The changing world of the 1960s forced adaptation upon southern St. Joseph County, which was still trying to retain a rural identity in the towns of North Liberty, Walkerton, and Lakeville. By the decade's end, Studebaker had closed, and multigenerational family farms had been sold to accommodate the creation of Potato Creek State Park. The early 1980s brought further challenges for community leaders tasked with consolidating area schools to form the John Glenn School Corporation. Through all of this, the community retained its steadfast commitment to fellowship and local charm. Festivals, parades, church gatherings, and school activities reinforce what it means to be a Hoosier in southern St. Joseph County.

The changing world of the 1960s forced adaptation upon southern St. Joseph County, which was still trying to retain a rural identity in the towns of North Liberty, Walkerton, and Lakeville. By the decade's end, Studebakers had closed, and multigenerational family farms had been sold to accommodate the creation of Potato Creek State Park. The early 1980s brought further challenges for community leaders tasked with consolidating area schools to form the John Glenn School Corporation. Through all of this, the community retained its steadfast commitment to fellowship and local charm. Festivals, parades, church gatherings, and school activities reinforce what it means to be a Hoosier in southern St. Joseph County.

Southern St. Joseph County is rich in tradition and history. Attracted to its fertile land, pioneer farmers first flocked to this area in the early 1830s. With mills powered by the small Potato Creek dotting the landscape and the introduction of the railroad to these rural parts, the towns of Lakeville, North Liberty, and Walkerton saw their genesis. A humble, yet hardworking way of life was established in those early days, and it still exists to this day. With over 200 vintage images, Southern St. Joseph County captures the day-to-day life of the individuals that helped shape over 170 years of history. With an emphasis on family, farming, and small-town tradition, these pages exemplify what it means to be a Hoosier and what it takes to make a rural community thrive for generations.