Submitted by
Howard Stansbury
Indianapolis
U.S.A. Civil Engineer
December 10, 1835

Sir: The results of the surveys for a railroad from Madison to Indianapolis, which, in September last you did me the honor to entrust to me, are respectfully submitted in the following

Report:

In order to attain the summit of the hills bordering the west bank of the Ohio River, experimental surveys were made of the several routes suggested by the various features of the country commencing at a Bench Mark No. 1 at Madison, and following at first the sloping hill sides; thence up the north side of the valley of Clifty Creek; when within three-fourths of a mile from the summit, the steep hillside becomes a continuous perpendicular ledge of limestone rock, into which a cut of unusual extent is necessitated, or cross to the south side of the valley, which is a broken, rocky hillside, and soon runs into a precipitous cliff of limestone, which would render the line, if feasible thus far, totally impracticable, the elevation at the falls being 237 feet above BM No. 1 in a distance of two and three-fourths miles.

Returning again to the Bench Mark, a survey was made of the valley of Crooked Creek, which after running north, bears gradually to the west, and presents a more favorable depression to attain the summit. After leaving the plain at Madison the gradual side slope of the valley is followed, which at first is somewhat serpentine and necessarily crossing four ravines, a more rapid ascent heads to the summit, which in four and a half miles is 383 feet above BM No. 1, and is more favorable in that the valleys crossed, not excepting Brisbane’s Bluff, which rises 365 feet in three and one fifth miles, but would require an incline plane to render the summit attainable. A rise of 260 feet in one mile horizontal would overcome the elevation, or an incline plane could be located from a point in the immediate vicinity of Madison from the base to the summit of the hills by meeting an elevation of 330 feet in three-fourths of a mile level. Other routes in the vicinity of Madison were occularly examined and found less feasible. After following up the river bank north and east of the town some two miles, the Eagle valley may be entered, which less favorable in directness, and exhibits a rather succession of steps than a regular ascent, and as a consequence, necessitates more frequent excavations and embankments, the latter which would be expensive in crossing unavoidable ravines. But after some four miles the Eagle valley becomes almost inaccessible, and its summit higher than at the head of Crooked Creek, and less practicable, as it would increase the distance to the summit two miles and require a greater number of costly embankments. A more critical examination and further surveys would be necessary to determine the preferable site for an incline plane, but from the general exploration made, which is all that is required in the experimental or preliminary survey, there is no hesitation in declaring the valley of Crooked Creek favorable for the incline plane. Admitting the depot to be temporarily, if not permanently, established on the bluff, in either event the nearest summit directly west of Madison would be preferred, for which contingency estimates are herein submitted, as well as for the cost of an incline plane directly from the base of the hill to its summit.

Having attained the summit level of the bluff, from the geography of the region to be explored, we are prepared to find the country broken by the numerous tributaries of the East Fork of White River, into deep valleys and elevated ridges transverse to a direct line from Madison to Indianapolis, and precluding the possibility of turning a valley to an advantage. From the summit the line of survey traverses a gently descending and flat country, abounding with valuable white oak timber, and all the requisite materials to insure a stable and permanent foundation; thence across Harbor Creek to the middle fork of Big Creek, where a further divergency to the west is necessary to avoid two bridges in crossing this stream, by passing below the junction of the two considerable branches, at a narrow passage, where the banks are favorable for the construction of a bridge. The line is then prolonged nearly straight, over a gently undulating country to Camp Creek, and on to Slaty Run, gradually descending to it for a short distance, when to avoid too great a descent, obtain an early crossing of Graham’s Creek (16 miles from Madison) at a narrow pass in the valley where the banks jutting from the upland recommend undulations in the plane of the road, descending and ascending from 20 to 30 feet to the mile, in order to equalize more nearly, and diminish the quantity of excavation and embankment; after which the line traverses ground of a more rolling character, intersected as it is by small tributaries to Graham and their dividing ridges, rendering the plane of railroad undulatory and presenting no serious obstacles to the construction of the roadbed, when the prolongation of the line of survey crosses the valley of the Muscatatuck River, the bed of which is 105 feet above BM No. 1 at Madison and 150 feet below the general level of the eastern ridge, one mile from it. Diverging from a straight line, a survey was made along the elevated ridge, which pursues a circuitous course in parallelism with the winding of the stream below Vernon, thence across the Muscatatuck, and ascends to the western summit along the southwest side of a branch falling into the river.

