Vandalia Railroad - Culver , Indiana Part 6 1911-1980's

1911 - a lease dated Sep. 30 and terminated by mutual consent on March 27, 1930 between the Vandalia Railroad and Arthur Morris - for the boat and bath house - also had a map of its location and the railroad grounds.

1912 Jan 25 - The Vandalia is expected to have its pile driver here this week breaking ground for the new $50,000 depot it intends to erect this season. The present freight house has been sold to a farmer near Burr Oak who will use it as an incubator.

1913 - A Storm in 1913 destroyed the Lighthouse in the Vandalia Park. It was used as a signal for the arrival of the evening train arrivals. It was built some time in the 1900's or late 1890's it stood on a 4 to 5 foot base and was 8 to 10 feet in height.

a 1913 picture of the Vandalia railroad tracks along the west side of the lake - exact location is not known.

Vandalia Train Kills Man Near Culver - A report was received at the dispatchers office of the Vandalia railroad about 11:30 last night that a north-bound Vandalia train had struck and killed aman about midnight near Culver. The freight was bound for South Bend, and details of the accident could not be learned late last night - pg. 4 Wednesday Aug. 13, 1913, Logansport Journal Tribune

1913 - Aug. 14 - Run Down and Killed While Sitting on Track near the south ice house along the shore of Lake Maxinkuckee he was a man sitting on the track.

Run Down and Killed While Sitting on Track

A man aged about 21 or 22 years was instantly killed Tuesday about 10:30 o'clock when he was struck by a cut of Vandalia cars bear Culver. His body was taken in charge by the coroner of Marshall county, who is holding it pending word from relatives.

The Vandalia train, in charge of Engineer Jasorka and Conductor Meranda, both of this city, had left its cut of cars near Arlington and had gone to Culver to take water. On the way back the engine picked up a couple of cars and was backing to the main body of the train. Conductor Meranda was on the front end of the box xar and as the train was nearing the south ice house along the shore of Lake Maxinkuckee he was a man sitting on the track. It was too late to stop the train and the man was struck and thrown to one side of the track. The train was stopped and the crew ran back and found the man, killes instantly. Residents of Culver say the man's name was Mc Neill and that he was a laborer on farms in the vicinity. pg. 6 Thursday Aug. 14 1913 Loganpsort Lournal Tribune.

1913 - Sept 13 - Falls from Car While Stealing Ride -

A Servian stealing a ride on the Vandalia northbound freight train Thursday night fell from the car upon which he was riding near Culver Station and sustained serious injuried.

According to the tourist's story, he was standing on a box car while the freight on a siding near Culver waited for a passenger train to pass on the main line. The freight started suddenly and he fell to the ground, breaking on leg and bruisin him badly.

He claims he was lifted into a boaxcar by unknwon persons and remained there until the freight train put into the yards in South Bend, where his groans attracted the attention of Conductor Reed, of this city, in charge of the freight train.

Reed notified the South Bend police department and they took the man to a hosital. His injuries will not prove fatal. pg. 5 Logansport Journal Tribune >

1914 - Feb 5 - Tbe subway committee from the Commercial club- Walter M. Hand, J. P . Walter and John Osborn - met with Supt. Campbell last week for a conference relative to the construction of a subway under tbe Vandalia track at the foot of Jefferson street. Mr. Campbell has agreed to send an engineer here to investigate and to present the result to the higher officials.

1914 - 12 Mar Culver citizen - Lou Swigart has closed his lunch room in Depot place and departed from the city.

1914 - 2 April 1914 Culver citizen - A new town pier will be constructed at a length of between 100 and 120 feet and a width of 8 feet. It will be built in 10-foot sections and floored with 2 inch plank

1914 - 2 April 1914 Culver citizen - on and after next sunday all Sunday trains on the Vandalia will be withdrawn indefinitely and two week-day trains will be ann ulled - the 7:35 a.m. going north and the 10:51 going south

1914 - May 28 - lighting at the Depot.

The Vandalia electricians are wiring the station building. The office, waiting room und baggage room will be lighted, and there will be one light under each shed, and one at each end of the depot. Really, we'll be quite fine when this is accomplished. lt is not expected that the lake front park will be lighted this year.

