PRINCETON'S RAILROAD HISTORY

THE EARLY YEARS.

 Beginning in the middle of the 19^th century railroads were the dominant means of intercity transportation in Indiana and the United States for the next 100 years. Railroad tracks began to extend in every direction around Indiana serving agriculture, industry, and commerce. On January 2,1849 The Evansville and Illinois Railroad was chartered to build and operate a railroad from Evansville via Princeton to connect with the Ohio and Mississippi Railroad at or near Olney, Illinois. On August 16, 1849 the Evansville and Illinois published notices of organization at Evansville and Princeton. Samuel Hall of Princeton was named President and the railroad company was on its way. On January 12, 1850 the charter of the Evansville and Illinois Railroad was amended authorizing the railroad to build from Princeton to Vincennes for connection with the Ohio and Mississippi Railroad in place of the original connection at Olney, Illinois. The Evansville & Illinois Railroad reached Princeton in January of 1852. On December 9, 1852 trains passed over the bridge at Patoka for the first time, and on April 28, 1853 service was established from Evansville to Hazleton on the White River where the bridge was under construction. In March of 1853 the Evansville and Illinois changed its name to the Evansville & Crawfordsville Railroad. By February of 1854 through service was established from Evansville to Vincennes. On December 6, 1854 the first regular scheduled trains began running between Evansville and Terre Haute. In the late 1870s the Evansville & Crawfordsville changed its name to the Evansville & Terre Haute Railroad.

The Louisville, Evansville, & St. Louis Railroad, reached Princeton from New Albany about December of 1881. The Louisville, Evansville & St. Louis was known as the "Air Line" and announced in the Princeton Clarion of November 13, 1890 that they intended to build a general main machine and repair shops on a large scale. For a donation of 40 acres of land and $66,000.00, Princeton enticed the railroad to build the shops here. A smaller shops facility then existed at Huntingburg. For about 60 years the shops was a major employer for hundreds of local people during the steam engine era, but was closed in the early 1950s when the Southern Railroad retired their steam engines. Many of the shops buildings are still standing today. Princeton is still a crew change point on the Norfolk Southern Railroad.