On the Corner
If you drive along East Ashboro Road in Clay County, between 300 & 375 East, you'll see a structure unlike one you'd see today.
It looks to be what remains of the Walsh Railroad Tunnel & Abutment according to the 1997 Clay County Interim Report.
But what turned it into what remains today?
According to a lengthy article on https://www.ccgsilib.org, John R. Walsh, an Irish Immigrant whose parents settled in Chicago, had 3 ambitions in life: to own a newspaper, a bank and a railroad.
He established the Chicago National Bank in 1881. He bought the Chicago Herald that same year. Later he started the Home Savings Bank and the Equitable Trust Company.
In 1897, Walsh bought the E&R to realize his 3rd ambition, and changed the name to the Southern Indiana Railroad. He extended the lines from Elnora through the Sullivan-Greene coalfields, and on to Linton and Terre Haute. The line opened in 1900.
In 1903, the Walsh railroad began building across Clay County. By 1905, most of the grade work was done from Blackhawk east to the Eel River at Bowling Green. Work was stopped in December 1905 after spending $447,714.
Walsh's empire began to crumble in 1905 with the failure of 3 Chicago banks. In 1906, the Federal Government charged him with mis-use of depositor's funds. 2 years later, the railroads entered receivership, and at the age of 70, Walsh was sentenced to 5 years in Leavenworth.
In 1910, The Chicago, Terre Haute & Southeastern Railway was chartered to operate both the SI and the CS which had been sold at a foreclosure earlier. The Southern Indiana eventually became part of the Milwaukee Railroad in the 1920's.
https://www.ccgsilib.org/articles/travel/walsh-railroads/
Besides the photo above, this is what remains today:
It looks to be what remains of the Walsh Railroad Tunnel & Abutment according to the 1997 Clay County Interim Report.
But what turned it into what remains today?
According to a lengthy article on https://www.ccgsilib.org, John R. Walsh, an Irish Immigrant whose parents settled in Chicago, had 3 ambitions in life: to own a newspaper, a bank and a railroad.
He established the Chicago National Bank in 1881. He bought the Chicago Herald that same year. Later he started the Home Savings Bank and the Equitable Trust Company.
In 1897, Walsh bought the E&R to realize his 3rd ambition, and changed the name to the Southern Indiana Railroad. He extended the lines from Elnora through the Sullivan-Greene coalfields, and on to Linton and Terre Haute. The line opened in 1900.
In 1903, the Walsh railroad began building across Clay County. By 1905, most of the grade work was done from Blackhawk east to the Eel River at Bowling Green. Work was stopped in December 1905 after spending $447,714.
Walsh's empire began to crumble in 1905 with the failure of 3 Chicago banks. In 1906, the Federal Government charged him with mis-use of depositor's funds. 2 years later, the railroads entered receivership, and at the age of 70, Walsh was sentenced to 5 years in Leavenworth.
In 1910, The Chicago, Terre Haute & Southeastern Railway was chartered to operate both the SI and the CS which had been sold at a foreclosure earlier. The Southern Indiana eventually became part of the Milwaukee Railroad in the 1920's.
https://www.ccgsilib.org/articles/travel/walsh-railroads/
Besides the photo above, this is what remains today:
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