Bendix Woods County Park is the name of a park located in Olive Township, St. Joseph County, Indiana

Olive Township, St. Joseph County, Indiana

Olive Township is one of thirteen townships in St. Joseph County, Indiana, USA. As of the 2000 census, its population was 3,914.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, Olive Township covers an area of ; of this, is land and is water.-Unincorporated towns:* Hamilton at *...

, south of New Carlisle

New Carlisle, Indiana

New Carlisle is a town in suburban St. Joseph County, Indiana, United States. It is located in Olive Township. The population was 1,861 at the 2010 Census...

. The park is under the control of the St. Joseph County

St. Joseph County, Indiana

As of the census of 2000, there were 265,559 people, 100,743 households, and 66,792 families residing in the county. The population density was 581 people per square mile . There were 107,013 housing units at an average density of 234 per square mile...

 Parks and Recreation Department.

The name Bendix Woods originates from the Bendix Corporation

Bendix Corporation

The Bendix Corporation was an American manufacturing and engineering company which during various times in its 60 year existence made brake systems, aeronautical hydraulics, avionics, aircraft and automobile fuel control systems, radios, televisions and computers, and which licensed its name for...

 which donated the land to the county for the creation of a park. The park's historical significance, however, dates to its establishment by the Studebaker

Studebaker

Studebaker Corporation was a United States wagon and automobile manufacturer based in South Bend, Indiana. Founded in 1852 and incorporated in 1868 under the name of the Studebaker Brothers Manufacturing Company, the company was originally a producer of wagons for farmers, miners, and the...

 Corporation, formerly of nearby South Bend, Indiana

South Bend, Indiana

The city of South Bend is the county seat of St. Joseph County, Indiana, United States, on the St. Joseph River near its southernmost bend, from which it derives its name. As of the 2010 Census, the city had a total of 101,168 residents; its Metropolitan Statistical Area had a population of 316,663...

 as the first model test facility for an American automobile company.

Studebaker developed the 840 acres (3.4 km²) of land in 1926 as the first-ever controlled automotive-testing grounds for its product lines, beating Packard

Packard

Packard was an American luxury-type automobile marque built by the Packard Motor Car Company of Detroit, Michigan, and later by the Studebaker-Packard Corporation of South Bend, Indiana...

, Studebaker's future business partner, by one year. Studebaker heavily promoted the grounds as a "Million Dollar Outdoor Testing Laboratory" in advertisements. The test track

Test Track

Test Track is an attraction at Epcot at the Walt Disney World Resort in Lake Buena Vista, Florida, sponsored by General Motors The ride is a simulated excursion through the rigorous testing procedures that General Motors uses to evaluate its vehicles, culminating in a high-speed drive around the...

 that ran through the grounds simulated a variety of terrains and road conditions. Studebaker landscaped the park by keeping natural features. In 1938 the company planted more than 5,000 pine trees in a pattern that, viewed from above, spelled 'STUDEBAKER'.

Following the collapse of Studebaker's U.S. production facilities in 1963, the land was acquired by Bendix Corporation which used the grounds for corporate purposes.

In late December 2004, the 'STUDEBAKER' tree planting, recognized as one of the world's largest living advertisements and on the National Register of Historic Places

National Register of Historic Places listings in St. Joseph County, Indiana

This is a list of the National Register of Historic Places listings in St. Joseph County, Indiana.This is intended to be a complete list of the properties and districts on the National Register of Historic Places in St. Joseph County, Indiana, United States...

, was severely damaged in a Christmas

Christmas

Christmas or Christmas Day is an annual holiday generally celebrated on December 25 by billions of people around the world. It is a Christian feast that commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ, liturgically closing the Advent season and initiating the season of Christmastide, which lasts twelve days...

 week ice storm

Ice storm

An ice storm is a type of winter storm characterized by freezing rain, also known as a glaze event or in some parts of the United States as a silver thaw. The U.S. National Weather Service defines an ice storm as a storm which results in the accumulation of at least of ice on exposed surfaces...

. However, it continues to stand, and in 2011 a grant was awarded for its long-term management and preservation.

External links

• Bendix Woods County Park (St. Joseph County Parks Department)