Logansport Pharos-Tribune from Logansport, Indiana • Page 6

Page 6 Pharos-Tribune, Logansport. Indiana, Wednesday, July 11,1984 1984 Iron Horse Festival Iron Horse '84 Area Boasts Rich Rail Past ByDAVEKITCHELL Staff Writer While Logansport's early prominence in the rail industry made it a transportation center along the Wabash River during the 1800s, several other area towns prospered too as a result of the rail industrya. They are now part of the state's rail heritage. One of the most storied rail towns in the area was Monon in White County which provided the name for the Monon Railroad. Monon was once the intersection of southern Indiana's New Albany Salem Railroad and the Indianapolis, Delphi and Chicago Railroad which merged to form the Monon, the railroad which became known as "The Hoosier Line." The Monon was founded in 1852 and began passenger service in the 1860s.

It had several of the main lines 'in White County between Chicago, Lafayette, Frankfort, Rensselaer and Indianapolis. The line came about when a group of New Albany businessmen undertook a plan to link their Ohio River port city with steamboats on Lake Michigan. With the use of the Monon line and the Michigan Central Railroad in Michigan City, the goal was accomplished. The rail line spanned the Kankakee swamp in northern Indiana and at one point went 91 miles in a straight line. In 1865, businessmen from Carroll County got into the act too when a group from Delphi, Monticello, Rensselaer and Frankfort promoted the construction of a railroad from Indianapolis to Chicago.

The road operated successfully for more than a century with several key lines. In 1947, the railroad was one of the first in the country to secure an entire diesel engine fleet for its line. The line ran through five county seats and five college towns including Bloomington and Lafayette. The railroad incorporated Indiana University's cream and crimson and Purdue University's old gold and black, school colors of the state's two largest colleges, as official colors for its trains and accessories. The line also serviced Crawfordsville and Greencastle the homes of Wabash College and DePauw University.

A bell from a Monon train is still used as a symbol of the football rivalry between the two schools when they play each year. Passenger service on the Monon continued until 1967 when passenger trains nationwide were being discontinued. In 1971, the Monon merged with the Louisville Nashville Railroad and remains part of the network today. Monon resident Harold Harvey authored a poem which described the relationship and admiration that Monon residents had for the railroad bearing its name. A Monon Railroad caboose remains on permanent display at the south edge of Monon as a sign of the town's rail history.

The railroad also played a significant role in several other towns in the area. When the rail lines were platted from Logansport through Fulton County, the town of Hen Peck in northern Cass County paid railroad officials $11,000 to move the railroad through their town. A compromise was reached when the town moved a half mile west where a flatter grade ran through the country and the town of Twelve Mile was born. Fulton County's rail history 'also included the Erie- Lackawanna Railroad which crossed the northern half of the Dave Kitchell-PharosTribune Old Monon Railroad Caboose in Monon county. An old Erie railroad station currently serves as a town museum in Leiters Ford north of Rochester.

In Pulaski County, the name of Winamac was adjoined to the names of railroads in Indianapolis and Chicago as lines connected the county seat with northern and southern Indiana. Miami County's circus heritage was also reflected in its rail history during the early 1900s with the emergence of the circus trains which carried animals, performers, tents and circus equipment to the winter circus headquarters from throughout the United States. Peru is one of three cities on the Norfolk Western Railroad which still has a crossing guard posted at one of its midtown intersections. Kids Korner Has New Events Truman Visits President Harry Truman (left) and Logansport's Frank McHale (right) face a platform crowd on Melbourne Avenue during the 33rd presidents whistlestop tour in October, 1948. Truman visited Roscndo Range! 'ollection Logansport with his wife, Bess, and his daughter, Margaret, and Indiana Gov.

Schricker. Truman, the last president to visit the city, later defeated his opponent, Republican Thomas Dewey. Continuous activities for younger participants of the Iron Horse Festival will be held during all three days of the event at Kids Korner at Fifth Street and Melbourne Avenue. All of the events, which are sponsored by Logansport merchants, are free of charge. New attractions which have been added to the festivities include a break dance contest, a story time for children which teaches them about the festival train, and a "star search" talent show.

