Elkhart is the center of the widely-extended activities of the Indiana and Michigan Electric Company, and a description of its development, as a whole, and its outgrowth at Elkhart, in particular, is therefore given in the words of J. P. Ohmer, its superintendent. "The Indiana and Michigan Electric Company," he says, "is the Indiana corporation serving the people of the St. Joseph valley with electrical energy for light and power purposes directly or indirectly from Elkhart, Ind., to Watervliet, Mich., which is approximately 20 miles north of Benton Harbor, and in addition thereto street and interurban railways operating in said valley from Goshen to Watervliet, Mich., and those radiating therefrom.

"To be more explicit,-it wholesales electrical energy to the Chicago, South Bend and Northern Indiana Railway which operates a local street car system in Goshen, Elkhart, Mishawaka, South Bend, Laporte, Michigan City, Indiana and has interurban lines operating in and between said cities; also to St. Joseph Valley Traction Co., which operates a line of railway easterly from Elkhart, through Bristol for a distance of approximately 15 miles, and which road is being extended easterly to approximately the Ohio-Indiana state line; also to the Benton Harbor & St. Joseph Railway & Light Company, which distributes electricity for light and power purposes in the cities of St. Joseph and Benton Harbor, Mich., on Lake Michigan, and a local street car line in and between said cities, together with an interurban railway extending southerly and easterly to Dowagiac, Mich., and northerly for 20 miles to Coloma and Watervliet. This railway and light company also distributes this electrical energy in the villages of Coloma, Watervliet and Eau Claire, Mich., as well as in St. Joseph and Benton Harbor. The Indiana & Michigan Electric Company also wholesales electric energy to the Southern Michigan Railway Company, which operates an electrical railway between South Bend and St. Joseph, Mich., through Niles and Berrien Springs. The Indiana & Michigan Electric Co., neither directly or indirectly except for railroad purposes, disposes of any electrical energy in Goshen, New Carlisle, Laporte or Michigan City. In Michigan City the railway company does not procure its power from the Indiana & Michigan Electric Co.

"In Elkhart, Ind., where one of its hydro-electric plants is located, it distributes and sells all of the electricity that is used in that city for light and power purposes. In Mishawaka, Ind., where it has franchises by which it can distribute energy for all purposes, it at present distributes electrical energy for power purposes only,

selling only such amounts of energy as are necessary for illuminating purposes in the manufacturing establishments to which it sells energy for power purposes. In addition to this power business it also has a contract with the municipality of Mishawaka, which municipality distributes said energy for lighting and small power business. In South Bend, Ind., this company maintains and operates in conjunction with its hydro-electric plants a large steam plant and here it distributes and sells all of the electrical energy used for lighting and power purposes, both by the city and the inhabitants thereof, except such amounts as may be manufactured by private plants.

"In Niles, Mich., this company has a franchise for a limited section of the City of Niles by which it can dispose of electric energy to be used for power purposes only. In Buchanan, Mich., where one of its hydro-electric plants is located, it disposes and sells electrical energy for both light and power purposes to the municipality, as well as to the inhabitants thereof. Similarly, at the Village of Berrien Springs, where is located the fourth hydro-electric plant, it distributes energy for all purposes, except street illumination, for which it delivers energy to the municipality.

"It also distributes a small amount of current in the Village of Rolling Prairie and sells to a few customers just west of Laporte through an agreement made with the Indiana Railway Co. The approximate population which it serves directly or indirectly is 125,000.

"The Indiana & Michigan Electric Co. power is developed from four hydro-electric plants located in the St. Joseph River, one having an approximate head of 18 feet located in this city, the second. with an approximate head of 20 feet located at Twin Branch, three miles east of Mishawaka, the third having a head of approximately 10 feet at Buchanan, Mich., and the fourth having a head of approximately 20 feet at Berrien Springs, Mich., together with a steam plant centrally located at South Bend, Ind., and operated in conjunction with and parallel with the above mentioned hydraulic plants. All of said plants are interconnected electrically with practically two parallel transmission lines.

"The Indiana & Michigan Electric Co. is the result of the consolidation merger or purchase of numerous companies originally existing independently in the St. Joseph valley. It was incorporated in the State of Indiana May 11, 1907, at which time it took over a number of independent companies.

