Monon Flat Car

[Mike Aufderheide]

All,

I came across this interesting photo at the Carmel/Clay Historical Society website:

http://www.carmelclayhistory.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/slider-four.jpg

Interesting the lettering for "Monon Lumber Line" on the side.  The railroad must have done a good business in logs (for furniture?)  The only information I have about this car series (13450-13749) is that they were built in 1907.  The historical society has a nice site with a few photos I've never seen and a map of the town from 1916.

Regards,

Mike Aufderheide

[Heath Matthias]

I live in Carmel and that museum is really nice.  It is in the old Carmel Monon station next to the Monon trail.  The volunteers do a great job taking care of it as well.

[Tom Kepshire]

Very interesting photo. Now I feel the need to do some research. I know that in the late 1800's early 1900's a whole lot of lumber was taken from the Kankakee River basin. The Ahlgrims Family operated a large lumber operation in Water Valley. Much of the lumber was used in Chicago, after the fire. I am wondering could there be a connection? I believe at one time there was a railroad spur off the Monon into the lumber mill. In the image, there appears to be a lumber mill on the East side of the mainline.

[Heath Matthias]

Those were raw logs though, off to be processed.  I would think a lumber mill would produce finished boards?  I'm not sure though.

[Mike Aufderheide]

Heath,

My impression has always been (false maybe) that logs that traveled like this by rail were higher value hardwood for furniture making (ash, oak, maple, walnut etc.).  I wonder if these factories had their own small sawmill operations?  Of course there is the famous factory on-line at Paoli, and I think there are some photos in David Longest's South End Monon book of some.

Regards,

Mike Aufderheide

[Christopher Stone]

The Showers Brothers Furniture Factory in Bloomington had it's own sawmill and veneer mill. Green logs were delivered by the Monon (and later the IC). There is a good description of the operations in Carrol Krause's "Showers Brothers Furniture Company" on page 190. Elsewhere in the same book it's pointed out that the Showers family was instrumental in bringing the IC to Bloomington (and Bloomfield, where they also had a factory) because the Monon's shipping rates were too high. Also, early in the 20th century most of the available wood in Indiana had been harvested and thus wood had to be shipped in from farther and farther away (mainly from the Southern states).

[Eric Reinert]

Here's the current link to this image. The original is not active anymore.: https://carmelclayhistory.catalogaccess.com/photos/930