This Day in South Bend
45 episodes - English - Latest episode: almost 4 years ago - ★★★★★ - 7 ratingsA podcast about the history of South Bend. News articles from the city’s past by Jacob Titus, co-host of South Bend on Purpose. New episodes release each weekday morning.
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Episodes
The Woman's Movement, 1895
June 03, 2020 09:00 - 3 minutes - 2.49 MBOn this day in 1895, the South Bend Tribune published an article about the rising number of women interested in public affairs, and anticipated the "honesty and purity of thought and purpose" that women might bring to local government.
Annexation Helps Cities Stay Alive, 1968
June 02, 2020 09:00 - 7 minutes - 5.26 MBOn this day in 1968, the Tribune began a series of articles on the reasons and problems of annexation as the Mayor Allen raised it as a way for the city to keep growing.
Five Thousand Pay Visit to Springbrook, 1915
June 01, 2020 09:00 - 4 minutes - 3.44 MBOn this day in 1915, five thousand people visited Springbrook Park to dance in the new pavilion, ride the new merry-go-round, jockey on live ponies, and scream on its new roller coaster The Big Dip.
Spiro Ready to Open New Home, 1933
May 29, 2020 09:00 - 5 minutes - 3.98 MBOn this day in 1933, Samuel Spiro & Co., merchandisers of quality clothing for men and boys, announced the opening of their new storefront on Michigan Street in downtown South Bend.
Oliver Hotel Is Reported Leased, 1914
May 29, 2020 03:00 - 4 minutes - 2.94 MBOn this day in 1914, the Oliver family estate leased its famous downtown South Bend hotel to two Chicago men for a reported sum of $400,000.
They Are South Bend People, and What They Say Is of Local Interest
May 28, 2020 03:00 - 3 minutes - 2.77 MBOn this day in 1902, a local druggist told the unfortunate tale of a local man's health problems to sell kidney pills.
They Are South Bend People, and What They Say Is of Local Interest
May 28, 2020 03:00 - 3 minutes - 2.77 MBOn this day in 1902, a local druggist told the unfortunate tale of a local man's health problems to sell kidney pills.
Parishioners Say Goodbye to St. Stephen
May 27, 2020 03:00 - 8 minutes - 5.87 MBOn this day in 2003, the bells of St. Stephen welcomed Hungarian and Hispanic parishioners for the last time after nearly a century on South Bend's Westside.
Agents Trace Membership of Club of 21
May 22, 2020 22:00 - 4 minutes - 3.19 MBOn this day in 1931, federal investigators raided the headquarters of the secretive North Side club on suspicion that the 21-member club was brewing and selling alcohol.
Public Exhibition of Billiards at the Opera House, 1878
May 21, 2020 18:00 - 3 minutes - 2.84 MBOn this day in 1878, news broke that two of the finest billiards players in the country would soon play an exhibition at the opera house in South Bend.
Rural Snake Gets Lost in the Big City, 1950
May 21, 2020 01:00 - 5 minutes - 3.74 MBToday, we turn to May 20, 1950 for news that a country snake had gone missing in downtown South Bend and was later found in the entrance of a jewelry store.
Cutting Down Electric Railway Poles, 1890
May 19, 2020 09:00 - 3 minutes - 2.63 MBOn this day in 1890, two downtown businessmen expressed opposition to the installation of electric railway poles in front of their shops by chopping the poles down.
Passing of a Well Known Pawn Shop, 1908
May 18, 2020 21:00 - 4 minutes - 3.22 MBOn this day in 1908, Samuel J. Unger announced the closure of his downtown South Bend pawn shop, an enterprise that helped the city become metropolitan.
Notre Dame and St. Mary's to Unify as One Institution, 1971
May 15, 2020 09:00 - 7 minutes - 5.32 MBOn this day in 1971, the University of Notre Dame and St. Mary's College announced a plan to unify as one co-ed institution by the coming Fall. The plan failed.
A Woman's Club Formed, 1895
May 14, 2020 09:00 - 4 minutes - 3.23 MBOn this day in 1895, a group of prominent women, including Mrs. Mary Stull Studebaker and Ms. Olive Tarbell Birdsell, met in a home on Colfax Avenue to form the Progress Club.