1914 - Jul. 3 - Vandalia Brakeman Injured At Culver -

Frank Goltry Knocked from Moving Train and Receives Painful Injuries

Frank Goltry, Vandalia brakeman was side swiped Wednesday night while hanging on one side of a box car on Vandalia Freight train NO. 269 near Culver, Ind. He was cut and badly bruised though no bones are believed to be broken.

The accident occured about 10 o'clock and he remained unconscious until 4 o'clock the following morning.

He was taken to a hotel in Culver and remained there until yesterday when he was taken to his home in this city at 509 Ottowa street.- pg. 5 Logansport Journal

1914 - Aug. 4 Overhanging Spout Sideswiped Brakeman - Arthur Emerick Knocked From Train at Culver Indiana -

Arthur Emerick, Vandalia brakeman, who was sideswiped and seriously injured Saturday morning is resting easliy at his home in East Linden Avenue and will be himself again within a short time. He is completely out of danger though it was feared that his skull had been fractured.

While hanging to a Vandalia train on which he was working, Emerick's head collided with a water spout and he was knocked from the train.

His head was painfully bruised and he received cuts and bruises about the body. The spout is the same one that sideswiped Frank Goltry six weeks ago. Goltry was knocked from the train and received injuries similar to those sustained by Emrick. - pg. 6 Logansport Journal

1914 - Aug. 6 - Brakeman Injured. Charley Emerick, brakeman on the north-bound local, was knocked off a box car by the water spout at tbe depot last Friday and badly injured. He was taken to Logansport and is reported to be in a serious condition

1914 Sep. 17 - The Union News Company's stands at the depot closed last week.

1914 - October 1 - The Vandalia depot has just been completely wired for electric lights. A number of small lights have been distributed throughout the building and one of the large 100-watt lights has been placed under each shed beside the depot

1914 - Oct 15 - - Chua. Emerick, a Vandalia brakeman who was knocked off the top of a box car by the water spout at Culver one night last summer, bas entered suit in Cass county for $10,000 damages.

Some time around 1915 it is said that several cars of a train derailed between Willow Point (Mill & Winfield Street area) and the outlet spilling beans and corn onto the frozen lake. John Houghton wrote in his columns of 1974-5:

one of the stranger incidents took place about sixty years ago, when a train derailment spilled several cars (one of them carrying beans, and another corn) onto the lake ice, somewhere between Willow Point and the Outlet. Carl Stubbs told me some of the story:

"The grade wasn't quite as wide as it is now, the road was way over where part of the grade was. It was dirt, right down at the water level. When the lake was high, you could even drive in the water along it.

Some telephone posts had to be set in the lake to get through there. That's been filled in. So the train didn't have far to go to get onto the ice. Of course, the shore in there, I imagine, was pretty well protected, and I imagine the ice froze clear to the ground. But it did hold the train up. I've seen the pictures, too."
Oil spills are rare enough on Indiana lakes, but I'm willing to bet the great Maxinkuckee corn spill is one of a kind.

1915 - April 13 - The Vandalia has had men here for a couple of weeks putting the railroad property into repair. The Depot has been repainted and patched up and some work has been done on the Lake View Hotel. The pump at the engine house, near the depot, has also received attention.

1915 - The this quip found excursions via the Vandalia must of ceased several years before -

An excursion will be run to Lake Maxinkuckee on the Vandalia Sunday for the first time in several years. The excursion rate is 85 cents for the round trip from Logansport Logansport Journal-Tribune Wednesday Morning -August 11, 1915

1915 - Jun 15 - Terre Haute & Logansport RR to S. E. Medbourn, in Toner's addn to Culver, $8000.

1916 - Dec 1 - VANDALIA TRAIN HITS AUTOMOBILE AT Culver An unoccupied automobile ... at Culver Ind Monday night struck by... Wednesday, Dec. 1, 1916 Logansport Journal Tribune.

