Allen County, Indiana Genealogy

GR&I Advertising Poster with map and schedule from Grand Rapids and Indiana Railroad Former railway line in Michigan and Indiana, US at Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. at its height provided passenger and freight railroad services between Cincinnati, Ohio, and the Straits of Mackinac in Michigan, USA. The company was formed on January 18, 1854.

January 2, 2023 photos of abandoned Grand Rapids & Indiana railroad tracks were discussed on True Fort Wayne Indiana History on Facebook. Some of the abandoned tracks are now the Pufferbelly Trail at City of Fort Wayne Parks & Recreation shown at TrailLink by Rails-to-Trails Conservancy in the Fort Wayne Trails system at Trails by City of Fort Wayne Parks & Recreation. Fort Wayne Trails on Facebook, Pufferbelly Run, Walk, and Stroll event, Pufferbelly Trail on Twitter. Lots of Pufferbelly search posts on Facebook. A May 4, 2025 post on True Fort Wayne Indiana History on Facebook mentioned the Grand Rapids and Indiana Railroad was subsidized by the Pennsylvania Railroad for much of its existence and eventually bought out by the Pennsylvania Railroad in 1918. The Fort Wayne offices and depots of the GR&I were located (along with the Pennsylvania Railroad’s) at the corner of Calhoun and Railroad Street. And the GR&I bridge over Main Street near Lindenwood Cemetery was recently removed.

The Fishing Line

A History of the Grand Rapids & Indiana Railroad

By Graydon M. Meints

Published by: Michigan State University Press

Description:

With roots in Fort Wayne, Indiana, the Grand Rapids & Indiana Railroad—nicknamed “The Fishing Line” for its connections to attractive Michigan tourist areas—was organized in the mid–nineteenth century to take advantage of the lucrative logging business of the vast forests of the northern Lower Peninsula of Michigan and other potential freight traffic. Once built into northern Michigan, it had an important role in developing the region’s tourist industry. Financed and built by officials of the mighty Pennsylvania Railroad system, the GR&I eventually was merged into that company. Using a plethora of newspapers, public documents, and other primary source materials, Meints has crafted an engaging narrative that is easily accessible to the lay reader as well as specialists in railroad and local history. Tracing a thorough corporate history of a fascinating but little-known regional line from its beginning through the early twentieth century, The Fishing Line: A History of the Grand Rapids & Indiana Railroad is a must-read.

December 6, 2022 post by Fort Wayne Trails on Facebook:

A cool look at the W. State Blvd Trail Crossing! 1942 vs 2022.

The 1942 photo was shared February 24, 2023 on True Fort Wayne Indiana History on Facebook.

Street View photo on Google maps shows the current view and location as part of the Pufferbelly Trail. The current bridge was built in 2019. Google has photos showing no bridge back to 2007.

On the surface, the State Boulevard Realignment Project is a story about a failing bridge built more than 90 years ago, a bridge on a significant City street that often flooded because it was built too low, and the realignment of a road with a sharp curve that resulted in numerous accidents near the bridge. ... A ribbon cutting ceremony was held on October 29, 2020. Copied from State Boulevard Realignment Project: Preserving And Protecting A Neighborhood at City of Fort Wayne

Some additional State Boulevard information on our Streets of Fort Wayne page.

February 25, 2023 post by Allen County INfo on Facebook:

See Pufferbelly Search results.

This week the Allen County Board of Commissioners attended the groundbreaking for the next section of Pufferbelly Trail. “This project is many years in the making and we’re glad that several people are here today who made this community resource possible,” shared Allen County Commissioner Therese Brown. “We’re excited to announce that construction has begun on this long-awaited section of trail and thank the Allen County Highway Department for their work on this project.”

Many trail partners were in attendance:
Indiana Department of Natural Resources
Fort Wayne Trails
VS Engineering, Inc.
City of Fort Wayne Government Greenways Representatives
Town of Huntertown officials
Allen County Sheriff's Department EV bike unit representative
Neighborhood Association members
trail enthusiasts
and more

February 25, 2023 post by the Indiana State Parks on Facebook: The Pufferbelly Trail had a groundbreaking ceremony this past Tuesday (2/21/23) to celebrate an upcoming 4.3-mile extension. The project was a round one awardee from the Next Level Trails (NLT) grant program. Together with a round three NLT, a 1.78-mile extension project, the Pufferbelly Trail will soon extend from the Northern edge of Allen County and tie into the Rivergreenway in downtown Fort Wayne. https://www.in.gov/.../recreation/grants/next-level-trails/ Read the full story at https://www.21alivenews.com/.../groundbreaking-held.../.

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