The First Railroad in North Judson

       About 1857-1861 there came rumors, and finally the realization, of a steam railway.  This road was to connect Columbus, Ohio, with Chicago and was knows as the Columbus, Chicago, and Central Indiana Railway.  It is now a part of the Pennsylvania system.  Apparently, someone conceived the idea that a town to serve the community should be established on the railroad.  The early market place evidently was at Brantwood, about a mile northwest of here where a town was platted October 1, 1859, consisting of fifteen blocks, with a public square in the center of the plot named Washington Square, and a section set aside for church grounds.  The Post Office, a store and several homes were built.  In 1860, David D. Adair was the Postmaster.  The name of the Post Office was changed to Brantwood later and discontinued March 6, 1871.  Israel Uncapher, carried the mail, on Star Route from San Pierre to Knox, in 1862, under a Government contract at the rate of $163.00 per year.  This was before there was a railroad in Knox.

As noted in the previous paragraph, there was a North Judson when Brantwood was platted.  It has been stated that our town was given the name of a Civil Engineer or Railroad Engineer, named Judson, employed in the construction of our present Pennsylvania Railroad, with the word North Judson added.  This may have been the situation at Brantwood and following the change of name of the North Judson Post Office to Brantwood, evidently our town was given the name North Judson.

The records in the Court House at Knox show an original plat of North Judson, recorded between October 23 and December 1, 1966, the definite date not stated.  An acknowledge statement by W. C. Boyle, Surveyor of Starke County, states that he surveyed a plat of the town on March 30, 1869.  Following are the field notes of the survey:

The town of North Judson is situated in the West half of the South West quarter of Section Sixteen and the East half of the South East quarter of Section Seventeen in Township No. thirty-two (2) North of Range No. 3 West in Starke County, Indiana, Cincinnati Street is 100 feet wide from the center of the Columbus, Chicago and Indiana Central Railway.  Main Street is 66 feet wide, Starke Street, Adair Street, Sycamore Street, Vine Street, Lane Street, Keller Avenue and Central Avenue all 54 ft. wide each.  The alleys are each sixteen feet wide.  The Lots are each 132 feet long and 72 ft. wide.  Also Lot 1 in Block 21 is 144 ft. on the line toward the Railroad Section line, also Lot 7 in Block 20 is 50 ft. on Starke Street and bounded South by the Section Line.  Also Lot 1 in Block 32 is 45 ½ feet on Main Street and 158 feet on J. Rollers tract and 106 feet on the Section Lot 4 in Block 22 Lot 1 in Block 23 and Lot 2, 3, 5 and 6 in Block 26 and divided between the proprietors as indicated by the red line and figures upon the subjointed Plat.

This was acknowledged before W. J. Tilden, a Justice of the Peace in Starke County, Indiana, April 24, 1869.  This plat is signed by Mrs. Caroline Keller, Samuel Bender and Levi Lightcap.