On 1 Jan 1917 the Panhandle acquired the railroad and then became the Pennsylvania or as many called it the "Pennsy". the merge included the Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, Chicago & St. Louis (PCC & StL) with the Vandalia, Pittsburg Wheeling & Kentucky, Anderson Belt, Chicago Indiana & Eastern - this became the Lines West Divison. With this all distinction of the old railroad history faded away. Thus giving the Pennsylvania Railroad a direct route from New York City to St. Louis

29 March 1917 W. T. Parish arrived from Rockville, Indiana was the station master until ca 1954.

W. T. Parish is the new station agent for Culver. He comes from Rockville, Ind., and is a married man. His family will remove here about May 1, when Mr. Lenon vacates the cottage owned by the railroad company. - 29 Mar 1917

1919 Jan - 15 - Express Office Will Remove - A new location and another agent is being sought for the express company. Under government management the business of the express company and the railroads is being disassociated. In the case of Culver the railroad agent must work more than eight hours if he handles the express business. This he is not obliged to do. Where the office will be located or who will be the agent awaits the visit of the district superintendent. It is not probable however, that the office will be brought up town as the bulk of the business is with the academy. For instance, on Saturday morning there were 4 deleveries for uptown and about 40 for the academy

1919 - Oct 29 - A railroad representative was here last week conferring with the town board related to the right of way for a sewer under the railroad track to carry off the surface water which overflows the street near the depot after a heavy rain

One can see by this cropped section of a photo that the orgiginal depot laid further east of today's close to a block east and laid on the south side of Lakeshore dr. between Liberty Street and Forest Place.

1920 - 12 January the depot built in 1884 was destroyed by fire.

1920 - Jan 21 - The depot burned down Monday morning. By Wednesday night the east waiting shed had been converted into a depot with agent's office, waiting room and baggage room, heated, electric lighted, wired for telegraph instruments and the signal tower in operation. The construction crew came in force, bringing their kitchen car and bunk car. The old depot meantime had been torn down and such lumber as was usless had been burned, while good pieces of lumber had been sold off to local parties. Some work, we'll say.

Pennsylvania Railroad

1920 - Feb 25 - The Pennsylvania Railroad - When the railroads are restored to the owner on March 1 the Pennsylvania will be divided into four regions - Eastern, Centrl, Southeastern and Southwestern. The "old Vandalia" will be included in the Southwestern, the general manager of which will be T. B. Hamilton whose headquarters will be in Chicago. The superintendent of the Michigan Division will by D. Y. Geddes with headquarters at Logansport

1920 - March 1 - the PCC& St bacame a part of the Panhandle division of the Pennslyvania Railroad

1920 - 14 Apr. - Prospects Are Promising For a Fine New Station

Surveyors were at work several days last week taking levels and setting stakes not only on that part of the grounds where the new depot is expected to be erected, but on much of that portion of the park lying between the track and the lake.

The surveyors were uncommunicative, probably thorugh ignorance of the plans of the company. They were we presume, instructed to take certain levels and make their report to the cheif engineer.

The public however, sees in this activity a reasonable promise of a new depot this season. Certainly the need of one is no more apparent to us thanto the railroad company. The present accomodations are of the most temporary character, unfit for buisness or the comfort of the public. The board shack has been a refrigerator during the winter and will be a fireless cooker during the summer.

But the finances of the railroad are in a depleted condition and much as the officials would like to see a modern brick station, adequate for the nextgeneration, rear its symmetrical walls aloft, they may be compelled to forgo this satisfaction until the employees cease their everlasting cry for more wages and the commerce commission grants higher frieght rates.

1920 - Apr. 28 - The vandalia is building a freight depot 16X24 at the corner of Scott street and the side street running down to the lake

1920 (1922) - This is information I think dealing with the railroad from a techincal book - but it give a ocation of a Culver business and the information of area around the depot:

Culver (Marshall County J S Bilby 1920) About 100 yards west of the railroad station at Culver on the east side of the track 325 yards east of railroad bridge 148 26 220 yards east of the switch signal for siding 80 yards south of F G Solomon's merchandise store 2.75 meters 9.02 feet east of the east and nearest rail The station and underground marks are bronze tablets set in concrete as described in notes la and 7a 1 There is no reference mark - PRECISE TRAVERSE AND TRIANG ulATION IN INDIANA By CHARLES A MOURHESS Mathematician and JASPER S BILBY Signalman United States Coast and Geodetic Survey Special Publications - Google Books Result by U.S. Coast and Geodetic Survey - 1922

thus by this F. G. Solomon's was located somewhere on Lakeshore Dr. during the 1920's; the railroad ' bridge would be the tressle which was at the end of Washington Street, I would assume.

1920 - Jun 9 - Beautifying the Park

The railroad park is rapidly assuming the festive aires of summer.

Cape Wiseman and his assitant Charley Eaton have place the flower beds in readiness and installments of blooming plants are being received from the company's conservatories at Schwickley, Pa.

