The Electric Railway: Indiana’s Interurbans

To celebrate and showcase the history and importance of interurbans in Indiana, our latest exhibit, The Electric Railway: Indiana’s Interurbans, will open on March 15, 2025, at the Eugene and Marilyn Glick Indiana History Center.

Indiana is as central to the history of the interurban as the interurban is central to the history of Indiana, as interurbans provided many Hoosiers with transportation across the state and changed the Indiana landscape. With more than 1,800 miles of interurban rail lines, the state was second only to Ohio in rail mileage and produced many of the industry’s leaders such as Charles L. Henry, Arthur W. Brady and Hugh McGowan.

In this exhibit, there will be several interactive spaces, including a room dressed as the interior of a rural interurban station from the early 20th century with text and hands-on discovery. There will also be a re-created interurban car, where guests will “ride the interurban,” which involves a multi-sensory experience and an immersive video presentation.

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

Below are additional interurban-related resources where you can learn more.

Resource Guide

Manuscript and Visual Collections:
P0006: Charles B. Preston Collection, ca. 1900-ca. 1967
P0183: Edwin P. Belknap Collection, 1888-1976
P0503: George Zeiss Interurban Railroad Photographs, ca. 1925-ca. 1940
M0834: Chicago, South Shore & South Bend Railroad Collection, 1906-1989

Supported by Tom and Sue Hoback, and Ayres Foundation, Inc.