Pumpkin Vine Railroad
Drawing from the 1877 Warren County atlas, looking northeast from Baltimore across the Wabash River, with the Pumpkin Vine bridge and train in the background
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| Locale | Eastern Illinois and western Indiana (Bismarck, Johnsonville, Covington, Stringtown) |
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| Dates of operation | 1873–1879 |
| Successor | Chicago and Eastern Illinois Railroad |
| Length | 25 miles (40 km) |
| Headquarters | Chicago |
The Indiana Division or Coal Branch of the Chicago, Danville and Vincennes Railroad (also known as the Pumpkin Vine Railroad) carried coal from mines south of Covington, Indiana in the 1870s.
The branch began at Bismarck in Vermilion County, Illinois and ran southeast across neighboring Warren County, Indiana. It crossed the Wabash River near the river town of Baltimore, then continued southeast to Covington in Fountain County, and then a few miles further south to the coal mines near Snoddy's Mill in the Coal Creek area. These mines were operated by Phelps and Company, and by McClelland and Company. The area was known as Stringtown because it consisted of a series of small settlements; this name is still used locally. Construction began in the second week of June 1872. By August, the portion that ran from the mines north to Covington was completed. The remainder was finished by July 1873.
The line covered a total distance of about 25 miles (40 km) and transported coal for several years in the 1870s. Two trains ran to and from the mines each day. The trip from Bismarck to the coal mines took about 2 hours and 15 minutes, making the average speed about 5.5 miles per hour (8.9 km/h); there were four stations along the way, including Sumner (Johnsonville), Taylor (or Taylor's Switch), a gravel pit, and Covington.
1875 timetable
1876 timetable
Sumner Station was located in Warren County near the intersection of this new line with the existing Wabash Railroad. At this point, the Wabash Railroad ran from northeast to southwest, and the new line ran from northwest to southeast. Local landowner G. W. Johnson saw an opportunity and established the town of Johnsonville at this intersection. A post office opened there in 1875.
In December 1877, a murder took place in Stringtown, and although the cuplrit was convicted, problems increased between the 90 black and 225 white miners. The following April, five black miners were killed; at the trial in June, fourteen miners were indicted, but were acquitted due to lack of evidence that they were involved, and a riot began. A telegram was sent to Governor James D. Williams, who sent the Wabash Guards to restore order. Fifty shots were fired and four men were killed.
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