Question From Phil T.

We are sorry for delaying this post. It has been kind of busy on our end. (SEE FOOTNOTE TOO)

So on to Phil’s question.

• Q. I am curious about two things: Is the bridge into town still closed from the floods a couple of years ago, or is it fixed now?Also, I was looking through the photo gallery on your website, which is great, by the way, and I saw a picture that you called Redman Hall. What is wrong with this building that it is going to be demolished?
• A. Thanks Phil. I will do my best on this one. Anybody may correct me if I am wrong.

Redman Hall, built in 1903 was at one time a place where Masons met (the fraternal order) as well as other meetings and events took place within . I “snuck” in one time before moving here and saw that the floor is buckled really bad and it is falling apart. It is quite unsafe to say the least. I “heard” about 4 years ago that some day the building will be demolished due to the dangers. I have taken pictures of it many times and it took me forever to figure out that the building tilts quite a bit. I always thought it was me holding the camera crooked.

As for the bridge (Wes Smith Bridge). Yes, it was closed for a week or two after the big flood until FEMA could check it out and an inspection was done underneath to make sure it was safe to cross. Parts of the bridge were filled in (on the road) as it was washed out and giving way. The only other way in to town was Reiter Road. Ahhhhh, but the bridge open shortly after the flood and life returned to normal, or as normal as it gets in a “big town” like ours. By the way, the flood waters under the railroad bridge were 8+ feet, so you can see that a lot of water was rushing under the Wes Smith Bridge as well as over the top of it.

FOOTNOTE: I had somehow put in REDMOND HALL. That’s what happens when you work 14 hours on 3 different sites. We got an email from Julie S. pointing this out as well as a few other things which follow. Thanks Julie.

I enjoy your website…thank you for all the effort! I wanted to make a correction to something that I read on your site. The large red building that was being discussed recently is not the Redmond Hall. It is the old meeting place of The Improved Order of Red Men and the Degree of Pocahontas, a ladies auxiliary of the Improved Order of Red
Men. I have lived in Index long enough to remember many community functions held in that building to include regular bingo games where a lucky person could win delicious homemade pies. Thanks!

PS from webmaster: I did hear that the hall was used for Masonic meetings at some point also.