Many decades in America's past, as the motor car began to catch on, more roads were constructed, it was inevitable that the dirt/gravel/paved path meant for automobiles would cross the steel rails of the railroad.

In rural areas, where a road crossed tracks, a simple marking was installed, calling out to the motorist of the potential danger that lie ahead. Usually the familiar crossbuck which warned 'RAILROAD CROSSING' or a sign that sternly carried the phrase 'LOOK OUT FOR THE CARS'.

As a motorist approached urban, more densely populated areas, they could expect to see the same railroad crossing warning signs. As well as seeing mechanized crossing gates, hear a gong.

Devices all controlled by a person stationed at a railroad crossing, residing in a small building standing on tall legs. Sitting in his lofty lookout post, the crossing operator could spot trains as they approached. Then sound the gong, lower the gates just before a train arrived and crossed the street.

An example of an elevated railroad grade crossing shanty, this one was once located at Hohman Avenue and Willow, protecting motorists from the several separate rail lines that had once passed through this area--

At street level, we can also spot one, perhaps two small single-person buildings. Ground shanties contained the other half of the crossing protection team, the road flagman. Crossings with or without gates, the road flagman's responsibility was to carry a red flag or a handheld stop sign (swinging a red kerosene lantern at night), step out onto the street and stop vehicle traffic just before a passenger or freight train entered the right of way.

Elevated and ground railroad crossing shanties were once a very common sight in metropolitan areas across the nation. As fully automatic crossing mechanisms (gates, bells, flashing red lights) were perfected, having no dependence upon needing a human on the premises around the clock in order to activate/deactivate them? The idea of having a manually operated rail crossing quickly fell from favor. Shanties were decommissioned, razed, who can say what became of the railroad employees that used to staff these positions.

The City of Hammond used to host several crossing shanties, and, had clung to manual operation long after many other cities had opted for automated grade crossing protection. The shanty position at Hohman and Willow remained long after the other locations had been abandoned, a railroad/automobile anachronism yet nostalgic-romantic holdover that had hung on and lasted into the 1990's.

On the museum site, an example of a decommissioned railroad crossing shanty--