One of the Kendallville Public Library’s most popular programs is back…with a new look at Kendallville’s rail history.
On Saturday, March 20, at 1 p.m., railroad historian Craig Berndt will present a fascinating look at the five electric Interurban Railroads that converged in Fort Wayne, one that ran through Kendallville in the early 190’s.
Few interurbans survived the competition with automobiles and motor trucks, but their historical significance remains.
Berndt’s presentation will cover the five electric interurban railroads that converged at Fort Wayne. The endpoints of the lines when fully built were at Lafayette (reached Fort Wayne in 1902), Lima, Ohio (1905), Kendallville & Waterloo via Garrett (1906), Marion via Bluffton (1907), and Decatur (1907). They were built primarily to carry passengers, but also offered limited freight service.
Three of the five lines were eventually owned by the Indiana Service Corp. (ISC), and the other two lines were operated but not owned by ISC. The street car operations in many of the cities through which ISC’s lines operated, including Fort Wayne, were also owned by ISC.
Interurban services ended and the lines into Fort Wayne were abandoned piecemeal between 1932 and 1945. The last passenger train into Fort Wayne was in Jan. 1941. The line from Fort Wayne to Garrett operated from 1941 to 1945 primarily to deliver coal to the powerhouse in Fort Wayne.
Only one of the many interurban lines in Indiana is still in operation today: the Northern Indiana Commuter Transportation District (NICTD), which operates electric passenger service on the Chicago South Shore & South Bend Railroad between the named cities.
After moving into my house on Sargent St in Kendallville, I was removing a bush from my property and discovered some old glass bottles and a railroad track. Since we are located right along the tracks that run East and West thru town I thought it not totally strange. However, any old maps that I have seen do not indicate that a rail was placed that far to the North. I found the one rail and decayed ties so I measured the distance that another rail would be placed. Sure enough there was another rail. So there was a need for some cargo to go next to my home. The address is 203 Sargent...The big green house on the corner of State St. The rail is real close to my garage that is an old carriage house. I would appreciate any help that you can give me on this issue.
3.26 Copyright (C) 2008 Compojoom.com / Copyright (C) 2007 Alain Georgette / Copyright (C) 2006 Frantisek Hliva. All rights reserved."
Images
This photo of coach 326 was taken by Phillip Pepple. He was the interurban agent at Kendallville when he took this and several other photos in Kendallville and Auburn. This photo shows coach 326 in Kendallville, having just crossed State St. as it ran west toward the depot on Main St., where the Ford automobile dealer is now located. The track at left went to the freight depot, which was behind (east of) the passenger depot. Mr. Pepple took this in 1936, a few months before service to Kendallville, Avilla, Auburn, Waterloo and Garrett ended.
This photo of the power line repair car was taken in Garrett in 1915.
This photo of the powerhouse in Kendallville was from a c.1910 postcard. The view is looking north. The car repair barn is at left and the powerhouse on the right.
Gladys (Grosh) Hinkley, William’s mother was a secretary for the Ft. Wayne & Northwestern Interurban Co. at their office in the old opera house, Kendallville. Gladys posed for several fashion shots around the powerhouse and on various interurban cars, c.1920, when Gladys was 20 years old.
Gladys (Grosh) Hinkley, William’s mother was a secretary for the Ft. Wayne & Northwestern Interurban Co. at their office in the old opera house, Kendallville. Gladys posed for several fashion shots around the powerhouse and on various interurban cars, c.1920, when Gladys was 20 years old.
The woman at the depot in Avilla is Hilda Munger (later Haines). The man is unknown. This view is the south side of the building, taken from Albion St., c.1915.
