Tuesday, November 9, 2021
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Goshen (574) 534-2591
Vol. 49 No. 31
134 S. Main, Goshen, Indiana 46526
,17(585%$1 67$7,21 ³ Several nicely dressed people stand outside the station for the Winona Interurban Railway at Main and Jefferson streets in Goshen. Photo provided by Grace College.
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trolley systems
to a Goshen newspaper article, during the planning stages discussions were held on Informational signs whether to keep the are posted along the Winona line on private right of Interurban Trail in Goshen way next to the steam giving a brief description of railroad tracks already an electric railway system in place or to have the the trail is named after. As line turn west and conthe years go by, memories of nect to Main Street in the interurban railway conGoshen, which would tinue to fade and there are be public right of way. a limited number of people One option was who would even remember to have the line turn riding on it since it stopped west on Goshen Colcarrying passengers in lege property, but the 1934. college would have to Much has been writsell land for that to ten about the Winona Inhappen and was planterurban Railway such as ning to erect more where it was located, how it 6285&( 2) 32:(5 ³ Shown is a man standing in the doorway of the power buildings. That option, came into being, the technihowever, was the one cal aspects of it and more. substation for the Winona Interurban Railway that was located on what would later be chosen, even though Perhaps one aspect not re- the campus of Goshen College. Photo provided by Grace College. most people favored ceiving as much attention the interurban to stay on private right of way is the connection between the railway and platted as the Parkside Addition. Initially it was hoped the plat would in- going north all the way to Eighth Street. Goshen College, as well as the college’s conclude large homes in an exclusive residential In 1906 an electric power substation, nection with the city trolley system. There is the obvious connection of the community, but only a few lots were sold and one of six on the Winona line, was built only a railway essentially following the path of to- most were bought by those with business ties few hundred feet south of the college campus. day’s trail system next to the north-south to Burns. At the time the Elkhart Institute Substations had generators producing highNorfolk Southern Railroad tracks and go- was looking for a new location and a deal was voltage alternating current. The substations ing through the college campus. When the worked out between Burns’ lawyer and the converted the AC to DC to power the WinoWinona Interurban was still in operation, Shoup family who owned land south of Col- na’s passenger and freight equipment. Springer noted many of the students atit curved to the west to Main Street fairly lege Avenue. The deal involved the Shoup family tending the college lived on campus and did close to where the college’s heating plant is now located, noted Joe Springer, curator for land as well as the unsold lots in the Park- not use the Winona Interurban to commute the Mennonite Historical Library at Goshen side Addition, and also raising funds through back and forth to school. But according to the Goshen Commercial Exchange to get the a research paper written in 1972 by David College. Goshen had a city trolley system extend- Elkhart Institute to move to Goshen and be- Thomas Fleming, students enrolling at the college in the fall of 1906, the same year the ing from where the Old Bag Factory is now come Goshen College. When Goshen College was dedicated in interurban line opened in Goshen, checked located to the south end of the city. Another line went east on Lincoln Avenue from Main 1903, a Goshen newspaper article reported the timetables of the interurban to find a Street and turned south on Eighth Street. a special interurban car was brought from more convenient way to get to the college for Springer said J.J. Burns was the principal Elkhart to the end of the Goshen city trolley enrolling. And interurban cars stopped on the campus to deliver the baggage of students. stockholder of the trolley and he and others line carrying 150 people. At this time plans were already in the There were exceptions to commuting, later formed the Interurban Land Company in 1895, which purchased parcels of agricul- works for the Winona Interurban, which such as Milford librarian Dorothea Kerlin tural land from north of what is now College originated in Winona Lake in Kosciusko commuting from her Milford home in the Avenue up to Jackson Street and also includ- County. Eventually it was decided to extend 1920s on the interurban to attend classes at ed between Main and Ninth streets. It was that line as far north as Goshen. According Goshen College.