USA > Indiana > St Joseph County > A history of St. Joseph County, Indiana, Volume 1 > Part 41
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Sec. 2 .- THE MICHIGAN CENTRAL .- In 1867 a company was formed at Jackson, Michigan, designed to aid in extending the Grand Trunk railroad through Michigan and Indiana to Chicago. The first plan contemplated going by way of Niles, and then by the most direct line to Chicago. This would have left South Bend out. The name of the company was afterwards changed to the Michigan Air Line railroad company, and under this name it be- gan work. A lack of funds however eom- pelled the company in 1869 to lease its road
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to the Michigan Central railroad company. The Air Line road was then rapidly com- pleted from Jackson to Niles. An Indiana company was next formed to extend the Air Line to South Bend. To this project the city of South Bend extended its financial aid by subscribing for twenty-five thousand dol- lars of the capital stock. The Michigan Cen- tral leased this South Bend branch also, and thus the Michigan Central system reached South Bend early in the year 1870. Thomas S. Stanfield was also the force that secured this extension of the Michigan Central to our county. It is said that for years this ten mile branch from South Bend to Niles was the most profitable ten miles of road in the whole Michigan Central system.
Sec. 3 .- THE GRAND TRUNK .- But the peo- ple of St. Joseph county, led by Judge Stan- field. were not satisfied without making further efforts to secure the passage of the Grand Trunk extension through Mishawaka and South Bend. Several distinct companies were formed with this project in view .- first, a company known as the Port Huron & Lake Michigan railway company, to build the road from Port Huron to Flint, Michigan ; second, a company called the Peninsular railway com- pany, to build the road from Lansing by way of Battle Creek to the Indiana line; third. an Indiana company, to build the road from the Michigan line by Mishawaka, South Bend and Valparaiso to the Illinois line; fourth, an Illinois company to extend the road to Chi- cago; and, fifth, a company to build the gap in the road from Flint to Lansing, thus com- pleting the road from the Grand Trunk, at Port Huron, to Chicago. These several com- panies were consolidated under the name of the Chicago & Lake Huron railway company. The companies were all weak financially and the building of so great a stretch of railroad was too much for their scant treasuries aided by all the credit that could be obtained. The result was that the road was for a long time operated by a receiver. In 1879 the Grand Trunk of Canada became satisfied that it
needed this poor insolvent road, in order to secure connection with Chicago and the great northwest. The road from Port Huron to Chicago, by way of Mishawaka and South Bend, thus became a part of the Grand Trunk system, one of the great railroads connecting Montreal, New York and the east with Chi- cago and the northwest.
Sec. 4 .- THE DIVISION STREET INCIDENT .- A painful episode connected with the build- ing of the Grand Trunk road through South Bend is the wrong done the residents of Divi- sion street in that city. By an ordinance passed through the common council March 2, 1868, the "Peninsular Railway Company of Indiana" had been authorized to lay its rail- road tracks on Divison street. This was done without any consent from the people on the street. Division street was then one of the most pleasant of the residence streets of South Bend, and the citizens living along that street were bitterly opposed to having their beau- tiful homes blackened with smoke and dis- turbed with the rumblings of trains and the shrieking of locomotives day and night,-to say nothing of the practical closing of the street' to public travel and the endangering of the lives of their families by the incessant passage of trains. The railroad authorities, on the other hand, and the people of the county generally, while acknowledging the injustice done the residents of Division street, were yet extremely desirous of having the track laid through the city, so that the great enterprise should be completed on to Chi- cago. Each party waited anxiously for the outcome. On August the 31st, 1871, the rail- road company, having finished the bridge over the St. Joseph river and collected all materials needed for laying the ties and rails, gathered a large force of men and laid their track through the city along the devoted street. and then ran their locomotives and cars over the line, in the face of the angry protests of the residents. Litigation at once followed and has not been ended even to this day. It is very probable that the company have
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long since realized that they did not only an unjust, but also an impolitie thing, in thus foreing their way along Division street, against the united and persistent opposition of the people. Notwithstanding the acknowl- edged benefit of the Grand Trunk road to South Bend and St. Joseph county. the peo- ple have never warmed to the company on account of the great injustice done in the first instanee. Through sympathy, the large ma- jority of the people have adopted as their own the cause of their wronged fellow eiti- zens on Division street. It would have been much better for the company to have gone through the city on a line near to the Lake Shore railroad and in territory already de- voted to railroad uses. This lesson, now so evident, has however been learned too late. The wrong has been done, and it is not easy to see how it may be repaired. It is but another illustration of the truth, that the end can never justify the means. An ad- vantage, however great, is too dearly bought when purchased by an aet of ernelty or in- justice.
