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Winona Lake, Indiana

Winona Lake is a town in Wayne Township, Kosciusko County, in the U.S. state of Indiana, and the major suburb of Warsaw. The population was 4,908 at the 2010 census.

Geography
Winona Lake is now contiguous to Warsaw, the two towns having run into each other as they have expanded.

According to the 2010 census, Winona Lake has a total area of 3.25 sqmi, of which 2.76 sqmi (or 84.92%) is land and 0.49 sqmi (or 15.08%) is water.

History
Winona Lake is best known for the lake it is named after and built on, although the lake was originally known as Eagle Lake. Located along the eastern shore of the lake, the Winona Lake Historic District includes various historic homes and other buildings that attest to the area's history as a Chautauqua and Bible conference hotspot. It is also the home of Grace College and Grace Theological Seminary and was the home of famed preacher and professional baseball player Billy Sunday who died in 1935. The Billy Sunday Home has been preserved as a museum. Christian musician and preacher Homer Rodeheaver also made Winona Lake his home from 1912 until his death in 1955. The Winona School of Professional Photography was started there in 1912 (as the Indiana School of Photography) and was operated by the Professional Photographers of America (PPA) until its move to Chicago (Mount Prospect) in 1988. Famous photographers from around the world taught there during summer-only classes. The now defunct Winona College was founded here, and the Winona Lake School of Theology was located here from 1920 to 1970. Winona Lake was also home to the headquarters of The Free Methodist Church until it moved its offices to Indianapolis in 1990.

The Winona Lake Historic District was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1993.

2010 census
At the 2010 census there were 4,908 people, 1,569 households, and 1,098 families living in the town. The population density was 1778.3 PD/sqmi. There were 1,786 housing units at an average density of 647.1 /sqmi. The racial makup of the town was 92.2% White, 1.5% African American, 0.1% Native American, 1.0% Asian, 4.0% from other races, and 1.2% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 7.4%.

Of the 1,569 households 35.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.9% were married couples living together, 8.2% had a female householder with no husband present, 4.0% had a male householder with no wife present, and 30.0% were non-families. 25.0% of households were one person and 11.1% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 2.62 and the average family size was 3.13.

The median age in the town was 28.3 years. 23.7% of residents were under the age of 18; 22.3% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 21.3% were from 25 to 44; 19.9% were from 45 to 64; and 12.7% were 65 or older. The gender makeup of the town was 46.6% male and 53.4% female.

2000 census
At the 2000 census there were 3,987 people, 1,371 households, and 972 families living in the town. The population density was 1,375.7 PD/sqmi. There were 1,513 housing units at an average density of 522.0 /sqmi. The racial makup of the town was 91.15% White, 0.75% African American, 0.03% Native American, 0.85% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 5.74% from other races, and 1.45% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 8.28%.

Of the 1,371 households 39.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.8% were married couples living together, 8.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.1% were non-families. 23.3% of households were one person and 5.3% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 2.73 and the average family size was 3.25.

The age distribution was 28.8% under the age of 18, 10.2% from 18 to 24, 29.2% from 25 to 44, 18.8% from 45 to 64, and 12.9% 65 or older. The median age was 32 years. For every 100 females, there were 95.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.9 males.

The median household income was $42,454 and the median family income was $50,817. Males had a median income of $35,313 versus $25,769 for females. The per capita income for the town was $19,025. About 3.6% of families and 6.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 5.3% of those under age 18 and 7.0% of those age 65 or over.

title: Winona Lake, Indiana


text:
LaGrange, Indiana

LaGrange is a town in and the county seat of LaGrange County, Indiana, United States. The population was 2,625 at the 2010 census.

History
LaGrange was laid out and platted in 1836. It took its name from LaGrange County.

LaGrange County's initial settlers were Yankee immigrants, that is to say they were from New England and were descended from the English Puritans who settled that region in the colonial era. They were part of a wave of New England settlers moving west into what was then the Northwest Territory after the completion of the Erie Canal. The original settlers in LaGrange County specifically hailed from the Massachusetts counties of Worcester County, Suffolk County and Berkshire County; the Connecticut counties of Hartford County and Windham County as well as the Connecticut towns of Sherman, Lebanon and Fairfield; and from the Vermont towns of Burlington, Brookfield, Huntington and Grand Isle. They were mainly members of the Congregational Church, but as a result of the Second Great Awakening many became Baptists and many also converted to Pentecostalism and Methodism. When they arrived in what is now LaGrange County, there was nothing but virgin forest and wild prairie, the New England settlers cleared roads, built farms, constructed churches, erected government buildings, and established post routes. As a result of this migration, LaGrange County was culturally continuous with early New England culture for many years.

The LaGrange County Courthouse was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1980. The courthouse and the annual fall festival are featured in the 1941 New Deal era post office mural painted by Jessie Hull Mayer. She won the federal commission to paint Corn School as part of the Section of Painting and Sculpture′s projects, later called the Section of Fine Arts, of the Treasury Department.

Geography
According to the 2010 census, LaGrange has a total area of 1.7 sqmi, all land.

2020 census
As of the census of 2020, there were 2,715 people, 1,143 households, and 687 families living in the town.

2010 census
As of the census of 2010, there were 2,625 people, 1,041 households, and 637 families living in the town. The population density was 1544.1 PD/sqmi. There were 1,221 housing units at an average density of 718.2 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the town was 93.7% White, 0.6% African American, 0.4% Native American, 0.4% Asian, 4.2% from other races, and 0.7% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 9.5% of the population.

There were 1,041 households, of which 33.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 43.2% were married couples living together, 13.3% had a female householder with no husband present, 4.7% had a male householder with no wife present, and 38.8% were non-families. 34.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 15.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.43 and the average family size was 3.17.

The median age in the town was 37.7 years. 27% of residents were under the age of 18; 7.5% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 24.6% were from 25 to 44; 22.9% were from 45 to 64; and 17.8% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the town was 46.7% male and 53.3% female.

2000 census
As of the census of 2000, there were 2,919 people, 1,149 households, and 716 families living in the town. The population density was 1,717.8 PD/sqmi. There were 1,231 housing units at an average density of 724.4 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the town was 93.32% White, 0.38% African American, 0.03% Native American, 0.48% Asian, 4.69% from other races, and 1.10% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 6.89% of the population.

There were 1,149 households, out of which 32.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.0% were married couples living together, 12.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 37.6% were non-families. 32.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 15.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.42 and the average family size was 3.08.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 26.6% under the age of 18, 10.0% from 18 to 24, 27.2% from 25 to 44, 19.6% from 45 to 64, and 16.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females, there were 92.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 82.6 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $32,054, and the median income for a family was $39,038. Males had a median income of $29,545 versus $21,946 for females. The per capita income for the town was $17,865. About 4.7% of families and 7.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 5.7% of those under age 18 and 9.7% of those age 65 or over.

Courthouse
The LaGrange County Courthouse was designed in 1878 by Thomas J. Tolan, & Son, Architects, of Fort Wayne, Indiana. The courthouse was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on July 17, 1980.

Transportation
LaGrange is served by Barons Bus Lines Schedule 0025: Cleveland, Ohio to Chicago, Illinois; and Schedule 0026: Chicago, Illinois to Cleveland, Ohio. Both routes feature local service via primarily US Route 20. These routes are an essential transportation service sharing similarities to that of the Essential Air Service, primarily funded by tax payers.

Education
The town of LaGrange lies in the school district of Lakeland School Corporation. The local schools town residents attend are:
 * Lakeland Primary School
 * Lakeland Intermediate School
 * Lakeland Jr./Sr. High School (Lagrange, Indiana)

LaGrange has a public library, a branch of the La Grange County Public Library.

Communications
LaGrange has only two numbered state or federal highways: U.S. Route 20 and State Road 9. It is seven miles away from the Howe-LaGrange interchange of the Indiana Toll Road. It has no scheduled airline or passenger rail service.

LaGrange is within the Michiana television market.

Culture
LaGrange has a number of geocaches, wooded trails, and athletic parks, including a skate-park.

license: Creative Commons - Attribution Share-Alike - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

title: LaGrange, Indiana


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Shipshewana, Indiana

Shipshewana is a town in Newbury Township, LaGrange County, Indiana, United States. The population was 658 at the 2010 census. It is the location of the Menno-Hof Amish & Mennonite Museum, which showcases the history of the Amish and Mennonite peoples.

History
Shipshewana was named after a local Potawatomi Indian. The Shipshewana post office was established in 1889.

Geography
According to the 2010 census, Shipshewana has a total area of 1.18 sqmi, all land.

2010 census
As of the census of 2010, there were 658 people, 297 households, and 177 families living in the town. The population density was 557.6 PD/sqmi. There were 339 housing units at an average density of 287.3 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the town was 98.3% White, 0.2% African American, 0.5% Native American, 0.2% Asian, 0.3% from other races, and 0.6% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.8% of the population.

