Renner, Indiana
Encyclopedia
Renner is an extinct
American village in Indiana
's Blackford County
. Although Renner has been listed as a “populated place” by the U.S. Geological Survey, this description is misleading. Renner was a railroad stop on the Pittsburgh, Cincinnati and St. Louis Railroad. The land around the railroad stop was originally used to supply timber for railroad crossties
, and eventually became a livestock farm. Housing for the families of the employees of the livestock farm was also located nearby. Although it is not known for certain, Renner is thought to have been named for railroad executive John W. Renner. Renner was an executive of the Pittsburgh, Cincinnati and St. Louis Railroad, and later the Pennsylvania Railroad
, and retired with over 50 years of railroad experience. Another community, Rennerdale, Pennsylvania
, was named in his honor in 1895.
The 530 acres (2.1 km²) farm adjacent to the Renner railroad station was owned by Benjamin Johnson. It became known as the Renner Livestock Farm in the early 1890s, and produced prize-winning Hereford cattle, Hampshire hogs
, and horse
s – including the horse “Poetry of Motion”, a champion show horse. Livestock were shipped from the Renner station, and the railroad made as many as four stops per day. In the early 1900s, the Renner station was considered one of the principle railroad stations in Blackford County.
In 1919, Johnson sold all the farm's livestock, and then sold the farm. The farm was purchased by Fred A. Stimson. Stimson had purchased some of the Renner Stock Farm's cattle, and returned them to the Renner Stock Farm. He successfully continued the farm's tradition of award-winning livestock. Early in 1927, Stimson sold the cattle, and general farming was practiced afterward. In 1937, the farm was sold to the Scripps Foundation in connection with Miami University
(Oxford Ohio).
, northwest of Hartford City. (See railroad map herein.) The Renner railroad station was used by the nearby Renner Stock Farm to ship livestock
all over the world. Although the rail line came to Blackford County in 1867, the farm was not started until the early 1890s. The Renner Stock Farm is credited as the originator of the beef cattle
breed of Polled Hereford
known as the Bullion 4th.
line that ran through Renner was named Union and Logansport Railroad Company by the time it entered Blackford County in 1867, and it was the county’s first railroad. This line was proposed in 1862, and completed to Hartford City in 1867 — running through the Blackford County communities of Dunkirk
, Converse, Millgrove
, Hartford City
, and eventually Renner. The railroad was eventually named Pittsburgh, Cincinnati and St. Louis Railroad. Other names for the railroad since that time include the Panhandle division of the Pennsylvania Railroad
, Penn Central Railroad Company, Conrail
, and Norfolk Southern Railway
. The line is now abandoned east of Hartford City, but still in place west of the city through Renner to Upland, Indiana
.
, northwest of Hartford City
. The northern half of Indiana, including what became Licking Township
and Renner, was flattened by two glacier
s millions of years ago. These glaciers are also responsible for the rich Blackford County farmland. The region is still agriculture
-oriented. Soybean
s and corn
are the most popular crops grown in Blackford County, and over 65000 acres (263 km²) are devoted to these two crops. Additional crops and livestock are also grown in the county. A farm still exists in the area, and can be seen via satellite, but the railroad station is gone.
humid continental
seasonal climate. There are four distinct seasons, with winters being cold with moderate snow
fall, while summers can be warm and humid. The highest average temperature for nearby Hartford City is in July at 84 °F (29 °C), while the lowest average temperature is in January at 18 °F (−8 °C). However, summer temperatures can top 90 °F (32 °C), and winter temperatures can drop below 0 °F (−17 °C). Average monthly precipitation ranges from about 2 to 4 inches (5 to 10 cm), with the heaviest occurring during June, July, and August. The highest recorded temperature for nearby Hartford City was 103.0 °F (39.0 °C) on June 25, 1988, and the lowest recorded temperature was −26.0 °F (−32.0 °C) on January 19, 1994.
Ghost town
A ghost town is an abandoned town or city. A town often becomes a ghost town because the economic activity that supported it has failed, or due to natural or human-caused disasters such as floods, government actions, uncontrolled lawlessness, war, or nuclear disasters...