A Mum Social, 1885
May 13, 2020 09:00 - 3 minutes - 2.67 MBOn this day in 1885, a group of Presbyterian ladies hosted a "mum social" at the home of Mr. and Mrs. F.H. Badet, wherein guests who wanted to speak had to pay for it in cash.
A Mum Social
May 13, 2020 09:00 - 3 minutes - 2.67 MBOn this day in 1885, a group of Presbyterian ladies hosted a "mum social" at the home of Mr. and Mrs. F.H. Badet, wherein guests who wanted to speak had to pay for it in cash.
Storyland Zoo to Shut on June 1, 1981
May 12, 2020 09:00 - 6 minutes - 4.85 MBOn this day in 1981, the South Bend Tribune broke the discouraging news that Storyland Zoo, a once-popular park attraction on the city's Southside, would soon shut its doors.
Fellow Workmen Fight, 1912
May 11, 2020 09:00 - 3 minutes - 2.74 MBToday, we turn to May 11, 1912, for a brief fight between fellow workmen at the South Bend Brewing Association over the planting of a corn field between their homes.
'Little Italy' Neighborhood is Long Gone, but Memories Remain, 1990
May 08, 2020 09:00 - 8 minutes - 6.05 MBToday, we turn to May 8, 1990, for a local man's warm memories of growing up in South Bend's Little Italy neighborhood.
Another Boom for South Bend, 1887
May 07, 2020 09:00 - 5 minutes - 3.9 MBToday, we turn to Saturday May 7, 1887, for news that South Bend Toy had acquired a large plot of land on the city's Southeast side with plans to build an immense factory.
Mr. James Oliver Buys the Chess Mansion, 1881
May 06, 2020 09:00 - 5 minutes - 3.63 MBToday, we turn to May 6, 1881, for James Oliver’s purchase of the Chess Mansion, a massive, stone house built by one of South Bend’s early settlers.
Mystery Shrouds the Removal of Wine From Czalo's, 1921
May 05, 2020 09:00 - 5 minutes - 3.77 MBToday, we turn to May 5, 1921, for a story about Alex Czalo, a local entrepreneur who was caught hiding 1,500 barrels of homemade wine in a secret cellar during prohibition.
Tuesday Front Yard Day in Clean-Up, 1915
May 05, 2020 02:00 - 3 minutes - 2.46 MBToday, we turn to May 4, 1915, for a brief South Bend News-Times report about clean-up week, a time when all residents of the city were encouraged to make visible improvements to their properties.
South Bend News-Times Raising a False Cry, 1882
May 01, 2020 19:00 - 5 minutes - 4.15 MBToday, we turn to May 1, 1882, for another round of bickering between South Bend's two leading papers, The Tribune and the News-Times.
Injuring South Bend by Advertising It as the Wickedest City in the Country, 1888
May 01, 2020 03:00 - 6 minutes - 4.21 MBToday, we turn to April 30, 1888, for the Tribune's forceful rebuke of a local politician's dispatch in the Chicago Herald in which he called South Bend "wicked" and decried its gambling and houses of ill repute.
City Manager Plan, 1921
April 30, 2020 03:00 - 4 minutes - 3.31 MBToday, we turn to April 29, 1921, for one part of a Tribune editorial series about the advantages and disadvantages of South Bend moving from our strong mayor system to that of a city manager.
The Local Political Field
April 29, 2020 02:00 - 4 minutes - 3.01 MBToday, we turn to April 28, 1892, for a Tribune report aiming to convince residents to resist high taxes by voting Republican in an upcoming city election.
The Quarantined Colony
April 28, 2020 02:00 - 4 minutes - 3.14 MBToday, we turn to April 27, 1900, for a report from the police station where officers exposed to a man with smallpox were quarantined with activities including old maid and fumigation.
Trend Two to One Against Clock Change
April 24, 2020 20:00 - 6 minutes - 4.79 MBToday, we turn to April 24, 1927, for the results of The Tribune's straw poll testing sentiment on a daylight saving proposal in the city council.
People Make The City Says Tribune Speaker
April 24, 2020 03:00 - 11 minutes - 7.93 MBToday, we turn to April 23, 1927, for a remarkable radio address in which a local businessman sells South Bend to the people of America with a simple, yet profound, message: the people make the city.
