Schererville History

Long before Indiana became a state, long before the founding of Schererville, people called this place the "Crossroads." The name was appropriate, for several Indian trails intersected here that later became routes for the wagons of settlers traveling west.

One of those settlers was Nicholas Scherer, who arrived in the U.S. from Germany in 1846. When he came to this place at the southern tip of Lake Michigan in 1866, he founded the community that bears his name.

Today, trails still cross at Schererville, the modern trails of a motorized society, U.S. Highways 41 and 30. Nearby are newer trails, I-80/94 and I-65. All these are primary transcontinental routes and gives Schererville its slogan: "Crossroads of the Nation."

Since the 1990s, Schererville has attracted many former Illinois residents. The town's strategic location, reasonable housing costs, and high level of municipal services have contributed to its growth in recent years.

The town was named one of the "100 Best Places to Live in the U.S." by Money Magazine in 2007.

 

Munster History

The earliest known inhabitants of the area were the Potawatomi. Although a village did not exist in what was to become Munster's town boundaries, a trail along the dry sandy ridge now known as Ridge Road was well traveled by the tribe. Today, Munster's downtown area, the Town Hall, Police and Fire Department headquarters, the Centre for the Visual and Performing Arts, and the Munster Post Office are all situated on Ridge Road.

In the late 17th and early 18th centuries, the area that is today Munster was part of land claimed by France as French territory. In the 1760s the British claimed the land where the Potawatomi lived as part of the British Empire. Twenty years later George Rogers Clark overran the British, claiming the land for the new and independent country known as the United States of America. In 1828 the federal government relocated the Potawatomi Indians to the Oklahoma territory.

As the numbers of native Americans dwindled, pioneer settlers began to inhabit the area which would become Munster.

When Jacob Munster, a young man from the Netherlands who until the 1860s spelled his surname "Monster,"opened an area General Store complete with a U.S. postal station on the back, the local farmers and settlers came to rely on the postal station, which soon became a United States Post Office. The post office was named Munster, as it was located in Jacob Munster's general store.

Before long more and more people moved to the "Munster" Area, and in 1907 Munster was incorporated as a town, with 76 residents voting "yes" for the incorporation and 28 voting "no."

Munster soon became a booming town that attracted many people. Munster saw difficult times through the rough years of the Great Depression and the two World Wars, like many other new towns in America.

During the Cold War, Munster served as the site of the Nike-Zeus Missile defense base C-46. The site was closed in 1971, and is now under private ownership.

In September 2008, Munster's northern portions suffered record flooding resulting from the impact of Hurricane Ike, which caused the Little Calumet River to overflow. A main break occurred in the levee located near the intersection of Calumet Avenue and River Drive in the northwest quadrant of the town. Munster has requested the Army Corps of Engineers to elevate the levee in low lying areas.

As of present, the levee improvements have been completed and the majority of homes destroyed have been rebuilt, in most cases, with larger, more amenity-filled homes.

The 2010 Comprehensive Plan for Munster's next twenty years includes plans for a new town center with upscale shopping and dining to be organized around a proposed train station.

 

History Lansing

The first family to settle in Lansing was that of August Hildebrandt in 1843. Henry, George, and John Lansing settled the area in 1846, which was incorporated in 1893. Early settlement in the village was primarily by Dutch and German immigrants. Industrial development of the surrounding Calumet region attracted immigrants from Ireland and Eastern Europe to the village in the 20th century.

 

Dyer is a town in St. John Township, Lake County, Indiana, United States. The population was 16,390 at the 2010 census.

This bedroom community lies in the Chicago Metropolitan Area.

Dyer placed 97th on the "100 Best Places to Live in the US" by CNN and Money Magazine in 2005. It was one of two Indiana municipalities to earn this distinction (the other being Fishers outside Indianapolis). 

 Dyer borders Munster to the north, unincorporated St. John Townshipto the south, Schererville to the east, and Lynwood and Sauk Village in Illinois to the west. The Illinois state line comprises Dyer's entire western border. One of Dyer's neighborhoods, Briar Ridge, spans both Dyer and adjacent Schererville.

Dyer is built on mostly flat land with an exception being the steep sand ridge south of US Highway 30. This is the Glenwood Shoreline.

 

In 1830, the first permanent white settlers came to Northwest Indiana. The earliest historical records date back to 1838. On June 1, 1855, the original plat of the town[1] was established. Aaron Norton Hart, a settler from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, played a key role in developing Dyer's infrastructure in the 1860s and 1870s. Hart supervised construction of roads and the implementation of a drainage ditch system, allowing agricultural and commercial use of the marshy land. Hart was killed in 1883 while working on a ditch near Plum Creek. Hart Street, one of Dyer's major north-south streets, bears his name. Hart's wife, Martha Dyer Hart, is the town's namesake.

 Dyer was incorporated as a town under Indiana law on February 8, 1910. Upon incorporation, Dyer was divided into three wards: The first ward consisted of all land within town limits lying west of Hart Street; the second ward comprised the section east of Hart Street and south of Lincoln Highway; the land north of Lincoln Highway and east of Hart Street formed the third ward.