The park benches are in place and picnic parties are already putting them to use.

Crushed stone has been spread on the thoroughfare west of the depot and an attractive graa plot and flower beds have been completed on the site of the burned depot.

The park is a beauty spot every summer - a joy to the eyes of the tired traveler and a source of much enjoyment to thetown people and the thousands of visitors to the lake.

1920 - sep. 8 - Thomas Twomey, pennsylvannia ticket agent for the past eight years, dies Sept. 7 half an hour after suffering a cerebral hemorage.

1920, Sep 13 - At this date the Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, Chicago and St. Louis ( P. C. C. & St.L.) Railroad Company and a connection with the railroad tracks that ran through Culver are they are mentione in the deed for Thomas b. Hamilton for the purchased of his cottage on Willow Point.

1920 - Sep 15 - Station Building Deferred

The new station for Bremen ordered ... This suggests the uncertainty of the date of constructing the Culver Station which is now a temproray board affair improvised after the burning of the old building.

1920 - Sep 22 - Two of the new standard station signs now in use over the Pennsylvania syste, have been placed on the Culver depot. It carries the word 'Culver' in gold letters on a red background with a gold border around the edges of the sign. It is a very prett and very striking

1921 - Jan. 19 - On jan. 12 a year and to the day after the old Vandalia depot was destroyed by fire, the temporary depot caught fire.

In March 1922 part of the Vandalia Park which was bought from Mr. Toner in Ma_ of 1886 was sold.

1922 - Aug - The public comfort station on the railroad grounds was condemened and closed to the public by the local helath officer last Thrusday. The residents of the neighborhood complained that it was a nuisance. On the following day a representative of the company held a conference with Health Officer Meredith with the result that in view of the public's necessity and the assurance that hereafter the place would be carefully looked after by the company, the doors wer again opened.

The photo below of December 7, 1922 of Gen. J. J. Pershing's arrival at Culver shows the shows the make shift depot from the "waiting shed" that served as the depot during the intervening years between the 1920 fire and the 1925 brick depot



1922 Sep 13 - Charles McLane who has been manager of the depot stand for the Union news this summer...

1923 - Mar 7 - Railroad Improvements Among Spring Projects

The ground occupied until recently by the cottage owned by the railraod, near the depot, is being cleared.

The opinion of the railroad employees, gathered from the talk along the line, is that the new station building is likely to be built this season.

It seems to be definitely decided that this spring will see the installation of modern water closets in the rear of the bath house

There will also be constructed two electric towers at the lower and upper curnes of the station.

A excursion ad from the Indianapolis Daily Star dated 7 July 1923:

1923 - Aug. 8 - Culver has been assured of a, new railroad station, according to a report which W. T. Parish has received from the superintendent of the South Bend division of the Pennsylvania Railroad. Appropriation of funds has been made and actual construction will begin before very long.

1923 - Oct 10 - Three in the Ditch

Trucks Rode the Ties for Quarter Mile The Took a Spill

Three box cars rolled off the tracks near the depot last Sunday morning.

They were in the rear of a freight train which was "hurring through" Culver. No one was hurt.

The trucks of the cars left the track near the water tank east of the station and rode the ties down around the curve untill they had passed the little bridge when the slipped off the teir roadway and hit the ditch.

A wrecking crew was promptly on the job and had all thr debris cleared away before the morning train went south.

1924 - Nov 3 - T. B. Hamilton has been promoted to vice president of the Pennsylvania Railroad

1925 - January 28 - Ralph Hamilton of Kewanna has been transferred to the local freight office in place of R. A. Miner who has been sent to Converse, Ind.

1925 - April 15 - Work on the new depot will begin within (be next 10 days according to word received from Supt. B. H. Hutchinson by Agent W. T. Parish.

1925 - April 30 - Work has, finally begun on the new depot and now people of the community are beginning to think that, after all, possibly it was not a dream.

In September 1925 - it was the third depot.

This is the present brick structure. One of David Burn's yarns that he told around town was how he built the chimney on this depot - he would lay it up so far and his father [James E. Burns] would kick it down - this went on all day; according to David; his father's point to be made was that if you laid only one brick a day you were to lay it right. He went on to tell that he was 16 at the time and was playing hookey from school quite a bit and he was told to either go to school or go to work.

