Garrett, Indiana: The Railroad President's Town
Near Fort Wayne, Indiana
Garrett was a railroad town from its very first day. In eighteen seventy-five, the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad platted a new division point on the line between Willard, Ohio, and Chicago, and named it for the railroad's president, John W. Garrett.
The young community grew quickly. The B and O chose Garrett as a center for locomotive maintenance and repair, building a large roundhouse and car shops that drew workers from across the region. At its peak, Garrett was one of the most important rail hubs on the Chicago Division.
The old Baltimore and Ohio depot still stands beside the CSX tracks today, now home to the Garrett Historical Society Museum.