Meyer's Castle was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1984.

  

Amtrak

Amtrak, the national passenger rail system, provides service to Dyer at the Dyer Amtrak Station. The station is served by the Cardinal with service to Chicago Union Station andNew York Penn Station via Washington D.C.'s Union Station. On the days that the Cardinal does not run, the Hoosier State connects Indianapolis to Chicago, where connecting trains take passengers to other destinations in the Amtrak system.

 St. John is a town in Lake County, Indiana, United States. The town of St. John has homes in St. John Township, Hanover Township, and Center Township. St. John was founded in 1837. The population was 14,850 at the 2010 census. In 2009, St. John ranked 48th among CNN's top 100 places to live in the United States. In 2014, St. John was ranked as the 4th safest place in Indiana by Movoto Real Estate.

History

The St. John post office was established in 1846. The town was named for John Hack, a pioneer settler.

The Francis P. Keilman House was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 2013.

Geography

St. John is located at 41°26′54″N 87°28′36″W.

According to the 2010 census, St. John has a total area of 11.481 square miles (29.74 km²), of which 11.39 square miles (29.50 km²) (or 99.21%) is land and 0.091 square miles (0.24 km²) (or 0.79%) is water.

Awards

In 2009, St. John was ranked 48th on the CNNMoney.com Top 100 "Best Places to Live" list.

In 2014, St. John was ranked as the 4th safest place to live in Indiana.

 

 

Highland is a town in Lake County, Indiana, United States. The population was 23,727 at the 2010 census. The town was incorporated on April 4, 1910. It is a part of theChicago metropolitan area and North Township, and is surrounded by Hammond to the north, Munster to the west, Schererville to the south and Griffith to the east.

History

In 1847, two pioneers from Ohio, Michael and Judith Johnston, became Highland's first settlers. The town slowly expanded until the early 1880s, when the development of Chicago & Atlantic railroad trackage through the town attracted agriculture and manufacturing industries. Dutch settlers began moving to Highland shortly thereafter from nearby Munster.^[8] 304 people resided in Highland when it was incorporated in 1910. In 1992, the Indiana Historical Bureau placed a state historical marker at 8941 Kleinman Road (41°33′2″N 87°26′14″W) to recognize the immigration of Dutch in the Calumet Region.

In 1927, President Calvin Coolidge visited and delivered the dedication address for Wicker Memorial Park, located on the west side of the town. Highland, as with other towns along the Little Calumet River, has historically been subject to flooding,^[10][11] particularly during spring, and particularly in areas away from Ridge Road, which runs along the highest land in the town. Significant floods have affected Highland in 2008, 2007, and especially in September 2006.

On October 31, 2008, Barack Obama, who four days later would be elected the 44th President of the United States, stopped in Highland towns for a rally that drew 40,000 people to Wicker Park. It was the largest crowd there since President Coolidge dedicated the park in 1927.

Geography

Highland is located at 41°32′59″N 87°27′29″W (41.549851, -87.458064).

According to the 2010 census, Highland has a total area of 6.96 square miles (18.03 km²), of which 6.94 square miles (17.97 km²) (or 99.71%) is land and 0.02 square miles (0.05 km²) (or 0.29%) is water.

Neighborhoods

Highland has several neighborhoods and subdivisions. They include: Arbor Hill, Brantwood, Ellendale, Golfmoor, Highland Terrace Estates, Homestead, Hook's, Lakeside, Meadows, Pettit Park, Sandalwood, Southridge, White Oak Estates (of Highland), Wicker Highlands, Wicker Park Estates and Wicker Park Manor (Frog Hollow).

 

South Holland, Il

The area currently occupied by South Holland, Illinois, was first settled in 1846 by immigrants from South Holland, Netherlands. When the community formally incorporated as a village in 1894, its population was about 1,000. Originally a general farming community, it later specialized in vegetable growing, especially onion sets. By the 1940s South Holland was known as the "Onion Set Capital of the World". The town was built on low ground near the Calumet River and was originally called de Laage Prairie (Low Prairie) to differentiate it from another Dutch settlement further north on higher ground and called de Hooge Prairie (now the Roseland neighborhood of Chicago).

In October 2007, Forbes.com declared South Holland to be the "Most Livable Metro-Area suburb" of the Chicago metropolitan area.^[7]

Distinctive traits

South Holland is an anomaly in Chicago Southland because of its laws.^[8] Most businesses are closed on Sunday, though retail establishments are permitted to remain open. This can be seen easily when driving on one of the village's main thoroughfares—162nd Street or South Park Avenue. South Holland is a "dry" municipality; that is, no alcohol is sold anywhere within the village limits. Additionally, the sale or rental of pornographic material is prohibited in South Holland. The village's franchise agreements with cable television providers restrict adult-oriented programming.^[9] Zoning restrictions do not allow the development of apartment buildings or condominiums. These laws are a remnant of the village's religious roots as a settlement of conservative Dutch Reformed immigrants. Even today, South Holland's motto is "A Community of Churches".