George E. Nearpass by the information on the back of the postcard picture of him; he was known as the "Whistling Brakeman"; and also by this information he had his own radio show.

1925 Sep 23 - old Pennlylvania deopt in Culver is now acient history

The old Pennlylvania deopt in Culver is now acient history.

Carpenters dismantled the old structure last week and the result is that the view is much better in that neighborhood.

It is said that the old news stands will soon follow the same path.

It is planned that the new stands will be reuilt, however, in the spring and made much more beautiful.

Other improvement along the Pennsylvania in Culver include a new runway or platform which has been erected near the Hawkins elevator. To make possible the unloading of automobiles,tractors and other frieght shipments where a platform is needed.

At the intersection of Winfield street and the railroad a grade crossiing has been made. The will allow the fire truck to access to the lake in case of fire in that end of the city

Many Culverites today recall the popular 'Doodlebug' was a a self-propelled passenger car which began running on the Pennsylvania (former Vandalia) rail line from Logansport through Culver to South Bend in 1927

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1929 - The wooden railroad viaduct at the end of Washington Street has been rebuilt with heavier material; it is felt the new structure should handle the heavy freight loads - 11 Sep. Culver Citizen.

1929 - Sep 18 - Power Signals being PLaced at Three Roard Crossings

A crew of the Pennsylvania railroad is busy installing new electric flasher warning signal system at three crossings near Culver, which when completed will give much better and surer protection to traffic.

It would have been possible for the railroad to have had the old battery system working at the state road crossing some time ago, but the power system requires much more labor and equipment.

The signals are being installed at the Bogardus and outlet crossings as will as at the state road.
There is much less chance of failure to operate with the power system and the strength of the light s many times stronger.

1929 - Feb 20 - Pennsy Discontinues Use of Water Reservoir Here

The freeing of the valve in the outlet last Friday hastened the decision of the Pennsylvania railroad to stop taking on water here.

It has been decided, it is said, to do away with the tank on Behmer hill and sell the land.

The engines will now be filled with water at Plymouth and at Bruce Lake.

1930 - In the 2 July 1930 issue of the Culver Citizen it was announced by the Pennsylvania Railroad that trains would drop to two a day - the 10:35 am South and the 3:25 North would be dropped. The remaining trains would be the 11:37 am which will arrive at 10:55 am going North and the 8:50 pm which would go south.

1935 - In 1935 Culver purchased the Vandalia park for $6,500 this included 3.2 acres and buildings excluding the depot and ' adjacent land; it also included Bunker Hill and the old water tower of 2.2 acres.

February 20, 1935 - The sale of Vandalia Park by the Pennsylvania Railroad to the town of Culver was announced yesterday, and is the culmination if several months of negotiaion. The transaction included the 3.2 acres comprising the present park and 2.2 acres of the site of the old water tower.

1935 - Jun 26 - New "Culver" signs have been placed on the depot.

1936 - Jul 22 - Freight House, Old Landmark, Is Torn Down

The old freight house on the siding near the depot was town down the first of the week by Wayne Von Ehr, who bought the structure from the Pennsylvania railraod. The building is ' about 30 years old.

With the new door service rendered by the railroad there is no need for a storage place. the track siding will be retained.

The removal of the old building will increase the attractiveness of the vicinity.

1935 - Jun 26 - Looks odd to see frieght cars attached to a passenger train. At that, being newly painted, they are really an improvement.

1940 - A Pennsy passenger train collides with a county truck south of Culver on Rd. 17.

1940 - oct. 9 - A new bridge has been built by the Pennsylvania Railroad company over the viaduct on East Washington street

1942 - Jul 22 - Defense Office Calls Off Hearing On Pennsy Tran Service Plea

1943 - Mar 3 - Pennsy Withdraws Plea to Discontinue Trains

The petition to the Pennsylvania railroad to the Indiana Public Service Commission requesting that it be allowed to discontinue service the of two remaining passenger trains on its Vandalia branch between SOuth Bend and Logansport has been withdrawn by the railroad with the approval of the commission

The action allows the railroad to enter the request at a later date if it so desires.

The railroad was ordered to reimburse the state in the amount of $35.45 for expenses incurred in the hearing of the original petition.

1946 - Jan 16 - The second of the two large cedar trees on the depot plaza, both old landmarks, was cut down last week as a safety precaution when it was found that the base of the 100-foot tree was rotten two-thirds of the way through.