There were 297 households, of which 26.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.1% were married couples living together, 9.8% had a female householder with no husband present, 2.7% had a male householder with no wife present, and 40.4% were non-families. 36.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.22 and the average family size was 2.86.

The median age in the town was 37.7 years. 24.2% of residents were under the age of 18; 9.8% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 22.6% were from 25 to 44; 21.5% were from 45 to 64; and 22% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the town was 44.7% male and 55.3% female.

2000 census
As of the census of 2000, there were 536 people, 235 households, and 149 families living in the town. The population density was 582.7 PD/sqmi. There were 251 housing units at an average density of 272.9 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the town was 97.57% White, 0.37% African American, 0.19% Native American, 0.19% from other races, and 1.68% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.12% of the population.

There were 235 households, out of which 29.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.1% were married couples living together, 12.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.2% were non-families. 33.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 17.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.28 and the average family size was 2.86.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 24.1% under the age of 18, 12.7% from 18 to 24, 21.3% from 25 to 44, 23.9% from 45 to 64, and 18.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 79.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 79.3 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $30,156, and the median income for a family was $53,214. Males had a median income of $36,875 versus $22,750 for females. The per capita income for the town was $26,270. About 6.0% of families and 8.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 2.9% of those under age 18 and 20.8% of those age 65 or over.

Economy
In 2014, the Shipshewana-LaGrange County Convention and Visitor's Bureau commissioned a CERTEC study to gauge the impact of tourism. According to that study the tourism and travel industry contributed nearly $137.2 million to the LaGrange County economy in 2013.

Transportation
Shipshewana is served by Barons Bus Lines Schedule 0025: Cleveland, Ohio to Chicago, Illinois; and Schedule 0026: Chicago, Illinois to Cleveland, Ohio. This is an on-demand bus stop for both schedule 0025 and 0026. Both routes feature local service via primarily US Route 20. These routes are an essential transportation service sharing similarities to that of the Essential Air Service, primarily funded by tax payers.

Education
The town is served by the Westview School Corporation, in nearby Topeka.

Shipshewana has a public library, a branch of the La Grange County Public Library.

title: Shipshewana, Indiana


text:
Topeka, Indiana

Topeka is a town in Clearspring and Eden townships, LaGrange County, Indiana, United States. The population was 1,153 at the 2010 census. Topeka is located approximately eleven miles south of Shipshewana, Indiana.

Topeka was likely so named because the landscape reminded settlers of Topeka, Kansas.

Geography
According to the 2010 census, Topeka has a total area of 1.74 sqmi, all land.

2010 census
As of the census of 2010, there were 1,153 people, 421 households, and 291 families living in the town. The population density was 662.6 PD/sqmi. There were 456 housing units at an average density of 262.1 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the town was 94.4% White, 0.3% African American, 1.0% Asian, 1.6% from other races, and 2.7% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.6% of the population.

There were 421 households, of which 43.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.6% were married couples living together, 12.8% had a female householder with no husband present, 5.7% had a male householder with no wife present, and 30.9% were non-families. 26.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.74 and the average family size was 3.34.

The median age in the town was 29.6 years. 33.9% of residents were under the age of 18; 8.7% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 28.2% were from 25 to 44; 21% were from 45 to 64; and 8.2% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the town was 47.8% male and 52.2% female.

2000 census
As of the census of 2000, there were 1,159 people, 448 households, and 310 families living in the town. The population density was 841.2 PD/sqmi. There were 482 housing units at an average density of 349.8 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the town was 95.34% White, 0.69% Asian, 1.38% from other races, and 2.59% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.67% of the population.

There were 448 households, out of which 37.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.8% were married couples living together, 12.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.6% were non-families. 26.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.59 and the average family size was 3.10.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 31.1% under the age of 18, 11.4% from 18 to 24, 30.5% from 25 to 44, 17.1% from 45 to 64, and 9.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 29 years. For every 100 females, there were 95.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.1 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $37,105, and the median income for a family was $42,232. Males had a median income of $32,356 versus $23,542 for females. The per capita income for the town was $17,269. About 7.3% of families and 9.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 11.7% of those under age 18 and 10.1% of those age 65 or over.

Education
Topeka has a public library, a branch of the La Grange County Public Library.

title: Topeka, Indiana


text:
Wolcottville, Indiana

Wolcottville is a town in Orange Township, Noble County and Johnson Township, LaGrange County in the U.S. state of Indiana. The population was 998 at the 2010 census.

History
Wolcottville was laid out in 1849. It was named for George Wolcott, who started a sawmill at the site in 1838.

Geography
According to the 2010 census, Wolcottville has a total area of 1.02 sqmi, all land. In addition to these year-round residents, many homes in the area are lake cottages occupied only in the summers. Many of the owners of these cottages come from Fort Wayne and South Bend.

2010 census
As of the census of 2010, there were 998 people, 369 households, and 264 families living in the town. The population density was 988.1 PD/sqmi. There were 434 housing units at an average density of 429.7 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the town was 96.0% White, 0.5% African American, 0.7% Native American, 0.8% Asian, 1.5% from other races, and 0.5% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.8% of the population.

There were 369 households, of which 40.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.6% were married couples living together, 13.6% had a female householder with no husband present, 5.4% had a male householder with no wife present, and 28.5% were non-families. 24.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.70 and the average family size was 3.21.

The median age in the town was 33.8 years. 29.3% of residents were under the age of 18; 9% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 27.1% were from 25 to 44; 24.1% were from 45 to 64; and 10.3% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the town was 48.3% male and 51.7% female.

2000 census
As of the census of 2000, there were 933 people, 350 households, and 249 families living in the town. The population density was 910.1 PD/sqmi. There were 365 housing units at an average density of 356.0 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the town was 98.82% White, 0.11% African American, 0.21% Native American, 0.11% Asian, 0.21% from other races, and 0.54% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.75% of the population.

There were 350 households, out of which 41.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.0% were married couples living together, 13.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.6% were non-families. 23.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.67 and the average family size was 3.15.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 31.0% under the age of 18, 10.2% from 18 to 24, 31.1% from 25 to 44, 18.2% from 45 to 64, and 9.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 31 years. For every 100 females, there were 93.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.2 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $35,833, and the median income for a family was $36,458. Males had a median income of $30,705 versus $21,902 for females. The per capita income for the town was $16,974. About 9.1% of families and 10.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 14.9% of those under age 18 and 9.9% of those age 65 or over.

Education
The town of Wolcottville lies in the school district of Lakeland School Corporation. The local schools town residents attend are:
 * Wolcottmills Preschool
 * Lakeland Intermediate School
 * Lakeland Jr/Sr High School

Notable people

 * Ken Kercheval, actor
 * William L. Taylor, Indiana Attorney General (1898–1903)

title: Wolcottville, Indiana


text:
Cedar Lake, Indiana

Cedar Lake is a town in Hanover and Center townships, Lake County, Indiana, United States. It is near the Illinois state line. Its population was 11,560 at the 2010 census. The town is notable for its location on Cedar Lake, the Lake of the Red Cedars museum. Cedar Lake is also bordered to Crown Point, Indiana.

History
Cedar Lake was settled by pioneers in the mid-19th century and was originally named West Point; the name “Cedar Lake” belonged to a nearby town that is now called Creston, Indiana. In 1839, the town that was then called West Point competed with the settlements of Liverpool and Lake Court House (later called Crown Point) to be the county seat of Lake County, but lost out to Liverpool. By 1870, the Cedar Lake Post Office was established, giving the area a new name. After the Monon Railroad came to the lake's western shore in 1882, many new residents flocked to the area along with tourists who saw the lake as a resort destination. From the late 19th century to the early 20th century, Cedar Lake was a popular place for Chicagoans looking for a retreat from the city. The lake had over 50 hotels at the time and several pavilions and ballrooms that brought many well-known bands to entertain the visitors.

The Lassen Hotel and Monon Park Dancing Pavilion are listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

Geography
According to the 2010 census, Cedar Lake has a total area of 9.61 sqmi, of which 8.22 sqmi (or 85.54%) is land and 1.39 sqmi (or 14.46%) is water. The lake, which is the largest natural lake in northwest Indiana, appears to have formed from glacial meltwaters. There is an abundance of hills around the lake, which are evidence of the Valparaiso Moraine running through the area.

The 781 acre lake is naturally fed by small streams, storm runoff, and a natural spring. The lake has a median depth of 8.8 feet. Its deepest depth at 16 feet located in the middle basin. The lack of clarity in the water is due to the low refresh rate of the water and the shallow depths combined with the size of the lake. The lake bed is composed mostly of a dirt and sand mixture, clay, and rocks.

