In the spring of 1847, James Brooks met with six associates in Providence to form the New Albany and Salem Rail Road Company and change the face of transportation in Indiana. Commonly called the Monon, the railroad served as a mover of people and the products they devoted their lives to producing.  This history of the line focuses on areas from New Albany to Bloomington.  It covers the two counties in Indiana that were a part of the Salem limestone district and how the stone was removed from the earth and eventually formed into some of the nation’s most beloved buildings and structures.  It also takes a look at the history of several lumber-based industries and the famed products that they manufactured.  New Albany was once known across America as a key producer of hardwood plywood, used in custom cabinetry, and the Showers Brothers Furniture Company of Bloomington was once the largest manufacturer of furniture in America.  Today the Monon is only a memory of a time when trains streaked across the hills and farmland of southern Indiana.  This book recalls the industries that created the cities and towns that many Hoosiers called home, and the railroad that helped make it possible.​
Softcover, 6 x 9, 128 pgs.