1947 - Oct 15 - Leagl Notice of Public Hearing

Public Service Commission of Indiana Docket No. 19601

Ir the matter of the application of the Pennsylvania Railroad Compnay to discontinue operation of: parrenger train 316, operationg betwenn South Bend, Indiana and Logansport, Indiana; and passenger train 319 operationg betwenn South Bend, Indiana and Logansport, Indiana

Notice is hereby given that the Publice Commission if Indiana will conduct a public hearing in this caurse in the Basement of the Public Library, Culver, Indiana, 10:00 a.m., Wedensday, October 29, 1947.

Public participation is requested Public Service Commission of Indiaina By Harold J. Bell, acting Examiner Indianapolis, In. Oct 6, 1947.

1947 - The passenger rail service ended after Thanksgiving (Nov. 27th>) to the town of Culver. An announcement made in October 1947 by the Pennsylvania Road gave notice that passenger service would no longer be provided, the 'Academy Special' as it was called which had been in existence since about 1897 manage to survive until after the spring break of 1956, originating from a side track near the power house on the academy campus. In this photo one can see the access road that ran along the lake edge to the south and north into the park, and the co-op on West Jefferson

1951 - 30 January - in zero weather a frieght train derailed in the early morning hours near the outlet on State Road 17 [now West Shore Dr.]

One of the last ads for the railroad:

1954 - 7 July - Culver citizen - E. R. Kinney of Marion has been made agent at the Pennsylvania Railroad Station in Culver to fill the vancancy caused by the retitement of W. T. Parish.

1958 - In March of 1958 14 coal cars derailed in the park area and it took most of the spring and early summer to clean up.

1958 - March 12 - Freight train hits station wagon and truck in freak accident at 10:13 Saturday night in front of the Pennsylvania railroad station

Pennsylvania railroad stock - one being dated 1959

1959 - In 1959 the first coin operated laundry may came to Culver; waiting room area of the depot was transformed into a Laundry mat until mid or late 1970's and then sat empty for a while.

There are more pictures of this Vandalia Pennsylvania Depot are found here.

The dwindling down of the frieght being hauled over the Pensy was coming about. Mid 1960's brought an end to the railroad service by the Pennsylvania Railroad to the Academy. The only other major user of the railroad was the farm co-op on West Jefferson Street

It officially started March 19, 1962 when a merger petition went to the Interstate Commerce Commission and took until February 1, 1968 to become real. It was the merger of the Pennsylvania and New York Central into the "Pennsylvania New York Central Transportation Company" known as the "Penn Central"

1969 - In 1969 the local depot was closed and Emory Kinney who had been station master since 1954 and his operations were moved to Logansport. Freight trains ran through intermentintly until 1979 when the Vandalia line was finally completely abandoned; the last major user Farm Bureau Co-op had burned in 1978 and did not rebuild in Culver.

After less than three years of existence; the end came on Sunday, June 21, 1970, when the Penn Central Transportation Company filed for bankruptcy under Section 77 of the Bankruptcy Act. Because of the Section 77 filing, PC was protected from its creditors, and trains continued to run, while the financial losses continued to pile up

In mid-1973, officials with the bankrupt Penn Central threatened to liquidate and cease operations by year's end if they did not receive government aid by October 1. Conrail was created by the U.S. federal government to take over the potentially profitable lines of multiple bankrupt carriers, including the Penn Central Transportation Company and Erie Lackawanna Railway. Much of the North-South line was abandoned with the Conrail formation

This threat to U.S. freight and passenger traffic galvanized the Congress to quickly create a bill to nationalize the bankrupt railroads. The Association of American Railroads, which opposed nationalization, submitted an alternate proposal for a government-funded private company. Judge Fullam forced the Penn Central to operate into 1974, when, on January 2, after threatening a veto, President Richard Nixon signed the Regional Rail Reorganization Act of 1973 into law. The "3R Act," as it was called, provided interim funding to the bankrupt railroads and defined a new Consolidated Rail Corporation under the AAR's plan The 3R Act also formed the United States Railway Association, another government corporation, taking over the powers of the Interstate Commerce Commission with respect to allowing the bankrupt railroads to abandon unprofitable lines. The USRA was incorporated February 1, 1974, and Edward G. Jordan, an insurance executive from California, was named president on March 18 by President Richard Nixon. Arthur D. Lewis of Eastern Air Lines was appointed chairman April 30, and the remainder of the board was named May 30 and sworn in July 11.

