South Bend

In 1950, a group of African American workers at the Studebaker factory in South Bend met in secret. Their mission was to build homes away from the factories and slums where they were forced to live. They came from the South to make a better life for themselves and their children, but they found Jim Crow in the North as well. The meeting gave birth to Better Homes of South Bend, and a triumph against the entrenched racism of the times took all their courage, intelligence and perseverance. Author Gabrielle Robinson tells the story of their struggle and provides an intimate glimpse into a part of history that all too often is forgotten.

The national pastime began to take root in South Bend in the 1860s when teams like the Hoosiers, Excelsiors, and Rough-and-Readys took the field to the delight of local fans. By 1878, the legendary South Bend Greenstocking had arrived on the scene, winning the mythical Indiana State Baseball Championship and establishing the nickname of choice for South Bend baseball for years to come. The following decades saw the rising popularity of not only minor league baseball but also barnstorming teams, indoor baseball, factory leagues, and men's and women's amateur leagues. This rich baseball heritage is carried on today by the South Bend SilverHawks of the Class-A Midwest League.

South Bend, Indiana stood at the crossroads of several major Native American trading routes long before the Europeans, led by the French, arrived from Canada and the East Coast to trade for furs. The city on a bend of the St. Joseph River soon became an important commercial center for settlers moving west. Eventually, the University of Notre Dame and Studebaker would call the growing community home.

Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio, Wisconsin.