localremnants

Former Wabash Railroad freight station

historynut11 — Mon, 20 May 2013 01:18:19 +0000

The Wabash Railroad once passed through Huntington in Huntington County. Shown is a building that used to be a freight station for the Wabash. It is now the Pizza Junction Cafe. Nearby is the county historical museum and the downtown area. The railroad line is still active today and is used by Norfolk Southern RR. A freight train came through about the time this photo was taken.

Church in Waterford Mills

historynut11 — Sun, 12 May 2013 22:55:39 +0000

Likely hundreds if not thousands of automobiles pass through the small unincorporated community of Waterford Mills in Elkhart County everyday. It is just south of Goshen. Many may not know the history of the community though, such as this old church on State Road 15. It was originally built in 1853 and known then as the Christian Church. It looks roughly the same as it first did with a few exceptions and is still used as a church now. State Road 15 through here was originally known as the Logansport-White Pigeon State Road and was platted in the 1830s.

Railroad whistle marker

historynut11 — Sun, 05 May 2013 22:56:39 +0000

Whistle markers are used on railroad lines to let train engineers know they need to sound the locomotive horn. In the days of steam locomotives it sounded more like a whistle. Here is an older concrete whistle marker on a main line of Norfolk Southern paralleling U.S. 33 in Goshen near Greene Road. Most of the concrete markers in this area anyway have been replaced by something like what is right next to it in the photo. Some concrete markers can be found on abandoned railroad lines.

Former Ebenezer Brown farm

historynut11 — Mon, 29 Apr 2013 01:33:23 +0000

On County Road 22, historic itself, just northeast of Goshen in Elkhart Township there is a historic farmhouse. The house was originally built in 1834 by Ebenezer Brown in the Greek Revival style. After the Brown family came to Elkhart County from New York, Ebenezer was active in local politics including serving as county sheriff. Near the farmhouse at one time was the old Pumpkinvine Railroad.

Former Churn and Ladder building

historynut11 — Sun, 21 Apr 2013 23:00:47 +0000

The building closest to the camera was in the local news a few weeks ago as it was significantly damaged in a fire. Along with the building in the background, it was part of the Goshen Churn and Ladder Company on Lincoln Avenue in Goshen, just east of the railroad tracks. Churn and Ladder was a major employer for many years and closed several years ago. The photo was taken last summer and the owner of the building told the newspaper he will have it completely demolished.

Studebaker Cemetery in Goshen

historynut11 — Sun, 14 Apr 2013 22:54:26 +0000

Studebaker Cemetery in Goshen has no sign indicating it is a cemetery and there is no fence around it. There are also no tombstones left standing. A couple of broken grave markers can be found if you take the time to look for them. Other than that it is simply a grassy small hill just off the banks of the Elkhart River behind the Twin Pines Mobile Home Park off West Wilden Avenue in Goshen, Elkhart County. Fortunately there is documentation on some of the people buried there. Sadly, though, there are no visible reminders.

Brick driveway in Oakridge Cemetery

historynut11 — Sun, 07 Apr 2013 22:56:53 +0000

An old brick driveway in the Oakridge Cemetery, Goshen, Elkhart County, used to be part of an actual platted roadway. Today it is a drive coming off Wilden Avenue, but it was formerly connected to North Street. Old maps prove this. North Street crossed the railroad tracks just barely out of view in the photo. The street no longer exists and the brick drive stops short of the RR tracks. The fact it is a brick drive indicates it was built at least prior to the 1920s. Many RR crossings were eliminated as safety became a greater concern.

Abandoned Wabash Railroad bridge

historynut11 — Sun, 31 Mar 2013 22:36:27 +0000

The long defunct Wabash Railroad crossed Elkhart County on its way west to Chicago. Between the small communities of Benton and New Paris in Benton Township it crossed the Elkhart River. Shown are the remnants of a wooden railroad bridge. Beautifully designed, it was likely originally built in the 1890s when the tracks were first laid in the county. The railroad line was abandoned by the early 1980s.

Old State Road 15 alignment

historynut11 — Sun, 24 Mar 2013 22:35:14 +0000

State road alignments have changed through time for various reasons including, among others, to account for the increase in speed of automobiles. In the late 1920s and early 1930s many state highways in Indiana were either newly built or an existing road was upgraded. Shown is an old alignment of State Road 15 just north of Goshen in Elkhart County. This view is standing on the old road facing south toward the current SR 15. A Church of Christ is barely visible in the background.

Site of one-room schoolhouse in Elkhart County

historynut11 — Sun, 17 Mar 2013 20:52:23 +0000

Admittedly, nothing stands out about this photo of the southwest corner of county roads 19 and 36 in Elkhart County. But the Michael School, a one-room schoolhouse, used to stand there. In about 1880 a brick building was built on the site. It remained a school until sometime in the 1920s. A wood frame school was built in the 1850s on the northwest corner of the same intersection. The school was named after Paul Michael who once owned the land the school was located on.