Goshen, Indiana

Before the arrival of white colonists, the land that is today Goshen, Indiana, was populated by Native Americans, specifically the Miami people, the Peoria people, and Potawatomi peoples. These people inhabited this land for thousands of years.[9] In 1830, the US Congress passed the Indian Removal Act, requiring all indigenous people to relocate west of the Mississippi River.

Goshen was platted in 1831.[10] It was named after the Land of Goshen.[11] The initial settlers consisted entirely of old stock "Yankee" immigrants, who were descended from the English Puritans who settled New England in the 1600s.[12] The New England Yankee population that founded towns such as Goshen considered themselves the "chosen people," and identified with the Israelites of the Old Testament and they thought of North America as their Canaan. They founded a large number of towns and counties across what is known as the Northern Tier of the upper midwest. It was in this context that Goshen was named.[12][13]

The Yankee migration to Indiana was a result of several factors, one of which was the overpopulation of New England. The old-stock Yankee population had large families, often bearing up to ten children in one household. Most people were expected to have their own piece of land to farm, and due to the massive and nonstop population boom, land in New England became scarce as every son claimed his own farmstead. As a result, there was not enough land for every family to have a self-sustaining farm, and Yankee settlers began leaving New England for the Midwestern United States.[14]

They were aided in this effort by the construction and completion of the Erie Canal which made traveling to the region much easier, causing an additional surge in migrants coming from New England. Added to this was the end of the Black Hawk War, which made the region much safer for white settlers to travel through and settle in. However, the Black Hawk War also forced the native people who called Goshen home for so long to leave. The 1833 Treaty of Chicago ultimately set the conditions that would force the Potawatomi in particular to leave the Midwest, Goshen included, in 1837. This forced exile is known today as the Potawatomi Trail of Death.[9]

These settlers were primarily members of the Congregational Church, though due to the Second Great Awakening, many of them had converted to Methodism, and some had become Baptists before coming to what is now Indiana. The Congregational Church has subsequently gone through many divisions, and some factions, including those in Goshen, are now known as the Church of Christ and the United Church of Christ.[14] When the New Englanders arrived in what is now Elkhart County there was nothing but a dense virgin forest and wild prairie. They laid out farms, constructed roads, erected government buildings, and established post routes.[12][14]

This double tornado hit the Midway Trailer Court northwest of Goshen on U.S. 33, Palm Sunday, 1965.

On Palm Sunday, April 11, 1965, a large outbreak of tornadoes struck the Midwest. The most famous pair of tornadoes devastated the Midway Trailer Park (now inside the city limits of Goshen), and the Sunnyside Housing Addition in Dunlap, Indiana. Another, smaller F4 tornado also struck neighborhoods on the southeast side of Goshen on the same day. Statewide, 137 Hoosiers died in the storms—55 of them in Elkhart County. Days later, President Lyndon B. Johnson visited the Dunlap site.[15]

The Goshen Historic District, added in 1983 to the National Register of Historic Places[16] is bounded by Pike, RR, Cottage, Plymouth, Main, Purl, the Canal, and Second Sts. with the Elkhart County Courthouse at its center.

In April 2006, Goshen was the site of an immigration march. Officials estimated that from 2,000 to 3,000 people marched from Linway Plaza to the County Courthouse.[17]

Goshen has been called a "sundown town", and African Americans were allegedly prevented from living in, or entering, the town, under threat of violence. However, there was never a city ordinance or official policy to enforce such a restriction. Nevertheless, in March 2015, the city issued a formal apology for racial discrimination in the past. A documentary made at Goshen College, "Goshen: A Sundown Town's Transformation," tells the story of why Goshen has been called a sundown town.

