The ferry boat "Indiana" plies the river past Madison, Indiana. She, no doubt, is headed up-river where she worked the Carrollton, Kentucky to Lamb, Indiana trade.
Maps; Horse railroads; Steamboats; Lanier, J.F.D.; Hanging Rock Hill, Indiana; Rowboats; Madison, Indiana; Ohio River
This is an inset from an old map (no date given); in it you can see steamboats on the Ohio River along with three men in a row boat. On the shore horses pull the quaint little train along the track. The house to the far left that is partially cut...
Steamboats; Showboats; Riverboats; "Grace Devers"; Towboats; Tugboats; Levees; Otto Hitner
The "Cotton Blossom" began life in 1896 as a raft for a lumber company working out of St. Paul. She handled the large excursion barge named "Mississippi" at one time, was renamed "The Princess" and was then sold to the Barrett Line for use as a...
This is a picture of the dike at Madison, Indiana from the Kentucky side looking across the Ohio River to Madison, Indiana. The ferryboat "Trimble" is making her way across the river in the background. Mrs. Herbert M. Flora and daughter sit in...
Railroad employees are posed with the "Reuben Wells." It was originally given the number 35, but was later changed to No. 365, and was specifically built for the JM and I Railroad for use on the incline at Madison, Indiana. It went into service...
Horses; W. H. Rogers; John Louis Spicer; Railroad freight cars
A horse and dray are used to pick up a load of paint for W. H. Rogers of Madison, Indiana. You can see the name on the side of the box car. There was no middleman here. The paint was loaded at the paint factory and delivered directly to Madison...
This is the "M. G. Bright", the original No. 634. She was companion to the "Reuben Wells" and worked the incline until 1895 when she was replaced by the new coal burner. The Bright was of the rack and pinion style locomotive and was built by...
Steamboats; Riverboats; "City of Madison"; Dikes (Engineering)
Built in Madison in 1882, the boat was the second "City of Madison," the first having been lost in a devastating explosion during the Civil War. On June 18, 1894, she was returning from a trip to Memphis, with a stop-over in Owensboro, Kentucky,...
The Madison Courier on October 25, 1943, reported, "Frank B. Conner, 60, conductor, was killed instantly, and four railway cars were demolished at 1:00 o'clock this afternoon when a "runaway" railroad train raced down the "cuts" plowed up the...
This may be the "Alma" built in 1907 at Wheeling, Virginia, but we have no further information. The "Madison" is probably the boat built by Howard in 1892. Judging by the horse-drawn wagons and coach, the date would probably be early 1900s.
This building was a former high school from 1878 to 1907 at which time it became a grammar school from 1907 to 1918. In 1918 it became a junior high school and was used as such until 1928, when it was sold for private use. In the 1939 city...
This is the "M.G. Bright", the original no. "634". She was companion to the "Reuben Wells" and worked the incline until 1895 when she was replaced by the new coal burner. The "M.G. Bright" was equipped with two sets of cylinders. The first set was...
"City of Jeffersonville"; Steamboats; Riverboats; Rivers; Ohio River; Ferryboat
The "City of Jeffersonville" was built at the Howard Steamboat Works in 1891 and was no longer working by 1914. In this picture she is docked on the Madison Levee.
The No. "8606" is seen in this picture. The H-6 series of engines took over all passenger and freight service after the "8434" and the "8452" were scrapped.
This is a tariff schedule for live hogs. The hogs were, no doubt, meant for the packing houses at Madison. Madison was once known as "Porkopolis" because of its many packing houses and the number of hogs they processed.
Churches; Church schools; Catholic churches; Costigan, Frances; Stone buildings
The Irish railroad workers, being a determined and resourceful lot, began to store the stone torn and blasted from the railroad cuts. It was hauled to the end of Third Street where it was piled and dressed and there the Irish began to build their...
This is a notice published to advise the public of the privatization of the railroad and the rules and regulations that would prevail on it. This notice was, no doubt, published in newspapers and used as posters and handbills as was the practice of...
The "City of Madison" was built in 1860 and originally ran from Cincinnati to New Orleans. She was built in Madison, Indiana and was used as a government boat during the Civil War. She participated in Grant's campaign on the Tennessee and was at...
This school hack was from the Ryker's Ridge School area. We don't know exactly where or when it was in use. The school hack, despite its primitive looks, was a novel and improved mode of transportation. Without the hack, choices were walking,...
