Expert to talk about Southern Indiana railroad heritage

Craig Berndt, who has dedicated decades to researching Southern Indiana’s railroad heritage, will present “The Railroads of Dubois County” at the Dubois County Museum on Saturday, November 8, 2025, at 1 p.m.

The 60-minute presentation will cover the complete histories of three major railroad lines that shaped Dubois County’s development: the route from French Lick through Cuzco, Dubois, Jasper, Huntingburg and Johnsburg to Cannelton, Rockport and Evansville; the line from New Albany through Birdseye, Mentor, Kyana, St. Marks, Bretzville, Huntingburg and Duff to East St. Louis; and the connection from Ferdinand to Huntingburg.

Berndt brings unique credentials to the topic, having retired in 2020 after 30 years in city management and conducting extensive research while living in Dubois County from 1994 to 2000. This research culminated in the author’s book about the Ferdinand Railroad in 2022 and continued work on other Southern Indiana railroads, past and present.

Currently residing in northeast Indiana, Berndt has expanded his railroad research to cover “the ten northeast counties, and have authored books about four of them.” He’s shared his expertise through 100-plus presentations about railroad histories in Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, Ohio and Kentucky.

The presentation is designed to appeal to adults and anyone interested in county railroad history and/or county history while remaining accessible rather than overly technical. The museum will be open from 10 A.M. to 4 P.M. that day, with the presentation open to the public for the standard museum admission fee of $5 for adults.

Dubois County’s railroad history represents a crucial chapter in southern Indiana’s transportation and economic development, as it connected rural communities to major commercial centers and facilitated the region’s growth during the railroad era.

The presentation offers both longtime residents and newcomers an opportunity to understand how these transportation networks shaped the communities they know today.