Sec. 5 .- OTHER RAILROADS .- What was done for South Bend, Mishawaka, Osceola, New Carlisle and the northern part of the county by the bringing here of the great lines of the Lake Shore, Michigan Central and Grand Trunk, was done for Walkerton and the south west part of the county by the building of what has long been known as the Lake Erie & Western railroad, connecting Laporte and Michigan City with Indianapolis; and also the Baltimore & Ohio road, connecting Wash- ington City. Baltimore and other eastern points with the city of Chicago.
An enterprise of the greatest value to the people of the county was the extension in 1884 and 1885, of the Vandalia railroad system from Logansport, by way of Lake Maxin- kuckee, Plymouth and Lakeville, to South Bend. This road brought us into direct con- nection with Terre Haute. Evansville, St. Louis and the Indiana eoal region. It was a most desirable acquisition, and came to us
with the good will of all the people but with- out special effort on the part of any one. The coming of the Vandalia is of particular interest from the circumstance that it was the first distinctive indication that our manu- factures and other local interests had become an inducement for the outside world to seek our market. We had no longer any need our- selves to seek connections with the trade een- ters and great thoroughfares of the country. Henceforth they were to seek us rather than wait for ns to seek them.
A like acquisition was the voluntary eom- ing to South Bend, by way of Walkerton and North Liberty of the Three I railroad, or, as it is often called, the Chicago belt line. This road gives to our manufacturers and mer- chants direet connection with practically every railroad entering Chieago. The Three I is distinetively a freight railroad, perhaps the most successful of its kind in the country. It has sinee passed under control of the Lake Shore railroad company, but still maintains its characteristie feature as a freight rail- road; although its passenger business is not neglected. The Three I and the Vandalia railroads have been of inestimable local benefit to the people of St. Joseph county, by bring- ing the county seat and the other northern towns into elose connection with Lakeville. North Liberty. Walkerton and all the other southern parts of the county. Literally, we are all now closely drawn together by bands of steel: and this more intimate union of all sections has made every inhabitant prouder of his citizenship of St. Joseph county.
Still another railroad, the northern line of the Wabash system, extends through the south part of the county, passing through Wyatt, Lakeville and North Liberty, and giving di- rect connection with Toledo and Cleveland on the east and with Chicago on the west.
The St. Joseph & Southern, now operated by the Michigan Central gives direct con- nection with the Michigan fruit belt and the pleasure resorts at St. Joseph and other
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points on the southeastern shore of Lake Michigan.
Another freight railroad is the New Jersey, Indiana & Illinois railroad. connecting with the Wabash near Lakeville and extending into the factory district of South Bend.
The Studebaker and Oliver factories also own short freight lines connecting with all lines entering South Bend. These private lines are used for the purpose of facilitating shipments from the respective factories to the great railroads.
