From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

City of South Bend, Indiana
South Bend from above
Flag Seal
Location in the state of Indiana
Coordinates: 41°40′21″N 86°15′19″W / 41.6725, -86.25528
Country	United States
State	Indiana
County	St. Joseph
Government
- Mayor	Stephen Luecke
Area
- Total	39.1 sq mi (101.3 km²)
- Land	38.7 sq mi (100.2 km²)
- Water	0.4 sq mi (1.1 km²)
Elevation	692 ft (211 m)
Population (2000)
- Total	107,789
- Density	2,786.6/sq mi (1,075.9/km²)
Time zone	EST (UTC-5)
- Summer (DST)	EDT (UTC-4)
ZIP codes	46600-46699
Area code(s)	574
FIPS code	18-71000GR2
GNIS feature ID	0452796GR3
Website: www.southbendin.gov

South Bend is a city in St. Joseph County, Indiana, United States. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total of 107,789 residents; its metropolitan area had a population of 316,663. It is the fourth largest city in Indiana and county seat of St. Joseph County^GR6. It is the economic and cultural hub of the region commonly known as Michiana, and is best known as the home of the University of Notre Dame.

South Bend lies along the Indiana Toll Road at the south most turn in the St. Joseph River, from which it derives its name. The area was originally settled in the early 19th century by fur traders, and established as a city in 1865. The St. Joseph River shaped South Bend's economy through the mid 20th century. River access led to heavy industrial development that peaked with Studebaker being based out of the city, along with Oliver Chilled Plow Company and several other industrial companies.

The population of South Bend has steadily declined since its peak at around 133,000 in the 1960s. This is in large part to the demise of Studebaker and other heavy industry. Today, the largest industries in South Bend are health care, education, and small businesses. A large tourism sector also exists, mainly supported by the University of Notre Dame. Despite the decrease in population, South Bend still remains the focal point for Michiana, with the second busiest airport in Indiana, interurban rail service to downtown Chicago, and several large businesses including Crowe Chizek and AM General.

Contents 1 History 1.1 Nineteenth Century 1.2 Twentieth Century 1.3 Twenty-first Century 2 Geography 2.1 Climate 3 Demographics 4 Economy 5 Arts and culture 5.1 Museums, arts and entertainment 6 Sports 7 Parks and recreation 8 Government 9 Education 9.1 Higher education 9.2 K-12 10 Media 10.1 Printed media 10.2 Radio 10.3 Television 11 Infrastructure 11.1 Transportation 12 See also 13 Sister Cities 14 References 15 External links

The first settlements in the current South Bend area were established as fur trading posts. The first westerner to make permanent settlement was Pierre Frieschutz Navarre in 1820. Navarre arrived on behalf of the American Fur Company. His home was not far from what would become downtown South Bend.^[1] Alexis Conquillard, another agent of the American Fur Company, passed through South Bend in 1823 and returned in 1824 with his family to make it his home.^[1][2] At the time, the post was known as Big St. Joseph Station. In 1827, Lathrop Minor Talyor established a post for Samuel Hanna and Company. The area soon became known as St. Joseph’s, Indiana as recorded in the Samuel Hanna and Company records.^[2] By 1829, the town was growing, with Conquillard and Taylor emerging as leaders. The town applied for a post office, and Taylor was named postmaster later that year. The town was designated as Southold, Allen County, Indiana ^[1]. The following year, the name of the city was changed to South Bend. This change was in order to ease confusion as several other communities called Southold existed at the time. ^[3] In 1831 South Bend was laid out as the county seat and as one of the four original townships of St. Joseph County. Soon after, design began on what would become the town of South Bend^[1]

The area was incorporated as a town in 1835 and rapidly grew. During the late 1830s through the 1850s, much of South Bend's development centered around the industrial complex of factories located on the two races (man-made canals along the St. Joseph River in South Bend). Several dams were created, and mills were built on each side of the river. On October 4, 1851, the first steam locomotive entered South Bend.^[1]This led to a general shift of businesses from the river toward the tracks. In 1852, Henry Studebaker set up a wagon shop in South Bend. Studebaker would go on to become a large automobile manufacturer of the United States. Other manufacturing companies such as the Singer Sewing Company and the Oliver Chilled Plow Company would soon follow suit, and manufacturing would become the driving force in the South Bend economy through the mid 20th century.^[1]

