Original IC/ Indianapois Southern Route through Bloomington

[Pete Pedigo]

The attachement is a Google Earth image with the original route of the Indianapolis Southern marked.  The red circle is where the route would have crossed the MONON at grade about 6th St.   The blue circles are the locations of the two planned tunnels.  The northern one was not started as far as I know but was to go under what is now 11th St. off the end of Morton St. .  But the southern one between Independent Limestone and Stanford was started at each end but never connected as far as I know.  I have never found any evidence of the route beyone the west portal location towards Bloomfield.   The evidence of the southern tunnel that can be seen without trespassing is, there are piles of dirt making a fill to the east on both sides of Duvall Road just south of the only Curve on the Road.   This dirt would have been from the excavation of the east portal or entrance.  I have been told the entrances are filled with water and  not viewable.

[John Butler]

This is a nice map of the route Pete thanks for posting this.  While there is nothing left of the grade in town between the stadium and the planned tunnel, north of the stadium in Griffy Nature preserve much of the unfinished right-of-way is hikable.

[John Butler]

Here is an article included as an attachment about the decision not to tunnel in the Bloomington Evening World November 10, 1904.

[Victor Sauerheber]

Thanks Pete, How do you know these things? Vic

[Pete Pedigo]

Vic,

I live 1 mile from that line, which also happens to be where the change from the original route takes place.  Since some of the original right of way had been graded, but no bridges were started the abandoned line can be seen, hit and miss to just north of the IU football Stadium.
Enough has been written, here and there, that I put all of the pieces together.   That is except for the actual location of the tunnel east of Stanford that was actually started.  I could not figure that one out.  One day Steve Stafford and I met with Clay Stuckey at Bedford and exchanged a lot of information.  One of Clay's finds was the actual location of that abandoned tunnel.  I checked it out and that solved the mystery.   Later I found written evidence that supported all of the pieces and then fellows like John Butler also researched it and comfirmed it.  So, it was a community effort.   The surprise I think to us MONON researchers was the planned at grade crossing in downtown Bloomington, that never materialized due to the change of the Indianapolis Southern's mainline.

[Victor Sauerheber]

Thanks Pete, Am I correct in looking at the Map that it would have paralleled the Monon from around Clear Creek to the proposed crossing ? Vic

[Victor Sauerheber]

I quit a little early, They built a line close to this alignment down to the quarry that shows on the map that has the tressle that was talked about on the list a little while back just east of the Monon line thru the town of Victor. Is this correct ? Vic

[Pete Pedigo]

yes, that is correct.  Part of the branch to Victor was to be part of the original mainline route.  At Diamond is where the Indianapolis Southern was to turn due west and they did actually have a switch at Diamond and have a line into Independent Quarry...which is where all of the Stone for the Pentagon in D.C. came from.

[Victor Sauerheber]

Thanks Pete, I thought that was probably the case. I didn't know about the Pentagon stone though. What is the quarry that the line runs to with the high trestle just before the quarry. Is that the Pentagon one or another ?Vic

[Pete Pedigo]

That is Victor Oolitic Stone.  Independent Stone was a little back north and west about 1 mile.