is befitting the capital of a state whose motto is "The Crossroads of America." The internationally renowned automobile races that take place at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway every year are a notable residual from that booming industry at the beginning of the 20th century.

A major selling point of the Monon in Indianapolis was the distance between Indianapolis and Chicago. This was a point that the Monon constantly advertised in the rivalry between the Monon and the Big Four and Pennsylvania. The Monon was 183.5 miles compared to 193.6 for the Big Four and 202 for the Pennsylvania. Although shorter in miles, speed restrictions on parts of the Indianapolis Branch negated this distance advantage.

Nora Grain and Coal Company, circa 1947. In 1871 Peter Lawson named the post office for a town in southern Sweden. Another version of how Nora camed to be named is that of it being named after a wife of a Swedish storekeeper in the community. Part of a land grant to Abraham Bowen, the town consisted of a post office, general store, blacksmith shop, a two room schoohouse, churches and the elevator (Newby Feed Mill) pictured. The Monon arrived in 1883. The town's rapid development was preceeded by the paving of a dirt road, today known as 86th Street in 1942. The building of the Nora Plaza Shopping Plaza in 1957, dramatically changed the rural nature and atmosphere. Today Nora is part of the greater Indianapolis metropolitan area. The former mainline is now part of the Monon Trail.

Newby Feed Mill, Nora. Date unknown.

As early as 1821, pioneers began settling the area near the present site of Broad Ripple. Yet it was not until 1837 that people started coming to the area in great numbers. In late 1836 or early 1837, construction began on the Indianapolis link of the Central Canal, one of the many projects in canal building which followed the completion of the great Erie Canal in 1825. The town of Broad Ripple was established on the banks of the White River in 1836 by Jacob Coil. One year later construction of the Canal began. The town of Wellington was platted on the south side of the canal. In 1884 Wellington became part of Broad Ripple. In 1922 the town of Broad Ripple was annexed into Indianapolis. -"History Of Broad Ripple" Broad Ripple High School 1967, Courtesy Broadripplehistory.com -

Broad Ripple, circa 1917. Left: Monon mainline looking north. Right: Looking to the southeast (railroad south).

The LNA&C (Louisville, New Albany & Chicago) finished grading the line at Broad Ripple in February 1882. This left the line less than 10 miles from Indianapolis. Rails were pushed through Broad Ripple and Howlands (between Broad Ripple and Boulevard Station.) linking to the Lake Erie & Western. A depot at Broad Ripple was first established in 1894.

Original bridge over the White River in Broad Ripple. Photo was taken in 1901.

Indianapolis Line freight near Westfield Blvd. The year is 1969.

Looking north along the right of way, near mile post B 177. The water tower pictured is that of the Lux Laundry Company. The photo is believed to be circa 1950 - 1951 as evidenced by the rails lying alongside the mainline. The Monon replaced the rails with 115 pound ones in the early 1950's. The building to the right of the photo I beleieve is the A.R. Nicholas Company. Lux was the local Indianapolis "To Your Door" Laundry and Dry Cleaning service. The company did not manufacture the laundry soap by the same name.

Looking south along the mainline near milepost B177. The switch leads into the Shelhorn Company.

Pictured is a derailment that occured in Indianapolis in 1969. Information on back of photograph says the location was 75th and Westfield.

Kessler Avenue. Train #11 speeding south toward Union Station. The bridge was replaced when a truck became stuck, resulting in the bridge falling down. Note white band boxcar behind the locomotive.

Monon management came to understand that the Indianapolis branch's only real potential was as a passenger line. In 1922 Boulevard Station was constructed to serve the north side of Indianapolis as well as the State Fair Ground, which were just east of the tracks at 38th Street. The station boasted floral displays, adequate parking and for many years a house track for Pullman cars that were part of the Mid-night Special.

Northbound special at Boulevard Station, late 1930's. This excursion was on its way to Michigan City, Indiana. Courtesy Steve Dolzall.

Southbound making a station stop at Boulevard Station. Locomotive #431 in the lead. No date listed.

Southbound Hoosier making a stop at Boulevard Station. Unknown date.

Boulevard Station. Left: August 23, 1953. Note the presence of vehicles in the parking lot. Right: Boulevard Station, another look, date unknown. Looking north.

