The day that railroads came to Bristol from the west (Elkhart) on October 3, 1851 marked the beginning of the end for St. Joe River traffic and the Town ceased to be a major hub of business activity.

The train was only a wood-burning engine and a few freight cars, but some people waited hours for its arrival and an almost carnival atmosphere prevailed.

Although on the way to White Pigeon, a small boy fell from one of the cars and was hurt, the train continued on to its destination without further mishap.

By 1869, a number of small companies that had competed to furnish train service consolidated into the Lake Shore and Michigan Southern railroad by 1869. By 1912, it merged with the New York Central.

When the railroad shops located in Elkhart, the chance for Bristol to become a major player in this new industry vanished. Although the railroad brought many jobs and prosperity to the area, it was a dangerous occupation, and many workers were injured or killed in the early years.

Today, although the railroad passes through the Town, there is not even a station, and only the businesses with sidings located along the tracks for loading and unloading benefit from it.

Most Saturday mornings, a freight train can be seen forming at the east edge of Bristol along St. Road 120 around the curve heading west as it waits to begin its journey - somewhere else.

Darwin Simonaitis, a member with both the New York Central System Historical Society and the Lakeshore Railroad Historical Foundation has been a resident of Elkhart County for 27 years has shared his photos and information on the history of railroads at presentations at the Elkhart County Historical Museum.