Visitors who ride the Nickel Plate Express tourism excursion beginning late this summer also will learn about the railroad, the influence of industry on immigration and other key stories through a Quantum Leap grant awarded to the Nickel Plate Heritage Railroad parent organization by Indiana Humanities.
Indiana Humanities helps cultural organizations present public humanities programs, exhibitions and workshops. These projects are supported in part by the National Endowment for the Humanities, a federal agency.
The Nickel Plate Heritage Railroad Humanities’ Quantum Leap Grant funds projects that explore the intersection of the humanities and science/technology/engineering/math (STEM) fields. A team of scholars, public history specialists and childhood educators have been formed to craft an interpretive plan at the Arcadia Depot, one of the destination stops for the train rides.
Nickel Plate Heritage Railroad will use the grant money to transform the depot into an interactive attraction to tell the rich history of northern Hamilton County, the industries that grew here as a result of the train and discovery of natural gas, and the people who settled it.
“We see the almost 150-year-old Arcadia Depot as an important asset in providing the best in visitor experience,” said Nickel Plate Heritage Railroad Director Dea Holt. “This grant will help us tell the stories of why the train came through this part of rural Indiana, and how this influenced community development and immigration to the area.”