The Stage Coach Trail
— Spring Mill State Park —
Stagecoaches stopped here on their way between New Albany and Terre Haute.
Stagecoaches had to stop and change horses about every 15 miles. Additionally, many stagecoaches delivered and picked up the mail during their stop. The distance between two stops was called a stage of the journey, leading to the name stagecoach.
Baynard Rush Hall, first professor of the Indiana Seminary (later Indiana University), described the road conditions as he journeyed from the Ohio. River to Bloomington in the 1820s:"the most ill- looking, dark-coloured morasses, enlivened by streams of purer mud crossing at right angles."
The original 1824 tavern at Spring Mill accommodated stagecoach travelers by providing food and a place to stay the night. While not the original structure, today's tavern represents the amenities available at that time.
Some Indiana roads originated as game trails and Indian trails before becoming roads.
Passengers were probably only too ready to take a break at the tavern. Stagecoaches were not designed for comfort and had no shock absorbers. Roads during this time were little more than trails. Roots and rocks made stagecoach travel
this page online
When stagecoaches ran
through Spring Mill, the
village was a hub of
commerce. By the late 1850s,
two railroads had been built
through nearby Mitchell.
Trains replaced stagecoaches
as the means of travel, and
Spring Mill Village was no
longer the town that travelers
passed through.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Education • Industry & Commerce • Roads & Vehicles. A significant historical year for this entry is 1824.
Location. 38° 44.083′ N, 86° 25.6′ W. Marker is in Spring Mill Village, Indiana, in Lawrence County. Marker can be reached from Indiana Route 60, 0.3 miles west of County Road 950E, on the right when traveling west. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Mitchell IN 47446, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Montgomery Tavern (within shouting distance of this marker); Hat Factory (within shouting distance of this marker); Amzi Munson Residence (within shouting distance of this marker); The Granny White House (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); Lehigh Portland Cement (approx. 0.2 miles away); Civilian Conservation Corp (approx. ¼ mile away); Indiana State Parks (approx.
Credits. This page was last revised on December 21, 2020. It was originally submitted on December 21, 2020, by Craig Doda of Napoleon, Ohio. This page has been viewed 576 times since then and 90 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on December 21, 2020, by Craig Doda of Napoleon, Ohio. • Devry Becker Jones was the editor who published this page.