2010 census
As of the census of 2010, there were 11,560 people, 4,193 households, and 3,002 families living in the town. The population density was 1406.3 PD/sqmi. There were 4,692 housing units at an average density of 570.8 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the town was 94.9% White, 0.5% African American, 0.3% Native American, 0.4% Asian, 2.4% from other races, and 1.7% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 6.5% of the population.

There were 4,193 households, of which 39.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.9% were married couples living together, 11.7% had a female householder with no husband present, 6.0% had a male householder with no wife present, and 28.4% were non-families. 22.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 5.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.75 and the average family size was 3.23.

The median age in the town was 34.9 years. 26.6% of residents were under the age of 18; 8.7% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 29.3% were from 25 to 44; 26.6% were from 45 to 64; and 8.6% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the town was 50.7% male and 49.3% female.

2000 census
As of the census of 2000, there were 9,279 people, 3,394 households, and 2,450 families living in the town. The population density was 1,366.3 PD/sqmi. There were 3,681 housing units at an average density of 542.0 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the town was 97.40% White, 0.09% African American, 0.24% Native American, 0.20% Asian, 0.88% from other races, and 1.19% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.50% of the population.

There were 3,394 households, out of which 37.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.9% were married couples living together, 10.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.8% were non-families. 22.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 7.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.73 and the average family size was 3.23.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 28.5% under the age of 18, 9.2% from 18 to 24, 32.9% from 25 to 44, 20.6% from 45 to 64, and 8.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females, there were 104.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 102.3 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $43,987, and the median income for a family was $50,431. Males had a median income of $41,825 versus $24,861 for females. The per capita income for the town was $17,825. About 4.0% of families and 6.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 6.7% of those under age 18 and 7.4% of those age 65 or over.

Education
Lake County Public Library operates the Cedar Lake Library at 10010 West 133rd Avenue.

Cedar Lake is home to the Hanover Community School Corporation and the Crown Point Community School Corporation. The Hanover School corporation operates two elementary schools: Lincoln and Jane Ball, one middle school: Hanover Central Middle School, and one high school: Hanover Central High School. The Crown Point school corporation operates one elementary school in Cedar Lake: MacArthur. Those in the Crown Point school system attend middle school and high school in Crown Point at Taft Middle School and Crown Point High School (CPHS).

title: Cedar Lake, Indiana


text:
Crown Point, Indiana

Crown Point is a city in and the county seat of Lake County, Indiana, United States. The population was 33,899 at the 2020 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. Due to 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 southwestern 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. 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 to 1928). Campaigning for the presidency of the United States, William Jennings Bryan addressed a crowd from the steps of the courthouse 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. 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, Muhammad Ali, and Jackson 5 patriarch Joseph Jackson and their wives. Certain online sources claim that Ronald Reagan and Jane Wyman were married in Crown Point. But Reagan and Wyman were married in Glendale, California, according to sources such as Fox News, The Washington Post, and the Los Angeles Times.

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.

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 the 42-year-old female 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, 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. The movie was released in June 2009.

Geography
Crown Point lies on the Valparaiso Moraine.

According to the 2010 census, Crown Point has a total area of 17.725 sqmi, of which 17.71 sqmi (or 99.92%) is land and 0.015 sqmi (or 0.08%) is water.

Crown Point is situated approximately 40 miles southeast of Chicago's Loop.

Demographics
The estimated racial makeup of the city was 85.9% White, 8.0% African American, 0.1% Native American, 2.0% Asian, 2.6% from other races, and 1.3% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were estimated to be 6.2% of the population.

The estimated median income for a household in the city in 2013 was $63,121 while the mean income for a household in the town was $78,090. Additionally, the median income for a family was $75,112 and the mean income for a family was $90,507. The estimated per capita income for the town was $31,177. About 4.3% of families and 7.0% of the population were estimated to be below the poverty line.

2010 census
As of the census of 2010, there were 27,317 people, 10,394 households, and 7,001 families residing in the city. The population density was 1542.5 PD/sqmi. There were 10,976 housing units at an average density of 619.8 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the city was 88.2% White, 6.3% African American, 0.2% Native American, 1.8% Asian, 1.9% from other races, and 1.6% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 8.1% of the population.

There were 10,394 households, of which 29.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.6% were married couples living together, 10.0% had a female householder with no husband present, 3.8% had a male householder with no wife present, and 32.6% were non-families. 27.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.45 and the average family size was 3.01.

The median age in the city was 39.6 years. 21.2% of residents were under the age of 18; 8% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 27.7% were from 25 to 44; 26.9% were from 45 to 64; and 16.1% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 50.0% male and 50.0% female.

2000 census
As of the census of 2000, there were 19,806 people, 7,824 households, and 5,359 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,191.7 PD/sqmi. There were 8,166 housing units at an average density of 491.3 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the city was 95.32% White, 1.41% African American, 0.18% Native American, 0.98% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 1.02% from other races, and 1.04% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4.00% of the population.

There were 7,824 households, out of which 29.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.1% were married couples living together, 8.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.5% were non-families. 27.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.45 and the average family size was 3.01.

In the city, the population was spread out, with 22.5% under the age of 18, 7.7% from 18 to 24, 27.2% from 25 to 44, 25.3% from 45 to 64, and 17.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females, there were 90.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.2 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $52,889, and the median income for a family was $64,274. Males had a median income of $50,090 versus $26,669 for females. The per capita income for the city was $24,568. About 2.1% of families and 3.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 3.9% of those under age 18 and 3.2% of those age 65 or over.

Government
The government consists of a mayor and a city council. The mayor is Pete Land, the former chief of police. The city council consists of seven members. Five are elected from individual districts. Two are elected at-large.

Education
Crown Point residents who live in Center Township are served by the Crown Point Community School Corporation. Residents who live in Ross Township are served by the Merrillville Community School Corporation.

Public schools in Crown Point are administered by the Crown Point Community School Corporation:
 * Crown Point High School
 * Robert A. Taft Middle School
 * Colonel John Wheeler Middle School
 * Timothy Ball Elementary School
 * Eisenhower Elementary School
 * Lake Street Elementary School
 * Solon Robinson Elementary School
 * Crossroads Alternative Achievement Center

Private schools: Private Colleges:
 * Pathway Christian School
 * Trinity Lutheran School
 * St. Mary Catholic Community School
 * Avicenna Academy
 * Hyles-Anderson College
 * University of Saint Francis

Public library: The city has a lending library, the Crown Point Community Public Library with two branches.

Transportation
Gary Public Transportation Corporation provides bus service along the 93rd Avenue corridor; with plans to expand bus service within the city along the Broadway corridor from 93rd Avenue to the north terminating at US-231 to the south. These plans are known as the "Livable Broadway Plan" that aims to allow easy travel by public transportation between Gary, Merrillville, and Crown Point and to encourage transit-oriented development at each hub. The first steps of this plan were realized with the Broadway Metro Express.

The Pennsylvania Railroad's Chicago to Columbus line and the Erie Lackawanna's Jersey City to Chicago line served Crown Point and had commuter service to and from Chicago. Both rail lines have been abandoned.

Lake County Court House
The old Lake County Court House is prominently situated in the center of Crown Point, which is commonly referred to simply as the square. The first portion of the court house was erected in 1878, with portions being added on all the way up to 1928. Inside the "Grand Old Lady", there are gift shops,a record shop, and a museum which is located on the second floor.

Lake County Fairgrounds
The Lake County Fairgrounds are located near the southern portion of Crown Point. The fairgrounds include historic brick exhibition buildings, tree covered hills, rambling walking paths and a historic grandstand near the retired swimming area at Fancher Lake. The Crown Point Bridge, an 85-foot, single span Burr Arch Truss bridge, is the county's only covered bridge. It was originally built in 1878 near Milroy in Rush County and relocated to the northwest area of the fairgrounds over a gully in 1933.

Events
The Lake County Fair, the 2nd-largest county fair in the state of Indiana, is held on the fairgrounds each year in early August for 10 days. The Lake County Fair always boasts monster trucks, demolition derby, and an entire arena for horse shows.

The Corn Roast and the Taste of Crown Point, annual festivals featuring food and entertainment, are held downtown around the historic courthouse.

There are also parades held on Memorial Day, Independence Day, and St. Patrick's Day.

Notable people

 * Logan Gomez, racing driver
 * William G. Haan, World War I general
 * Ambrose Stephen McDonald, Wisconsin state legislator and businessman
 * Dan Plesac, Former Major League pitcher and MLB Network analyst
 * Zach Plesac, Los Angeles Angels pitcher
 * Richie Roberts, wide receivers coach
 * Jerry L. Ross, astronaut
 * Sasha Stefanovic, former Purdue basketball guard
 * Thelma Strabel, novelist
 * John Wheeler, Civil War officer
 * Dean White, entrepreneur and billionaire
 * Ralph H. Young, former head football coach at Michigan State

title: Crown Point, Indiana


text:
Dyer, Indiana

Dyer is a town in St. John Township, Lake County, Indiana, United States. The population was 16,517 at the 2020 census. It is a southeastern suburb of Chicago.

