Monon Railroad centennial photographs
Collection — Folder: SP107
Identifier: SP107
Scope and Contents
This collection contains black-and-white photographs taken by Foster Photos of the Monon Railroad centennial on July 30, 1947, which included a parade and ride on the Monon railroad to New Albany, Indiana.
Dates
- 1947/07/30
Creator
- Foster Photos (Organization)
Conditions Governing Access
This collection is open for research.
Conditions Governing Use
Literary rights, including copyright resides with the creators of the documents or their legal heirs and assigns. All requests to publish or quote from manuscripts must be submitted to Rare Books and Manuscripts. The publisher must also obtain permission of the copyright holder.
Historical Note
The New Albany-Salem Rail Road was founded in July 8, 1847, running from the Ohio River at New Albany and Salem, Indiana. By 1854 the railroad was complete, connecting the Ohio River at New Albany with Lake Michigan at Michigan City, Indiana. The railroad went into receivership in 1858 and when it emerged,the name became the Louisville, New Albany and Chicago Railroad. Its operations were interrupted when Morgan's Raiders attacked the railroad lines during the U.S. Civil War. In April, 1865, a Monon engine pulled President Abraham Lincoln's funeral train over the 90 miles from Lafayette to Michigan City.
In 1897, the name was changed again to the Chicago, Indianapolis and Louisville Railroad. The nickname "Monon" came from the fact that the lines added to the system crossed in Monon, Indiana. Monon is a Potawatomie word, perhaps meaning "tote" or "swift running." The Chicago, Indianapolis and Louisville Railway Company was reorganized as the Monon Railroad "The Hoosier Line" (headquartered in Chicago, Illinois), beginning in 1946 and effective in 1956. The Monon Railroad was the first class "A" railroad to become fully dieselized. It became an all-freight line in 1967, when the last of its passenger trains, the Thoroughbred, ceased running.
Indiana limesonte was a major industry for the state and each new slab of Indiana limestone rode a Monon flatcar first, wherever its destination. Indiana limestone was used to construct the Empire State building, the Pentagon, the National Cathedral, the Washington monument, and countless private buildings, museums, bridges, churches, walkways, monuments, statues, and gravestones. The Monon Railroad then merged into Louisville and Nashville Railroad, effective July 31, 1971, with Louisville and Nashville Railroad (headquartered in Louisville, Kentucky) becoming the surviving corporation. Some of the former Monon right of way is operated today by CSX Transportation.
The Monon Railroad held a centennial celebration with a parade, a beauty pageant for "Monon Belle" featuring queens from each town along the Monon route, and the special trip of the 91 year-old "William Mason" train from Hammond to New Albany. The governors of Indiana, Illinois, and Kentucky attended the New Albany celebration on July 30, 1947.
Sources:
Items in the collection.
"History Of The Monon". Monon Railroad Historical Technical Society. Retrieved 2015/03/16. http://www.monon.org/history.php.
"The Monon Railroad". The Dept - Railroad Museum. Retrieved 2015/03/16. http://salemdepot.com/monon-rr.html.
"'William Mason' Will Chug for Monon." Indianapolis Star, July 27, 1947, 1, 16.
In 1897, the name was changed again to the Chicago, Indianapolis and Louisville Railroad. The nickname "Monon" came from the fact that the lines added to the system crossed in Monon, Indiana. Monon is a Potawatomie word, perhaps meaning "tote" or "swift running." The Chicago, Indianapolis and Louisville Railway Company was reorganized as the Monon Railroad "The Hoosier Line" (headquartered in Chicago, Illinois), beginning in 1946 and effective in 1956. The Monon Railroad was the first class "A" railroad to become fully dieselized. It became an all-freight line in 1967, when the last of its passenger trains, the Thoroughbred, ceased running.
Indiana limesonte was a major industry for the state and each new slab of Indiana limestone rode a Monon flatcar first, wherever its destination. Indiana limestone was used to construct the Empire State building, the Pentagon, the National Cathedral, the Washington monument, and countless private buildings, museums, bridges, churches, walkways, monuments, statues, and gravestones. The Monon Railroad then merged into Louisville and Nashville Railroad, effective July 31, 1971, with Louisville and Nashville Railroad (headquartered in Louisville, Kentucky) becoming the surviving corporation. Some of the former Monon right of way is operated today by CSX Transportation.
The Monon Railroad held a centennial celebration with a parade, a beauty pageant for "Monon Belle" featuring queens from each town along the Monon route, and the special trip of the 91 year-old "William Mason" train from Hammond to New Albany. The governors of Indiana, Illinois, and Kentucky attended the New Albany celebration on July 30, 1947.
Sources:
Items in the collection.
"History Of The Monon". Monon Railroad Historical Technical Society. Retrieved 2015/03/16. http://www.monon.org/history.php.
"The Monon Railroad". The Dept - Railroad Museum. Retrieved 2015/03/16. http://salemdepot.com/monon-rr.html.
"'William Mason' Will Chug for Monon." Indianapolis Star, July 27, 1947, 1, 16.
Extent
0.03 Cubic Feet (1 folder)
Language of Materials
English
Arrangement
This collection is arranged by subject.
Custodial History
This collection was received by Rare Books and Manuscripts as a donation.
Accruals
No further additions are expected.
Processing Information
Collection processing completed 2019/11/19 by Lauren Patton. EAD finding aid created 2019/11/19 by Lauren Patton. EAD finding aid revised 2021/11/09 by Brittany Kropf.
Creator
- Foster Photos (Organization)
- Title
- Monon Railroad centennial photographs
- Status
- Completed
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
Repository Details
Part of the Rare Books and Manuscripts Repository
Contact:
140 North Senate Avenue
Indianapolis, Indiana 46204 U.S.A.
317-232-3671
140 North Senate Avenue
Indianapolis, Indiana 46204 U.S.A.
317-232-3671