South Bend also gained from its position on what was known as The Michigan Road, the main north-south artery of northern Indiana in the 19th century.^[1] Another significant development occurred near South Bend in 1842, when the Reverend Edward Sorin founded the University of Notre Dame, just north of the town.^[4] Notre Dame would eventually become an intrinsic part of South Bend, contributing greatly to the economy and culture.^[5] In 1865, a petition was introduced for South Bend to incorporate as a city. South Bend held its first elections as a city on Monday, June 5, 1865.^[2]

Other companies developed in South Bend in the early twentieth century, including Birdsell Manufacturing Company, the Bendix Corporation, Honeywell, AlliedSignal, the Robert Bosch GmbH, South Bend Lathe Works, the O'Brien Paint Corp., and the South Bend Toy Company.

During World War II, the South Bend Blue Sox All-American Girls Professional Baseball League team was formed in South Bend. The team participated in all the league's seasons from 1943-1954.^[6]

Due to economic difficulties, the Studebaker Company closed its automotive manufacturing plants in South Bend in December of 1963.^[7]

Current companies to note that have developed in the area are Tire Rack and Woodwind & Brasswind.

South Bend is located 5 miles (8 km) from the Michigan border, approximately equidistant from Illinois and Ohio. The city is 93 miles (150 km) driving distance from Chicago. The nearest shore of Lake Michigan is 20 miles (32 km) away. South Bend's coordinates are 41°40′21″N, 86°15′19″W (41.672597, -86.255157)^GR1.

The St. Joseph River flows from the east end of the city turning north near the city center, giving South Bend its name because it is at the south bend of the river. Since South Bend sits on the North-South continental divide, the river flows north into Lake Michigan.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 39.1 square miles (101.3 km²), of which, 38.7 square miles (100.2 km²) of it is land and 0.4 square miles (1.1 km²) of it (1.10%) is water.

South Bend has a humid continental climate, with a Köppen climate classification of Dfa. Lake Michigan has a large effect on the climate of South Bend, including lake effect snow in winter.^[8]

Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Year
Avg high °F (°C)	30 (-1)	34 (1)	45 (7)	59 (15)	70 (21)	80 (27)	83 (28)	81 (27)	74 (23)	63 (17)	48 (9)	36 (2)	50 (10)
Avg low °F (°C)	17 (-8)	19 (-7)	28 (-2)	38 (3)	48 (9)	58 (14)	63 (17)	61 (16)	54 (12)	43 (6)	33 (1)	22 (-6)	40 (4)
Rainfall in. (mm)	2.4 (61)	2.0 (51)	2.9 (74)	3.7 (94)	3.1 (79)	4.0 (102)	3.8 (97)	3.7 (94)	3.5 (89)	3.3 (64)	3.2 (82)	3.0 (76)	38.4 (965)

Source:Weatherbase.com ^[9]

City of South Bend Population by year[10]
1870	7,206
1880	13,280
1890	21,819
1900	35,999
1910	53,684
1920	70,983
1930	104,193
1940	101,268
1950	115,911
1960	132,445
1970	125,580
1980	109,727
1990	105,511
2000	107,789

As of the census^GR2 of 2000, there were 107,789 people, 42,908 households, and 25,959 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,786.4 people per square mile (1,075.9/km²). There were 46,349 housing units at an average density of 1,198.1/sq mi (462.7/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 56.05% White, 34.60% African American, 0.41% Native American, 1.20% Asian, 0.06% Pacific Islander, 4.87% from other races, and 2.80% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 8.45% of the population.

Ancestries: Germans (17.4%), Polish (10.6%), Irish (10.5%), English (5.8%), United States (3.9%), Hungarian (3.3%) (from City-Data.com).

There were 42,908 households out of which 30.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 39.0% were married couples living together, 17.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 39.5% were non-families. 32.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.45 and the average family size was 3.12.

In the city the population was spread out with 27.3% under the age of 18, 10.4% from 18 to 24, 29.3% from 25 to 44, 18.2% from 45 to 64, and 14.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 33 years. For every 100 females there were 91.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.7 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $32,439, and the median income for a family was $39,046. Males had a median income of $31,958 versus $23,744 for females. The per capita income for the city was $17,121. About 13.6% of families and 16.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 24.0% of those under age 18 and 9.1% of those age 65 or over.

South Bend's location on the St. Joseph River led to an industrial based economy in the late 1800s and early to mid 1900s. By the end of World War II that economy began to diminish.^[11] Remnants of the old economy can still be seen in the abandoned industrial buildings around the city. Since that time education, health care, and small business have come to the forefront of South Bend's economy.

