| When Indiana became a state in 1816, the Michigan line was shifted northward by ten miles in order to give Indiana a share of the Great Lakes shore line. The land that become Elkhart County was purchased from the Indians by the government in 1821, made a County in 1830. Soon after, the state was divided into townships, and without that boundary change, all of Washington Township named for General George Washington and where Bristol is now located, would have been part of Michigan. In fact, the Indiana/Michigan line would have actually been located much to the South, between Elkhart and Goshen. |
| Bristol's past is full of the stories of the lure of the land that drew speculators from the East, as scores of settlers came to seek out the new opportunities and buy their own piece of prosperity. Begun as two rival villages called "Bristol" and "Sydneyham" by their sponsors in the 1830's, each developed along opposite sides of State Road 15: Bristol to the East and Sydneyham to the West. . |
| Although the territory had been surveyed in 1829, it was not until 1830, that the Judsons and other families bought the land that would become Bristol. Around 1835, the two villages were developed. Sydneyham was laid out by Dr. Henry Fowler and was west of present State Road 15. Bristol, to the east, was named for the British hometown of the Judson's immigrant ancestor. Eventually the two merged, and the name of "Bristol" endured. Called the Pearl of the St. Joseph Valley in early accounts, Bristol was proclaimed to be just 110 miles east of Chicago, 140 Miles east of Toledo, and 100 miles south of Grand Rapids. Eventually, the two merged and became Bristol, Indiana. |
| Among the early families were the Nicolsons and the Cathcarts, who settled along the St. Joseph River and eventually bought the land from the government. Along the banks of the river, they built log cabins, made their living off the land, and feasted off the bounty of the forests. They shared the resources with Potawatomi Indians who had a village near the St. Joe River in what is now Washington township. Many Indian artifacts have been found along the Little Elkhart River, as well, dating back to the Adena and Hopewell cultures over 2,000 years ago. |
| The desirable land at the bend of the St. Joseph River and the joining of the Little Elkhart River nearby, attracted many new settlers who brought new ideas, hope, and determination with them. All that water was just waiting to be harnessed, and the new arrivals didn't waste any time doing so. They built dams, as well as a sawmill, flour mill, and even a distillery to make corn whisky. |
| In the 1840's and early 1850's, Bristol was a bustling little community set on the bluffs above the St. Joseph River and located at the intersection of two major crossroads. The river was a busy place during the 1840's and 50's, as riverboats and arcs plied their trade to and from distant ports. Warehouses flourished along the wharves, and the wares of Bristol merchants traveled to Michigan, Chicago, and beyond. |
| Traffic on the river and the roads was steady, but once the railroads came through in the fall of 1851, river shipments virtually vanished and the new mode of transportation brought many changes to the area. The coming of the first wood-burning steam engine through Bristol was such an event, that many stayed up all night to watch so as not to miss its arrival. |
| Around 1860, local farmers set out fruit trees in what would become known as the Bristol Fruit Hills. The hills, some of the highest land in the area, were a natural place for testing the theory that the higher the land, the less likely the crop was to suffer from the frosts that tended to settle in the lower areas. Bountiful harvests proved the concept was valid, and the area became known for its abundant orchards. |
| After 1870, there was a slowdown in development. The Detroit Post Road name was changed to the Mottville Road (now State Road 15), and the weekly stage coach no longer stopped at the Congdon Inn. Bristol had a train station, called Middlebury Station (although it wasn't in Middlebury). Bristol was no longer at the great crossroads of travel. Platted as a village in 1834, Bristol was incorporated in 1869, population 706. |
| Though only a few blocks long by 1881, the downtown business district had grown to boast of 3 drug stores, 2 boot and shoes shops, 2 hotels, 1 furniture manufacturer, 1 jewelry/clothing store, 1 meat market, 1 horse harness shop, 2 restaurants, 4 billiard halls, 1 also a saloon, 4 blacksmiths, 2 cooper shops, several general stores, and the newspaper. But three devastating fires within a few months in 1885, the last a suspected arson over a lawsuit about mill rights, virtually destroyed the downtown area. |
| In 1897, Mr. Mosier, the owner of the Bristol Banner newspaper had completed his grand scheme for bringing culture to the area. The Mosier Opera House opened with great fanfare down the street from the press room. By 1901, the downtown was again doing business, when excitement erupted in the form of a daring post office robbery. First alerted to the crime in progress by an explosion, the Bickel brothers rushed to try to half the robbery. Scores of bullets were exchanged, but the safe crackers prevailed, getting clean away with several hundred dollars in cash, and two to three times as much value in stamps. |
To be continued - please check back for updates..
