In southern Wells County, there’s a spot where five old roads come together. It’s home to a pair of intriguing old structures: a two-story schoolhouse and a surprising old truss bridge. 

My Quaker ancestors lived in southwestern Henry County. Helping my mom piece together their story has drawn me to Raysville time and again, and I’ve always been struck by the perplexing Star Boulevard just east of town. Its narrow, curving lane splits off from the old National Road only to vanish into a pair of disconnected segments. Was it an old alignment of an early highway? A forgotten interurban line? Perhaps the road was something else entirely. Besides that, how’d the street get its unusual name? Why’s it in two pieces? Needless to say, I’ve wondered about Star Boulevard for years.

My mom and I were exploring the backroads on our way from Muncie to Tipton a few weeks ago when we passed through the town of Frankton. As we drove, Mom pointed out a weathered train station on Lafayette Avenue she’d been past before. I wasn’t sure what would come of them, but I snapped a couple of quick photos. A few weeks later, I was excited to hear a radio report that the station would be saved! Thankfully, Frankton’s forgotten relic has a future.