This boat was built in 1910 by Howard as the "J. H. Menge" and later the "M. A. Burke," a cotton packet. It was sold to the Louisville and Cincinnati Packet Company in 1919 and then was sent to Mount City for extensive alterations before being...
Railroad stations; Lithographs; Postcards; Madison Depot; Indianapolis Depot; Train Depots; Railroads
This lithograph drawing is scanned from a postcard from a private collection. The backside of the postcard reads, "Madison and Indianapolis depot. Built 1847. Located on south side of South Street between Delaware and Pennsylvania Street. Torn...
According to Harry Lemen, this coal oil wagon was fifty-three years old in 1927 and the owner, Paul Meyers, was its twenty-third owner. In the late 1800s and early 1900s coal oil, or kerosene, was much in demand. Its primary use was for lamps and...
Coal oil wagon at the Vernon Street watering trough. In the late 1800's and early 1900's coal oil, or kerosene, was much in demand. It was used for, among other things, lamps and heating. One obscure use was as a deterrent to chiggers while...
She was built in Dubuque in 1896 as the "Quincy" for the Diamond Jo Line for use in the St. Louis-St. Paul trade. She was sold to the Streckfus Line and was completely rebuilt to become the super excursion boat, the "J. S. Deluxe." She was the...
Steamboats; Riverboats; Excursion boats; "Belle of Louisville"; "Idlewild"; "Avalon"; Rivers
The "Idlewild" was sold to J. Harold Gorsage in 1947 and the name was changed to "Avalon". She became the most widely traveled excursion boat on the rivers. During her tramping days she made stops at Omaha, Nebraska; New Orleans; Stillwater,...
Inclined railroads; Reservoirs; Hanging Rock Hill, Indiana; Madison; Railroads
Here is a view of the incline that includes the old Madison, Indiana reservoir at the lower part of the picture and Hanging Rock Hill (now State Road 7) in the upper right corner. Notice in the picture the hills have very few trees. They had been...
The inscription on the picture reads, "Train 927, ready for the last passenger run out of Madison, June 30, 1931. Compliments of the engineer J. R. Pogue." With this brief passage Mr. Pogue summarized almost 100 years of railroading in Madison,...
Sources vary as to who designed the hotel, though it is generally credited to Francis Costigan. The hotel encompassed 100 years of history in Madison. Another hotel, Fitzhugh's Hotel, which had been built in the 1830s was removed from the site...
"General Pike"; Steamboats; Riverboats; Steamboat accidents; Mail steamers
On January 1, 1891, the "General Pike" collided with one of the Middleton and Wymond coal barges, causing both to sink in a very few minutes. Captain Sam Bryant, Clerk Ed Long, and Pilot Bowen managed to save everyone on board. She was built for...
The first courthouse was built in 1811. It was two stories and made of "buckeye logs." It was removed in 1823 and a brick structure built in its place. This old brick courthouse was octagon in form and the entire lower floor was fashioned as a...
Lide White (1870-1967) was the daughter of Alexander and Jean Rankin White and was the youngest of ten children. She graduated from Madison High School in 1888 and began teaching the following year at Upper Clifty School. A few years later she...
The first water system for Madison was built between 1814 and 1817. While it did not serve everyone in the city it must have been a monumental achievement for such an early age. The first water ducts were hollowed out logs fitted into each other...
