Happy Throwback! This is an old picture, circa 1910, of the Salem Monon Station, previously located on South Main, obviously this would be the 2nd structure on the grounds, since the Confederate scoundrel, General Morgan burned the 1st one to ground in 1863.
The New Albany & Salem Railroad was organized in 1847, the 1st train arrived in town to a crowd of 5,000 people, on January 15, 1851.
According to Washington County Historian Jeremy Elliott, the organizing board, (which included my 4x’s great uncle, William Lindley), for the line decided around that time to stretch the tracks to Lake Michigan to link the waterway with the Ohio River, the first train traveled the entire length of the state in 1854.
This company eventually transformed into the Monon Railroad.
Monon diesel engines, like the ones featured on the museum’s new commemorative coin (see related article) arrived in 1948. The final passenger train came to a stop in September of 1967.
The old Depot was unfortunately demolished in 1982, but today visitors can tour the replica at the John Hay Center.
