Description
The striking Happy Hollow ravine began forming after the most recent Ice Age. Torrents of water from the melting glaciers wove their way across the glacial till, carving deep ravines. The main path would become the Wabash River. Lateral ravines, such as Happy Hollow, fed into the Wabash River Valley. Water from the uplands continues to carve the Happy Hollow ravine as it heads to the river. In 1896, the Happy Hollow ravine was chosen as the trolley route from Lafayette to the Indiana State Soldiers Home. The one-mile stretch through the ravine gained a 200-foot elevation and required trestles, fills and cuts. The route was later abandoned in favor of the easier route along the Wabash River.