"In this city the first electric company was organized by Etna Kuhlman in 1892. It was known as the Home Electric Light & Power Co., and had for its officers Dr. G. W. Spohn, President; E. Kuhlman, Secretary; W. H. Hornberger, Vice-president and J. E. Micks, Treasurer.

"The first plant was located south of the Lake Shore railroad at the corner of Willard Street and was put into operation on Thanksgiving day, 1892.

"Later, the plant was moved to Elkhart ave., near Jackson Street, and was operated by hydraulic power from the St. Joseph River. This plant was entirely demolished more than fifteen years ago and the electric plant was moved and reconstructed on the north side of the river along the Big Four railway, near Beardsley avenue, and was designed so as to utilize both steam and hydraulic power. This is the plant called by the Indiana & Michigan Electric Co., plant "A," and was abandoned during 1914 as an operating plant.

"The hydraulic development in Elkhart dates back to 1867, when The Elkhart Hydraulic Co. was organized, and in 1868 they constructed a dam in the St. Joseph River at Elkhart. This dam was a log dam with a head of ten feet and on the south side of which was the old fashioned race-way from which water was drawn for various manufacturing enterprises, and each manufacturer owned in connection with the real estate on which his factory was located certain quantities of water which were used for power development purposes for his factory. In 1882 the St. Joseph Hydraulic Co. was organized and purchased from the owners of the dam certain water rights and this company constructed the race-way on the north side of the river which supplied manufacturing establishments, among which was the Home Electric, or the Elkhart Electric Company. This company, however, did not own any of the water rights but leased approximately 300 horse power from the owner of the hydraulic properties.

"In January, 1901, the Home Electric Light & Power Co. was merged into the Elkhart Electric Co. In September, 1903, the Elkhart Power Co. was organized and purchased both of the above mentioned hydraulic companies, and this, the Elkhart Power Co., was later purchased by the Indiana & Michigan Co. In 1913 the Indiana & Michigan Electric Co. completed the reconstruction and raising of this Elkhart dam and building a new power house, from which they are now developing energy in conjunction with three other hydraulic plants and a steam plant at South Bend."

CHAPTER XV

ELEVATING INSTITUTIONS AND ORGANIZATIONS

BAPTIST, METHODIST AND BRETHREN MISSIONARIES-FIRST METHODIST CLASS AND CHURCH-CASTLE UNITED BRETHREN CHURCH -FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH-ST. JOHN'S EPISCOPAL CHURCH-FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH-FIRST EVANGELICAL CHURCH GRACE LUTHERAN CHURCH-ST. VINCENT'S CATHOLIC CHURCH-FIRST CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH-SWEDISH EVANGELICAL LUTHERAN TRINITY CHURCH-FIRST METHODIST PROTESTANT CHURCH GERMAN EVANGELICAL LUTHERAN CHURCH-FIRST CHRISTIAN CHURCH-THE RIVERSIDE CHRISTIAN CHURCH-SIMPSON MEMORIAL CHURCH-OTHER CHURCHES THE YOUNG MEN'S CHRISTIAN ASSOCIATION AND YOUNG WOMEN'S CHRISTIAN ASSOCIATION-ELKHART GENERAL HOSPITAL-SECRET AND BENEVOLENT ORGANIZATIONS THE LOCAL INDEPENDENT ORDER OF ODD FELLOWS BODIES-THE MASONS THE BENEVOLENT AND PROTECTIVE ORDER OF ELKSTHE WOODMEN AND THE FORESTERS-KNIGHTS OF PYTHIAS AND RATHBONE SISTERS KNIGHTS AND LADIES OF THE MACCABEES -PATRIOTIC BODIES-INDUSTRIAL ORGANIZATIONS-ELKHART LECTURE ASSOCIATION-THE CHAUTAUQUA-THE CENTURY CLUB-OTHER CLUBS.

Many influences and agencies work toward the uplifting of a community or a city which do not formally bear an elevating stamp. There are certain institutions and organizations, however, such as churches, Christian associations, hospitals, benevolent and patriotic bodies, secret orders and lodges, industrial brotherhoods and the like, which specifically take their stand in the higher activities of life. It is a picture of this phase of the local history of Elkhart which this chapter attempts to draw; and it is a bright and instructive one.