Sec. 6 .- RAILROAD ACCIDENTS .- Consider- ing the great railroad mileage in St. Joseph county, including street railways and interur- ban roads as well as steam railroads, the number of railroad accidents have been few and the loss and injury to persons and property has been little. The most serious railroad accident that ever occurred in the county took place on the night of June 27, 1859, when the night express from Chicago, on the Lake Shore road, was wrecked at Springbrook culvert, about half way between South Bend and Mishawaka. Springbrook is a very small stream, being indeed for the greater part of the time a dry ravine. Ac- cordingly, when the culvert was being put in over the brook, the railroad company thought it only necessary to build a small one, such as would be put over an ordinary ditch run- ning through any low ground. At the time the neighboring farmers warned the men en- gaged on the work that the culvert, while suf- ficient for ordinary stages of the little stream, would in case of an extraordinary freshet be totally inadequate to carry the waters that would rush through the ravine on their way to the St. Joseph river; and they instanced one such freshet which had come down from the hills on the south in the year 1841. The warning was not heeded; and on the fateful 27th of June, 1859, the lives of many pas- sengers paid the penalty for the negligence of those who put in the culvert. On the after- noon and evening of that day there had been a great downpour of rain. The brook be-
came a raging torrent; and, choking up the little culvert with earth and debris, the waters rose to the level of the track, and so water-soaked the road bed and weakened the culvert, that the train, rushing on in the darkness, with its load of sleeping passengers, plunged into this valley of death. Some were killed in the coaches; while others were drowned in the rushing waters. How many were lost is unknown. There were about one hundred and fifty passengers on the train. In a few minutes the waters, released by the breaking away of the culvert. all passed off to the river ; and many were thus saved from drowning. On the next morning, a beautiful June morning, the towns of South Bend and Mishawaka awoke to a knowledge of the most dreadful accident, and loss of life, that had ever happened in our vicinity. The culvert was then built large and strong; and very few of the thousands who have since enjoyed the pleasures of Springbrook park, when looking upon the substantial masonry over the ravine, ever have a thought of the hapless lives that went out there on that fearful night in June, long years ago.
IV. STREET RAILWAYS AND INTERURBANS.
Sec. 1 .- THE SOUTH BEND CITY RAILWAY. -As early as June 23, 1873, the "South Bend Street Railway Company" was incor- porated. the incorporators being John R. Foster, Joseph B. Arnold, Jr., Jacob Wool- verton, Alexis Coquillard and Henry B. Hine. On September 18, 1880, the first franchise was granted by the common council. Many subsequent ordinances in modification of this original ordinance were passed by the city council. At first. all motive power for the propulsion of cars except that of horses or mules was prohibited. Afterwards, the pro- hibition was removed as to all power except that of steam. A fear seems to have existed that the street railway companies would run their cars by railroad locomotives. One or- dinance expressly required that only animal power should be employed, except that elec-
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tricity might be used on Michigan street. In 1882, under this permission, the use of the overhead or trolley system was attempted,- for the first time, it is said, in the history of street railways. The attempt as then made was unsuccessful; the cars could be moved only for a part of a block, and would then come to a stop by failure of the electric power. It seems that the electric fluid be- came dissipated in the earth as fast as sup- plied from the power house. In time this de- fect was remedied, and the trolley system took the place of animal power and also, in most instances. of the cable and every other mode of propulsion ; but the claim of South Bend to the distinction of being the place where the use of electric power for street cars was first attempted has not been questioned.
Sec. 2 .- THE SOUTH BEND AND MISHAWAKA RAILWAY .- Although the South Bend street railway was almost a failure from the be- ginning, yet that did not seem to discourage the projectors and others who were disposed to follow in their footsteps. Instinctively, there seemed a conviction that street railways must ultimately become successful. On De- cember 11. 1882, a franchise was granted to the South Bend & Mishawaka street railway company to construct a street railway be- tween the two towns, then a distance of about four miles apart. As the greater part of this distance was without the limits of both towns, it was necessary for the company to obtain a franchise from the county commissioners to use the public highway. This was granted by the board. Soon after the building of this line there was some dissatisfaction shown by the public by reason of the obstruction to travel caused by the manner in which the company had exercises its franchise. This dissatisfaction finally resulted in an action in the circuit court, brought by the county com- missioners to compel the company to comply with the terms of its contract. The suit was decided in the circuit court against the county commissioners; but that body at once ap- pealed to the supreme court and secured a
reversal of the decision, finally compelling the company to take up a large part of the track and re-lay it in compliance with the terms of its franchise." Notwithstanding these and other reverses, the Mishawaka line seems to have been worked at a profit; and when the South Bend city railway and the South Bend & Mishawaka street railway became the property of a single company, it was the Mishawaka line that sustained the life of the double enterprise until the time came when a new corporation, with abundant capital, be- came the owner of all the lines under all the charters, and at once and for the first time made the street railway business in St. Joseph county a complete successful enterprise.
