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Ring Around the City

The Story of the Belt Railroad

Join us at Central Library for an in-person program with the Marion County Historical Society. This program will feature an overview of the history and significance of the Indianapolis Belt Railroad.

Culture, History, and Society: Historic Indianapolis Metropolitan Area—Good roads make for good trade, and the building of the Indianapolis Belt Railroad facilitated the movement of goods in and out of the city without impeding other Indianapolis commercial traffic. Register now and join us at Central Library with the Marion County Historical Society for an in-person opportunity to learn about the history and significance of this vital transportation route. 

Presenter: Steven R. Barnett, a board member of the Marion County Historical Society, is the Executive Director of the Irvington Historical Society and the Curator of the Bona Thompson Memorial Center. He also serves on the boards of the Genealogical Society of Marion County and the Indiana National Road Association. Steven has compiled a comprehensive Excel database that documents the construction and occupancy of over 1,600 properties in the Irvington Historic District and similar information for National Register Districts, including Irvington Gardens, Pleasanton, Emerson Addition, Irvington Terrace, and Emerson Heights. He has organized and led tours exploring Butler University’s Irvington Campus, local artists, the Irvington Business District, and Irvington Arts and Crafts homes, and has authored over 100 house histories for the Benton House Tour of Homes. As a contributor to The Weekly View newspaper, Steven has written the weekly column “100 Years Ago” since 2011. 

Age Group: Adults

Readings
Encyclopedia of Indianapolis - Beltline Railroad
Encyclopedia of Indianapolis - Railroads
Indianapolis Union and Belt Railroads by Jeffrey T. Darbee
Railroads — Indiana — Indianapolis — History
The Pennsylvania Railroad in Indiana by William J. Watt

Location: Held in person in the Indianapolis Special Collections Room (ISCR) on the 6th floor of Central Library, located at 40 East Saint Clair Street, Indianapolis, IN 46204.

Parking: The Central Library has a parking garage available to patrons during their time at the Library. Garage pricing information is detailed here. The garage can be accessed on Pennsylvania Street.

This in-person Indianapolis history program is part of the Culture, History, and Society: Historic Indianapolis Metropolitan Area programs hosted by the Indianapolis Special Collections Room (ISCR). Made possible by Friends of the Library through gifts to The Indianapolis Public Library Foundation and the Marion County Historical Society. 

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