Carol Johnson, Southern Indiana Business Report
SALEM – The Monon South Trail’s roots will always be tied to the rail line that began carrying freight and passengers to and from Salem in the 1850s.
Rail service ended in 2008 but the rail line remains an important part of local history for communities like Salem.
Last Friday, the Salem community and trail developers celebrated a symbol of Indiana’s rail history with the dedication of an L&N boxcar. The boxcar that once sat idle on the old rail line looked good as new with its bold blue painted exterior and gold lettering.
The boxcar’s restoration will add an eye-catching tourism asset to Salem, one of the communities along the Monon South Trail, and will anchor Salem’s downtown trailhead. Located adjacent to the trail, it will be a place for photos that will create a lasting memory for trail users.
A crowd of more than 30 people gathered along the trail for the dedication.
Speakers included Salem Mayor Justin Green, Dale Brier, Indiana DNR deputy director of community grants and trails, Radius Indiana President and CEO Jeff Quyle, Washington County Tourism’s Bonita Purlee and Stephanie Vines, Washington County historian.
As mayor, Green said he’s always looking for ways to make the city more inviting and the restored boxcar, close to the downtown, has that potential.
“What a great feature for the trail and a great example of what we can do for our city,” he said.
The restoration of the 40-foot long boxcar was completed by Radius Indiana, which received $22.3 million from the state’s Next Level Trails, to develop the trail. None of that money was used for the boxcar restoration however.
Radius launched a crowdfunding campaign with Patronicity in 2023 to raise $25,000 for the restoration. The campaign was successful and was matched with $25,000 from the Indiana Housing and Community Development’s CreatINg Places program.
Most boxcars are 50 feet in length. Vines explained the 40-foot long boxcar was made to handle the curves from Bloomington to Louisville. Eventually, production of the shorter boxcar was discontinued.
“I’ve been told this is one of only a few remaining cars of this size,” she said.
Quyle thanked Washington County Tourism, the city of Salem and the Washington County Community Foundation for their support of the boxcar restoration.
The Salem portion of the trail, which is about 3 miles long, is tentatively scheduled to open to the public in May. When complete, the Monon South Trail will cross through five counties and span 62.3 miles.