Geography
Dyer borders Munster to the north, unincorporated St. John Township to 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 roughly 30 miles from downtown Chicago and 12 miles from Chicago's south side.

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.

According to the 2010 census, Dyer has a total area of 6.1 sqmi, all land.

Demographics
As of 2009, the median income for a household in the town was $76,599 while the mean income for a household in the town was $93,308. The median income for a family was $87,127 and the mean income for a family was $103,563. The estimated per capita income for the town was $34,275. About 0.7% of families and 1.2% of the population were estimated to be below the poverty line.

2010 census
As of the census of 2010, there were 16,390 people, 5,985 households, and 4,552 families residing in the town. The population density was 2686.9 PD/sqmi. There were 6,125 housing units at an average density of 1004.1 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the town was 90.1% White, 2.5% African American, 0.2% Native American, 2.9% Asian, 2.4% from other races, and 1.8% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 9.3% of the population.

There were 5,985 households, of which 33.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 63.8% were married couples living together, 8.4% had a female householder with no husband present, 3.9% had a male householder with no wife present, and 23.9% were non-families. 20.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.68 and the average family size was 3.12.

The median age in the town was 42.9 years. 23.1% of residents were under the age of 18; 7.1% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 22.9% were from 25 to 44; 31.4% were from 45 to 64; and 15.5% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the town was 48.4% male and 51.6% female.

History
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 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.

Roads
Dyer's primary arterial road is U.S. Route 30/Lincoln Highway, which runs east–west through the town. A 1.3 mi stretch of this route traversing Dyer and Schererville was considered one of the most prominent Seedling Mile projects on the Lincoln Highway when it was constructed in the early 1920s, and came to be known as the highway's "Ideal Section." It remains in use to this day.

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 and New York Penn Station via Washington Union Station.

Education
Dyer is located in the Lake Central School Corporation. Public high school students living in Dyer attend Lake Central High School located in St. John, Indiana. Three of the system's schools are located within Dyer town limits: Kahler Middle School, Protsman Elementary School, and Bibich Elementary School.

Private schools in Dyer include Protestant Reformed Christian School and Illiana Christian High School.

Mid-America Reformed Seminary is a theological institution located in Dyer.

Sports
Dyer was home to the Chi-Town Shooters, a former minor league professional ice hockey team that was a member of the All American Hockey League. The team's home arena was Midwest Training & Ice Center.

title: Dyer, Indiana


text:
East Chicago, Indiana

East Chicago is a city in Lake County, Indiana, United States. The population was 26,370 at the 2020 census. Centered around heavy industry, the city is home to the Indiana Harbor and Ship Canal, an artificial freshwater harbor characterized by industrial and manufacturing activity.

Situated along Lake Michigan, East Chicago is about 18 mi from downtown Chicago and is just west of Gary, Indiana.

Founding and early settlement
The land that became East Chicago was originally swampland unsuitable for farming. The state of Indiana began selling off plots of land to railroads and speculators after 1851 to fund the local school system. Settlement of the area was very slow at first, and as late as the 1890s, the city had no proper streets or public utilities. East Chicago was incorporated as a city in 1893. The city was named from its location east of Chicago, Illinois.

Industrial growth
The 1900 census gives a total population of just 3,411, but the arrival of Inland Steel in 1903 transformed the city into an industrial powerhouse. The city's population skyrocketed to over 24,000 by 1910, powered by immigration from all over Europe and the United States, and quickly became the most industrialized city in the United States, with over 80% of the city's land zoned for heavy industry. Inland Steel dominated the city's economy through the 1990s, and expanded its massive integrated mill at Indiana Harbor multiple times through the 1980s. From 60,000 tons of steel capacity in 1903, it expanded to 600,000 tons by 1914 and reached 1 million in 1917, and eventually peaked at 8.6 million tons in 1978. By 1907, East Chicago boasted a navigable waterway link to Lake Michigan and to the Grand Calumet River: the Indiana Harbor Ship Canal. Steel mills, petroleum refineries, construction firms, and chemical factories operated at Indiana Harbor and along its inner canal system.

Republic Steel, Youngstown Steel, LaSalle Steel, and U.S. Steel all eventually had steel-making operations in the city. During World War I, East Chicago was nicknamed the "Arsenal of America" (not to be confused with Detroit's label as the "Arsenal of Democracy" during WWII) and the "Workshop of America".

A rivalry developed between Indiana Harbor, the “East Side” home of Inland Steel and most working-class families, and East Chicago's “West Side,” the residential enclave of the native-born business community. Locals spoke of the “Twin City” to describe spatial, residential, and class divisions at the heart of the town's identity. The "Twin City" moniker remains to this day.

World War I to the present
During the 1910s, several thousand Mexicans immigrated to East Chicago to work in the mills during the labor shortage of 1917–1918 due to U.S. participation in World War I, and also acted as strike breakers during labor unrest in 1919. Most were single men who eventually hoped to return to Mexico, but many stayed on and eventually were joined by their families. The small Mexican community was targeted for voluntary and forced repatriation during the 1930s and 1950s (1,800 were deported in 1932 alone), but those who remained eventually paved the way for later Latino immigration after 1965.

Black Americans also began to arrive in the 1910s and 1920s as part of the first wave of the Great Migration, and this continued from the 1940s to 1960s. According to a city demographic survey in 1959, there were 1,000 Mexican families and 10,000 African American families, along with 3,000 Polish families. There were also a large number of families that identified as Puerto Rican, Romanian, Serbian, Italian, Lithuanian, and Croatian. Over 70 nationalities were represented, with over 59 congregations of the Protestants, Orthodox, Catholic Churches, as well as Jewish synagogues.

Like neighboring Gary, Indiana, East Chicago quickly developed a reputation as a rough industrial city, plagued by extreme pollution, ethnic and racial tensions, organized crime, illegal gambling and clubs, political corruption, prostitution, and other vices. The city continued to rapidly grow in the 1910s and 1920s, and the population peaked in 1960 at 57,669. However, East Chicago's population began to decline in the 1960s as suburbanization, white flight, affordability of automobiles, and the construction of highways meant that workers no longer had to live in the city, but could commute from less-polluted suburbs.

It was the Steel crisis of the 1974-1986 period that completely devastated East Chicago, as it did other industrial cities like Gary, Cleveland, Pittsburgh, and the south side of Chicago. East Chicago's population plunged to 47,000 in 1970, 34,000 by 1990, and 29,000 by 2010. Employment at Inland Steel peaked at 25,000 in 1969, and successive layoffs over the next 30 years were devastating to the community; by 1998, only 9,000 were employed at Inland Steel. Inland Steel was acquired by Ispat International in 1998. Both the Indiana Harbor mill and Youngstown Steel mill were absorbed and merged by ArcelorMittal in 2004 and subsequently sold to Cleveland-Cliffs in 2020.

The Indiana Harbor Public Library and Marktown Historic District are listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

In 2009, parts of East Chicago were discovered to have toxic lead and arsenic contamination, designated the USS Lead Superfund Site. The site is divided into three zones, with public housing and residential properties. Residents' decades-long concerns about lead contamination were confirmed in 2016 via EPA testing, especially affecting over 270 families in the West Calumet Housing Complex. As governor of Indiana, Mike Pence declined to declare the Superfund site a state emergency; his successor Governor Eric Holcomb has issued Executive Order 17-13, declaring a disaster emergency in East Chicago.

Geography
According to the 2010 census, East Chicago has a total area of 16.155 sqmi, of which 14.09 sqmi (or 87.22%) is land and 2.065 sqmi (or 12.78%) is water.

2010 census
As of the census of 2010, there were 29,698 people, 10,724 households, and 7,197 families residing in the city. The population density was 2107.7 PD/sqmi. There were 12,958 housing units at an average density of 919.7 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the city was 42.9% African American, 35.5% White, 0.6% Native American, 0.1% Asian, 18.1% from other races, and 2.8% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 50.9% of the population.

There were 10,724 households, of which 40.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 27.9% were married couples living together, 31.4% had a female householder with no husband present, 7.7% had a male householder with no wife present, and 32.9% were non-families. 29.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.75 and the average family size was 3.42.

The median age in the city was 30.9 years. 31.4% of residents were under the age of 18; 9.7% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 25.4% were from 25 to 44; 22.2% were from 45 to 64; and 11.3% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 46.8% male and 53.2% female.

2000 census
As of the census of 2000, there were 32,414 people, 11,707 households, and 7,937 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,706.3 PD/sqmi. There were 13,261 housing units at an average density of 1,107.2 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the city was 36.54% White, 36.08% African American, 0.51% Native American, 0.20% Asian, 0.08% Pacific Islander, 23.98% from other races, and 2.60% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 51.61% of the population. Whites who are not Hispanic or Latino were 12.10% of the city's population. 54.3% spoke only English at home, while 42.9% spoke Spanish and 1.2% Polish at home.

