You may recall we told you about Phil Anderson, a Hoosier farm boy and longtime fixture in the ag community, who visited all of Indiana’s towns, and even places that still have names but are no longer on the map. He finished his quest in Friendship about a year ago, after visiting well over 2,000 places in Indiana.

Anderson captured many locations in photos. Readers recently responded in droves to his photo of the man-made Tulip Trestle Bridge in Greene County. This railroad bridge has a history all its own.

It’s just one of hundreds of man-made and natural wonders in Indiana, from scenic rivers to the beautiful, old corner posts made of stone that still exist in southern Indiana.

With Thanksgiving ahead and so much to be thankful for, we decided to share some responses from readers about Tulip Trestle Bridge. It’s encouraging to see Hoosiers still appreciate the beauty and ingenuity of rural Indiana.

Train ride
Linda Long from Bloomfield sent this memory: “The official designation of the structure in Greene County is Bridge X75-6. It has been referred to as the Tulip Trestle as well as the Illinois Central Gulf Railroad Trestle, Richland Creek Trestle and Greene County Viaduct. It’s located on Viaduct Road about a quarter-mile south of Tulip Road, between Solsberry and Tulip.

“Not only do I know where the viaduct is located, but I had the opportunity of riding across it on a train engine in 2006. I was teaching business classes at Linton-Stockton High School, and one of my students’ fathers was an engineer for the Indiana railroad. After getting special authorization, my husband, Keith, son Michael and I had the privilege of riding an engine across the viaduct. It was a thrill of a lifetime — a dream come true! The engineer stopped the train on the east side toward Solsberry and took our picture standing on the front of the engine while on the viaduct.

It’s an amazing place to visit. It has been a well-kept secret for many years, tucked away in the hills of Greene County.”

More memories
This memory comes from Debbie Stuckey, Odon: “Tom, that’s the Tulip Trestle in Greene County. It crosses the farm of the Helms family. Ben Helms and my husband, Gary Stuckey, are both local ag teachers. Gary teaches at North Daviess High School. He teaches at the same school that he graduated from, and where his family has farmed for over 100 years. This is his 35th year of teaching agriculture.” (Editor’s note: Ben Helms retired from teaching at Bloomfield High School in 2016.)

From Julie Stefancik, Linton: “It’s known locally simply as the viaduct. It’s located east of Bloomfield, about 6 miles west of Solsberry. Richland Creek flows under it. It’s the third longest railroad trestle in the world. I have pictures of five generations of my family on top of the trestle, starting in the 1920s with my grandfather and ending with my grandchildren.”

Here’s one more from Tom Goble, central Indiana: “When I was working the Indiana State Police Alliance Security at Cook Medical in Bloomington, I heard about the ‘viaduct’ from several workers from Greene County. It seemed as if it was a rite of passage to walk across it. I even had one guy tell me he rode a motorcycle across it. I went to see it — it’s quite impressive. I can’t imagine walking across it, let alone riding a motorcycle across it!”