A Look Back at the Old Indiana Northern

For New Years we wanted to take a look backwards in time, as well as into the future for AIRS and #4. This map from the AIRS archives shows the Indiana Northern Railway in 1916 for a valuation report by the Interstate Commerce Commission. While just a simplified view (only showing the I.N.'s "mainline" tracks) it gives a pretty good idea of the layout of the railroad as it once was in South Bend, Indiana. Barely stretching a mile north to south, by the 1940s the I.N. had nearly four miles of track. This would expand to over 7 miles by the 1950s. In the northern section was the vast complex of the Oliver Chilled Plow Works- the parent company of the I.N.

1916 Map of the Indiana Northern Railway from an ICC valuation report.

From the 1870s to the 1960s Oliver produced hundreds of thousands of plows and other farming equipment to meet the needs of the agricultural industry. Motivated by high shipping rates and poor service by existing railroads, in 1891 James Oliver chartered the Indiana Northern RR so that the plow works could provide its own rail service and switching chores. Because of Oliver's location nearby multiple railroads, they established interchanges between the I.N. and the others to take advantage of whichever one happened to offer the most competitive rates at the time. When the Oliver plant was built in the 1870s, it sat on the outskirts of South Bend. The surrounding land was mostly open fields, but by the time that the I.N. started operation this had changed. As the area developed, the railroad also expanded to meet nearby businesses' needs.

An artistic impression of the Oliver Chilled Plow Works in South Bend, Indiana c.a. 1900. From the collection of the Center for History Archives, South Bend, Indiana.

One of these was the Wilson Brothers Shirt Factory, which on the map was southeast of where the I.N. crossed West Sample Street. The I.N. (and later the NJI&I after they bought the I.N.) eventually served the factory, which was built on land sold to them by James Oliver in 1887, up until it was closed in 1975. The Wilson Bros. Shirt Factory only partially still stands in a state of ruin, after years of material salvage and a fire in 2019 which destroyed much of the complex.

Other businesses served by the I.N. in 1916 included the Sanders & Egbert saw mill/lumber yard, N.P. Bowser feed mill manufacturer, and more. As the I.N. continued to expand in the coming years, so too did their list of customers (including later, Studebaker Automobile).

Photo of the Wilson Brothers Shirt Factory from 1926. This view was taken from W. Sample St. facing southeast. The I.N. RY crossing would have been a short distance behind the photographer.

We also wanted to provide a look at the latest with the work on #4’s cab. Heading into the end of 2022, we finally cleared the $4,000 mark towards the $6,000 required for the cab’s restoration.

Just $2,000 to go!

Work has already begun in earnest on this project. The process of documenting and removing old and rotted material to be repaired or replaced is nearly complete. This is the point at which we prepare for the metal work to be done- this includes replacement of the cab rain gutters, and patching the lower portions of the back wall.

We recently posted a video covering what work is cut out for us in the immediate future, you can find it, and subscribe to our YouTube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s77kvN7wsDc

Removing what is left of the rain gutters on the roof of #4’s cab. They will be replaced with new metal.

The bottom six inches of the cab’s rear wall have been cut out and are soon to be patched with new material.

Remember that thanks to your generous contributions, we have been able to come this far- and with your continued support we can bring the cab back into like-new conditions! Please consider ringing in the new year with a tax-deductible donation to AIRS and #4 to help keep things moving.