There were 11,707 households, out of which 35.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 34.8% were married couples living together, 26.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.2% were non-families. 28.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.75 and the average family size was 3.41.

In the city, the population was spread out, with 30.5% under the age of 18, 11.1% from 18 to 24, 26.8% from 25 to 44, 18.3% from 45 to 64, and 13.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 31 years. For every 100 females, there were 91.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.1 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $26,538, and the median income for a family was $31,778. Males had a median income of $32,588 versus $21,678 for females. The per capita income for the city was $13,517. About 22.5% of families and 24.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 33.3% of those under age 18 and 15.6% of those age 65 or over.

Transportation
The nearest commercial airport to East Chicago is the Gary/Chicago International Airport in neighboring Gary, but it does not have any scheduled passenger service. The closest commercial airport with scheduled passenger service is Chicago Midway Airport.

The South Shore Line has a station in East Chicago. The Wolverine at Hammond-Whiting station, 5.5 miles to the northwest, is the nearest Amtrak service.

US 12 and US 20 go through the Indiana Harbor and East Chicago sections of the city, respectively, before joining up on both sides. Indiana State Road 912, the Cline Avenue Expressway, connects East Chicago with the Indiana Toll Road and Borman Expressway, and serves the casino and steel mills on the lakefront.

Bus transit
The city operates a free bus service known as East Chicago Transit. It features three routes: Crosstown, West Calumet, and Griffith Plaza. GPRT Route R1 stops in East Chicago en route from Hammond to Gary. PACE operates Route 892, a special work shuttle between Gary, East Chicago and UPS' Hodgkins facility. Its schedule coincides with UPS workers' shifts. The route is operated in cooperation with UPS, which partially funds its operations.

Neighborhoods

 * Indiana Harbor (East Chicago)
 * North Harbor
 * Sunnyside
 * New Addition
 * Washington Park
 * Prairie Park
 * Marktown
 * East Chicago
 * Northside
 * Southside
 * Roxana
 * Calumet

Education
East Chicago Public Library System operates a main library at 2401 East Columbus Drive and the Robert A. Pastrick Branch Library at 1008 West Chicago Avenue at Baring Avenue. East Chicago also has two charter school options, East Chicago Urban Enterprise (K-8), and East Chicago Lighthouse Charter School (K-7).
 * School City of East Chicago serves all of the city. All residents are zoned to East Chicago Central High School.
 * Ivy Tech community college

Industry
East Chicago is home to the following business and industry:
 * Cleveland-Cliffs' Indiana Harbor Works, the largest steel mill in the USA. Indiana Harbor Works comprises East mill, originally Inland Steel, and West mill, owned for most of its life by Youngstown Sheet and Tube, both acquired and merged by ArcelorMittal.
 * U.S. Steel’s East Chicago Tin, a steel finishing faculty part of Gary Works.
 * The Indiana Harbor and Ship Canal complex.

For 105 years, East Chicago was home to the Inland Steel Company (1893–1998).

The Showboat Casino opened in 1997 with about 900 employees. Other large employers include Amoco Oil Co., Union Tank Car, American Steel Foundries, USG Corp. and St. Catherine Hospital.

Notable people

 * Government
 * Gonzalo P. Curiel - US District Court judge
 * Earl Harris - Indiana state legislator
 * William C. Kavanaugh - Wisconsin State Assemblyman
 * Vincent Mroz - Secret Service agent
 * Jerome Reppa - Indiana lawyer and politician
 * Theodore L. Sendak - 36th Indiana Attorney General
 * Richard Williams - diplomat, author, first US ambassador to Mongolia
 * Military
 * Emilio A. De La Garza, Jr. - U.S. Marine Corps, Medal of Honor recipient, Vietnam War
 * Alexander Vraciu - U.S. Navy, Navy Cross, leading flying ace during World War II
 * Movies - TV
 * Leslie Edgley - novelist, playwright, radio dramatist and screenwriter
 * John Hubbard - actor
 * Betsy Palmer - actress and television personality
 * Frank Reynolds - ABC television news anchorman
 * Steve Tesich - Academy Award-winning screenwriter
 * Music
 * Yungeen Ace - rapper
 * Catfish Keith - blues singer, songwriter and slide guitarist
 * Mighty Mo Rodgers - blues musician, songwriter and record producer
 * Sports
 * Bob Anderson - Major League Baseball player
 * Jim Bradley - professional basketball player
 * Junior Bridgeman - NBA player for Milwaukee Bucks and businessman; jersey number retired by Bucks
 * Larry Fritz - Major League Baseball player
 * Jim Hicks - Major League Baseball player
 * Danny Lazar - Major League Baseball pitcher
 * Kenny Lofton - Major League Baseball player, 6-time All-Star, 4-time Gold Glove winner
 * Angel Manfredy - professional boxer/title holder
 * Monica Maxwell - professional basketball player
 * E'Twaun Moore - professional basketball player
 * Ilie Oană - football player and manager who represented and coached Romania national football team
 * Frank Patrick - professional football player
 * Stan Perzanowski - MLB pitcher
 * Bridget Pettis - professional basketball player and coach
 * Gregg Popovich - coach of San Antonio Spurs, 5-time NBA champion, 3-time NBA Coach of the Year
 * Jason Repko - Major League Baseball outfielder for Boston Red Sox and Los Angeles Dodgers
 * Kawann Short - Carolina Panthers professional football player
 * Matt Smith - sports radio personality
 * Ron Smith - NFL player
 * Tim Stoddard - Major League Baseball pitcher and college basketball player, forward for NC State's 1974 NCAA basketball champions
 * Pete Trgovich—played on 1971 Washington HS Indiana state championship team with Junior Bridgeman and Tim Stoddard, went on to play for legendary coach John Wooden at UCLA, winning 3 NCAA Championship rings
 * Ray Wietecha - assistant coach to Vince Lombardi and NFL champion Green Bay Packers
 * Other
 * Eric Flint - Speculative Fiction Author
 * Andrew Majda - Mathematician
 * Cliff Raven - tattoo artist
 * David Albin Zywiec Sidor - American-Nicaraguan Roman Catholic bishop
 * Miguel Torres - mixed martial artist
 * Warren W. Wiersbe - theologian

title: East Chicago, Indiana


text:
Griffith, Indiana

Griffith is a town in North and St. John townships in Lake County, Indiana, United States. It is a part of the Chicago metropolitan area. The population was 16,420 in 2020. The town's population is currently declining at a rate of 0.69% annually. Griffith is the town with the 11th largest population and 17th largest town by area in the State of Indiana.

History
The Griffith State Bank, E.J. and E. Griffith Interlocking Tower and Griffith Grand Trunk Depot are listed in the National Register of Historic Places. In 2018, citizens of Griffith voted by a margin of 98% to 2% to leave Calumet Township, in part because of the high property taxes they pay to the township, which also includes Gary, relative to the services received. The town is now part of North Township.

Geography
Griffith is 630 ft above sea level. The town's boundaries encompass part of the ancient Calumet shorelines of Lake Michigan. Griffith has a total area of 7.768 sqmi, all land.

Griffith borders the town of Highland to the west, the city of Hammond to the northwest, the city of Gary to the northeast, the town of Schererville to the south, and unincorporated Calumet Township to the east.

Education
Griffith Public Schools, which covers most of the city, operates four local public schools (one high school, one middle school, and two elementary schools).
 * Griffith Senior High School (9-12)
 * Griffith Middle School (6-8)
 * Beiriger Elementary School (3-5)
 * Wadsworth Elementary School (K-2)

St. Mary Catholic Elementary & Junior High School is located in Griffith.

Residents who live in the southeastern section of Griffith within the St. John Township are serviced by schools that belong to the Lake Central School Corporation. That district's comprehensive high school is Lake Central High School.

2020 census
As of the 2020 census, there were 16,420 people, 4,544 families in 6,791 households in the town. The population density was 2,123 PD/sqmi. There were 7,260 housing units at an average density of 914.6 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the town was 69% White, 14.7% African American, 3% Native American, 2.1% Asian, 8.3% from other races, and 5.6% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 14.9% of the population.

Of the 6,791 households, 31.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 42% were married couples living together, 7% were cohabiting couples, 29.6% had a female householder with no husband present, 21.3% had a male householder with no wife present. 29.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.38 and the average family size was 2.95.

The median age in the town was 37.8 years. 18.5% of residents were under the age of 18; 10.6% were between the ages of 18, and 24; 29.9% were from 25 to 44; 26.9% were from 45 to 64; and 14.1% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the town was 49.6% male and 50.4% female.

2010 census
As of the 2010 census, there were 16,893 people, 6,668 households, and 4,559 families residing in the town. The population density was 2185.4 PD/sqmi. There were 7,070 housing units at an average density of 914.6 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the town was 75.8% White, 16.9% African American, 0.3% Native American, 0.8% Asian, 3.9% from other races, and 2.4% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 13.3% of the population.

