Hamilton County History
The Last Depots here are a few projects now in Hamilton County based around the preservation and reuse of old railroad depots, with work being done in places like Forest Park and Sheridan. While most railroad structures disappeared when the railroads were abandoned, it’s worthwhile to examine what is left. As railroads changed, older structures were considered liabilities and demolished as quickly as possible. Some communities got together and preserved the buildings by moving them. Ironically, in most cases, the railroad tracks are now gone and the depots are still there. The typical depot had a distinct layout. Most were known as “combination depots.” These had a passenger waiting room, a station agent’s office with a bay window to see along the railroad line, and a freight room. These are the structures organized by the railroad lines they served: NICKEL PLATE – this line came into the county in 1851 as the Peru and Indianapolis. There is only a small part left between Noblesville and Atlanta, which is used by the Nickel Plate Express tourist railroad. Hobbs Depot (Forest Park) – this was built in 1948 in Tipton County. It has no passenger waiting room, just the agent’s office and freight room. It was moved by the Indiana Transportation Museum in May 1968. The semaphore signal by the station was originally from Arcadia. The area is now being refurbished as the southern terminus of the Nickel Plate Express. 18
Crossing Guard Shanty (Forest Park) – this originally stood at the northwest corner of Logan and 8th Streets near the present end of the track. This structure was probably built in the 1930’s, although a shanty had existed earlier at that site. It was taken out of use in 1965 and moved by ITM to Forest Park. It seems to have been altered as the present configuration looks different from early photographs.
David Heighway
June/July 2011.) The only structures left are the iron truss bridges over White River and Cicero Creek. There is discussion about using them for the Midland Trace trail or the Pleasant Street bypass project.
White River bridge
The railroad first crossed the White River in 1886. The present bridge has a builder’s plate with a date of 1893. The bridge was damaged in the 1913 flood and extensive repair work was done. It is a sizable structure with an overall length of 375 feet, a 125-foot main span, is 30 feet to the top of the truss, and is 23 feet above the river channel.
Arcadia Depot
Arcadia Depot – this was built in 1869, (some sources say 1875 or 1887), and is a classic combination depot. It was moved and restored by a community organization in 1972. It is now open as a museum and station for the Nickel Plate Express. MIDLAND RAILROAD – this line started as the Anderson, Lebanon, & St. Louis in 1871, and was later known as the Central Indiana. It reached Noblesville in 1877, was never very successful, and was finally abandoned in the 1980’s. (HCBM,
Hobbs Depot
Carmel Depot
MONON RAILROAD – this line came into Hamilton County in 1882 and was abandoned in 1985. All of the existing depots are in the classic combination design. Carmel Depot – this was built in 1885, and was moved and restored by a community organization in 1980. It is presently the home of the Carmel Clay Historical Society and Museum. They are in the process of building a new structure next to the depot for their archives. Hortonville Depot – the building’s construction date is not certain, but
December 2021 • January 2022 • Hamilton County Business Magazine
