New Carlisle, Indiana has been a quiet but significant center of trade and commerce for nearly 200 years. An Indian trading post was established within the current town boundaries in about 1830. In the 1850s, with the arrival of railroad service, flour mills and saw mills were among the early industries in the community.
The town is located in St. Joseph County, Indiana, approximately 20 miles from downtown South Bend. New Carlisle’s historic downtown area gives the community a quaint atmosphere and serves as the hub of commercial business for the town’s 1,800 residents and many visitors.
New Carlisle’s most famous resident is Schuyler Colfax Jr., a journalist, businessman, and politician who served as the 17th vice president of the United States from 1869 to 1873, and prior to that as the 25th speaker of the House of Representatives from 1863 to 1869. He is known for his opposition to slavery, and during his first term as Speaker of the House, he led the effort to pass the Thirteenth Amendment.
