In about 1830, settlers began arriving in and about the Koleen area and by 1840, it had become a little community located in Jackson Township.  The citizens requested a post office to be named Coleen, since so many residents were of Irish descent.  However, when the name came back, it had been named Koleen.  At that time, the small frontier village was put on the map by the Bedford, Springville, Owensburg, and Bloomfield Railroad Company, which was in the process of building a narrow gauge railroad between Bedford and Switz City running through Koleen.  Timber was plentiful in the area and a stave factory was established.  Linton coal fields demanded props for mine entries, railroads wanted ties to lay the tracks on, and hickory hoop poles were wanted for furniture.  Limestone products from Bedford and Oolitic were going west through Koleen and Linton coal was shipped east.  Several fine orchards shipped their products out by train as well.  From the beginning, the tunnel between Owensburg and Dresden (commonly known as Tunnel Hill) was a boondoggle.  It caved in many times and in 1935, the last train traveled through the tunnel, thus spelling doom for the Monon Line, as well as the community of Koleen.

Provided by Mildred “Milly” (Coleman) Uland