American village in Indiana
Indiana
Indiana is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the Midwestern United States and Great Lakes Region. With 6,483,802 residents, the state is ranked 15th in population and 16th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38th in land area and is...
's Blackford County
Blackford County, Indiana
Blackford County is located in the east central portion of the U.S. state of Indiana. The county is named for Judge Isaac Blackford, who was the first speaker of the Indiana General Assembly and a long-time chief justice of the Indiana Supreme Court. Created in 1838, Blackford County is divided...
. Although Renner has been listed as a “populated place” by the U.S. Geological Survey, this description is misleading. Renner was a railroad stop on the Pittsburgh, Cincinnati and St. Louis Railroad. The land around the railroad stop was originally used to supply timber for railroad crossties
Railroad tie
A railroad tie/railway tie , or railway sleeper is a rectangular item used to support the rails in railroad tracks...
, and eventually became a livestock farm. Housing for the families of the employees of the livestock farm was also located nearby. Although it is not known for certain, Renner is thought to have been named for railroad executive John W. Renner. Renner was an executive of the Pittsburgh, Cincinnati and St. Louis Railroad, and later the Pennsylvania Railroad
Pennsylvania Railroad
The Pennsylvania Railroad was an American Class I railroad, founded in 1846. Commonly referred to as the "Pennsy", the PRR was headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania....
, and retired with over 50 years of railroad experience. Another community, Rennerdale, Pennsylvania
Rennerdale, Pennsylvania
Rennerdale is an unincorporated community and census-designated place in Collier Township, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, USA, about southwest of Pittsburgh...
, was named in his honor in 1895.
The 530 acres (2.1 km²) farm adjacent to the Renner railroad station was owned by Benjamin Johnson. It became known as the Renner Livestock Farm in the early 1890s, and produced prize-winning Hereford cattle, Hampshire hogs
Hampshire (pig)
The Hampshire pig is a domestic swine breed characterized by erect ears and a black body with a whitish band around the middle, covering the front legs....
, and horse
Horse
The horse is one of two extant subspecies of Equus ferus, or the wild horse. It is a single-hooved mammal belonging to the taxonomic family Equidae. The horse has evolved over the past 45 to 55 million years from a small multi-toed creature into the large, single-toed animal of today...
s – including the horse “Poetry of Motion”, a champion show horse. Livestock were shipped from the Renner station, and the railroad made as many as four stops per day. In the early 1900s, the Renner station was considered one of the principle railroad stations in Blackford County.
In 1919, Johnson sold all the farm's livestock, and then sold the farm. The farm was purchased by Fred A. Stimson. Stimson had purchased some of the Renner Stock Farm's cattle, and returned them to the Renner Stock Farm. He successfully continued the farm's tradition of award-winning livestock. Early in 1927, Stimson sold the cattle, and general farming was practiced afterward. In 1937, the farm was sold to the Scripps Foundation in connection with Miami University
Miami University
Miami University is a coeducational public research university located in Oxford, Ohio, United States. Founded in 1809, it is the 10th oldest public university in the United States and the second oldest university in Ohio, founded four years after Ohio University. In its 2012 edition, U.S...
(Oxford Ohio).
History
The Renner railroad stop was located in Blackford County's Licking TownshipLicking Township, Blackford County, Indiana
Licking Township is one of four townships in Blackford County, Indiana. As of the 2000 census, its population was 8,689. The township was named after Lick Creek and a salt lick in the area. The first settlers in what became Blackford County arrived in the Lick Creek area in...