Kids Korner will also be featured on a float in the festival parade. Other events include an obstacle course, water balloon toss, foul shot contest, bubble gum blowing contest, and spaghetti slurping contest. Food, Crafts In Festival Booths Several booths with novelty items will highlight the booth area of the festival this weekend with everything from small White Castle hamburgers to large, old-fashioned hat boxes on sale. Food booths at the festival will include a Farmers' Market from Sangralea Valley and international foods from Italy, Greece, Germany, Mexico and Ireland. Other booths include hand made, old- fashioned hat boxes by Ferrilyn Weish of Georgia; rustic furniture from Indianapolis wood crafter Jeffrey Daw and hand-tooled leather items by Kentucky's Thomas Mc- Churkin.

Interurbans Provided Small Towns With Rail Service ByDAVEKITCHELL Staff Writer As railroads grew in the Logansport area at the turn of the century, a new method of transportation emerged that served as a complement to the railroad the interurban. Known technically as "traction companies," the interurbans resembled a street car. The interurbans were smaller, electric versions of trains, delivering freight and passengers to smaller towns, providing an early form of mass transit to outlying communities which had very little passenger service. Kokomo rail historian Richard Pickering notes that Blackburn's "Interurban Railroads of Indiana" lists 10 major interurban lines which used Logansport as a major connecting city. In 1900, the first interurban line was constructed along the Wabash River from Wabash to Logansport by the Indiana Service Corporation.

Aaron Dukes of Peru promoted an electric line along the tow-path of the Wabash Erie Canal from Fort Wayne to Lafayette, The line was first completed through Peru and the company purchased the interests of George J. Marott who owned a Logansport street railway. The name of the line was changed to the Wabash-Logansport Traction Company and the entire line was begun with a capital investment of $100,000. The company then became embroiled in a legal battle with a competitor, the Logansport, Rochester Northern Traction which wanted to build a line through town. The Logansport City Council wanted only one interurban route through the city.

After a restraining order prevented the Wabash- Logansport from coming through town, Logansport, Rochester Northern laid tracks on Erie Avenue and on Market Street. The tracks led to Fourth Street where city lines merged with the traction company lines. Because of its legal fight, the Wabash- Logansport sold its interest to owners who eventually completed the route through the city. In 1906, stockholders of the Fort Wayne Wabash Valley Traction Company began construction on a line which linked Fort Wayne and Logansport with Delphi and Lafayette. Work began in Delphi in July of that year and through service on the line was inaugurated on Oct.

1, 1907. The Fort Wayne Wabash Valley was reported to be financially "prosperous" following its purchase of the Peru to Logansport line. Other lines had already begun construction along railroad routes and some, such as the Frankfort Logansport Traction Company, were built in 1903 to connect two towns which had no rail line between them. The line serviced several small communities in Carroll County and its investors included Logansport's George W. Seybold, Michael Jordan and Dennis Uhl.

The line connected Logansport, Frankfort, Burlington and Kokomo. Another branch was later built which connected Young America with Kokomo and Burlington. The growth of interurbans continued through the pre-World War I years and in 1913, the LaPorte, Logansport Southern Railway Company was born through the efforts of LaPorte businessmen who wanted to connect the town with Logansport. Northern Indiana lines were popular in Logansport at the time. The Logansport, Bass Lake LaPorte Air Line Railway Company, begun in 1903 for $10,000, connected Bass Lake, Rochester, Roann, Culver, Royal Center, Winamac, Knox and LaPorte with Logansport.

The Logansport, Hammond Chicago Traction Company, the first million dollar interurban venture involving Logansport, See 'Interurbans' Page 7 Big Wheel Entry Blank Name Address Parent's Name Child's Age This permission slip must be signed by a parent or guardian: I give my permission for my child to participate in this event and release Tri Kappa and the Iron Horse Festival from any responsibility for lost or stolen items or any injuries which may occur. Signed Date Mail this form with $1 entry fee per child to: BIG WHEEL COMPETITION Chris Anderson 825 Meadowview Dr. Logansport Deadline for entry is Thursday. Home Tour Tom Tribune, home of Mr. and Mrs.

Pat Kroeger, 2509 E. Broadway will be one of seven homes on tht fourth annual Mary Dykeman Guild Home Tour. The tour, which features seven homes decorated for separate holidays, will be held from 1 to 5 p.m. Sunday. Tickets are priced at S3 and are available at Hooks east and west, the Iron Horse Festival Office and Memorial Hospital Gift Shop..