Name: The Abandoned Mt Lawn, Interurban Phantom Bridge, Mt Lawn, Indiana | Videos | Gan Jing World
Uploaded: 2023-12-08T13:49:56.245Z
Duration: 6 min 47 s
Description: www.HistoryInYourOwnBackyard.com info@HistoryInYourOwnBackyard.com 812-623-5727 Before we talk about this old bridge, let’s talk about abandoned rai... | Videos | Gan Jing World

History in Your Own Backyard

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www.HistoryInYourOwnBackyard.com
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Before  we  talk  about  this  old  bridge,  let’s  talk  about  abandoned  railroad  lines  and  the  bridges  and  tunnels  they  once  used.

Railroad  infrastructure  in  the  United  States  peaked  around  1916  with  over  254,000  miles  of  track  across  the  country.  As  of  2023  that  number  has  dropped  to  about  140,000  miles.  By  contrast,  the  interurbans  also  peaked  around  1916  with  about  15,580  miles  of  track  mostly  located  in  the  Midwest  with  the  epicenter  in  Ohio.  However  by  the  end  of  WWII  almost  all  of  the  interurban  lines  were  out  of  business  mainly  due  to  competition  from  the  automobile.

Even  though  many  of  these  rail  companies  are  long  gone,  you  can  still  find  their  remnants  virtually  everywhere  if  you  know  where  to  look.  The  railroad  or  interurban  line  that  has  been  vacated  but  is  still  visible  is  known  as  a  ghost  railroad  and  can  be  spotted  on  the  ground  typically  as  an  embankment  as  well  as  from  above  from  their  telltale  arrow  straight  right  of  way.  With  the  railroads  straight  line  mentality,  this  meant  that  bridges  and  culverts  had  to  be  built  whenever  a  creek,  river  or  valley  had  to  be  crossed  or  a  tunnel  constructed  when  a  hill  or  mountain  was  in  the  way.  These  abandoned  bridges  and  tunnels  are  know  as  phantom  bridges  and  phantom  tunnels.  If  you  live  in  the  Midwest,  chances  are  that  there  is  probably  one  of  these  abandoned  structures  within  5  or  10  miles  of  your  house.

Now  that  we  know  about  abandoned  railroad  infrastructure,  let’s  check  out  our  finds  on  this  trip. 

A  little  bit  of  background  about  the  interurban  line  before  we  talk  about  the  bridge...

In  1908  Indianapolis  was  a  hub  for  interurbans  with  7  lines  already  entering  the  city.  However  a  new  line  was  being  discussed  to  connect  Indianapolis  with  New  Castle,  Indiana  and  eventually  Toledo,  Ohio.  The  line  was  to  be  built  parallel  to  the  Cleveland,  Cincinnati,  Chicago  &  St.  Louis  RR  tracks  and  became  known  as  the  “Honey  Bee  Line”  although  I  have  no  idea  where  that  name  came  from.

On  January  26,  1910  the  first  train  ran  on  the  Honey  Bee  Line  leaving  New  Castle  at  10:00 am  and  heading  west.  The  train  only  went  as  far  a  Shirley,  Indiana,  about  half  way  to  Indianapolis  before  it  ran  out  of  tracks.  The  remaining  tracks  to  Indianapolis  were  eventually  completed  but  like  most  interurban  lines,  this  one  had  financial  troubles  throughout  the  years.  Unable  to  compete  against  the  automobile,  the  line  closed  in  1937.

So  this  3  span  concrete  arch  bridge  built  in  1909,  is  about  150  feet  long  and  spans  Duck  Creek  just  north  of  the  ghost  town  of  Mt.  Lawn,  Indiana.  To  see  the  video  about  the  ghost  town  of  Mt.  Lawn,  click  on  the  link  at  the  end  of  this  video.

There  was  no  actual  train  depot  at  Mt.  Lawn  for  the  interurban.  It  was  known  as  a  “Flag  Stop”  where  people  would  flag  down  the  approaching  train  for  a  ride  to  the  next  town.

This  bridge  is  definitely  falling  apart  yet  Gene  Ingram,  President  of  the  Henry  County  Historical  Society  said  that  the  failing  concrete  in  the  center  span  was  like  that  when  he  was  a  kid  back  in  the  1950s.

The  concrete  bridge  abutments  just  100  feet  to  the  North  of  this  bridge  are  all  that  remains  of  the  Cleveland,  Cincinnati,  Chicago  &  St.  Louis  Railroad  line  which  after  several  mergers  also  went  out  of  business.

GPS  Location:  39º54'46.7"N 85º27'37.2"W

Video  Release  Date:  April  19,  2023