South Bend is located at the southernmost bend of the St. Joseph River and was founded by French settlers in the early 1800's. It grew quickly as a center for business and manufacturing, spawning such national corporations as Singer Sewing Machines, Uniroyal and Bendix. Probably the most famous name associated with South Bend is that of Studebaker. The Studebaker Brothers started a wagon-building business in 1852 which prospered and eventually became a large automobile manufacturing company.

The history of South Bend is well preserved in places such as the Studebaker National Museum, where Singer sewing machines, Oliver plows and Bendix aircraft components can be found in addition to automobiles. Historical home sites in the region include Copshaholm, a 38-room mansion with Italian gardens which was once the residence of the Oliver Family, the founders of Oliver Chilled Plow and Tractors; and Tippecanoe Place, the Clement Studebaker Mansion, which is now a fine dining establishment in downtown South Bend.

Today a number of diverse and growing industries are thriving in South Bend and the surrounding area including: Bendix, a division of AlliedSignal, Inc., which makes graphite composite brake pads for fighter aircraft; AM General, which makes Hummer vehicles; and Bayer, which makes Alka Seltzer and citric acid. South Bend's industrial growth is expected to continue and it has been ranked by Inc. Magazine as one of the top thirty U.S. cities for new business opportunities.

South Bend is centrally located and within driving distance of three major cities - Chicago, Indianapolis and Detroit. The South Shore Railway and United Limo Bus Service provide daily service to and from Chicago. Michiana Regional Airport, conveniently located about 3 miles from Notre Dame, handles over 120 commercial flights daily by 9 airlines.

There is no shortage of cultural events and attractions in South Bend. The Morris Civic Auditorium hosts the road-show companies of Broadway plays and is the home of a first-rate symphony orchestra. Notre Dame, and neighboring Saint Mary's College, offer a wide range of activities including performances by student music groups and Notre Dame-St. Mary's joint theatre department. In the spring, Notre Dame is host to at least a dozen collegiate jazz and studio bands as well as guest celebrity musicians. The two-day event is one of the biggest jazz festivals in the Midwest. Popular music entertainers perform during the summer months at the Firefly Festival, an outdoor theatre at St. Patrick's Park, and throughout the year at the Joyce Athletic and Convocation Center. The Snite Museum of Art, on campus, has a permanent collection of over 17,000 objects including works of many masters, including Rembrandt, Chagall and Picasso. Sports enthusiasts have plenty of exciting things to do and see in South Bend. Downtown sites include the East Race Waterway, a world-class kayak course which was once a mill race used to provide water power to the area businesses; Coveleski Stadium, home to South Bend's minor league baseball team; and the NCAA Football Hall of Fame which opened in 1995.

The exploits of Notre Dame's athletic teams are truly legendary and the tradition continues today. In 1995-96, the first season in the Big East Conference, Notre Dame's varsity sports programs won the Commissioner's Trophy for placing first in the conference rankings. Throughout the school year, enthusiastic crowds can be found cheering for all the Irish sports teams. The Notre Dame campus really comes alive in the fall when over 59,000 people, including about 6,000 students, attend each home football game. Tickets for all campus sporting events are made available to every student.

For amateur athletes, there are extensive facilities available. The Joyce Athletic and Convocation Center contains an ice rink, several basketball courts, eight handball/racquetball courts, four squash courts and an Olympic-sized pool. In the Rockne Memorial, located adjacent to the 9-hole golf course, there are additional basketball courts, a light apparatus facility and two weight rooms. The Eck Pavilion has six indoor tennis courts, as well as 24 outdoor courts. This was the site of the NCAA Men's Tennis Championships in 1994. The Loftus Sports Center has an indoor track. During warmer months, volleyball courts are set up near the Stepan Center and boat rentals are available on the lakes.

Article by Robert Thornburg     A service of   This information is provided courtesy of DataCruz Internet. We cannot guarantee the accuaracy of this information. If you find any of it to be inaccurate, please send e-mail to info@south-bend.net.