San Pierre, Indiana

Establishment The area now known as San Pierre was originally known as Culvertown, just north of the current town. However, in 1853, a post office was established in the area as the River Post Office. San Pierre proper was laid out in 1854, and the post office was re-established as San Pierre under postmaster Amas Green in 1855. According to one local tradition, the village later took the name of San Pierre, named after a nearby French-Canadian saloon owner. The story goes that 'Pierre' built a shack some 400 feet south of the village of Culvertown and began to sell whisky there. As a consequence of this inducement, the town shifted slightly to the south and the name was changed to San Pierre. Another tradition records the village being named after a French railroad worker called 'Pierre', with San being added to provide more importance to the name. In any case, the name was changed simply to Pierre in 1894, possibly as a result of increasing tension between Spain and the United States, leading up to the Spanish–American War. Finally the name was changed back to San Pierre in 1899. Railroads The first railroad to be laid in Starke County, New Albany and Chicago (Monon), was laid through San Pierre (then Culvertown) in 1853. Indiana, Illinois and Iowa Railroad (New York Central) was built through San Pierre to the neighboring town of North Judson in 1881. On May 1, 1875, President Abraham Lincoln’s funeral train had a stop in San Pierre on its way to Springfield, Illinois. In 1961, an elementary school and gymnasium was dedicated, and the schoolhouse on W. Eliza Street became the San Pierre High School. San Pierre High School closed after graduating its last class in 1964 and consolidating with North Judson High School to create North Judson-San Pierre (NJSP) High School. In 1891, St. Luke Evangelical Church was established in San Pierre and still operates today as St Luke United Church of Christ. Other history The town briefly had a Grand Army of the Republic Post (John W. McCune Post #587) from 1891 before closing in 1901. The Little Company of St. Mary's, later Our Lady of Holy Cross Health Care Center, was opened in 1945 and stayed in operation until 2008 before being torn down sometime between June 2009 and August 2010. ==Geography==

San Pierre is located in the Northwest/North Central region of Indiana. Located in the southwest corner of Starke County, San Pierre is approximately east of Jasper County, north of Pulaski County, and south of LaPorte County. San Pierre is approximately southeast of Chicago; and northwest of Indianapolis. The junction of U.S. Route 421 and Indiana State Road 10 is located in San Pierre. According to the United States Census Bureau, San Pierre (CDP) encompasses a total area of , of which it is all land. San Pierre (46374) encompasses a total area of , of which is land and is water. San Pierre is located in the former Grand Kankakee Marsh. Now the Kankakee Outwash Plain, a till plain region of the Central Corn Belt, the Grand Kankakee Marsh was the largest U.S. freshwater marsh before it was drained. The marsh was formed by the Laurentide ice sheet during the Wisconsin glaciation between 75,000 and 11,000 years ago. Today, San Pierre is approximately south of the Kankakee River, and the land is primarily farmland with a sand/loamy sand soil texture. ==Demographics==

and Indiana State Road 10 As of the census of 2020, there were 153 people and 69 households in the CDP. The population density was . There were 69 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the CDP was 84.3% White, 1.3% Black or African American, 3.9% from other races, and 10.5% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 8.5% of the population. There were 69 households, out of which 29.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 66.7% were married couples living together, 20.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 8.70% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 4.07 and the average family size was 4.48. In the CDP, 3.9% of residents were living with non-relatives. 49.0% of the population were male and were 51.0% female. The population age was spread out, with 22.9% between the ages of 0 and 19, 10.5% from 20 to 29, 18.3% from 30 to 44, 26.8% from 45 to 64, and 21.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 44.5 years (females: 42.5; males: 50.5). The median income for a household in the CDP was $115,625, and the median income for a family was $100,000. None of the population or families were below the poverty line. ==Sandhill Cranes==

Due to its closeness to the Jasper-Pulaski Fish and Wildlife Area, each year San Pierre and the surrounding vicinity is briefly home to more than 10,000 of the sandhill crane species of bird during their fall migration. The bird has become so synonymous with the town that it has become an unofficial emblem of the community, including a depiction on the welcome sign. ==Tierney Park==

Tierney Park sits on the former location of Our Lady of Holy Cross Health Care Center (Little Company of St. Mary's). The park was named after John Tierney who stowed away on President Abraham Lincoln's funeral train from San Pierre to Springfield, IL to attend Lincoln's funeral service. Years later, Tierney ultimately donated the land that would become the St. Mary's campus in 1945 until its closure and demolition by 2010. In September 2017, Tierney Park was dedicated and a marker for Lincoln's funeral train at the location was unveiled. ==Education==

San Pierre has a public library, a branch of the Starke County Public Library System. San Pierre is included in the North Judson-San Pierre School Corporation, located in North Judson. ==Churches==

• Abundant Life Church (205 N. Jackson Street) • All Saints Catholic Church (205 W. Eliza Street) • Saint Luke United Church of Christ (302 W. Eliza Street) • Shiloh Assembly of God Church (10501 State Road 10) ==References==