))
"The Block" - The 1200 Block of West Washington St
Manage episode 365732476 series 3467632
Content provided by Matt Emery. All podcast content including episodes, graphics, and podcast descriptions are uploaded and provided directly by Matt Emery or their podcast platform partner. If you believe someone is using your copyrighted work without your permission, you can follow the process outlined here https://player.fm/legal.
In this episode, you will hear stories behind why the 1200 block of W. Washington street in South Bend, IN was nicknamed, "The Block." The area around the intersection of Washington & Walnut Streets was a thriving neighborhood & business district, but it started to started to change in the 1960s. Citizens called it a skid row, a dumping ground with abandoned buildings, drugs, robberies, prostitutes, and gambling. It is now a calm residential street & other than a few storefronts & buildings that survived, you would have NO clue what used to stand here. It’s a fantastic success story of revitalization that our city & the South Bend Heritage Foundation should forever be applauded for.
Retired South Bend Police Lieutenant Sam Walsh (think Crime Stoppers) joins me and shares his memories of patrolling "The Block" in the 1970s as a uniformed officer as well as undercover. Jim Bankowski also joins me & shares his memories of his grandparents’ & then parents’ tavern, Nyikos, which stood right in the belly of "The Block" on the corner of Washington & Walnut.
Be sure to follow Round the Bend Now and Then on Twitter: @roundthebendpod
Like us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/roundthebendnowandthen
To contact the show, you can email at roundthebend574@gmail.com or message on Twitter.
For current & historical pictures and commentary on the South Bend & Mishawaka area, follow @roundthebend574 on Twitter.
Lastly, as I mentioned in the episode, be sure to share Round the Bend Now and Then with somebody who you think will appreciate it!
36 episodes
Share
