South Bend, Indiana
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| City of South Bend, Indiana | |||
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| Coordinates: | |||
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| County | St. Joseph | ||
| Government | |||
| - Mayor | Stephen Luecke | ||
| Area | |||
| - City | 101.3 km² (39.1 sq mi) | ||
| - Land | 100.2 km² (38.7 sq mi) | ||
| - Water | 1.1 km² (0.4 sq mi) | ||
| Population (2000) | |||
| - City | 107,789 | ||
| - Density | 1,075.9/km² (2,786.6/sq mi) | ||
| Time zone | EST (UTC-5) | ||
| - Summer (DST) | EDT (UTC-4) | ||
| 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; its metropolitan area had a population of 316,663. It is the fourth largest city in Indiana. The city is the county seat of St. Joseph CountyGR6. It is the economic and cultural hub of the region commonly known as Michiana.
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[edit] Geography
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. The cities coordinates are (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 101.3 km² (39.1 mi²). 100.2 km² (38.7 mi²) of it is land and 1.1 km² (0.4 mi²) of it (1.10%) is water.
[edit] Climate
South Bend has a continental climate typical of the Midwestern United States. Lake Michigan has a large effect on the climate of South Bend, including lake effect snow in winter and moderating the temperature in summer.[1]
| 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 [2]
[edit] History
South Bend officially began as South Hold as designated by the United States Postal Service in 1829. The Post Office changed the name to South Bend in 1830. The name was changed in order to ease confusion as several other communities called South Hold 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. Around 128 people lived in the area at the time, mostly fur traders, merchants, and innkeepers. South Bend was organized as a town in 1835 and was incorporated as a city in 1865.
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). Of the two, only the East Race remains as a visible reminder of the past. The East Race was converted to an artificial whitewater course in 1984. The West Race, was purchased in 1903 by the Oliver Chilled Plow Company and utilized to produce power for numerous structures throughout South Bend. Currently only parts of this plant and dam remain, as the Century Center converted it into a tourism and business venture.
On October 4, 1851, the first steam locomotive entered South Bend. This led to great interest in the possibility of transportation throughout South Bend by locomotives, and in 1882 the South Bend Street Railway Company attempted the first service of electrified streetcars anywhere in the world. Initially a failure, electric current problems were fixed in late 1882 to connect Mishawaka and South Bend.
These industrial connections and developments soon led the brothers Studebaker to take up shop in the city of South Bend. Founded by Henry and Clem Studebaker, the Studebaker Manufacturing Company was one of a handful of wagon making companies in the world to successfully transfer their business from the building of wagons to the building of automobiles. Being a major automobile manufacturing company, it often outsold in terms of numbers the Ford Motor Company in the first few decades of the 20th century.
Their connection with South Bend industry was massive, leaving a permanent imprint on the skyline of western South Bend. However, due to economic difficulties, the Studebaker Company closed its automotive manufacturing plants in South Bend in December of 1963.[4]
Other companies involved in the development of South Bend include the Oliver Corporation, the Birdsell Manufacturing Company, the Bendix Corporation, Honeywell, AlliedSignal, the Robert Bosch GmbH, Uniroyal, Singer Sewing Machine Company, 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.[5]
Current companies to note that have developed in the area are Tire Rack and Woodwind & Brasswind.
[edit] Economy
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.[6] 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.[7] Contrary to popular belief, the Notre Dame campus is located outside the South Bend city limits on the north side of the city. South Bend's institutions of higher education include Indiana University South Bend, Ivy Tech Community College of Indiana, and Purdue University College of Technology.
Health care is another major contributor to the South Bend economy. Memorial Health Systems is the largest employer in the city.[7] 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.[8] Redevelopment is underway for some of the abandoned industrial facilities, with the abandoned Oliver Corp. buildings being the most recent example of reclaimed property.[9]
[edit] People and culture
[edit] Demographics
As of the censusGR2 of 2000, there were 107,789 people, 42,908 households, and 25,959 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,075.9/km² (2,786.4/mi²). There were 46,349 housing units at an average density of 462.7/km² (1,198.1/mi²). 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.
[edit] Museums, arts and entertainment
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 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.[10]
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 complete. The center serves as home to the South Bend Symphony Orchestra, as well as the Broadway Theater League.
South Bend is home to Potawatomi Zoological Park, which mostly displays reptiles and amphibians from around the world.
[edit] Sports
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 indefinitely.
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 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.[11] Through the use of movable barriers and obstacles the East Race provides a configurable whitewater course for recreational and competitive canoeing, kayaking and rafting.
[edit] Other points of interest
South Bend is home to the Century Center, a large convention center downtown that hosts many business, public and private functions. Schuyler Colfax, the 17th Vice President of the United States, is interred in the city cemetery.
South Bend has been revitalized in recent years as a financial center of the Michiana area. South Bend is the center of its immediate metropolitan area.
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.
Other points of interest include:
- College Football Hall of Fame
- Morris Performing Arts Center
- South Bend Conservatory
- University of Notre Dame
- Studebaker National Museum
- Northern Indiana Center for History
- South Bend Parks and Recreation Department
[edit] Education
[edit] Higher education
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:
- 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
- Brown Mackie College South Bend
- Purdue University College of Technology at South Bend/Elkhart
- Tri State University South Bend Campus
[edit] K-12
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.