Of the 6,668 households, 34.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 44.6% were married couples living together, 17.7% had a female householder with no husband present, 6.1% had a male householder with no wife present, and 31.6% were non-families. 26.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 7.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.53 and the average family size was 3.06.

The median age in the town was 39 years. 19.4% of residents were under the age of 18; 9.3% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 28.8% were from 25 to 44; 27.4% were from 45 to 64; and 15% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the town was 47.6% male and 52.4% female.

2000 census
As of the 2000 census, there were 17,334 people, 6,728 households, and 4,749 families residing in the town. The population density was 2,417.7 PD/sqmi. There were 6,990 housing units at an average density of 974.9 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the town was 84.01% White, 10.11% African American, 0.35% Native American, 0.81% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 2.86% from other races, and 1.83% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino made up 8.43% of the population.

Of the 6,728 households, 33.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.3% were married couples living together, 12.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.4% were non-families. 25.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.57 and the average family size was 3.10.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 25.5% under the age of 18, 9.2% from 18 to 24, 31.7% from 25 to 44, 22.7% from 45 to 64, and 10.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 94.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.9 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $50,030, and the median income for a family was $57,090. Males had a median income of $44,817 versus $27,036 for females. The per capita income for the town was $21,866. About 2.7% of families and 3.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 3.9% of those under age 18 and 3.1% of those aged 65 and over.

Transportation
Gary/Chicago International Airport in Gary is Griffith's nearest commercial airport.
 * 05C - Griffith-Merrillville Airport, (generally known locally simply as “Griffith Airport”) is a smaller airport within the boundaries of the Town of Griffith.

Cline Avenue runs through Griffith north to East Chicago. Interstate 65, The Borman Expressway, The Indiana Toll Road US 30 and US 41 are all short drives from Griffth.

The closest Amtrak station is in Dyer, while the closest South Shore Line station is in East Chicago.

Broad Street, the major north–south road through Griffith, used to be designated Indiana State Route 73. It was what has come to be called a "feeder road," connecting US 6 at the north end to US 30 at the southern end, and at the southern end of the downtown area crossed over the six intersecting rail lines' 13 tracks, creating what was known for a time as the busiest railroad crossing in the country. SR 73 was the shortest state route in Indiana, and was the only Indiana state route to exist in only one town. Technically, a part of it straddled the border between St. John township and Schererville, but since the entire right of way did not reside in either, that part which did lie entirely within the borders of any designated area, were only in Griffith, and hence the appellation stuck. As the railroad traffic decreased and truck traffic increased US 30 was moved south to its present divided 4 lane route, and the old road became known as "Old US 30," Joliet Road, and SR 330. Also, US 6 was removed from its route along Ridge Road at the northern terminus of SR 73 to the Borman Expressway. Its importance diminished and its major connections removed, the Indiana legislature felt that a road that lay entirely within a single town (or at least did not have a portion that sat entirely in another town), should not be provided state funding as its primary source of upkeep. As such, SR 73 was decommissioned as an Indiana state route on September 26, 1969.

title: Griffith, Indiana


text:
Hammond, Indiana

Hammond is a city in Lake County, Indiana, United States. Located along Lake Michigan, it is part of the Chicago metropolitan area and the only city in Indiana to border Chicago. As of the 2020 census, it is the eighth-most populous city in Indiana, with 77,879 residents. It was first settled in the mid-19th century and it is one of the oldest cities of northern Lake County.

From north to south, Hammond runs from Lake Michigan down to the Little Calumet River; from east to west along its southern border, it runs from the Illinois state line to Cline Avenue. The city is traversed by numerous railroads and expressways, including the South Shore Line, Borman Expressway, and Indiana Toll Road. Notable local landmarks include the parkland around Wolf Lake and the Horseshoe Hammond riverboat casino. Part of the Rust Belt, Hammond has been industrial almost from its inception but is also home to a campus of Purdue University and numerous historic districts.

History

The first European-descended residents arrived around 1847 to settle on land between the Grand and Little Calumet Rivers, on the south end of Lake Michigan. Those first residents of European descent were German immigrant farmers looking for land and opportunity. Before that time, the area was a crossroad for Indian tribes, explorers, stagecoach lines and supply lines to the West. Convenient location and abundant fresh water from Lake Michigan led to the beginning of Hammond's industrialization in 1869 with the George H. Hammond Company meat-packing plant following merchants and farmers to the area. Hammond was incorporated on April 21, 1884, and was named after the Detroit butcher.

Hammond is one of the oldest cities in Lake County, with Crown Point being the oldest (established in 1834). According to the Encyclopedia of Chicago, George Henry Hammond, a pioneer in the use of refrigerated railcars for the transport of fresh meat, first used this method with his small packing company in Detroit, Michigan. In 1868, Hammond received a patent for a refrigerator car design. In the early 1870s, he built a new plant in northern Indiana along the tracks of the Michigan Central Railroad. By 1873, the George H. Hammond Co. was selling $1 million worth of meat a year; by 1875, sales were nearly $2 million. The company's large packing house in Hammond rivaled those located at the Union Stock Yard in Chicago. By the middle of the 1880s, when it built a new plant in Omaha, Nebraska, Hammond was slaughtering over 100,000 cattle a year and owned a fleet of 800 refrigerator cars. After Hammond died in 1886, the company became less important and no longer challenged the giant Chicago packers, who acquired Hammond at the turn of the century and merged it into their National Packing Co.

The Hammond Whiting & East Chicago Electric Railway Company trolley service ran from 1893 to 1940.

On June 22, 1918, the Hammond circus train wreck occurred about 5.5 mi east of the city, killing 86 and injuring 127 persons.

The downtown Hammond shopping district along State Street and Hohman Avenue included major chains such as Sears and J. C. Penney. The largest stores in downtown were the Goldblatt's and E.C. Minas department stores. The E.C. Minas store was constructed in 1894 and was in business until August 1984. The building which housed the Goldblatt's store had been purchased by the Chicago-based retailer in 1931 and operated until 1982 when it closed due to bankruptcy.

The Pullman Standard Car Company built M4 Sherman tanks in Hammond during World War II. Architect Victor Gruen designed the Woodmar Mall in the Woodmar neighborhood. The mall opened in 1954 and was anchored by a Carson Pirie Scott and Co. store.

According to the 1960 United States census Hammond's population reached a record high of 111,698 residents. Hammond, like other industrial cities in the Rust Belt, went into decline during the 1970s and 1980s, with the city's population plunging to 94,000 in 1980, and 83,000 in 2000. However, Hammond's economy was more diversified than neighboring Gary, Indiana, East Chicago, Indiana, and the south side of Chicago, which all relied on heavy industry (primarily steel production). Hammond's economy, on the other hand, depended on light manufacturing, transportation & warehousing, retail, banking & insurance, healthcare, hospitality & food service, and construction. In 1981, a toxic flood in Gary led Hammond to erect a barrier on 165th Street, one of several roads connecting the two cities, which led to lasting tensions with Gary.

Prominent manufacturing companies in Hammond include Unilever's soap factory, Atlas Tube, Cargill food processing, Munster Steel, Lear Seating Corporation, Jupiter Aluminum, Tri-State Automation, and Dover Chemical. Warehousing and storage is also prominent, with ExxonMobil and Marathon Petroleum having large oil storage facilities, and FedEx has a distribution center. Large railroad marshalling yards are also present in the city, with the Indiana Harbor Belt Railroad's headquarters in the city. The State Line Generating Plant operated on the Indiana-Illinois state line from 1929 to 2012, and was demolished in 2014.

The Empress Casino opened in Hammond in June 1996 and was replaced with the Horseshoe Hammond casino in 2001.

In February 2006, the decision was made to demolish Woodmar Mall except for the Carson's store. The Hammond Redevelopment Commission announced plans in June 2016 for a $12 million sports complex to be built on the site of the former mall. The Carson's store closed in 2018, and was demolished in 2019, as part of its parent company's liquidation.

Geography
The city sits within the boundaries of the former Lake Chicago, and much of its land area consists of former dune and swale terrain that was subsequently leveled. Most of the city is on sandy soil with a layer of black topsoil that varies from non-existent to several feet (a meter or more) thick. Much of the exposed sand was removed for purposes such as industrial use to make concrete and glass.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 23.827 sqmi, of which, 22.741 sqmi is land and 1.086 sqmi is water.