, northwest of Hartford City. (See railroad map herein.) The Renner railroad station was used by the nearby Renner Stock Farm to ship livestock
Livestock
Livestock refers to one or more domesticated animals raised in an agricultural setting to produce commodities such as food, fiber and labor. The term "livestock" as used in this article does not include poultry or farmed fish; however the inclusion of these, especially poultry, within the meaning...
all over the world. Although the rail line came to Blackford County in 1867, the farm was not started until the early 1890s. The Renner Stock Farm is credited as the originator of the beef cattle
Beef cattle
Beef cattle are cattle raised for meat production . The meat of cattle is known as beef. When raised in a feedlot cattle are known as feeder cattle. Many such feeder cattle are born in cow-calf operations specifically designed to produce beef calves...
breed of Polled Hereford
Hereford (cattle)
Hereford cattle are a beef cattle breed, widely used both in intemperate areas and temperate areas, mainly for meat production.Originally from Herefordshire, England, United Kingdom, more than five million pedigree Hereford Cattle now exist in over 50 countries...
known as the Bullion 4th.
Railroad
The railroadRail transport
Rail transport is a means of conveyance of passengers and goods by way of wheeled vehicles running on rail tracks. In contrast to road transport, where vehicles merely run on a prepared surface, rail vehicles are also directionally guided by the tracks they run on...
line that ran through Renner was named Union and Logansport Railroad Company by the time it entered Blackford County in 1867, and it was the county’s first railroad. This line was proposed in 1862, and completed to Hartford City in 1867 — running through the Blackford County communities of Dunkirk
Dunkirk, Indiana
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 2,646 people, 1,093 households, and 746 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,351.4 people per square mile . There were 1,214 housing units at an average density of 1,078.8 per square mile...
, Converse, Millgrove
Millgrove, Indiana
Millgrove is an unincorporated American town in Jackson Township, Blackford County, Indiana. Nearly all of the community's businesses have been closed for many years...
, Hartford City
Hartford City, Indiana
Hartford City is a city in the U.S. state of Indiana, and the county seat of Blackford County. Located in the northeast central portion of the state, the small farming community experienced a 15-year “boom” beginning in the late 1880s...
, and eventually Renner. The railroad was eventually named Pittsburgh, Cincinnati and St. Louis Railroad. Other names for the railroad since that time include the Panhandle division of the Pennsylvania Railroad
Pennsylvania Railroad
The Pennsylvania Railroad was an American Class I railroad, founded in 1846. Commonly referred to as the "Pennsy", the PRR was headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania....
, Penn Central Railroad Company, Conrail
Consolidated Rail Corporation
The Consolidated Rail Corporation, commonly known as Conrail , was the primary Class I railroad in the Northeast U.S. between 1976 and 1999. The federal government created it to take over the potentially profitable lines of bankrupt carriers, including the Penn Central Transportation Company and...
, and Norfolk Southern Railway
Norfolk Southern Railway
The Norfolk Southern Railway is a Class I railroad in the United States, owned by the Norfolk Southern Corporation. With headquarters in Norfolk, Virginia, the company operates 21,500 route miles in 22 eastern states, the District of Columbia and the province of Ontario, Canada...
. The line is now abandoned east of Hartford City, but still in place west of the city through Renner to Upland, Indiana
Upland, Indiana
Upland is a town in Jefferson Township, Grant County, Indiana, United States. The population was 3,845 at the 2010 census. It is most notable for being the home of Taylor University, a Christian college with 1,920 students, as of 2011.-History:...
.
Geography
Renner is located at in East Central IndianaEast Central Indiana
East Central Indiana is a region in Indiana east of Indianapolis, Indiana, and borders the Ohio state line.- Counties :*Blackford*Delaware*Hancock*Henry*Jay*Madison*Randolph*Wayne- County seats :*Anderson, Indiana-Madison...
, northwest of Hartford City
Hartford City, Indiana
Hartford City is a city in the U.S. state of Indiana, and the county seat of Blackford County. Located in the northeast central portion of the state, the small farming community experienced a 15-year “boom” beginning in the late 1880s...
