As early as 1902, East Central Indiana was well-connected by rail. The Chesapeake & Ohio Railway (C&O) purchased the line after it was extended to Chicago. While the railway was well used in the first twenty years, it experienced a sharp decline after the 1920s, as passengers began relying on automobiles. Sleeping cars were discontinued in the early 1930s, and by the 1980s, C&O's successor, the Chessie System had diverted even the remaining freight traffic to other lines. The track between Muncie and Richmond was removed in 1993 and the first portion of a statewide recreational trail system was established. The Cardinal Greenway, a not-for-profit organization, began trail construction in 1998 and now oversees the operation of the Cardinal Greenway Trail.
Sea Reach assisted with the design and fabrication of the identity signs, trailhead maps, and trailside interpretive exhibits for the five trail segments of the Cardinal Greenway. The signs are unique to each trail segment, yet bear a common resemblance that creates an identity for the Greenway as a whole. To support this five-year effort, Sea Reach produced a detailed maintenance guide for ourselves and the Cardinal Greenway, outlining the products of each phase.