Sec. 3 .- THE INDIANA RAILWAY .- In 1899 the Indiana railway company was organ- ized. with Arthur Kennedy as president and J. MeMI. Smith as vice-president and general manager. This company at once became the owner of the South Bend street railway, the South Bend & Mishawaka line, the Elkhart street railway and the Goshen railway line. The construction of the South Bend, Misha- waka, Elkhart & Goshen interurban railway thereafter followed, and very soon proved to be one of the most excellent interurban lines in the state. Power houses were erected at South Bend and Osceola, in St. Joseph county, and at Dunlaps, in Elkhart county. Spring- brook park, on the St. Joseph river between South Bend and. Mishawaka, which had ac- quired some reputation as a pleasure resort in connection with the old South Bend & Mishawaka line, was now greatly improved and speedily became one of the most fre- quented places of amusement in northern In- diana. For the first time the people of South Bend, Mishawaka and the surrounding country learned what it was to have a first class street railway and interurban sys- tem.
But the Indiana railway company was evi- dently ambitions of still greater things. Franchises were procured to extend the lines a. Board v. South Bend &c. R. Co., 118 Ind. 68.
16
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HISTORY OF ST. JOSEPHI COUNTY.
to Laporte and Michigan City, and the lines at Michigan City and Laporte were pur- chased. The company also lent its aid to the formation of another interurban company which should build by the way of Niles to the city of St. Joseph on Lake Michigan. The new company, known as the South Bend & Southern railway company, received a fran- chise from the city of South Bend on July 28. 1902; and in an incredibly short time the interurban from South Bend by way of Niles and Berrien Springs to St. Joseph was in full operation.
Sec. 4 .- THE CHICAGO, SOUTH BEND &
owners in all the street railways and inter- urbans going out in every direction from In- dianapolis. They had the experience, ability and wealth needed to make South Bend a second traction center, little if at all inferior to that at Indianapolis. The new company, known as the Chicago, South Bend & Northern Indiana railway company, already shows a purpose to accomplish this end. Preparations are under way to reach Winona and Logansport on the south and thus connect with the Indianapolis system. Still more definitely is the pur- pose shown to exercise the franchise for
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LOVER'S LANE, SPRINGBROOK PARK.
NORTHERN INDIANA RAILWAY .- In the midst of its great enterprises the Northern Indiana became aware that it had undertaken too much, even for its great enterprise and generous treasury. It is to the credit of the stockholders and managers of the company that they discovered their limitations in time. In 1906, a sale of all the Indiana railway property was made to a powerful street rail- way syndicate, represented locally by those worthy and successful business men, James Murdock and his sons Charles Murdock and Samuel T. Murdock, of Lafayette, Indiana. These gentlemen were already large traction
completing the lines to Laporte and Michi- gan City, and from these points ultimately to Chicago. For western St. Joseph county, New Carlisle and all the surrounding terri- tory this interurban extension will be a great blessing, giving the people ready access to South Bend as well as to other east and west centers of trade and population, and thus bringing the eastern and western parts of our county into closer union.
Sec. 5 .- THE SOUTHERN MICHIGAN RAIL- WAY .- The South Bend & Southern Michigan interurban, connecting with St. Mary's, Bertrand, Niles, Berrien Springs, St.
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Joseph and Lake Michigan, and known as the Southern Michigan railway com- pany, has already become a popular and profitable line. The Michigan fruit belt, the fine scenery along the lower St. Joseph and the many beautiful pleasure resorts on Lake Michigan, are thus brought to our door. A casual view into the future brings us in sight of Kalamazoo, Grand Rapids and all southwestern Michigan.
Sec. 6 .- THE CHICAGO, LAKE SHORE & SOUTH BEND LINE .- Many other interurban lines are in contemplation by enterprising business men who see the bright future that is certainly awaiting the development of South Bend, Mishawaka and all the St. Jo- seph valley. One of these lines, at first called the Chieago & Indiana Air Line, but since named the Chicago, Lake Shore & South Bend railway, received a franchise from the city of South Bend, and also from the board of county commissioners of St. Joseph county, in 1903, and has already built many miles of its line between South Bend and Chicago. This line, when completed, is to be one of the great interurbans of the country, conneet- ing Buffalo, by way of Cleveland, Toledo and South Bend, with Chicago.
