mobilene Posted September 17, 2007 Report Share Posted September 17, 2007 (edited) I finally made my US 31 trip with my old friend and we had a ball. He's never done any roadsleuthing before, but when I handed him my 1924 ABB and ordered him to navigate, a change came over him and he became just as obsessively curious about where the road used to go as I am! If you ever do this trip, I recommend Plymouth, Rochester, and Peru as nice towns. I do not recommend Argos or Mexico; they're decaying little dots on the map. I found Kokomo to be remarkably unremarkable. Before sunrise, new lamps (reproductions of originals) light the Leeper Park bridge over the St. Joseph River on South Bend's old northside. My mom grew up near here, and my brother had an apartment near here, and my old friend currently lives just around the corner from here. This is part of US 31's old route through South Bend. The Morris Performing Arts Center on US 31's first alignment through South Bend. There used to be a notorious one-lane bridge on 31 north of Rochester, IN. My friend (who's in the pic below) remembers it from trips to visit family when he was a kid, but by the time I first traveled 31, the road had been rerouted around Rochester. This abutment may have been from the old bridge. A modern 2-lane bridge was built in 1982, and I stood on it to get this shot. The historical marker commemorates the Michigan Road, and the plaque on the rock remembers the Potawatomi Indians when 850 of them were marched at gunpoint from Indiana to Kansas in 1838 through here -- it appears they followed what would become the Dixie Highway to Logansport. 40 Potawatomi died. I'm (a very small) part Potawatomi. My friend wanted to follow the 1924 ABB route through Rochester. The book said this was State Road 1. (Indiana's state roads were renumbered with the coming of the federal numbered highways.) In Peru, I was thrilled to come upon a classic car show. They closed a downtown block of old US 31 for it. I blogged about a 1966 Plymouth at the show (http://jimgrey.wordpress.com). Here's a pic of a 1955 Nash that has been very heavily modified. In Indianapolis, we tried to figure out why the map said Meridian St. (old 31) went over the White River and another road right next to it also called Meridian St. didn't. We think that this was probably a case of a bridge replacement that moved the road a bit. This photo is from the older bit of Meridian St. of the current bridge. I'm not sure when I'll have time to write the trip report, so I thought I'd share some highlights now. The only bummer on the trip was in Kokomo. I was stepping backwards to get a building in my camera's frame when I stumbled over something. My camera went flying and landed in the grass. Now the lens doesn't extend properly when I turn it on. It comes out at a slight angle, and I have to tap it into position. jim Edited September 17, 2007 by mobilene Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alex Burr - hester_nec Posted September 17, 2007 Report Share Posted September 17, 2007 Great report Jim. Tho I couldn't write a report on it, I've been to, or around, Peru a couple times. Way back around 1976 I was on my way to Effingham, IL, to reunite with my oldest daughter whom I'd lost for 16 years (but that's another story) and I stopped overnight at a friends place in Peru. I took 31 south to Indy and I-70 over to Effingham. A couple other times I've been by the place, my friend there passed away several years back, so I didn't stop, headed east on U S 24 on my way back to New England after visiting friends in Decatur, IL. I've found it's a better way to go (24 to 30) than taking I-70 east out of Indianapolis. Great pictures too - those early morning shots are really great. Hope your camera isn't to badly damaged. Safe Traveling Hudsonly, Alex Burr Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DennyG Posted September 17, 2007 Report Share Posted September 17, 2007 Looks like another good trip. If that is indeed a bridge abutment in the picture, then your buddy must be walking on the old roadway. True? I've encountered a number of car shows in various small towns. I try to walk through at least once and am usually rewarded by finding at least one thing I haven't seen before. I guess at one time I thought it an extraordinary stroke of luck to happen upon a show. But, while it's certainly a stroke of luck, it is, understandably, not all that extraordinary when traveling two-lane roads through small towns during warm season weekends. And I enjoy every one of them. Bummer about the camera. I don't know whether it's the nature of the beast or its handler but it seems I've had a lot more accidental damage to digital gear than I ever had to film gear. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mobilene Posted September 17, 2007 Author Report Share Posted September 17, 2007 Alex, that must have been some trip through Peru then, given what awaited at the destination. 70 to Effingham is a crashing bore of a snooze, set against a sleep-inducing backdrop, so I'm not surprised your alternate route was better. Denny, it looked to us like that was the old road bed. It was weird, and I wish I got a pic of it now, but the road used to curve to meet the old bridge. The road went straight over the new bridge. Maybe there was an earlier bridge on the new bridge's site. The camera still works; the Indy photo above was taken with it broken like that and I didn't even notice yet. I just like my things to stay nice. It's like the transport on one side of the lens got disconnected in the impact. I guess the lesson learned is to WATCH where I'm GOING when I have the camera in my hand. jim Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keep the Show on the Road! Posted September 18, 2007 Report Share Posted September 18, 2007 Mobilene, “I'm (a very small) part Potawatomi.”.... That explains it. Following the old trails through the wood s runs in your blood. I knew it! The photos are excellent and fun to view. I loved the first one with the lights, modern or not. But I liked them all. Glad the camera wasn’t busted. I did that to one of mine, and ended its life prematurely. After that I used a little wrist strap as a backup to my holding it in my hand. So far I haven't needed it, but I sure feel more comfortable with it. It’s good to hear you have converted your friend to another old road guy. Those ABB’s can sure help. It’s kind of like solving a mystery, isn’t it? You are definitely hooked! I understand the problem with reports. I now have three in arrears, the Old Oregon Trail (US 30), the rest of the Cow Canyon alignment, and now the largest auto collection in the world. Keep the Show on the Road! