Franklin Township near Indianapolis in Marion County, Indiana — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)
Gallaudet Station: The Town That Never Happened
Photographed By Rev. Ronald Irick, March 23, 2021
1. Gallaudet Station: The Town That Never Happened Marker
In 1845, James S. Brown moved to Franklin Township from Ohio to be Superintendent of the Indiana School for the Deaf and bought 350 acres here. In 1852, when the Indianapolis & Cincinnati Railroad wanted to lay track across his land, he agreed on condition that the railroad build a siding at this site. Brown hoped to establish a town at this intersection and name it after a man he much admired. Thomas Hopkins Gallaudet, cofounder of the first school for the deaf in America.
A post office was established at Gallaudet January 30, 1854. Trains dropped the mail at the depot, a two-story house that stood near the tracks just northwest of the Franklin Road crossing. Mail was picked up twice a day and carried by wagon to New Bethel (now known as Wanamaker.)
While the name “Gallaudet Station” appears on old maps, Brown’s hoped-for town never developed. The sawmill he built was never used, and the store burned, though a coal yard continued to operate for many years. Brown, who had become Superintendent of the Louisiana Schol for the Deaf in 1852, returned in 1860 and served as Postmaster at Gallaudet from October 1861 through November 1862. He died here June 8, 1863.
Erected 2017 by the Franklin Township Historical Society in recognition of Indiana’s Bicentennial and in honor
this page online
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Railroads & Streetcars • Settlements & Settlers. A significant historical year for this entry is 1845.
Location. 39° 41.232′ N, 86° 1.09′ W. Marker is near Indianapolis, Indiana, in Marion County. It is in Franklin Township. Marker is at the intersection of South Franklin Road and Mutual Lane, on the right when traveling north on South Franklin Road. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 5601 South Franklin Road, Indianapolis IN 46239, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 7 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies. New Bethel (approx. ¼ mile away); Brookville Road (approx. 4.2 miles away); Veterans Memorial (approx. 4.7 miles away); Sarah T. Bolton (approx. 4.9 miles away); First Presbyterian Church of Southport (approx. 5 miles away); Mary Bryan, Pioneer Woman (approx. 5.4 miles away); Kile Oak (approx. 5.8 miles away); Washington Irving (approx. 6.1 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Indianapolis.
Additional commentary.
1. Gallaudet vs Galludet
The spelling discrepancy between the map location, the sign, and the historical person makes finding this sign and accompanying information nearly impossible.
For
Photographed By Rev. Ronald Irick, March 23, 2021
2. Gallaudet Station: The Town That Never Happened Marker
I have no idea how to even begin bringing this to someone's attention. And to be honest, at this point, this sign vs map issue is decades of its own very interesting history.
But for anyone else out there, desperately searching Galludet and Galludet Station in Franklin Township, across from the library and nowhere near an operating train station: you've come to the right place? Or at least the only place with any information at all.
— Submitted April 22, 2024, by Ashley Conner of Indianapolis, Indiana.
Credits. This page was last revised on April 24, 2024. It was originally submitted on March 27, 2021, by Rev. Ronald Irick of West Liberty, Ohio. This page has been viewed 712 times since then and 134 times this year. Last updated on September 6, 2023, by Kenneth Rothschild of Burbank, California. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on March 27, 2021, by Rev. Ronald Irick of West Liberty, Ohio. • Devry Becker Jones was the editor who published this page.
