Howell Railyard

An extensive system train tracks can be seen roping alongside Howell closest to the river to this day. In bringing the railroad to Howell, Howell's early population consisted mainly of railroad workers employed by L&N. Due to the concentrated nature of the Howell area, it had its own identity separate from Evansville. Before its annexation, it was its own town. While transportation on the Ohio River was important to the Evansville area, commerce became dependent on railroads. In 1854, the first railroad opened in Evansville.

The Howell area came alive with the arrival of the railroads in Evansville. Captain Lee Howell, for which the area is named after, was a General Freight Agent. He was born in the 1840s in Florence, Alabama. His contributions to the Howell area consisted of helping lay out the town in 1889. He was known as a public figure in Vanderburgh County and described as a prominent businessman. He was considered public-spirited and congenial.

The L&N railroad erected a round-house in March 1889, then a machine shop and engine and boiler house were all completed by December 1889. The railroad depot was built in 1902 on 300 Fulton Avenue.

The railroad can still be seen being used today to transport shipments in and out of Evansville. Due to its proximity to Howell, it became the reason people moved and lived in the Howell area creating a small town all its own before its annexation.

In 1972, L&N was taken to court and pleaded guilty in federal district court against charge it was responsible for dumping 80 cubic feet of oil into the Ohio River by the Howell Yards.

Roy Addington Interview - Oral History Collection - Rice Library Digital Collections.” Accessed November 9, 2023. https://digitalarchives.usi.edu/digital/collection/p17218coll1/id/10894/rec/11.

  “Howell Yards in Evansville, Indiana - Don Blair Collection - Rice Library Digital Collections.” Accessed November 7, 2023. https://digitalarchives.usi.edu/digital/collection/D_Blair/id/3688/rec/14.

    “Martha Reynolds Interview - Oral History Collection - Rice Library Digital Collections.” Accessed November 9, 2023. https://digitalarchives.usi.edu/digital/collection/p17218coll1/id/11335/rec/1.

“1914 Evansville and Howell Map in Evansville, Indiana - Special and Regional History Collection - Rice Library Digital Collections.” Accessed November 7, 2023. https://digitalarchives.usi.edu/digital/collection/p17218coll2/id/6823/rec/22.

“A History of Evansville and Vanderburgh County, Indiana - Evansville E-Books - Digital Archive.” Accessed November 14, 2023. https://digital.evpl.org/digital/collection/evaebooks/id/3133/rec/12.

“Art Souvenir of Representative Men, Public Buildings, Private Residences, Business Houses - Evansville E-Books - Digital Archive.” Accessed November 14, 2023. https://digital.evpl.org/digital/collection/evaebooks/id/2559/rec/1.

“Biographical Cyclopedia of Vanderburgh County, Indiana Embracing Biographies of Many of the Prominent Men and Families of the County - Evansville E-Books - Digital Archive.” Accessed November 14, 2023. https://digital.evpl.org/digital/collection/evaebooks/id/2172/rec/14.

“Henry Dannettell Interview - Oral History Collection - Rice Library Digital Collections.” Accessed November 15, 2023. https://digitalarchives.usi.edu/digital/collection/p17218coll1/id/11753/rec/1.

“Howell Yard in Howell, IN.” Accessed November 22, 2023. https://southernillinoisrailroads.com/lnndepots/howell-indiana-l-and-n-railroad-railroad-yard.html.“View Image.” Accessed November 7, 2023. http://local.evpl.org/views/viewimage.asp?ID=4986.