Winona Interurban Railway

The Winona Interurban Railway grew out of the need for a north and south interurban railway running through Warsaw, Indiana where Winona Lake and its numerous assemblies could be easily reached. The railway would go on to operate between Goshen and Peru, Indiana, connecting with the Chicago, South Bend and Northern Indiana Railway at Goshen, which in turn connected with the Chicago, Lake Shore and South Bend Railway at South Bend. At Peru, it connected with the Indiana Union Traction Company Peru Line and the Fort Wayne and Wabash Valley Traction Company. The Winona line also interchanged at Peru with the Chesapeake and Ohio Railway and Wabash Railroad. The line was called the "connecting link" because it connected the north and central traction systems of Indiana. In spite of its inviting prospects the line would fail to live up to its initial hype; it carried few local passengers near Peru, Akron, Warsaw, and Elkhart and very few through passengers except during the special seasons at the Park. The line was noted for its initial ownership's and patronage's close ties to local religious organizations.