Neighborhoods

 * Lakefront
 * Marina District
 * Five Points
 * Robertsdale
 * Water Gardens
 * North Hammond
 * Pulaski Park
 * Downtown Hammond
 * Central Hammond
 * South Hammond
 * Woodmar
 * Schleicher
 * Hessville

Lakes and rivers

 * Grand Calumet River (partial)
 * Lake George
 * Lake Michigan (partial)
 * Little Calumet River (partial)
 * Oxbow Lake
 * Wolf Lake (partial)

Illinois

 * Burnham
 * Calumet City
 * Chicago
 * Lansing

Indiana

 * East Chicago
 * Gary
 * Griffith
 * Highland
 * Munster
 * Whiting

2020 census
As of the 2020 census, there were 77,879 people, 29,486 households, and 18,580 families residing in the city. The population density was 3426.4 PD/sqmi. There were 31,822 housing units. The racial makeup of the city was 39.2% White, 26.0% African American, 1.2% Native American, 0.8% Asian, 0.0% Pacific Islander, 18.5% from some other races and 14.2% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 40.2% of the population. 23.4% of residents were under the age of 18, 5.3% were under 5 years of age, and 13.2% were 65 and older.

2010 census
As of the 2010 census, there were 80,830 people, 29,949 households, and 19,222 families residing in the city. The population density was 3549.0 PD/sqmi. There were 32,945 housing units at an average density of 1446.2 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the city was 59.4% White, 22.5% African American, 0.5% Native American, 1.0% Asian, 13.3% from other races, and 3.3% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 34.1% of the population.

There were 29,949 households, of which 36.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 37.0% were married couples living together, 19.7% had a female householder with no husband present, 7.5% had a male householder with no wife present, and 35.8% were non-families. 30.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.67 and the average family size was 3.36.

The median age in the city was 33.3 years. 27.6% of residents were under the age of 18; 10.1% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 27.3% were from 25 to 44; 24.2% were from 45 to 64; and 10.7% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 49.0% male and 51.0% female.

2000 census
As of the 2000 census, there were 83,048 people, 32,026 households and 20,880 families residing in the city. The population density was 3630.0 PD/sqmi. There were 34,139 housing units at an average density of 1,492.2 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the city was 72.35% White, 14.57% African American, 0.41% Native American, 0.46% Asian, 0.08% Pacific Islander, 9.32% from other races, and 2.81% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 21.04% of the population.

There were 32,026 households, out of which 31.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 42.9% were married couples living together, 16.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.8% were non-families. 29.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.58 and the average family size was 3.23.

In the city, the population was spread out, with 27.3% under the age of 18, 9.8% from 18 to 24, 30.1% from 25 to 44, 19.8% from 45 to 64, and 13.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females, there were 95.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.2 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $35,528, and the median income for a family was $42,221. Males had a median income of $35,778 versus $25,180 for females. The per capita income for the city was $16,254. About 12.0% of families and 14.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 19.7% of those under age 18 and 9.3% of those age 65 or over.

Major employers
According to the city, those businesses employing 200 or more employees in Hammond are:

National Register of Historic Places
The following single properties and national historic districts are listed on the National Register of Historic Places:
 * Morse Dell Plain House and Garden
 * Forest-Ivanhoe Residential Historic District
 * Forest-Moraine Residential Historic District
 * Forest-Southview Residential Historic District
 * Glendale Park Historic District
 * Hohman Avenue Commercial Historic District
 * Indi-Illi Park Historic District
 * Northern States Life Insurance Company
 * Pullman-Standard Historic District
 * Roselawn-Forest Heights Historic District
 * Southmoor Apartment Hotel
 * State Bank of Hammond Building
 * State Street Commercial Historic District
 * George John Wolf House

Public libraries
Hammond Public Library, located at 564 State Street, includes the Suzanne G. Long Local History Room. The system used to operate the E.B. Hayward Branch at 1212 172nd Street and the Howard Branch at 7047 Grand Avenue. Both branches have since been closed. The Hammond Public Library was the first library in the state to form a recognized union, a local of AFSCME. Patricia E. Robinson was the first president of the library union.

Sports
Hammond was defeated by the team from Taipei, Taiwan in the 1972 Little League World Series.

 * Past teams
 * Hammond Rollers, an American Basketball Association team founded in 2006, was sold to the owner of the Quad City Riverhawks the same year. The team relocated and became the Sauk Valley Rollers of Rock Falls, Illinois.
 * Hammond Ciesar All-Americans (1938–41) and Hammond Calumet Buccaneers (1948–49), were professional basketball teams in the National Basketball League. Baseball Hall of Famer Lou Boudreau and UCLA basketball coach John Wooden both played for the Ciesar All-Americans.

The Hammond Pros (1920–1924)
The Hammond Pros was one of the earliest professional football teams in the United States. When the American Professional Football League was formed in 1920, the Hammond Pros was a charter member, as it also was when the league changed its name to National Football League in 1922. However, four years later, when the NFL decided to reduce the number of teams, it did so by simply folding smaller franchises. The Hammond Pros never played a home game in Hammond.

During the four years of the Hammond Pros' existence, the NFL had nine African-American players, six of whom played for the Pros. The NFL's first African-American head coach was Hall-of-Famer coach Fritz Pollard of the Pros.

Government
Hammond is incorporated as a city under Indiana law. It therefore has a mayor and a nine-member city council. Hammond's City Hall is located at 5925 Calumet Avenue. The Hammond City Council has meetings scheduled for the second and fourth Mondays of each month.

The city maintains a city court on the second floor of the City Hall, exercising a limited jurisdiction within Lake County. The court handles not only local ordinance violations and certain minor criminal matters, but also a significant portion of the debt collection and eviction actions brought in Lake County.

City Council

 * Janet Venecz (D, At Large), President
 * Katrina D. Alexander (D, At Large)
 * Daniel P. "Dan" Spitale (D, At Large)
 * Mark Kalwinski (D, 1st)
 * Alfonso "Al" Salinas III (D, 2nd)
 * Barry Tyler, Jr. (D, 3rd)
 * William "Bill" Emerson, Sr. (D, 4th)
 * David "Dave" Woerpel (D, 5th)
 * Scott Rakos (D, 6th—Council president in 2023-2024)

School City of Hammond
All of Hammond is served by the School City of Hammond, a school corporation under Indiana state law that is independent of the civil city.

In June 2021, the School City of Hammond permanently closed two junior/senior High Schools: Donald E. Gavit and George Rogers Clark, first opened in the 1930s and 1960s respectively.

 * High schools
 * Area Career Center
 * Hammond High School
 * Morton High School
 * George Rogers Clark High School (Closed 2021)
 * Gavit High School (Closed 2021)
 * Middle schools
 * George Rogers Clark Middle School (Closed 2021)
 * Henry W. Eggers Middle School
 * Gavit Middle School (Closed 2021)
 * Scott Middle School
 * Elementary schools
 * Columbia Elementary School
 * Edison Elementary School
 * Benjamin Franklin Elementary School
 * Warren G. Harding Elementary School
 * Joseph Hess Elementary School
 * Washington Irving Elementary School
 * Thomas Jefferson Elementary School
 * Kenwood Elementary School
 * Lafayette Elementary School
 * Lincoln Elementary School
 * Maywood Elementary School
 * Morton Elementary School
 * Frank O'Bannon Elementary School
 * Lew Wallace Elementary School
 * Charter schools
 * Hammond Academy of Science and Technology (6–12)

Privately owned and operated schools
• Bishop Noll Institute (high school)

• City Baptist High School

• Hazel Young Academy

• Montessori Children's Schoolhouse

• St. Casimir (elementary school)

• St. John Bosco (elementary school)

• St. John the Baptist (elementary school)

Catholic schools are under the Roman Catholic Diocese of Gary.

St. Catherine of Siena, a Catholic elementary school, opened prior to 1959. Prior to 2009 its enrollment had declined, with 130 students that year, and its financial state had deteriorated. The school closed in 2009.

Colleges and universities

 * Calumet College of St. Joseph
 * Kaplan University
 * Purdue University Northwest

Transportation
Most of Hammond's streets are laid out in a grid pattern similar to Chicago's streets. While Madison Street in Chicago acts as the reference point for north–south street numbering the first "1" is removed; this makes what would be a five digit address number in Illinois into a four digit address number in Hammond. The state line is used as the reference point for east–west street numbering.

Other cities and towns in Northwest Indiana that use the Hammond numbering system are Whiting, Munster and Highland. Dyer also uses the Hammond numbering system but the first number removed from the north–south streets is a "2," as by that point the Illinois numbers across the state line start with the number 2 (Munster's street numbers start with a "1" north of the Dyer line, making them 5 digits); and East Chicago uses the canal located in the middle of the city as the east–west reference point, while embodying Hammond's numbering system for the north–south streets.

 * I-90 – Indiana Toll Road, exits (listed northwest to southeast):
 * Indianapolis Boulevard – U.S. 12/20/41
 * Calumet Avenue – U.S. 41
 * Cline Avenue – State Road 912

 * I-80/94 – Borman Expressway, exits (listed west to east):
 * Calumet Avenue – U.S. 41 North
 * Indianapolis Boulevard – U.S. 41 South/State Road 152
 * Kennedy Avenue
 * Cline Avenue – State Road 912

Public transportation
The South Shore Line, a Chicago to South Bend, Indiana commuter rail line, has a station on Hohman Avenue. It is operated by the Northern Indiana Commuter Transportation District.

