Now, when I say your dorms are historic, I don’t really mean the buildings themselves. Although they are quite nice, what I am referring to is the hallowed ground on which Indiana University South Bend's (IUSB) student housing sits.
Very little is known about the plot of land in South Bend, Indiana that sits just south of the St. Joseph river, across the street from the local Martin’s Supermarket on Ironwood Drive. Even the IUSB students who live there aren’t aware of the rich history that occurred in the very place they sleep.
South Bend, Indiana was quite the destination for blue-collar families in the early 20th century. The thriving Studebaker car company, which was headquartered in the city, was a household name during the industrial revolution.
With the advent of labor laws came higher wages and more “down-time” for families. And with these two factors came entertainment, including amusement parks. That’s right IUSB residents, the spot where the IUSB dorms sit today was once the historic destination of many thrill-seekers: Playland Amusement Park (also known as Springbrook Park).
(Think about where your dorm sits. When you drive into student housing from Lincolnway East, you're driving through the spot where a roller coaster stood!)
Playland popped up in the late 19th century, and it featured many roller coasters throughout its years! It was where the circus came into town, and Studebaker often tested new cars down on Playland’s race track.
Ever wonder what those fenced-off, concrete steps in front of the Community Building were? Well, wonder no more! Those are the remaining bleachers that oversaw many sporting and entertainment events. South Bend, Indiana hosted one NASCAR race in history, and guess where it was held? That’s right, it was held at Playland Amusement Park.
The property was also the home of the South Bend Blue Sox when the Women’s Baseball League grew in popularity during WWII. The Blue Sox are famously referenced in the movie “A League of Their Own” starring Tom Hanks.
Sadly, with the demise of Studebaker came the disappearance of Playland Amusement Park, and the piece of land sat unused for decades. That is until about ten years ago when Indiana University and the city of South Bend made an agreement to annex the land for IU’s South Bend campus to use for new student housing.
The student housing was built in response to the increasing number of “traditional” college students flocking to the university. Although the land has been put to good use, very few people know about the rich history of IU South Bend’s student housing property. A small sign sits atop the hill at the corner of Ironwood and Titan Drive. On it, the history of the property is detailed, but let’s be honest, this is the still probably the first time many of you are hearing about the land’s fantastic past.
Playland Amusement Park is one of South Bend’s best kept, big secrets. It’s bewildering that something as big as an amusement park can just disappear into obscurity of a city’s past. Even online, there is not much documentation about the park. Although it was a long time ago, Playland Amusement Park deserves to be a well-remembered, and well-loved piece of South Bend history.
(Looking toward the old amusement park, currently IUSB student housing, from campus.)
