South Bend

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French explorer Robert LaSalle camped in the region on the great south bend of the Saint Joseph River in northern Indiana in 1679, but settlement didn't occur until around 1820. In the beginning South Bend was a French mission and trading post. Later it became a post of the American Fur Company, which was chartered by Jacob Astor to compete with the great fur-trading companies in Canada.

In 1852, the Studebaker manufacturing corporation was founded in South Bend. During the first half of the 20th century, the company was a major producer of automobiles, but in 1963 production ceased. Nowadays paint, machinery, plastics, metal items and farm equipment are produced in South Bend.

One of the most interesting sights in South Bend is the old Saint Joseph County Courthouse. The building dates fro m1855 and nowadays it houses a museum. South Bend is the seat of the University of Notre Dame and its famous football team. The university also has athletic facilities, an art gallery and a huge library. Saint Mary's College and a branch of Indiana University are also in the city.

Accommodation and restaurants are available in town. South Bend is an industrial city in a farming and mint-growing region, 210 km north from Indianapolis and 840 km northwest from Washington D.C.