Monon Arch Stones

[Ron Marquardt]

This is a photo of an exhibit at the ILL RR Museum in Union, IL.  No one at the Museum seems to know where or how it got there.  I was wondering if anyone had some idea.  One opinion was that it might have come from Indianapolis.  In any event I'd like to document the history of the Monon Route limestone arch.

If I remember right we had some discussion about this several years ago, but I don't recall if we ever found out for sure.  / Ron

[Gene Remaly]

My first visit there was in 1989 and I took the same photo.
None of the people I asked that day had any idea where they came from.

I'm glad some one saved them ---

[Rick Berg]

Would be nice to know where.

[Ron Marquardt]

Well, I've done a little research on this topic since I posted it, and have some thoughts about it.  The Monon had (I believe) seven limestones stations on the railroad and none of them had (as far as I can tell) any windows or doors that matched this arched stones.

The Monon used joint stations in Chicago, Indianapolis, and Louisville, and again, the door and window configutions at Indianapolis or Louisville don't appear to match either.

However, they do appear to match Dearborn-Polk St. station in Chicago before it was remodeled following the 1922 fire.  Since the stones are in an Illinois museum, I think the possibility exists that they may have come from that station.  I am still looking, and I hope to eventually find clear photos that would show any of these stones if they were a part of that building.  Certainly a station as important as Dearborn-Polk St. should have a multitude of historic photos filed away in collections somewhere that could confirm or deny this possibility.  / Ron

PS, another possibility, of course, is that they may have come from a Monon office building in one of the larger cities, but I haven't found any information to suggest that.     

[Gene Remaly]

Ron:
I think you are on the right track ! 
A 1922 remodel may be the missing link to these archway stones

I tried to scale the windows by the approx. height of the lady on the sidewalk.. no real luck.

Perhaps Larry or some one in the area could measure the dia. of the circle. That may help

You solve this case and we'll put you on the Milroy Sculpture  mystery.

[Tim T Swan]

Trying to recall that earlier discussion about these stones, I seem to remember somebody saying they thought these were once part of a little decorative garden at McDoel, between the old yard office and Grimes Lane.  Make sense to any of you "south of thirtyers"

[Ron Marquardt]

Tim, attached is a fairly high rez photo taken by Joe Bennett, courtesy his great-neice Marth Fox.  No date, but it appears to have been taken during the garden's glory days.  Unless I overlooked something, I don't see any evidence of any Monon Route stones in this picture.  / Ron