By Jim Langham

One of the most humorous stories in our personal family legends is that of my great-grandmother falling off a rocking chair in an attempt to watch the train pass by.

Our family lived in a small village along the railroad track in Adams County, Ind. In fact, the village was founded because of the railroad and was once one of the biggest towns in the area, complete with depot, stave factory and several small storefronts near the track.

As my mother told it, my great-grandmother had an enthusiastic fascination with the passing of the train. Every time the old steam whistle blew as it approached the community, she would rush to her best vantage point to watch it pass through the community, across the Wabash River, and often stop to refill with water at the tower just on the other side of the river.