Geography

South Holland is located at 41°36′N 87°36′W (41.60, -87.60).^[10] It is bordered by Harvey and Phoenix to the west, Dolton to the north, Thornton to the south, and Calumet City and Lansing to the east.

According to the 2010 census, South Holland has a total area of 7.286 square miles (18.87 km²), of which 7.27 square miles (18.83 km²) (or 99.78%) is land and 0.016 square miles (0.04 km²) (or 0.22%) is water.

 

Crown Point

Crown Point is a city in and the county seat of Lake County, Indiana, United States.^[6] The population was 27,317 at the 2010 census. The city was incorporated in 1868. On October 31, 1834, Solon Robinson and his family became the first settlers to an area that later became Crown Point. Because of its location, Crown Point is known as the "Hub of Lake County".

The city is surrounded by Merrillville to the north, Winfield to the east, Cedar Lake to the southwest, St. John to the west, and unincorporated Schererville to the northwest. The southern and southeastern parts of Crown Point border some unincorporated areas of Lake County.

 

History

On October 31, 1834, Solon Robinson and his family became the first settlers to stake a claim in the area that would eventually become Crown Point.^[7] In February 1837, Lake County was incorporated, with Liverpool, Indiana, as the county seat. Later that year, Solon Robinson funded a US$500 project to build a new wooden county courthouse in Crown Point, and the legislature was delighted to designate it as the county seat. It was not until 1868 that Crown Point was incorporated as a city.

In 1878 construction began on a new, larger county court house and clock tower. This new court house, now known as the Grand Old Lady, was built in the center of town and became the dominant feature of Crown Point (further additions to this courthouse would be made from 1907–1928). Campaigning for the presidency of the United States, William Jennings Bryan addressed a crowd from the steps of the court house in 1896. In 1897 a crowd of 4,000 gathered to watch a winning harness racing horse bred by noted Chicago theater manager Will J. Davis and his famous wife, contralto Jessie Bartlett Davis. The Davises bred trotters and dogs at their Crown Point farm c.1885-1917 (Chicago Daily Tribune, Aug 8, 1897, pg 7). Crown Point was the site of the first Cobe Trophy automobile race, won by Louis Chevrolet in 1909.

The Old Lake County Courthouse was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1974, and the new Lake County Government Center opened on the north side of the city the next year.

Because Crown Point had no waiting period for marriage licenses, the city became a popular place for couples to marry; it became known as the "Marriage Mill". Many famous people came to Crown Point to marry, including Tom Mix, Rudolph Valentino, Cassius Clay, and Jackson 5 patriarch Joseph Jackson and their wives. Certain online sources claim that Ronald Reagan and Jane Wyman were married in Crown Point.^[8] But Reagan and Wyman were married in Glendale, California, according to mainstream sources such as Fox News,^[9] the Washington Post,^[10] and the Los Angeles Times.^[11]

The Walter Allman House, Wellington A. Clark House, Crown Point Courthouse Square Historic District, Lake County Courthouse, Lake County Tuberculosis Sanatorium, Nurses Home and Superintendent's House, Lake County Sheriff's House and Jail, Albert Maack House, and William Whitaker Landscape and House are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.^[12][13]

Locally designated residential historic districts include:

• Sunnyside Historic District, includes St. Mary's Church and School and surrounding homes.

• Holley Historic District, includes 20 homes and one church, including former Sheriff Lillian Holley's home at the southeast corner of South and East streets.

Gangster era

On March 3, 1934, FBI "Public Enemy #1" John Dillinger escaped from the "escape-proof" (as it was dubbed by local authorities at the time) Lake County Jail, which was guarded by many police and national guardsmen. Dillinger apparently escaped while brandishing a hand-carved wooden gun blackened with shoe polish, although this was disputed by some witnesses. Dillinger further embarrassed the city, as well as 42-year-old Sheriff Lillian Holley, by driving off in her brand new V-8 Ford. The press augmented her chagrin with such headlines as: "Slim woman, mother of twins, controlled Dillinger as sheriff." Incensed, Holley declared at the time, "If I ever see John Dillinger again, I'll shoot him dead with my own gun. Don't blame anyone else for this escape. Blame me. I have no political career ahead of me and I don't care." Furthermore, Sheriff Holley made certain the Dillinger name would have no standing in Crown Point up until Holley's death in 1994 at 102.

Public Enemies (film)

In March 2008, a Universal Studios team, under the direction of Michael Mann, visited Crown Point to film parts of the movie Public Enemies at the former county jail facility from which Dillinger escaped. The crime drama is set during The Great Depression with the focus on FBI agent Melvin Purvis' attempt to stop criminals John Dillinger, Baby Face Nelson, and Pretty Boy Floyd. Christian Bale plays FBI agent Purvis, and Johnny Depp plays Dillinger. Actress Lili Taylor portrayed Sheriff Holley in the film. The shoot took three days to complete and involved a number of scenes inside the former Sheriff's house and jail. A scene was constructed for filming the exterior. Depp was on the set for all three days and stayed late into the evenings each night to shake hands with hundreds of fans who stood for hours to see him and the film shoot.^[14] The movie was released in June 2009.