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jim1956 Posted August 27, 2008 Report Share Posted August 27, 2008 I finally made my US 31 trip with my old friend and we had a ball. He's never done any roadsleuthing before, but when I handed him my 1924 ABB and ordered him to navigate, a change came over him and he became just as obsessively curious about where the road used to go as I am! If you ever do this trip, I recommend Plymouth, Rochester, and Peru as nice towns. I do not recommend Argos or Mexico; they're decaying little dots on the map. I found Kokomo to be remarkably unremarkable. Before sunrise, new lamps (reproductions of originals) light the Leeper Park bridge over the St. Joseph River on South Bend's old northside. My mom grew up near here, and my brother had an apartment near here, and my old friend currently lives just around the corner from here. This is part of US 31's old route through South Bend. The Morris Performing Arts Center on US 31's first alignment through South Bend. There used to be a notorious one-lane bridge on 31 north of Rochester, IN. My friend (who's in the pic below) remembers it from trips to visit family when he was a kid, but by the time I first traveled 31, the road had been rerouted around Rochester. This abutment may have been from the old bridge. A modern 2-lane bridge was built in 1982, and I stood on it to get this shot. The historical marker commemorates the Michigan Road, and the plaque on the rock remembers the Potawatomi Indians when 850 of them were marched at gunpoint from Indiana to Kansas in 1838 through here -- it appears they followed what would become the Dixie Highway to Logansport. 40 Potawatomi died. I'm (a very small) part Potawatomi. My friend wanted to follow the 1924 ABB route through Rochester. The book said this was State Road 1. (Indiana's state roads were renumbered with the coming of the federal numbered highways.) In Peru, I was thrilled to come upon a classic car show. They closed a downtown block of old US 31 for it. I blogged about a 1966 Plymouth at the show (http://jimgrey.wordpress.com). Here's a pic of a 1955 Nash that has been very heavily modified. In Indianapolis, we tried to figure out why the map said Meridian St. (old 31) went over the White River and another road right next to it also called Meridian St. didn't. We think that this was probably a case of a bridge replacement that moved the road a bit. This photo is from the older bit of Meridian St. of the current bridge. I'm not sure when I'll have time to write the trip report, so I thought I'd share some highlights now. The only bummer on the trip was in Kokomo. I was stepping backwards to get a building in my camera's frame when I stumbled over something. My camera went flying and landed in the grass. Now the lens doesn't extend properly when I turn it on. It comes out at a slight angle, and I have to tap it into position. jim Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jim1956 Posted August 27, 2008 Report Share Posted August 27, 2008 I heard on the radio the other day that the governor has announced that the covered bridge will be rebuilt: Rush County Bridge to be Rebuilt The new bridge will incorporate as much of the wood salvaged from the original bridge as possible. Chris I remember the old iron truss bridge north of Rochester on old 31. I beleive the pic posted is indeed the abutment from the bridge. In the 50s, my uncle had a head on wreck in the fog on that bridge that left him paralized. He once told me he could smell the leaking gas for the rest of his life. I remember old 31, choked with traffic, and backed up forever at that bridge. Its strange to visit the site now, and be the only one around. Iv been looking everywhere for pics of the old bridge, with no luck, so far. Jim1956 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keep the Show on the Road! Posted August 27, 2008 Report Share Posted August 27, 2008 Jim1956, That is a poignant reflection. We forget that the old two lane roads were crowded, and because of the heavy head on traffic, dangerous. Thanks for the post! Keep the Show on the Road! Dave Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jim1956 Posted August 28, 2008 Report Share Posted August 28, 2008 What a great site! Its great to find people who realize all these roads have stories to tell.Thanks to everyone who has contributed to this wonderfull site. Im so glad to be a new member! jim1956 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keep the Show on the Road! Posted August 28, 2008 Report Share Posted August 28, 2008 What a great site! Its great to find people who realize all these roads have stories to tell.Thanks to everyone who has contributed to this wonderfull site. Im so glad to be a new member! jim1956 Jim1956, You say it well! Each road definately has a story. This afternon I have been looking at the sections of old Pacific Highway (US99) that follow the Hudson Bay Cmpany's Cowlitz Trail in Washington. Talk about the stories!! Almost anything about the two lane roads will find a place here, so jump in at any time!! We look forward to your future posts...and BTW, WELCOME ABOARD! Keep the Show on the Road! Dave Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jim1956 Posted September 2, 2008 Report Share Posted September 2, 2008 A quick Labor day drive to rochester reminded me of a little known tidbit. Entering Lapaz from the north, you hardly notice driveing over the concrete arch bridge over the csx (formerly Baltimore and Ohio) railroad tracks. There was a time when this was an at grade crossing, and the scene of much carnage. For years, it was among the deadliest crossings in America. Jim Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mobilene Posted September 2, 2008 Author Report Share Posted September 2, 2008 (edited) I've driven or ridden over that crossing more times than I can remember. I must be just young enough (at age 41) to not remember it being an at-grade crossing. Here's a westbound photo I took from that overpass of a train about to pass under. The conductor saw me up there photographing his train, and so he blew his whistle long and loud to say hello. There used to be a railroad overpass on the north side of Lakeville, too, but it and the tracks were removed maybe 10 years ago and now there is no sign that the railroad ever passed by there. jim Edited September 2, 2008 by mobilene Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.