. The northern half of Indiana, including what became Licking Township
Licking Township, Blackford County, Indiana
Licking Township is one of four townships in Blackford County, Indiana. As of the 2000 census, its population was 8,689. The township was named after Lick Creek and a salt lick in the area. The first settlers in what became Blackford County arrived in the Lick Creek area in...
and Renner, was flattened by two glacier
Glacier
A glacier is a large persistent body of ice that forms where the accumulation of snow exceeds its ablation over many years, often centuries. At least 0.1 km² in area and 50 m thick, but often much larger, a glacier slowly deforms and flows due to stresses induced by its weight...
s millions of years ago. These glaciers are also responsible for the rich Blackford County farmland. The region is still agriculture
Agriculture
Agriculture is the cultivation of animals, plants, fungi and other life forms for food, fiber, and other products used to sustain life. Agriculture was the key implement in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that nurtured the...
-oriented. Soybean
Soybean
The soybean or soya bean is a species of legume native to East Asia, widely grown for its edible bean which has numerous uses...
s and corn
Maize
Maize known in many English-speaking countries as corn or mielie/mealie, is a grain domesticated by indigenous peoples in Mesoamerica in prehistoric times. The leafy stalk produces ears which contain seeds called kernels. Though technically a grain, maize kernels are used in cooking as a vegetable...
are the most popular crops grown in Blackford County, and over 65000 acres (263 km²) are devoted to these two crops. Additional crops and livestock are also grown in the county. A farm still exists in the area, and can be seen via satellite, but the railroad station is gone.
Major highways
-
Interstate 69Interstate 69 in IndianaInterstate 69 presently exists in two discontinuous segments in Indiana. The original highway, completed in November 1971, runs northeast from the state capital of Indianapolis, to the city of Fort Wayne, and then proceeds north to the state of Michigan...
(approximately 7 miles (11.3 km) west)
Adjacent cities
- UplandUpland, IndianaUpland is a town in Jefferson Township, Grant County, Indiana, United States. The population was 3,845 at the 2010 census. It is most notable for being the home of Taylor University, a Christian college with 1,920 students, as of 2011.-History:...
(about 4 highway miles west) - Hartford CityHartford City, IndianaHartford City is a city in the U.S. state of Indiana, and the county seat of Blackford County. Located in the northeast central portion of the state, the small farming community experienced a 15-year “boom” beginning in the late 1880s...
(about 5 highway miles southeast) - Gas CityGas City, Indiana-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 5,940 people, 2,393 households, and 1,643 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,599.2 people per square mile . There were 2,497 housing units at an average density of 672.3 per square mile...
(about 10 highway miles west) - MarionMarion, IndianaMarion is a city in Grant County, Indiana, United States. The population was 29,948 as of the 2010 census. The city is the county seat of Grant County...
(about 18 highway miles northwest) - MuncieMuncie, IndianaMuncie is a city in Center Township, Delaware County in east central Indiana, best known as the home of Ball State University and the birthplace of the Ball Corporation. It is the principal city of the Muncie, Indiana, Metropolitan Statistical Area, which has a population of 118,769...
(about 26 highway miles southeast)
Climate
Renner has a typical MidwesternMidwestern United States
The Midwestern United States is one of the four U.S. geographic regions defined by the United States Census Bureau, providing an official definition of the American Midwest....
humid continental
Humid continental climate
A humid continental climate is a climatic region typified by large seasonal temperature differences, with warm to hot summers and cold winters....
seasonal climate. There are four distinct seasons, with winters being cold with moderate snow
Snow
Snow is a form of precipitation within the Earth's atmosphere in the form of crystalline water ice, consisting of a multitude of snowflakes that fall from clouds. Since snow is composed of small ice particles, it is a granular material. It has an open and therefore soft structure, unless packed by...
fall, while summers can be warm and humid. The highest average temperature for nearby Hartford City is in July at 84 °F (29 °C), while the lowest average temperature is in January at 18 °F (−8 °C). However, summer temperatures can top 90 °F (32 °C), and winter temperatures can drop below 0 °F (−17 °C). Average monthly precipitation ranges from about 2 to 4 inches (5 to 10 cm), with the heaviest occurring during June, July, and August. The highest recorded temperature for nearby Hartford City was 103.0 °F (39.0 °C) on June 25, 1988, and the lowest recorded temperature was −26.0 °F (−32.0 °C) on January 19, 1994.