Under the 3R Act, the USRA was to create a "Final System Plan" to decide which lines should be included in the new Consolidated Rail Corporation. Unlike most railroad consolidations, only the designated lines were to be taken over. Other lines would be sold to Amtrak, various state governments, transportation agencies, and solvent railroads. The few remaining lines were to remain with the old companies along with all previously abandoned lines, many stations, and all non-rail related properties, thus converting most of the old companies into solvent property holding companies. The plan was unveiled July 26, 1975, consisting of lines from Penn Central and six other companies—the Ann Arbor Railroad (bankrupt 1973), Erie Lackawanna Railway (1972), Lehigh Valley Railroad (1970), Reading Company (1971), Central Railroad of New Jersey (1967) and Lehigh and Hudson River Railway (1972). Controlled railroads and jointly owned railroads such as Pennsylvania-Reading Seashore Lines and the Raritan River Railroad (1980) were also included

It was approved by Congress on November 9, and on February 5, 1976 President Gerald Ford signed the Railroad Revitalization and Regulatory Reform Act of 1976, which included this Final System Plan, into law.

Conrail (Consolidated Rail Corporation) was incorporated in Pennsylvania on October 25, 1974, and operations began April 1, 1976 .

The first part of the line to go was between Nutwood (?Nutmeg?) and Culver , which was abandoned in 1973 and removed in 1974. The second piece to go was from Culver to Logansport which was abandoned in 1974 and removed in 1976. For a while in Plymouth, Indiana, they used the line for the old industrial park, but this rail was gone by 1990

Sometime during the late 1970's the railroad land was put up for sale. Several people were instrumental in trying to keep what should of been full public accesses for the town of Culver open: Davis Street, Winfield Street, Jefferson Street and Washington Street. One large supporter was June (Garn) Napier Jackson Sirus and many others with her; but they failed and all were sold to private people and access to the lake in Culver has been denied except at the park area and an easement worked out between the town of Culver and John Deery in 1980 at Washington Street where the access road to/from the town park came out at. The last attempt was made by Rod Martindale, David Burns and several others to gain a partial easement at Jefferson Street about 1988 or 1989.

Tho passenger service did not exist for the Culver area since 1947 all other passenger service for the Pennsylvania ended on 30 April. 1971, the Conrail did run passenger trains over the remaining exisiting road beween 1 Jan. 1972 and 30 Jul. 1974

Culver December 17, 1975

Penn Central to abandon tracks

The Penn Central Transportation Company has announced plans to terminate rail service on a secondary railroad track between Culver and Logansport effective Feb. 27.

According to Penn Central trustees , the line is not designated for continued operation by the Consolidated Rail Corporation, or any other carrier, according to the 1973 Final System Plan.

Trustees said information on the line's value and expenses may be examined in the Penn Central Superintendent's office, 231 Baker St., Fort Wayne.

The tracks through Culver have not been used for several years, and termination of service is basically a formality.

On 29 Jul 1976 the 32 mile long track between Logansport and Culver was abandoned; the Penn Central bankruptcy also brought the abandonedment of the 72 miles of the original line between terre Haute and Frankfort (LC&SW) the track between Culver and South Bend had already been abandoned which was 29 miles.

The railroad track area os Washington Street down to Jefferson Street - was bought up by a group of developers - that built the Harbor Point Condos

Fight for Town Lake Access - 1970's of abandoned railway property at E. Washington, E. Jefferson, Winfield St. and Davis Streets.

The Maxinkuckee West Side Property Owners, Inc. was formed to procure and buy up the railroad property along the shore of Lake Maxinkuckee from Plymouth St. to the end of South Street ending at West Shore. Dr.

1984 - In on 27 December 1984 the town made a resolution to purchase the depot and adjacent land for $42,500 and it was finalized on 10 April 1985; thus began the depot renovation project by the Culver Lions Club.

The Culver Pennsylvania Depot is featured on pg. 67 of Railroad Depots of Northern Indiana By David E. Longest, 2007 Arcadia Publishing Chicago, Il.,; the picture in the book was taken in 1974, while it was in a state of deterioration



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