A Monon Photo Archives Story

[Ron Marquardt]

I love doing research about old photos, particularly those of Monon employees, and like the old blind dog, occasionally I find a bone.  I found several good ones this past week.

I ran into a friend of mine at a restaurant in Bloomington last week, an engineer named Donnie Moore, and during our converstation I asked him if he had any pictures of his father, another Monon man named John T. Moore, a good switchman and yardmaster, who I had known during my earlier years.  He said he would check and let me know.  A couple of days later I received the two attached photos in the mail.

The first surprise was that both photos were the work of noted Monon photographer Joe Bennett, and the prints were likely his work too.  The second was that there were several other employees in both photos, but true to Joe Bennett's inclinations, none of them were identified.  Now if I could just find some names.....

This morning we had our monthly Monon breakfast at Bloomington, so hoping to find someone who remembered these men from the 1940's, I took both photos with me.  Guess what?  Several of the old timers who had worked with those in the pictures got their heads together, and identified every man in both photos.   How great is that?

Today I was lucky.  Today I put some names with the faces.  Today I found my bones, and six long gone Monon employees will live a little longer in the memories of those of us who strive to keep the Monon alive.  Today was indeed a good day.  / Ron


Photo 1, LtoR.  Floyd Tindell, yard clerk, John T. Moore, switchman, Everett McCurry, fireman.

Photo 2, LtoR.  Clifford Burch, yard foreman, Everett McCurry, fireman, Otis Kauffman, engineer, Lee Durnell, switchman, John "Tommy" Moore, switchman.

[Rick Dreistadt]

Thanks for sharing.  Any idea when they were taken?  I would figure late 50's or very early 60's.  I had met some of those fellows but not all.  I think some were retired before I started in '62.
Rick

[Ron Marquardt]

I think that time frame is pretty close Rick.  That's about when I would guess too.  / Ron

[Tim T Swan]

A lot earlier than that, I think.  There's a water plug right next to the NW2.  McDoel was the last Monon location with steam facilities (not counting Youngtown of course), but all steam was gone by mid-1949.  As President JWB was known for removing all vestiges of steam as soon as possible, I would guess these photos are no later than 1950.

[Ron Marquardt]

May be right Tim, but the water tank itself was there at McDoel until the middle 1960's I think.  I hired out in 1960, and it was around for several years after that.  / Ron

[Geof Burns]

It looks to me like John "Tommy" Moore could have been a jockey!

[Joe Land]

A thought about the water tank remaining at McDoel into the late '60s....
Bloomington's water shortage was notorious until Lake Monroe was completed in the mid '60s. Keeping a full tank of water was a good idea, maybe even necessary.

[Steve Cunningham]

Ron,  I just noiticed your archive story.  Photo 2 shows my grandfather, Marion F. (Ike) Cunningham.  He is the one on the left with the white cap.

[Ron Marquardt]

Thank you Steve for that correction.  When the breakfast guys identified these men, I might have written it down wrong, or they may have remembered it wrong.  Old minds are cloudy sometimes.  The main thing is we have it right now, and that's what counts.  Would you happen to have any other pictures of him we could add to the archives?  / Ron

PS, in comparing this picture with several others we have, I now think the man in the middle we have identified as Otis Kauffman may be wrong too.  I need to do some more research.

[Steve Cunningham]

Thank you Ron.  I am glad to help.  I have some pictures but my Aunt has more available.  The picture shown is on the cover of Dave Longest's book, "The Monon in Southern Indiana." Page 69 lists the other names in the picture. My grandfather was a fireman and engineer on the steam engines and then engineer on the diesels.  My Dad, Merrill Cunningham, worked on the Monon for over 30 years.  He was on the section gang.  We all grew up around Paoli. Love the Monon!

[Ron Marquardt]

I just checked David's book, and the only name he got right of the five was your grandfather.  The other four are wrong.  I know #2 is Everett McCurry because I worked with him.  I don't know who #3 is, but it's not Bill Wagoner.  #4 is Lee "Bump" Durnill and #5 is John "Tommy" Moore.  I worked with both of them, and both their son's have copies of this picture.  One for five is not a very good average David.  Where did you get those names anyway?  / Ron

[Steve Cunningham]

Ron,

My guess is that, most likely, my cousin, Larry Pritchett, one of "Ike's other grandsons provided the names.  I think he furnished the picture to Dave.  Just a guess.