V. TELEGRAPHIS AND TELEPHONES.
See. 1 .- THE WESTERN UNION .- The first movement for the erection of a telegraph line through northern Indiana were made in 1847. There was an effort at that time to construet a line of telegraph from Buffalo to Milwaukee. The feasibility and advantage of the tele- graph were not then generally appreciated and moneyed men were slow to invest in the enterprise. The appeal was therefore rather made to the enterprise of the people generally than to the cupidity of investors. South Bend was asked to furnish two thousand dollars towards the building of the line. and to the credit of the enterprising citizens of that day be it said that the money was at once sub- seribed. But subscriptions were not so readily made along the line. Chicago, strange to say,
refused to give any aid to the enterprise, and the promoters were forced to abandon the project for the time.
After a while, however, the people began to realize that the telegraph was to prove a success, and the necessary means to build the line were fortheoming. Early in the year 1848 the line was completed, and the people of St. Joseph county were among the first to be in instantaneous communication with the whole country.
Sec. 2 .- THE POSTAL .- The telegraph was not only a great convenience for the people who made use of it, but was a source of wealth for its owners. Many new companies were therefore formed from time to time, and sought to partake of the profits that resuited from the business. In 1880, the American Union Telegraph eompany was granted a, franchise ; and in 1881 the same favor was ex- tended to the Mutual Union Telegraph com-
pany. On December 11, 1882, the Postal Tele- graph company was authorized to erect its poles and wires in the city of South Bend. The Postal and the Western Union have both become great and successful through lines of communication to all parts of the world.
Sec. 3 .- THE CENTRAL UNION .- After the telegraph came the telephone; men were en- abled instantaneously not only to write afar off, but also to talk afar off. In March, 1880, the South Bend Telephone exchange was au- thorized to erect poles and wires; and almost immediately thereafter the lines were extended to Mishawaka and other points, until every town and hundreds of farm houses were in communication with every other place in the county and in surrounding counties.
In 1889 the Central Union telephone com- pany was authorized to do business; and in 1893 the American Telegraph and Telephone, or Long Distance, company extended its poles through the county, on the line from New York to Chicago. Other telephone companies came into the county from time to time, and, for different reasons. failed to maintain their organizations.
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HISTORY OF ST. JOSEPHI COUNTY.
Sec. 4 .- THE HOME .- In December, 1901, however, the Home telephone company re- ceived a franchise and began at once to grow into a strong and well conducted establish- ment, with telephonic connections throughout the state and adjacent territory. The Central Union and the Home telephone companies, with their long distance connections, give to every section of the county ready communi- cation with all parts of the country.
Sec. 5 .- THE OLD AND THE NEW .- So has it come to pass that every section of St. .Joseph county, which for its communication with the outside world once depended upon the uncertain navigation of the Kankakee and the St. Joseph, and upon the ill-conditioned wagon roads or pony pathways through the wilderness, now has its graveled highways in every direction, its hourly railroad and inter- urban connections, and its instant communi- cations by telegraph and telephone. It is a marvel which we fail adequately to appreci- ate, that all this magie transformation has come to us within the space of seventy-five years.
Perhaps the change in our facilities for connection with the outside world may be the more vividly realized by the reading of the following quotation from the prospectus of "The St. Joseph Bea- con and Indiana and Michigan Intelli- gencer," a paper published at South Bend by John D. and Joseph H. Defrees. This prospectus was printed in the "Beacon" under date of May 23, 1832.ยช
"In establishing a newspaper in so new a country as this," say the publishers, "we knew that we had many difficulties to en- counter; many deprivations which are not known in the old and densely populated parts of the 'West,' with which to contend. One main difficulty when we commenced was the
want of mails. People were not willing to suberibe without being certain of receiving their papers regularly. This difficulty has been greatly remedied since the first number was issued. There is now a mail twice a week to Fort Wayne; twiee a week to Detroit, via Niles; and once a week to Chicago-besides several others will yet be established ;- thus giving the people throughout the whole St. Joseph country an opportunity of regularly receiving the papers. This, then, can be no longer urged against subscribing for so valu- able an acquisition to every family as a week- ly newspaper. The inhabitants of the St. Joseph country should support a paper somewhere within its limits. The interests of the whole country are so closely connected that it can make no difference whether it is published in Indiana or Michigan."
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