Most private schools in South Bend are Catholic schools operated by the Fort Wayne-South Bend Diocese. South Bend is also home to Indiana's First Charter School, Veritas Academy.
[edit] Media
[edit] Printed media
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.
Michiana Shopper Newspaper also serves the area as the only free local shopper and classifieds publication. It features 4 color on all pages and fun lifestyle stories.
[edit] Web-Based media
Since 2003, South Bend has had a local discussion forum on the Internet that is open for residents and visitors to view and discuss local topics of interest, on subjects of all ranges. The South Bend Forum is free to join and is updated daily. Fresh commentary, reviews, and other local resource information is available.[12]
Michiana Shopper Newspaper also offers as part of their publication the Michiana Shopper Network – made up of a network of websites owned and operated by Michiana Shopper.
[edit] Radio
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.
[edit] Television
South Bend-Elkhart is the 87th largest television market in the United States as of 2006.[13] Most of the major television networks have affiliates in South Bend. 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 (part of LeSEA Broadcasting, a Christian television network) also broadcast across the greater Michiana region. WSBT also offers a digital-only channel, SBT2. It was the former UPN affiliate but now is independent.
*Station is located in Elkhart, Indiana.
[edit] Film
The movie Rudy (film) had a setting in South Bend and on the campus of the University of Notre Dame, which was about a young man trying his best to attend Notre Dame and play for the Fighting Irish.
[edit] Transportation
[edit] Local transportation
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".[14]
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.[15] In 2006, the Transpo fleet switched to Bio-diesel fuel.
[edit] Regional transportation
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 Cleveland, Detroit, Minneapolis, Chicago, Las Vegas, Orlando, Tampa Bay Area, Cincinnati, and Atlanta. 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.[16]
The electric commuter railroad South Shore Line connects South Bend's South Bend Regional Airport to the Randolph Street Terminal 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.[17]
Amtrak, the national passenger rail system, provides service to South Bend. A bus line connects from Notre Dame and the airport to Chicago O'Hare Airport, with several northwest Indiana stops.
[edit] Famous residents
- Tom Abernethy
- Jeremy Michael Boorda
- John Bromfield
- Charles Butterworth (actor)
- Craig Counsell
- Marion O'Brian Donovan (inventor)
- Chad Everett
- John Fogerty
- Vivica A. Fox
- Jon Gruden
- Lloyd Haynes
- Lou Holtz
- Joe Kernan
- Lee Nailon
- Ryan Newman
- Knute Rockne
- David Stremme
- Charlie Weis
- Michael Warren (Actor)
[edit] Sister Cities
[edit] References
- ^ City Data "South Bend: Geography and Climate." Retrieved on 2006-08-30.
- ^ [1], Weatherbase.com (Accessed July 1, 2006)
- ^ WSBT News South Bend Name Origin "WSBT News Why is South Bend Called South Bend?." Retrieved on 2007-03-17.
- ^ Northern Indiana Center for History "Early South Bend." Verified on 2006-08-30.
- ^ All-American Girls Professional Baseball League "All-American Girls Professional Baseball League History." Retrieved on 2006-08-30.
- ^ Historic South Bend"South Bend's Historical Heritage." Retrieved on 2006-08-31.
- ^ a b Bay Area Economics."Notre Dame and The Local Economy:2002." Retrieved on 2006-08-31.
- ^ St. Joe Valley Metronet"St. Joseph Valley Metronet Home." Retrieved on 2006-09-01.
- ^ City of South Bend website."South Bend Economic Development: Oliver Park." Retrieved on 2006-08-31.
- ^ Center for History Exhibits"Center for History." Retrieved on 2006-08-30.
- ^ South Bend Parks and Recreation "Center for History." Retrieved on 2006-08-30.
- ^ South Bend Forum Website. Retrieved on 2007-02-20.
- ^ Nielsen Media Research Local Universe Estimates. Audience Research & Development. Retrieved on 2006-12-28.
- ^ Routes in South Bend and Metro Northern Indiana. Marc Fannin. Retrieved on 2007-02-10.
- ^ Transpo General Information. Transpo. Retrieved on 2007-02-10.
- ^ South Bend Regional Airport. Airport Hotel Guide. Retrieved on 2007-02-10.
- ^ "South Shore Line plans centennial gala", NWI Times. Retrieved on 2007-02-10.
[edit] External links
- Maps and aerial photos
- Street map from Google Maps, or Yahoo! Maps, or Windows Live Local
- Satellite image from Google Maps, Windows Live Local, WikiMapia
- Topographic map from TopoZone
- Aerial image or topographic map from TerraServer-USA
- City of South Bend
- City of South Bend Police Department
- Century Center
- Downtown South Bend
- South Bend Tribune
- WNDU-TV Newscenter 16
- 22WSBT
- Michiana Shopper Newspaper
- The Morris Performing Arts Center
- The Broadway Theatre League
- The South Bend Civic Theatre
- SouthBendForum.com Local news and discussion forums
- GMap with stats and info for South Bend Schools
- St. Joseph County Public Library
- The snakes of Indiana,St. Joseph County