Nearby University of Notre Dame is a large contributor to the local economy. The university is the largest employer in St. Joseph County, employing 4,758 people.^[5]

Health care is another major contributor to the South Bend economy. Memorial Health Systems is the largest employer in the city.^[5] Other notable businesses include the AM General headquarters, Crowe Chizek, and Honeywell.

Efforts are underway to spur economic growth in South Bend. The St. Joe Valley Metronet is not for profit organization attempting to create a more robust telecommunications infrastructure capable of inexpensive high speed data transmission. It is thought this could bring more high tech firms to the city and surrounding area.^[12] Redevelopment is underway for some of the abandoned industrial facilities, with the abandoned Oliver Corp. buildings being the most recent example of reclaimed property.^[13]

The South Bend Regional Museum of Art is located in the Century Center in downtown South Bend. The Museum was opened to the public in March of 1996, and features a variety of artists from South Bend and the Michiana region. Currently, over 850 works are featured in the permanent collection. The museum also offers several classes and workshops for adults and children.

Copshaholm is one of the central features of the Northern Indiana Center for History. The 38 room mansion was built in 1895 and is currently listed in the National Register of Historic Places. The history museum is composed of several buildings on its campus. It includes areas dedicated to the history of the St. Joseph River Valley, the University of Notre Dame, the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League, and the Kidsfirst Children's Museum.^[14]

The Studebaker National Museum is a large collection of wagons and automobiles from the 150 year production history of the Studebaker company. The museum began as a collection of wagons and automobiles produced by Studebaker, including the Presidential carriages of Lincoln, McKinley, Harrison and Grant. The company donated the collection to the city of South Bend in 1966. The collection was housed in various locations from the Century Center to its current location in downtown South Bend adjacent to the Northern Indiana Center for History. The two museums share one campus, and together form The Museums at Washington and Chapin.

South Bend is also home to the Morris Performing Arts Center. The center was built in 1922 and included The Palace Theater which featured vaudeville acts. The theatre saw its heyday in 1940 with the premiere of Knute Rockne, All American which starred Ronald Reagan. A crowd estimated at 24,000 gathered outside the event. The theater was scheduled for demolition in 1959, when E.M. Morris purchased the facility and sold it to the city for one dollar. The Palace was then renamed the Morris Civic Auditorium. A total renovation was completed in 2000. The Morris Performing Arts Center also includes the Palais Royale Ballroom, on which restoration was recently completed. The center serves as home to the South Bend Symphony Orchestra, as well as the Broadway Theater League.

Schuyler Colfax, the 17th Vice President of the United States, is interred in the city cemetery.

The University of Notre Dame's Fighting Irish provide much of the sports action for the South Bend locale. Football Saturdays have become a major event for the city, attracting fans who want to see the games and tailgate. Notre Dame basketball games are also popular, along with the other sports at Notre Dame. Thanks in large part to the location of the University of Notre Dame in Notre Dame, Indiana to South Bend's immediate north, the College Football Hall of Fame was moved from Kings Mill, Ohio to downtown South Bend in 1995.

South Bend is home to the South Bend Silver Hawks, a class A Minor League Baseball team. The Silver Hawks play at Coveleski Stadium in downtown South Bend. In 2005 the franchise nearly moved to Marion, Illinois. A group of investors led by former Indiana Governor and South Bend Mayor Joe Kernan bought the Silver Hawks, keeping the team in South Bend.

The South Bend Motor Speedway was constructed from 1944-1946 on South Bend's west side. The speedway features a 1/4 mile track. Currently there are weekly races of Sportsman Late Models, Mini-stock cars and Thunder Cars, along with other events including concerts, car shows, and swap meets.

The Potawatomi Zoo opened in 1902. Potawatomi is the oldest zoo in Indiana, and features over 400 animals in its 23 acres. The zoo is run by the South Bend Parks and Recreation Department which maintains a variety of parks and facilities for the city.

Near the Potawatomi Zoo are the Potawaomi Greenhouses and Ella Morris and Muessel-Ellison Botanical Conservatories. The green houses were originally constructed in the 1920s, with the conservatories being added in the 1960s. ^[15]. In 2007 the greenhouses and conservatories were in danger of closing due to increased operating costs, but a campaign by the Botanical Society of South Bend was able to solicit funds to keep the facilities operating.