Rush to Enter Popular Girl Contest Opens
April 22, 2020 20:00 - 6 minutes - 4.3 MBToday, we turn to April 22, 1930, for the announcement of a popular girl contest hosted by The South Bend Tribune and The Colfax Theatre with the grand prize of a trip to Hollywood to meet with movie executives and stars.
"Cut Unessentials" Is Sim's Advice to City
April 22, 2020 02:00 - 8 minutes - 5.93 MBToday, we turn to April 21, 1920, for an article about an evening gathering of state and local officials, including A.R. Erskine and Richard Elbel, to discuss the city budget and future plans.
High Students Join "Old Clothes" Club
April 21, 2020 03:00 - 5 minutes - 3.74 MBToday, we turn to April 20, 1920, for an article about the old clothes and overalls club, a movement among white collar workers to protest the rising cost of work clothes.
Studebaker to Construct New Building Soon
April 17, 2020 20:00 - 5 minutes - 4.04 MBToday, we turn to April 17, 1922, for A.R. Erksine's announcement that, due to booming business in countries such as Italy, Brazil, and England, Studebaker planned to build a new shipping facility on Lafayette.
When Coach Leahy Left Notre Dame to Join The Navy
April 16, 2020 19:00 - 5 minutes - 3.63 MBToday, we turn to April 16, 1944, for a breaking report about Notre Dame Football head coach Frank Leahy's decision to temporarily leave the university and join the Navy.
First Horseless Carriage
April 15, 2020 20:00 - 3 minutes - 2.15 MBToday, we turn to April 15, 1899, for a news brief about J.M. Studebaker's purchase of a one-seated horseless carriage, the first of such seen in South Bend.
An Advance Movement by the South Bend Croquet Factory
April 14, 2020 19:00 - 6 minutes - 4.31 MBToday, we turn to April 14, 1875, for a string of front-page news briefs about the assassination of President Lincoln, the growth of South Bend's Croquet Factory, and a requiem for the Studebaker's first wood shop.
This Bunny to Deliver Baskets of Kielbasa
April 14, 2020 03:00 - 6 minutes - 4.36 MBToday, we turn to Friday, April 13, 1979 for an article about Dyngus Day, a Polish holiday special to the life of South Bend, which is effectively cancelled this year due to the coronavirus pandemic.
A Horrible Accident, In Which Fred Dutch Loses Both His Legs and His Life
April 10, 2020 21:00 - 6 minutes - 4.65 MBToday, we turn to Monday, April 10, 1882 for a blunt recounting of the tragic death of Fred Dutch, a well-loved downtown South Bend saloon owner.
Breathing Bricks by Anne Axtagrind
April 10, 2020 00:00 - 5 minutes - 3.51 MBToday, we turn to Monday, April 9, 1962, for an impassioned 'Voice of the People' letter to the Tribune signed Anne Axtagrind.
Tells Mayor He Wants to Marry Local Girl
April 08, 2020 16:00 - 3 minutes - 2.42 MBToday, we turn to Monday, April 8, 1912, for what is perhaps the early-20th century version of Tinder: a wife-seeking letter written by an Oregon cowboy to the Mayor of South Bend. And you should know, this was on the front page.
City Beer Shortage Looms
April 07, 2020 15:00 - 5 minutes - 3.58 MBToday, we turn to Friday, April 7, 1933, when President Franklin Roosevelt repealed the Volstead Act, and 3.2% percent beer returned to South Bend after over a decade of prohibition.
Tribune to Erect Radio, TV Center
April 06, 2020 23:00 - 8 minutes - 5.76 MBToday, we turn to Tuesday, April 6, 1954, for The Tribune's announcement of their plan to build a new, modern building in downtown South Bend exclusively for radio and television service.
4,000 March to Courthouse
April 06, 2020 19:00 - 10 minutes - 7.48 MBToday, we turn to two articles published in the South Bend Tribune on Thursday, April 5, 1917, following the United States’ entrance to World War One, and Friday, April 5, 1968, in the days after the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Two tragic moments that, for a time, brought our interdependence to the surface.