Railroads and Postal Service LaPorte

La Porte's Pioneer Postal Services

La Porte's Pioneer Postal Services An agreement between John H. Bradley and the post office department was dated May 6, 1837. This agreement encompassed mail being carried from La Porte by Plymouth to Chippewa once a week and back. Erastus Ingersol of Marshall county helped carry the mail on the run from La Porte by way of Plymouth to Chippewa. The contract went in force on the ninth day of May, 1837 and continue until the contract ended.

This reminds us of the days when La Porte was just more than four years old. Plymouth and Rochester had not been laid out a year, the Yellow River Road from La Porte to Plymouth was little better than a blazed trail through the woods and marshes, and the Michigan Road, opened three and a half years earlier was very very far from being usable as a race course. Notwithstanding the fact that Daniel Webster broke dirt in La Porte county July 4, 1837 for a railroad, no such commercial artery was actually in operation in this section until l15 years passed by. La Porte had a post office in 1833 and mail routes were just being opened in northwest Indiana.

John H Bradley was a lawyer, his admission to the bar being dated Oct 12, 1835. He was aggressive in politics on the Whig side and served in the legislature. It is said he was quite the orator and a profound student. He agreed to take the contract for hauling the mail, not to perform the arduous labor himself, but to sublet it at a small profit. Erastus Ingersol, the sub-contractor and actual post rider belongs to the history of Marshall County . It took him four days to make the round trip on his mail route.

Article condensed from article originally written by:Bob Coffeen for the La Porte Town Crier, April 25, 1974

Railroad Comes to La Porte

In October of 1851 the roadbed and tracks were completed as far as South Bend Indiana. And then in early 1852, the ribbons of steel pushed on into LaPorte County. At the time of its completion the line was known as the Lake Shore and Southern Michigan Rail Road. Later it became the New York Central and then the Penn Central.

This created a wonderful link to the outside world and would mean new growth and development to the area. The date of March 15, 1852 was set aside for celebration the arrival of the first train here. Unfortunately there was a set back and there would be a four mile gap east from LaPorte to the nearest tracks. Therefore a group of able bodied men agreed to help and by the afternoon of March 15th they had lay the ties and the track were completed into the town. John Stryker, engineer, stoked the first engine to pull the very first train into LaPorte.

A place called Woodyard was just a short distance east of LaPorte and was the place where the wood for the engines and ties was brought in by ox teams.

Other train stops in the county were known as Hudson (now Hudson Lake), Woodyard, Rolling Prairie, Forrester (now called Pinola), and Salem Crossing (known as Otis today).

Non stop trains in the early days were unheard of and being 60 miles from Chicago was considered a “division end” which made the railroad shops a necessity. A long shed was built for drying and storing wood for firing the engines. Also a machine shop, a repair shop and a “round house” with a movable table inside. This was to allow the engine to be turned around to go a different direction. This particular round house could house 10 engines and was located at Washington and Madison streets. There were also car shops across from the old depot in LaPorte. At the N. end of Monroe street was the locomotive shop. In 1859 a complete engine was made which was the pride of the railroad. It was called the Charles Minot, after an official of the railroad. The engine was quite a site to see with its trim made of brass fittings.
For larger view click on picture of this old beauty.
builder's plate: "LaPorte Shops", "1868", and "M.S & N.I." (for Michigan Southern and Northern Indiana (Railroad)...which turned into the Lakeshore and Michigan Southern, then eventually into the NYC.

On the side of the steam dome, there appears to be an oil portrait of someone - probably Charles Minot. The gold leaf decorations on the sides of the tender, headlight, and cab are very apparent. Truly this engine was quite special in its time. The boiler, very shiny in the picture, was probably polished 'Russia Iron"...a light blue - silver color. Even the centers of the drive wheels had stars painted on them. The extensive use of brass bands and trim is easily seen.  Contributed by: Joe Berger - Great Northern Railway (HO) - Cascade Division - (574)-858-2190

These railroad shops employed more than 130 men. Unfortunately the shops burned in 1870 and rather than rebuild here it was decided they would move further East to Elkhart.

Return to La Porte County Index Page