Left: May 1959. Train #11 making a stop at Boulevard Station. Right: The Hoosier , Train #14, running alonside the Indiana State Fairgrounds on the northside of Indianapolis.

Southbound arriving at Boulevard Station. August 23, 1953. -Courtesy Steve Dolzall-

Boulevard Station, circa late 1950's. Crowd await Train 11 or 12. Until 1938 Train #35 and #36 The Midnight Specials ran to Cincinnati, Indianapolis and for Boulevard. The Pullman for the special was placed on a side track that ran in back of the station. During World War II train service was reduced to one daytime train.

Advertising on the Monon. Left: Bridge over Fall Creek Parkway, date unknown. Right: 10 Street in Indianapolis, 1949. Note overhead Indianapolis streetcar.

Southbound Tippecanoe passes through the Fall Creek bridge. With F-3A #82B in the lead, it rolls off the final miles of the Chicago - Indianapolis trip.

Left: Northbound passenger crossing the Fall Creek Bridge, date unknown, although a good guess would be prior to April 1959. Right: Looking south through the Fall Creek Bridge. Picture appears to have been taken from the observation car, or caboose of a northbound train. Date unknown.

Left: Indianapolis Yard roundhouse and turntable, circa 1963. In this picture you are looking to the north. Right: In this picture, circa 1964-65, the turntable remains but the roundhouse has been demolished.

Looking down the Indianapolis roundhouse, circa 1947, when it was still full sized. It was taken from the 28th Street entrance with the camera facing south. The first stall immediately to the right housed the machine shop and on the far side 2 smokestacks rise from the stall used as the boiler house for the shops and offices at the terminal. An F3 idles in the background but steam power is still in service shown by the exhaust from the coal dock indicating that coal is being hoisted. Courtesy of George Sennhauser.

Indianapolis Yard. Left: Diesel service facilities. Note BL2 and passenger train to the left of the image. Date unknown. Right: BL2 #37 with passenger cars behind. Date unknown.

Indianapolis Yard roundhouse and service facility. Left: F3A #82A getting fueled and ready for a return trip north. Right: #83A on the turntable, 1959.

Left: Fueling at the Belt Junction Yard, circa 1965. By then the Monon was hiring local fuel companies to service the units. Right: Indianapolis, Indiana. Left: Yard office and rip track.

Left: Indianapolis Yard, exact date unknown. Late 1940's or 1950's based on observation car to the upper left of the photo. Right: Another look at the Belt Junction Yards. Note passenger cars.

Indianapolis Freight House. When the tracks of Union Station were elevated in 1924 the Monon built a new freight house east of the station. The Indianapolis Star and News made the building their newsprint depository. The Freight House sign will one day adorn the Monon Railroad Historical-Technical Society's World Headquarters Building in Linden, Indiana.

Indianapolis Freight House, circa late 1950s, early 1960's.

Switching at the Indianapolis Freight House, mid 1960's. Exact date unknown.

Left: The Tippecanoe passing Ohio Street in March 1959. Here the Monon trains entered the tracks owned by the Indianapolis Union Railway and will arrive at Union Station in about five minutes. Right: Indianapolis yard shot, circa 1976.

Left: Polk Dairy, 15th and Lewis Streets. Founded in 1893, the Polk Dairy sat alongside the Monon Indianapolis Line. The giant milk bottles were famous. Right: Train 12, the northbound Tippecanoe passing the tower at Massachusetts Avenue in 1959. In the distance are the milk bottle cornerstones of the Polk Dairy.

Terminus for the Monon's passenger trains for Indianapolis. The red brick Victorian structure was originally built in the 1880's. The tracks that were owned by the Indianapolis Union Railway were elevated in 1924. Today the station has been completely rehabilitated into a shopping mall and train/ bus station.

Union Station, downtown Indianapolis. The start of the journey between Indianapolis and Chicago. A lone F3 unit is backing up to couple onto the passenger consist. The station is now a retail mall.

Loading mail on an RPO at Union Station. Date unknown.

Early morning sunlight shines on Monon F3 #82A as it get ready to lead Train #12 north from Indianapolis. It is spring of 1959 and the days of regular passenger service are numbered. Regular service was discontinued in April.

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