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    Roads, rails, bridges and mills

    How the valley was joined

    First came the canals that were never dug and the plank roads that were. Then the bridges over the St. Joseph, and at last the iron road, which decided which towns would grow and which would wait. Here it is in the order it happened, each date from the county histories with its page.

    The dates

    1. 26 March 1835 Niles. A charter was granted to Obed P. Lacey for a toll bridge over the St. Joseph at Niles. History of Berrien and Van Buren Counties, Michigan (D. W. Ensign, 1880), p. 159
    2. 8 December 1835 Niles. A public meeting at Niles called for a free bridge at Main Street. History of Berrien and Van Buren Counties, Michigan (D. W. Ensign, 1880), p. 159
    3. 2 February 1836 Edwardsburg. Citizens met at Edwardsburg about a canal from Constantine to Niles; most of those present favored a railroad. Mathews, History of Cass County, Michigan (1882), p. 79
    4. 21 March 1836 Niles. Niles obtained a charter for a free bridge across the St. Joseph River. History of Berrien and Van Buren Counties, Michigan (D. W. Ensign, 1880), p. 159
    5. 26 March 1836 Constantine. The Legislature incorporated the Constantine and Niles Canal or Railroad Company. Mathews, History of Cass County, Michigan (1882), p. 79
    6. 24 May 1845 Niles. The contract to build the Broadway bridge at Niles was let to Henry J. Holmes. History of Berrien and Van Buren Counties, Michigan (D. W. Ensign, 1880), p. 159
    7. 3 April 1848 Paw Paw. The act incorporating the Paw Paw Plank-Road Company was approved. History of Berrien and Van Buren Counties, Michigan (D. W. Ensign, 1880), p. 50
    8. 7 October 1848 Niles. The Michigan Central Railroad was completed to Niles, and the first passenger train from Detroit arrived. Mathews (1882, p. 80) gives the same date. History of Berrien and Van Buren Counties, Michigan (D. W. Ensign, 1880), p. 53
    9. 22 March 1849 Niles. The Niles and Mottville plank-road company was incorporated. (Berrien and Van Buren history, 1880, p. 50, gives the same date.) Mathews, History of Cass County, Michigan (1882), p. 77
    10. 12 July 1851 Niles. Repairs to the flood-damaged Broadway bridge at Niles were completed. History of Berrien and Van Buren Counties, Michigan (D. W. Ensign, 1880), p. 160
    11. 4 October 1851 South Bend. The first through train from Lake Erie reached South Bend, creating great excitement. History of St. Joseph County, Indiana (Chapman, 1880), p. 456
    12. 4 January 1869 Niles. The new iron bridge over the St. Joseph River at Niles was completed and accepted by the city's Board of Aldermen. History of Berrien and Van Buren Counties, Michigan (D. W. Ensign, 1880), p. 160
    13. 2 February 1870 St. Joseph. The railroad from St. Joseph to New Buffalo opened for traffic, and St. Joseph held a grand celebration. History of Berrien and Van Buren Counties, Michigan (D. W. Ensign, 1880), p. 55
    14. 28 November 1870 Cassopolis. The rails of the Air Line railroad reached Cassopolis. Mathews, History of Cass County, Michigan (1882), p. 80
    15. 16 January 1871 Cassopolis. Regular passenger trains began running on the new Air Line railroad through Cassopolis. Mathews, History of Cass County, Michigan (1882), p. 80
    16. 9 February 1871 Cassopolis. Rails of the Peninsular railway line reached Cassopolis. Mathews, History of Cass County, Michigan (1882), p. 80

    See it on the old plans

    The railroads are drawn on the town plans, and today’s tracks are drawn under them. Fade between the two:

    The mills and works in the directories

    Water and steam turned the valley’s mills. These are the millers, founders and machinists who paid to be listed beside the town plans of 1860 and 1861. See them all in who was in town.

    Dates from the county histories listed on the sources shelf, read in the Internet Archive’s copies; the mills from the business directories beside the town plans. The more dates in the valley’s almanac.