Johnsonville, Indiana
Encyclopedia
Johnsonville is a small town in Steuben Township
, Warren County
, Indiana
.
July 8, 1874 by John R. Johnson, Senior, near Sumner Station. A post office was established there on December 2, 1875, with George W. Johnson as postmaster. As of September 1875 there were said to be about 50 people living in the town; there were several businesses including a dry goods store and a tan yard that produced leather. The town also had a druggist, a doctor, a lawyer, a blacksmith, a grain dealer, a railway agent, a tinker, and a boarding-house. As of 1913, the population was about 80.
The town was established at the intersection of two rail lines: the existing Toledo, Wabash and Western Railroad and the new Coal Branch of the Chicago, Danville and Vincennes
Railroad (the branch being known as the "Pumpkin Vine
" Railroad), which was laid down in 1872. The well-chosen location favored the town's success, but trains had stopped running on the Pumpkin Vine by 1880, just six years after the town was formally established; and when the rails were removed shortly thereafter, the site's importance was diminished, and the town began to dwindle. The post office closed on August 31, 1907.
As of 2007, Johnsonville consists of a non-denominational Christian church
and a few residences.
border. Flat, open farmland lies to the north and west, while wooded valleys and hollows lie to the southeast. The Norfolk Southern Railway
passes southwest through Johnsonville on its way to Danville, Illinois
.
Steuben Township, Warren County, Indiana
Steuben Township is one of twelve townships in Warren County, Indiana, USA. It was established in 1834. As of the 2000 census, its population was 427. It contains no incorporated towns and is largely agricultural.-History:...
, Warren County
Warren County, Indiana
Warren County lies in western Indiana between the Illinois border and the Wabash River in the United States. Before the arrival of non-indigenous settlers in the early 19th century, the area was inhabited by several Native American tribes. The county was officially established in 1827 and...
, Indiana
Indiana
Indiana is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the Midwestern United States and Great Lakes Region. With 6,483,802 residents, the state is ranked 15th in population and 16th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38th in land area and is...
.
History
Johnsonville was plattedPlat
A plat in the U.S. is a map, drawn to scale, showing the divisions of a piece of land. Other English-speaking countries generally call such documents a cadastral map or plan....
July 8, 1874 by John R. Johnson, Senior, near Sumner Station. A post office was established there on December 2, 1875, with George W. Johnson as postmaster. As of September 1875 there were said to be about 50 people living in the town; there were several businesses including a dry goods store and a tan yard that produced leather. The town also had a druggist, a doctor, a lawyer, a blacksmith, a grain dealer, a railway agent, a tinker, and a boarding-house. As of 1913, the population was about 80.
The town was established at the intersection of two rail lines: the existing Toledo, Wabash and Western Railroad and the new Coal Branch of the Chicago, Danville and Vincennes
Chicago, Danville and Vincennes Railroad
The Chicago, Danville and Vincennes Railroad was a railroad established in 1865 that served various communities along the eastern border of Illinois...
Railroad (the branch being known as the "Pumpkin Vine
Pumpkin Vine Railroad
The Indiana Division or Coal Branch of the Chicago, Danville and Vincennes Railroad was constructed in 1872 from Bismarck, Illinois, across Warren County, Indiana, across the Wabash River near the river town of Baltimore, to Covington in Fountain County...
" Railroad), which was laid down in 1872. The well-chosen location favored the town's success, but trains had stopped running on the Pumpkin Vine by 1880, just six years after the town was formally established; and when the rails were removed shortly thereafter, the site's importance was diminished, and the town began to dwindle. The post office closed on August 31, 1907.
As of 2007, Johnsonville consists of a non-denominational Christian church
Williams Chapel
Williams Chapel is a small non-denominational Christian church in the village of Johnsonville in Warren County, Indiana. It is distinctive for the carved wooden hand pointing skyward from its steeple and for its hand-made stained glass windows....
and a few residences.
Geography
Johnsonville is located in the southwestern portion of the township, at the T-intersection of County Road 875 West (a paved road) and 600 South (a gravel road). It is about 2.25 miles (3.6 km) east of the IllinoisIllinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
border. Flat, open farmland lies to the north and west, while wooded valleys and hollows lie to the southeast. The Norfolk Southern Railway
Norfolk Southern Railway
The Norfolk Southern Railway is a Class I railroad in the United States, owned by the Norfolk Southern Corporation. With headquarters in Norfolk, Virginia, the company operates 21,500 route miles in 22 eastern states, the District of Columbia and the province of Ontario, Canada...
passes southwest through Johnsonville on its way to Danville, Illinois
Danville, Illinois
Danville is a city in Vermilion County, Illinois, United States. It is the principal city of the'Danville, Illinois Metropolitan Statistical Area' which encompasses all of Danville and Vermilion County. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 32,467. It is the county seat of...
.