Crothersville, IN

Crothersville was laid out in 1835, but the railroad gave it its name: Dr. Andrew S. Crothers, a railroad superintendent, agreed to a depot if the settlement changed from Haysville. The rail line also helped a grist mill, tannery, stores, and the post office turn the Jackson County town into a working stop. Today Crothersville keeps its own services, including the branch of the Jackson County Public Library, while Main Street and the old depot-era layout still give the place its shape. It is the sort of southern Indiana town where the origin story is not abstract-you can trace it to a man, a railroad, and the promise of a proper depot.