The city is home to the first of the few artificial white water courses in the United States. In 1984 the abandoned East Race canal of the St. Joseph River was converted into North America's first artificial whitewater waterway.^[16] Through the use of movable barriers and obstacles the East Race provides a configurable whitewater course for recreational and competitive canoeing, kayaking and rafting.

South Bend government follows the mayor-council representative municipal government model. The government operates out of the County-City building in downtown South Bend. The government of St. Joseph county also operates at this facility.

The government of South Bend is led by the office of the mayor. The mayor is elected to a four year term and acts as chief executive for the city government. ^[17]

The legislative branch of the South Bend government is the city council. The council is composed of nine members each elected to four year terms. South Bend is divided into six districts, each district electing one council member. The final three members are elected at-large. Under Indiana state law, the council may pass resolutions and ordinances. Resolutions are in regard to internal council procedures, while ordinances address city municipal codes.^[18]

The final elected member of the South Bend government is the City Clerk. The city clerk is responsible for maintaining official city records, and providing general clerical assistance to the City Council. ^[19]

Main article: Education in South Bend, Indiana

The South Bend area is home to several institutions of higher learning; the most famous of which is the University of Notre Dame. The university is located to the north of South Bend in Notre Dame, Indiana, possessing its own ZIP code (46556). The University of Notre Dame was founded by Father Edward Sorin, a French priest, in 1842 even before South Bend was incorporated as a city in 1865, and has been an intrinsic part of the South Bend area with great effect on its culture and economy.

Other South Bend area universities include:

• Brown Mackie College South Bend
• Bethel College (Indiana) Mishawaka
• Indiana University South Bend
• Saint Mary's College, Notre Dame, Indiana
• Holy Cross College,
• Notre Dame, Indiana
• Ivy Tech Community College of Indiana North Central
• Purdue University College of Technology at South Bend/Elkhart
• Davenport University South Bend Campus
• Graduate Theological Foundation

Most public schools in South Bend are operated by the South Bend Community School Corporation. The corporation runs 17 primary centers (grades K-4), nine intermediate centers (grades 5-8), and four high schools, serving over 22,000 students as of 2006.

South Bend is also home to Indiana's First Charter School, Veritas Academy.

One major daily newspaper serves the South Bend Metro area, the South Bend Tribune. It is distributed throughout the Michiana region and publishes five editions including a Metro edition, Mishawaka edition, Michigan edition, Penn-Harris-Madison East edition and a Marshall edition.

South Bend has a wide variety of local radio broadcast available in the area. Stations' programming content contains a wide variety including public radio, classical music, religious, country, and urban contemporary among others. For more information, see List of Radio Stations in South Bend, Indiana.

South Bend-Elkhart is the 89th largest television market in the United States as of 2007.^[20] Most of the major television networks have affiliates in the South Bend area. WNDU-TV (NBC), WSBT-TV (CBS) and WSJV (FOX) all have local news teams. WBND-LP (ABC), WNIT-TV (PBS), WCWW-LP (CW), WMYS-LP (My Network TV) and WHME-TV (LeSEA), also broadcast across the greater Michiana region.

LeSEA Broadcasting is based in South Bend.

South Bend's location around the St. Joseph River has influenced the development of its streets. While it mainly follows a grid layout, development around the river led to roads adapted to follow the river. South Bend is connected to state and national highway systems by Indiana 2, 23, 933, US 20, 31 and by Interstate 80 & 90. Original routes of both the Lincoln Highway and the Dixie Highway also pass through South Bend.

For transportation around the South Bend metro area, the St. Joseph Valley Parkway was constructed between 1960 and 1990. The road connects Benton Harbor, Michigan, South Bend, Mishawaka, and Elkhart. While segments are designated as US 20, US 31 and Indiana 331, it is simply referred to locally as "The bypass".^[21]

The Indiana Toll Road (I-80 & 90) passes through northern Indiana, including South Bend and its nearby communities of Mishawaka & Roseland.

Public transportation in South Bend is controlled by Transpo, (South Bend Public Transportation Company). Transpo operates bus routes between South Bend and suburbs Mishawaka and Roseland Monday through Saturday. Transpo routes cover 183 miles with over 60 vehicles.^[22] In 2006, the Transpo fleet switched to Bio-diesel fuel.

