Winter 1925

A photograph of downtown Crawfordsville from the winter of 1925 recently surfaced in our Local History collection -- a scene that has never before been published. This view is looking east on Main Street. The photographer is standing near where Walnut Street crosses Main Street. You may recognize the fronts of the stores on the left; most of this block is unchanged over the years, although the businesses that occupied them have changed many times over. On the right, you can see the tower of the old YMCA building, constructed in 1888. By 1925, however, it was no longer serving as the YMCA (which had opened a location on the corner of Pike and Green Streets). The original YMCA building was then being used as a station for the interurban trains. If you look closely, you can see one up ahead, turning the corner right onto Washington Street. Above the street are the electrical wires for the "trolley" part of the interurban service. It was possible to take the trolley west on Main Street just past the location of the present-day Mills School (which then faced Main Street). Also on Washington Street, to the left, appears the courthouse tower. The courthouse had an attractive tower that was taken off in 1940 because of alleged structural problems.

Are you interested in your Local History? Don't forget that the Crawfordsville District Public Library is dedicated in preserving and making accessible the county's history. Visit our Local History page to see what we have to offer you -- or come by and visit us in the Reference Department (2nd floor). We will enjoy helping you discover history @ CDPL!