San Pierre is a census-designated place (CDP) in Railroad Township, Starke County, in the U.S. state of Indiana. The population was 144 at the 2010 census.HistoryEstablished and laid out in 1854, the area was originally called Culvertown, although a post office had been established as River in 1853. According to one local tradition, the village later took the name of San Pierre, named after a nearby French-Canadian saloon owner. The story goes that 'Pierre' built a shack some 400 feet south of the village of Culvertown and began to sell whisky there. As a consequence of this inducement, the town shifted slightly to the south and the name was changed to San Pierre. Another tradition records the village being named after a French railroad worker called 'Pierre', with San being added to provide more importance to the name. In any case, the name was changed simply to Pierre in 1894, possibly as a result of increasing tension between Spain and the United States, leading up to the Spanish–American War. Finally the name was changed back to San Pierre in 1899. Before the downturn of the railroad industry, San Pierre had a railroad station at the intersection of the Monon and New York Central railways, and thus was a stop on the route of Abraham Lincoln's funeral train. The American Bicentennial Train also passed through the town in 1976. The town is also known for holding the first Catholic Church in Starke County, All Saints Catholic Church.
