A Brief History of San Pierre
Established in 1853, San Pierre was originally called Culvertown, but later took the name of the post office Pierre, named after the nearby French-Canadian saloon owner. Before the downturn of the railroad industry, San Pierre had a train station at the intersection of the Monon and New York Central railways, boasted three grocery stores, a pickle factory, and a grain elevator. San Pierre was a stop on the route of Abraham Lincoln's funeral train, and a stop on the Presidential campaign of Harry S Truman.
San Pierre's history has witnessed many unique events over the past 155 years. It has also produced several historically significant structures along the way, many of which still survive today. The Historic Landmark Foundation of Indiana's Starke County, Interim Report, Historic Sites and Structures Inventory lists 23 historically notable sites in San Pierre, and another 30 historic sites scattered throughout Railroad Township. Despite the fact that San Pierre, Railroad Township, and Starke County, all have numerous historically significant buildings and properties, only two structures in Starke County are listed on the National Register of Historic Places: the Starke County Courthouse, built in 1897, and a former Pennsylvania Railroad bridge built in 1915, near Main Street and Water Street in Knox, now referred to simply as "Starke County Bridge #39."
The following brief history of San Pierre comes from the Historic Landmark Foundation of Indiana's Starke County, Interim Report, Historic Sites and Structures Inventory:
Located in southwestern Starke County, some accounts claim that San Pierre was the county's first settlement.
It is known that the federal government established a post office at the settlement in 1853, calling it "River."
During that time, several important things happened in San Pierre involving transportation. The county's first
In the early 20th century, San Pierre's economy further increased with the construction of U.S. Highway 421,
Across the street from the bank is its post-war replacement. Built in the 1960s, the new Bank of San Pierre
The most historically significant resource in San Pierre dates to the Depression Era. The ball field that was once
The stories that connect San Pierre to the French heritage of the old Kankakee Marsh, claiming that a French
trader established a post and tavern north of the present town. Seeking a better location, he moved south and
attracted other inhabitants, establishing San Pierre.
Another early name cited is Culvertown. San Pierre (French for Saint Peter) became the town's official name
in 1855. In 1858, the Reverend Joseph Andrew Stephan established the parish of All Saint's Catholic Church,
perhaps to accommodate a French population.
railroad arrived there in 1853, linking San Pierre to the rest of the state and eventually Chicago. The Louisville,
New Albany and Chicago Railroad, commonly known as the Monon, became Indiana's most distinguished line.
In 1886, the Three-I Railroad formed a junction with the Monon, transforming San Pierre into a busy hub of
activity for several decades. Not surprisingly, San Pierre was a center of market and civic life for the marsh region.
running parallel to the Monon tracks through the town. Wood-frame commercial buildings of the railroad period
slowly gave way to one-story masonry structures. The last significant commercial building dating to before World
War II is the Bank of San Pierre Building. Local lore claims that it fell victim to the notorious Hoosier outlaw
John Dillinger, but the legendary exploits of his Depression-Era banditry are difficult to verify or dispute.
features some Contemporary-style elements, including a shallow-opitched roof, extended wood beams, and
high ribbon-set windows. Most distinctive is the drive-up teller bay. The structure remains virtually unchanged
and is a significant recent-past resource. The local elementary school is also a strong representative of that period.
part of the now-demolished high school complex was built by the Works Progress Administration (WPA), the
federal government's remedy to provide employment during the economic hardships of the 1930s. The rustic
stone material and skilled craftsmanship employed in its construction are typical of the work done by the WPA.
The field exists today as part of the town's central park.
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Below left, the Bank of San Pierre, built in 1917, still stands today at 102 North Broadway. Date of photo unknown.
Below right, the San Pierre Municipal Band. Date of photo unknown. [Photos from the Starke County Historical Society]
The interior and exterior of the Kingman store in San Pierre. Date of photos unknown. At the Kingman store one could find canned goods, cornflakes, coffee, coca-cola, and Halloween candy, among other necessities. Note the gas pump and sign advertising gasoline and motor oil outside the store. [Photos from the Starke County Historical Society]
Below left, the depot in San Pierre, located at the crossing of the New York Central and Monon railroads. Date of photo unknown. [Photo from the Starke County Historical Society]
Below right, Abraham Lincoln's funeral train passed through San Pierre on its way to Springfield, Illinois, in April 1865. [Photo from en.wikipedia.org]
The railroads brought a hub of activity to San Pierre. The San Pierre Elevator was photographed in 1977 by Tom Rankin. [from the website www.monon.org]
The photo below right looks northeast across the railroad crossing, toward the elevator, a depot, a freight house, smaller out-buildings, and a Lucky Strike billboard. Date of photo unknown. [from John Orem/HVRM collection, hvrm.railfan.net]
The San Pierre Public School (below left) was built in 1912. It burned down in January 1923, and was replaced by a similar two story brick schoolhouse in 1924. The school survived until the 1964, when the school merged with the school in North Judson. The plaque (below right) still stands in the San Pierre Park, at the location of the second school building.
The front of the second San Pierre High School, from the cover of the 1954 Echo high school yearbook (below left), and the bulldog mascot (below right).
The WPA-era amphitheatre and ballfield in the San Pierre Park, built in the 1930s. The high school building would have stood on top of the hill, at the left in this photo.
Below left, San Pierre High School's first basketball team. 1920-21 [Photo courtesy of Dona Richardson Rinehart]
Below right, the Roll of Honor at the Lions Club pays tribute to those members of the San Pierre community who served our country in foreign wars.
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© 2008 The Institute for Small Town Studies