Notwithstanding this increase of distance by which the Muscatatuck is crossed lower down, and consequently the total fall increased, it would involve a long and expensive embankment, and to attain the western summit an inclined plane. It was therefore abandoned, and returning back, it was ascertained the descent could be by a gradual approach through a depression to Butler’s Branch which flows to the Muscatatuck, and without exceeding the maximum range of undulations (30 feet per mile), and the occasional introduction of gentle curves, the valley is pursued to advantage, the traces of the line occupying ground highly favorable to economy in the formation of the roadbed, and cross the river at the confluence of the Muscatatuck, inasmuch as it is impracticable to cross above in consequence of their dividing ridge of very considerable elevation and magnitude, and below the stream is wider and its banks less favorable for the erection of a bridge. The apex of the ridge at the fork being mostly of solid rock, and not subject to the corroding action of the stream, could easily be converted into a pier, and materially lessens the expense of bridging, the whole extent of which would not exceed 230 feet. After crossing the Muscatatuck River, the ridge which directly presents itself indicates the route to be pursued, avoiding too great an elevation by not exceeding 30 feet rise per mile, and necessarily meandering along hillsides of the West Fork, without conforming to their objectionable sinuosity, and attaining the western summit with moderate excavation and embankment, and they be nearly equalized. After passing which, a straight line would lead into a country, interspersed with numerous isolated hills, which the line of survey avoids by bearing gradually to the west and passes over a gently descending and undulating country, when a descent of 20 feet per mile crosses the valley of Six Mile Creek, whence a gradual rise attains the summit of the ridge dividing it from Big Sand Creek. Passing over the general level of this ridge, we approach the waters of Big Sand Creek, which are 80 feet below it, a gentle divergence again to the west to the meet the fall on the most favorable ground is essential, and cross the stream below the mouth of the Wyloosing, a tributary to Big Sand Creek, and ascend to the summit of the west ridge by a uniform approach to it through the valleys which unite near its base when no obstacles interpose worthy of comment, the line crosses the valley of Nettle Creek and arrives at Rock Creek, which is the termination of the rock region. From Madison to this creek, an abundance of good building stone can be obtained at a very moderate expense, as the stratifications on which the country is based consist of secondary sand and limestone, easily quarried, and in the immediate vicinity of the line surveyed. The prolongation of the line passes over a descending country, sometimes weaving into an occasional gravel hill, crossing Little Sand Creek and Brush Creek, both of which are inconsiderable and sluggish streams. When the plane of the road is coincident with the natural acclivity of the ensuing ridge which uniformly ascends for one mile 30 feet to the summit, leaving Sand Hill to the west and thence directly through Clifty Hill, crossing the creek near Halloway’s Mill, and gradually descends to the wide and beautiful bottom land west of Clifty Creek. The general features of the country here change their aspect to a broad and luxuriant plain, the natural surface of which requires scarce any preparation for the reception of the rails, and over which the line was run straight to the Flat Rock River, which may be advantageously crossed a short distance above its mouth.

In this rich and fertile country, which abounds with noble specimens of stately white oak, the valleys of water courses are bounded by ranges of sand and gravel hills running in parallelism with the streams, the bottom lands of which expand in some instances to a width of two or three miles, and possess a soil exuberant to a high degree, being nowhere infested with rocks or stones, and exhibit proofs of the fecundity and the rankness of their vegetable products while the beautiful area between them is a uniform plain, having no rise perceptible to the eye, and admirably adapted for the reception of a railroad. After crossing the Flat Rock, the line of survey deflects to the north and runs direct along the plain, whence after avoiding the hills bordering the Driftwood, and a gentle divergency to the west, it runs straight for several miles to Blue River, the plane of the road being coincident with and conforming to the regular and natural surface of the ground, which would require no other preparation than the clearing and grubbing of the timber to receive the superstructure or railway.

The firm banks and narrow bottom immediately below the falls at Thompson’s mill indicate a favorable opportunity to cross Blue River and rise gradually between the hills which bound this stream and Driftwood, or Sugar Creek, as it is more generally known, above the mouth of the Blue River, and thence directly along the uniform and fertile plain between them to within one mile of Sugar Creek, where the hills which bound it are avoided by a gentle deflection to the north, and a good crossing over Sugar Creek, embraced above the mouth at Young’s Creek at a narrow passage with moderate elevation. Thence the line of survey is run straight along the great ridge dividing the East and West Forks of White River, over a flat country, with a uniform ascent of 8 feet per mile to the summit, which is attained ten miles from Indianapolis, in which direction the face of the country is less uniform, and descending 11 feet per mile, requiring moderate excavation through gravel hills bordering the small and unimportant streams tributary to the West Fork of White River, and presenting no obstacles to the easy formation, or gradation, as it is termed, of the road bed.