Amtrak, the national passenger rail system, provides twice-daily service in both directions, operating its Wolverine through the Hammond–Whiting station between Chicago and Pontiac, Michigan, just north of Detroit.

The nearest commercial airport is Chicago Midway International Airport about 25 miles away in Chicago.

Bus transit was provided by the Northwest Indiana Regional Bus Authority, which assumed responsibility from the city's Hammond Transit System in 2010, establishing EasyGo Lake Transit system in its place. All EasyGo buses were discontinued on June 30, 2012 due to a lack of funding. In addition, Pace routes 350 and 364 and GPTC Tri-City Connection Route 12 from Gary, Indiana stop at Hammond's Dan Rabin Transit Plaza.

Medical centers and hospitals
The only hospital in Hammond was Franciscan St. Margaret Health on Stateline Road, across the street from Calumet City, Illinois. It is an accredited chest pain center serving Northwest Indiana and the south suburbs of Chicago. The hospital was founded in late 1898 and was originally called St. Margaret Hospital, later merging with Our Lady Of Mercy Hospital in Dyer, Indiana, in the 1990s and was part of the former Sisters of St. Francis Health Services. The hospital closed in December of 2022.

Utilities

 * Electricity and Natural gas – Nearly all of the electricity and natural gas used in Hammond is produced by NIPSCO, a NiSource company.
 * Water – Water service for nearly all consumers of water in the city is provided by the Hammond Water Department, a state-owned utility that is operated by the civil city government.

Sister city

 * Galați, Romania (since 1997)

title: Hammond, Indiana


text:
Highland, Lake County, Indiana

Highland is a town in Lake County, Indiana, United States. The population was 23,984 at the 2020 census. The town was incorporated on April 4, 1910. It is a part of the Chicago 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. 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 (41.55056°N, -87.43722°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, 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 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
According to the 2010 census, Highland has a total area of 6.96 sqmi, of which 6.94 sqmi (or 99.71%) is land and 0.02 sqmi (or 0.29%) is water.

Neighborhoods
Highland has several neighborhoods and subdivisions. They include: Arbor Hill, Boulevard Estates, 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).

Architecture
Highland's downtown area features a number of buildings exhibiting Mid-Century Modern style architecture.

2010 census
As of the census of 2010, there were 23,727 people, 9,924 households, and 6,547 families living in the town. The population density was 3418.9 PD/sqmi. There were 10,335 housing units at an average density of 1489.2 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the town was 88.6% White, 4.2% African American, 0.2% Native American, 1.6% Asian, 3.4% from other races, and 2.0% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 12.8% of the population.

There were 9,924 households, of which 28.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.9% were married couples living together, 11.8% had a female householder with no husband present, 4.3% had a male householder with no wife present, and 34.0% were non-families. 29.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.39 and the average family size was 2.97.

The median age in the town was 41.5 years. 20.9% of residents were under the age of 18; 7.8% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 26% were from 25 to 44; 27.9% were from 45 to 64; and 17.3% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the town was 48.0% male and 52.0% female.

2000 census
As of the census of 2000, there were 23,546 people, 9,636 households, and 6,677 families living in the town. The population density was 3,428.3 PD/sqmi. There were 9,925 housing units at an average density of 1,445.1 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the town was 94.45% White, 1.26% African American, 0.15% Native American, 1.10% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 1.80% from other races, and 1.21% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 6.61% of the population.

There were 9,636 households, out of which 27.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.5% were married couples living together, 9.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.7% were non-families. 26.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.44 and the average family size was 2.97.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 21.5% under the age of 18, 8.0% from 18 to 24, 28.9% from 25 to 44, 25.0% from 45 to 64, and 16.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females, there were 92.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over there were 89.2 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $51,297, and the median income for a family was $59,106. Males had a median income of $46,217 versus $28,635 for females. The per capita income for the town was $24,530. About 1.8% of families and 3.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 3.4% of those under age 18 and 3.7% of those age 65 or over.

Transportation
The commercial airport closest to Highland is the Gary/Chicago International Airport in Gary, but most Highland residents and visitors travel from Chicago's O'Hare International Airport or Chicago Midway International Airport.

Highland lies just south of the Borman Expressway. US 41, known locally as Indianapolis Boulevard, is a major north-south artery in the town. Due to Highland's proximity to Chicago, several other Interstate and U.S. highways are within a 20 mi radius.

The town's pedestrians and cyclists are served by the Erie Lackawanna Trail, a cycling/multiuse, paved rail trail, which cuts diagonally through Highland, connecting the town with Griffith, and Crown Point, to the southeast. The Highland portion of the trail is also known locally as the Crosstown Trail. The trail runs along the former right-of-way of the Erie-Lackawanna and Baltimore and Ohio railroads, and will eventually connect pedestrians to Chicago, Illinois, to the northwest and beyond Crown Point to the southeast by planned trail extensions. The trail also links Highland, by connections with other trails, with Porter County to the east.

Education
The School Town of Highland is the town's public school system, which operates Highland High School, which was established in 1957, as well as a middle school and four elementary schools. The area where the former Main School once stood is marked by a gazebo, which was demolished in October 2006 and rebuilt in 2007. It and the surrounding land are named Main Square Park after the now-defunct school that stood on the site until 1977. One of the other defunct schools, Lincoln Elementary, was converted into a community center in the early 1980s. The other, Orchard Park Elementary, closed in 1981 and was later purchased and reopened as a Calumet Baptist School in the early 1990s.

• Highland High School
 * List of schools – School Town of Highland:

• Highland Middle School

• Judith Morton Johnston Elementary School

• Mildred Merkley Elementary School

• Southridge Elementary School

• Allen J. Warren Elementary School

Highland also contains three private schools. Highland Christian School was founded in 1909 and has been in its present building and location since 1951. Our Lady of Grace School was founded in 1954 and is run by the Diocese of Gary. There is also Bible Baptist School that operates on the site of the former Orchard Elementary School.

Public libraries
Lake County Public Library operates the Highland Branch at 2841 Jewett Street.

Police Department: Fallen officers
In the history of the Highland Police Department, two officers have been killed while on duty.

Recreation
Wicker Memorial Park, at 8554 Indianapolis Boulevard, is owned and operated by the North Township trustee and was dedicated in 1927. Featured are a 72-par, 18-hole golf course, three miles of trails, volleyball and tennis courts, a dog run, playground, splash pad, picnic areas and banquet facilities.

The Hoosier Prairie State Nature Preserve, established in 1976, is a 1,547-acre wetland prairie habitat located in an area in the vicinity of Main Street and Kennedy Avenue and partially in Highland, Griffith and Schererville. It is a unit of the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore and managed by the Indiana Department of Natural Resources.

Highland Parks and Recreation operates the Lincoln Community Center, Sharp Athletic Complex and the four-mile Erie-Lackawanna Trail. The Main Square Park Gazebo is a popular site for wedding ceremonies as well as a number of community events and festivals during the year. In addition to Homestead, Markley, Meadows and Sheppard parks, which offer shelters for picnics and gatherings, there are 16 other parks maintained with various amenities throughout the town.

• Brantwood Park
 * List of parks and recreational facilities – Highland Parks and Recreation:

• Erie-Lackawanna Trail

• Fletcher Park

• 45th & 5th Street Park

• Grand Park

• Homestead Park

• Jaycee Park

• Lakeside Outlot Park

• Lakeside Park

• Lincoln Community Center

• Little Turtle Park

• Main Square Park

• Markley Park

• Meadows Outlot Park

• Meadows Park

• Northwood Park

• Orchard Park

• Pettit Park

• Sharp Athletic Complex

• Sheppard Park

• Terrace Park

• Toth Park

• White Oak Park

Notable people

 * Ward Cunningham, programmer and inventor of the wiki, who started programming at Highland High School
 * Ryan Grigson, executive with NFL's Cleveland Browns, former general manager of Indianapolis Colts
 * Tom Homco, former NFL player, Los Angeles Rams
 * Rick Karr, journalist and educator
 * Debra A. Kemp, author
 * Biscuit Miller, blues musician
 * Georgette Mosbacher, businesswoman, United States Ambassador to Poland
 * Debbie Patton, professional bodybuilder
 * Dan Stevenson, politician
 * Eric Justin Toth, replaced Osama bin Laden on FBI Ten Most Wanted Fugitives list
 * Jim Umpleby, businessman, CEO of Caterpillar Inc.
 * Cornelius Van Til, Christian philosopher, Reformed theologian, and presuppositional apologist
 * Rosemary Watson, comedian and celebrity impersonator

title: Highland, Lake County, Indiana