The Elkhart County Courthouse, Fort Wayne Street Bridge, Goshen Carnegie Public Library, Goshen Historic District, William N. Violett House, and Violett-Martin House and Gardens are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.[18]

Goshen is located at 41°34′55″N 85°50′12″W. The Elkhart River winds its way through the city and through a dam on the south side making the Goshen Dam Pond. Rock Run Creek also runs through town. The city is divided east/west by Main Street and north/south by Lincoln Avenue.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 16.59 square miles (42.97 km²), of which 16.23 square miles (42.04 km²) is land and 0.36 square miles (0.93 km²) is water.[19]

Industry in Goshen centers around the automotive and Recreational Vehicle business. There are automotive component manufacturers such as Benteler; firms that build custom bodies onto chassis such as Supreme, Independent Protection, and Showhauler Trucks. RV manufacturing companies include Dutchmen, Forest River, and Keystone.[25]

The government consists of a mayor, a clerk-treasurer, a city council, and a youth advisor. The mayor and clerk are elected in a citywide vote. The city council consists of seven members. Five are elected from individual districts. Two are elected at large. The youth advisor position was added in 2016 and is elected by the students of Goshen High School. Gina Leichty, a member of the Democratic Party, is the first woman to become Mayor of Goshen in its 192-year history. Leichty became Mayor following the resignation of former mayor Jeremy Stutsman. Stutsman left the mayorship to be CEO of a local nonprofit housing agency, LaCasa.[26]

Goshen Community Schools serves the portion of the city in Elkhart Township. This system consists of seven elementary schools, Goshen Intermediate School, Goshen Junior High School, and Goshen High School.

In 2012, U.S. News & World Report ranked Goshen High School as the 12th best high school in Indiana and the top 6% of high schools in the country.[27]

Additionally, Goshen is served by Bethany Christian Schools, a private Christian school for grades 4–12.

Small parts of the city of Goshen are covered by several other school districts, including Fairfield Community Schools, Middlebury Community Schools, Concord Community Schools, and WaNee Community Schools.

Goshen College, located on the south side of town, has an enrollment of approximately 800, with 40% male and 60% female. Tuition and fees for the 2017–2018 year were $33,200.[28]

The town has a free lending library, the Goshen Public Library.[29]

Pumpkinvine Nature Trail

Cruising on First Friday, July 2011.

Goshen has seven parks and has a few different greenways and trails winding through the city, one of which runs along the old Mill Race and hydraulic canal, which was once used to power an old hydroelectric power plant. Plans were drawn up in 2005 call for the plant to be reopened and redevelopment to begin along the canal.[31]

The Pumpkinvine Nature Trail runs from Goshen to Middlebury and Shipshewana, along the former Pumpkin Vine Railroad. The trail starts northeast of Goshen at Abshire Park. It is one of the recreational highlights of Goshen. Along with the Maple City Greenway and the Millrace trail, they provide many miles of easily accessible trails for walking, running, and biking.

The Elkhart County Fairgrounds are also located in the city, where the Elkhart County 4-H Fair is held in late July. It is the largest county fair in Indiana and one of the largest 4-H County Fairs in the United States.[32]

The Goshen Air Show is also an annual event that takes place at the Goshen Municipal Airport.[33]

In 2007, Downtown Goshen, Inc., a public-private partnership formed from the merger of Face of the City and the Downtown Action Team, started a First Fridays program. Occurring year round, First Fridays happens on the first Friday of each month with stores open until 9, music and other entertainment, and other events occurring within Goshen's downtown district.

One favorite pastime of Goshen residents is driving cars.

The south side Wal-Mart is rumored to be the first Wal-Mart in the United States to provide a covered stable for its frequent Amish customers. The Amish built the stable with lumber and other supplies donated by Wal-Mart.[34]

Lonesome Jim (2005) which was written by former resident James Strouse, directed by Steve Buscemi and starred Liv Tyler and Casey Affleck, was shot in Goshen.

Goshen has two sister cities as designated by Sister Cities International.[35]

• Bexbach, Saarland, Germany
• Emmeloord, Flevoland, Netherlands

•  Indiana portal

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Goshen, Indiana.

Wikivoyage has a travel guide for Goshen.

Wikisource has the text of a 1911 Encyclopædia Britannica article about Goshen, Indiana.

• Official website
• Goshen Chamber of Commerce
• Goshen on citydata.com – collection of statistics and graphs of Goshen demographics.
• Pumpkinvine Nature Trail