Clay City, Indiana

December 2007

M.P. IL 27.7 (F 27.7) -6th Subdivision- SY

Clay City is a town (population 1025) in Clay County, located in south central Indiana. It began as a railroad town supported by farming, sawmills, mining, brick and flour factories, several schools and a pottery. Before World War I, it appeared that Clay City might even become a college town. At the time, the town had a renowned baseball team, a literary society, many college graduates, numerous inventors, and was considered so progressive it was dubbed "the Athens of the Wabash Valley." Clay City’s slogan is "Mayberry of the Midwest", and is regarded as "the friendliest town in Indiana."

Left: Clay City circa 1910. Main Street. Right: Circa 1967, Main Street. -Courtesy Clay County Indiana Web Site-

Bartlett, Kuhn & Company, 1877

Clay City Flour Mill, date unknown. Note boxcar next to mill. This mill was located on the CCC&STL (later NYC) near downtown Clay City.

The Clay City depot. No date is listed. It appears to be the early 1900's. MRHTS Archives Collection.

Clay City was the only point along the Monon where the Monon was the junior railroad. The standard and custom of the railroad industry was to have the junior line maintain and bear the costs in perpetuity. Here the Monon crossed the Big Four line. The branch served the open pit, also known as strip mines of the region. Pictured is the tower that protected the junction.

Left: Southbound train at State Road 59, 1964. Right: Same train setting off cars on the team track. Locomotives number 51 A & B which was the normal power on the I&L at the time. -Rick Dreistadt photographs-

Box cars on the interchange track. These were designated for grain loading at the elevator. June 1957. The first two Monon box cars are brand spanking new. Never been loaded. -Rick Dreistadt photograph-

Photographer is standing on the Monon tracks looking south. Box cars are on the interchange track for the NYC, June 1957. -Rick Dreistadt photograph-

Clay City Tower. Unknown date.

Clay City Operator Claude Tatum on duty, March 1957 -Rick Dreistadt photograph-

October 1976. Clay City. Looking from the tower (I presume) along the former Monon. Right: Another shot of the Clay City junction tower.

Clay City Tower. Looking west from the cab as they pass the tower, late 1960's, early 1970's.

Clay City 2007

Clay City. Left: Former right of way on the north side of town. Looking southwest from the former crossing at County Road 700S. Right: The former location of the NYC-Monon crossing. You are looking east from Nye Street along the Monon.

Left: Looking to the north along the former NYC mainline through Clay City. Right: Standing on the Monon right of way, looking southwest. Where the building is in the distance, the right of way would curve to left.

Downtown Clay City, circa 2005.

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