South Bend serves as the transportation hub for Michiana. The South Bend Regional Airport lies off of US 31 and Indiana Toll Road in the Northwest corner of South Bend. The airport connects South Bend to larger hubs including Atlanta, Chicago O'Hare, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Detroit, Indianapolis, Las Vegas, Minneapolis, Orlando, and St. Petersburg, Florida. Over 1,000,000 passengers are served annually making it the second busiest airport in Indiana. As of 2006, land acquisition is underway for 200 acres of development.^[23]

The electric commuter railroad South Shore Line connects South Bend's South Bend Regional Airport to Millennium Station in downtown Chicago. Due to increased ridership between Chicago and South Bend in 2005 more cars are being added. In 2008 the South Shore will be celebrating its centennial anniversary. Planning for festivities are already underway and will take place at the South Bend Regional Airport.^[24]

Amtrak, the national passenger rail system, provides service to South Bend via two trains, the Lake Shore Limited (to Chicago, New York City and Boston) and the Capitol Limited, to Chicago and Washington, D.C.. A bus line connects from Notre Dame and the airport to Chicago O'Hare Airport, with several northwest Indiana stops.

List of South Bend Residents

• - Czestochowa (Poland)
• - Arzberg (Germany)

• South Bend, Indiana is at coordinates 41°40′21″N 86°15′19″W / 41.672597, -86.255157Coordinates: 41°40′21″N 86°15′19″W / 41.672597, -86.255157
• South Bend Tribune
• InTheBend - South Bend Events and Entertainment
• Official City of South Bend Website
• Downtown South Bend
• The Chamber of Commerce of St. Joseph County
• South Bend / Mishawaka / Notre Dame Visitors Bureau
• StudebakerHistory.com - South Bend

v • d • e Municipalities and communities of St. Joseph County, Indiana
County seat: South Bend
Cities and towns	Indian Village | Lakeville | Mishawaka | New Carlisle | North Liberty | Osceola | Roseland | South Bend | Walkerton
Townships	Centre | Clay | German | Greene | Harris | Liberty | Lincoln | Madison | Olive | Penn | Portage | Union | Warren
CDPs	Georgetown | Granger | Gulivoire Park
Unincorporated communities	Ardmore | Chain-O-Lakes | Colburn | Crest Manor Addition | Crumstown | Gilmer Park | Hamilton | Hi-View Addition | Hubbard | Lydick | Maple Lane | Miami Trails Addition | Notre Dame | Nutwood | Olive | Orchard Heights Addition | Pleasant Valley | Terre Coupee | Westfield | Woodland | Wyatt | Zeigler

	v • d • e State of Indiana Indianapolis (capital)
Topics	Geography | Governors | People | History | Demographics | Economy | Transportation | Sports | Symbols
Regions	East Central Indiana | Great Black Swamp | Michiana | Nine‑County Region | Northern Indiana | Northwest Indiana | Southern Indiana | Wabash Valley
Largest cities	Anderson | Bloomington | Carmel | Columbus | Crown Point | East Chicago | Elkhart | Evansville | Fort Wayne | Franklin | Gary | Goshen | Greenwood | Hammond | Hobart | Indianapolis | Jeffersonville | Kokomo | Lafayette | La Porte | Lawrence | Marion | Michigan City | Mishawaka | Muncie | New Albany | Noblesville | Portage | Richmond | South Bend | Terre Haute | Valparaiso | West Lafayette
Largest towns	Clarksville | Fishers | Highland | Merrillville | Munster | Plainfield | Schererville
Counties	Adams | Allen | Bartholomew | Benton | Blackford | Boone | Brown | Carroll | Cass | Clark | Clay | Clinton | Crawford | Daviess | DeKalb | Dearborn | Decatur | Delaware | Dubois | Elkhart | Fayette | Floyd | Fountain | Franklin | Fulton | Gibson | Grant | Greene | Hamilton | Hancock | Harrison | Hendricks | Henry | Howard | Huntington | Jackson | Jasper | Jay | Jefferson | Jennings | Johnson | Knox | Kosciusko | Lagrange | Lake | LaPorte | Lawrence | Madison | Marion | Marshall | Martin | Miami | Monroe | Montgomery | Morgan | Newton | Noble | Ohio | Orange | Owen | Parke | Perry | Pike | Porter | Posey | Pulaski | Putnam | Randolph | Ripley | Rush | Saint Joseph | Scott | Shelby | Spencer | Starke | Steuben | Sullivan | Switzerland | Tippecanoe | Tipton | Union | Vanderburgh | Vermillion | Vigo | Wabash | Warren | Warrick | Washington | Wayne | Wells | White | Whitley