Dear Editor:
As I lay in the hospital this past month I read many articles about plans to destroy the Nickel Plate railway. HOW COULD YOU?! Why must Noblesville keep up with the others? Carmel has everything so we must catch up. Westfield will have a fieldhouse so Noblesville must have one. We find Millions for that. Why didn’t we as part owner of Nickel Plate use some of our money to repair this track?
I remember how the Nickel Plate helped Noblesville grow. I remember when Mr. Clark hauled freight from the railway stations to all different kinds of merchants as Noblesville grew. I remember seeing a half dozen little boys watching a train go by – waving at the trains men, counting boxcars full of various things. This train helped Noblesville grow from a little town to the CITY we now have. Some say “Put the past behind you and look to the future.” Without the past there would be no future.
I rode the train to the Fair and the little kids were so happy and excited and they saw things along the way they had not seen before. This was education. Grandparents were taking grandkids to the Fair and they were as happy as the kids. Have you talked to any of these people? Many people and kids enjoyed the Polar Express also, and looked forward to that.
I see Noblesville will break ground on the first phase of the Midland Trace Trail. Now we want to build another trail. Build the trail but KEEP THE TRAIN. We can have both.
I have lived most of my 96 years in Noblesville and have seen Noblesville grow from the little town to the city we now have. Yes, I am an old woman but I experienced a lot and learned a lot of things before some of you were born. I do know you should listen to the People who voted you into office. We have the train, something no one else has. Why destroy that for something everyone else has?
Keep the train and build the trail.
Respectfully submitted,
Phyllis Mendenhall
Noblesville