Madison and Indianapolis Railroad
Elizabethtown, Bartholomew County, Indiana
Marker Inscription
Madison and Indianapolis Railroad. Mandated by Indiana's 1836 Internal Improvement Act, construction began in Madison 1836. Completed along this site 1843; Elizabethtown platted 1845 as a result of the railroad. Completed to Indianapolis 1847. Linked Ohio River and interior of state.
Erected by Indiana Historical Bureau
The Story
Authorized under Indiana's ambitious 1836 Internal Improvement Act, the Madison and Indianapolis Railroad began at the Ohio River in 1836 and reached the state capital by 1847. The line's arrival gave rise to Elizabethtown, platted in 1845 as a direct result of the tracks. It was among the first railroads to link the river trade to Indiana's interior.
Why it matters
Early lines like this one knit the frontier interior to national markets, accelerating the settlement and commerce that reshaped the Old Northwest.
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Related events
- · Indiana Internal Improvement Act of 1836
Themes & tags
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