Waterloo, IN (WTI)

Ticket Revenue

FY 2009

$864,755

Station Ridership

FY 2009

19,074

Note: Fiscal year is from
October through September.

Like many frontier towns, Waterloo was a product of the railroad. Newly laid tracks gave local people access to larger markets, and settlements like Waterloo became the loci of shipping and trade. Waterloo is one of the busiest stops in Indiana, as it is the primary station for passengers from Ft. Wayne. The stop is unstaffed and consists of a set of enclosed metal and plexiglass shelters beside the platform.

Although the state legislature chartered a railroad in 1838 to run from Indiana’s eastern boundary to Michigan City via South Bend, nothing immediately came of this effort. By 1850, the Michigan Southern Railroad had built a line from Toledo, Ohio to Hillsdale, Michigan, only a few miles distant from the northeast border of Indiana. Michigan Southern hoped to proceed to Chicago but needed to build through Indiana to do so and thus the Northern Indiana Railroad was formed to continue the work. The two companies immediately consolidated to create the Michigan Southern and Northern Indiana Railway (MS&NI) and construction commenced towards the southwest to Elkhart, South Bend, and finally on to Chicago. Years later, the MS&NI consolidated with the Lake Shore Railroad, providing a connection to Buffalo, New York and points further east though Cornelius Vanderbilt’s New York Central Railroad. By 1914, the Lake Shore and the New York Central and Hudson River Railroad merged to form the “new” New York Central Railroad.

The later construction of the MS&NI Air Line—a straighter and more direct set of tracks running from Toledo to Elkhart—through DeKalb County gave impetus to the establishment of a number of small towns including Waterloo which was platted in 1856. Years later, the local Waterloo Press recalled that the first passenger office was a boxcar placed to the side of the track. In 1883, the Lake Shore and Michigan Southern Railroad granted Waterloo a new depot (today it is often referred to as the New York Central depot). Since the settlement was small, the railroad constructed a simple rectangular wood building typical of Victorian-era stations.

The exterior is covered in vertical wood siding painted a soft white. The doors are topped with transoms to allow for the flow of air, an important consideration in the days before air conditioning. Both the wood window and door surrounds feature stylized pediments, and currently these surfaces are all painted a bright turquoise color. Simple curved brackets support the gabled roof. One end of the depot has a set of double wood doors that lead to the former freight room; photographs from the early 20th century show hand wagons parked nearby that were used to load and unload goods from the trains. The images also reveal that trackside there was once a projecting three-sided bay. From its windows, the depot master would have had a good view down the tracks in order to monitor traffic on the rails. A few years ago, the town relocated the depot and refurbished it to serve as a community center. Historic pictures and articles about local history hang on the interior walls.

Waterloo was named after Miles Waterman who owned land on both sides of the new tracks. Waterman platted the land and early settlers wished to honor him by naming the town “Waterman”; he refused, and the name morphed into Waterloo City. The town was actually the second community established in the area. In 1838, an early pioneer built a small shanty on the north bank of Cedar Creek. Sparsely settled, the area provided opportunities for land ownership. The small village, called Uniontown, grew and a saw mill was constructed; farmers raised wheat, corn, oats, and grasses. With the founding of Waterloo close to the tracks, much of the older settlement shifted to the south of Cedar Creek and Uniontown became a suburb.

The railroad town prospered, sporting a brick yard, pottery, and grist and saw mills. The nearby discovery in 1888 of a nearly complete mastodon skeleton elicited much excitement, as did the start of interurban service to Ft. Wayne via Garrett in 1906. On a cool evening in 1911, Waterloo was struck by a strong tornado which destroyed the Opera House that held the city hall, public school rooms, and the fire department. The strength of the storm overturned freight cars. Luckily, no one was seriously hurt and the town rebuilt, as evidenced by the completion of a new Carnegie-funded library in 1913. Built of brown brick and topped with a red tiled roof, the large arched entry welcomed readers and confirmed Waterloo’s devotion to the popular Progressive ideas of education and community betterment.

The small hamlet still hosts a busy rail freight corridor that is now under Norfolk Southern ownership; rail buffs like to watch the passing trains from the Amtrak platform. In recent years, nearby I-69 has become more than just a transporter of cars—it is now also a path upon which dreams and heritage flow. Traditional Arts Indiana (TAI), a partnership between Indiana University’s Folklore and Ethnomusicology Department and the Indiana Arts Commission, works with communities linked by the road to support their abundance of traditional craftsmen and artisans—everyone from beekeepers to luthiers. TAI strives to document, promote, and present the region’s arts and artists to a wider audience. By examining Indiana’s cultural heritage, it is hoped that the people of the state will better appreciate their past and present; the opportunities for cultural tourism are also explored. Waterloo has become known for its “Depot Jam,” in which local musicians gather at the old New York Central station and together play and create country and folk music; the informal group uses their “Waterloo Depot play book” to organize and catalog their repertoire.

Amtrak does not provide ticketing or baggage services at this station, but does have the services of a caretaker. Waterloo is served by two trains a day.