Firefighters extinguish residential building fire in Whiting

First doctor

First doctor

Location: 2985 W. 73rd Place, Merrillville

Erected by the Woman's Auxiliary, Lake County Medical Society

Henry D. Palmer, MD (1809-1877), settled here in 1836. The first physician in Lake County, he was also a pioneer counselor for 40 years and a member of the Underground Railroad helping escaped slaves .

Great Sauk Trail (Sac)

Great Sauk Trail (Sac)

Location: Van Buren Street at West 73rd Avenue (Old US 30/Lincoln Highway) in the median east of Calumet Cemetery and west of Broadway, Merrillville

Erected by the Indiana Sesquicentennial Commission, 1966

Part of a transcontinental trail used by prehistoric peoples of North America, it passed through the modern-day cities of Detroit, Rock Island, and Davenport in the Midwest. The trail was important until the 19th century.

St. John Lutheran Church in Tolleston

St. John Lutheran Church in Tolleston

Location: 2235 W. 10th Avenue at Taft Avenue, Southeast Corner, Gary

St. John's Church, the oldest institution in Gary and north of the Little Calumet River, began through the work of the Rev. Henry Wunder in the early 1860s. He came regularly from Chicago by horse and buggy. The baptismal records date from 1863; the first church was built on this location in 1868 or 1869; 1870 is celebrated as the date of organization. The church served German immigrants in Tolleston (named after George Tolle who arrived in 1856). Tolleston was annexed to Gary in 1910.

Dutch in the Calumet region

Dutch in the Calumet region

Location: 8941 Kleinman Road, Highland

Erected in 1992 Indiana Historical Bureau and Lamprecht Florist & Greenhouse, founded in 1923

Dutch immigrants after 1850 began settling in this area because of its similarities to their home country. They helped locate ditches to drain water from the vast marshes, leaving rich land for developing successful horticultural activities.

St. John Township School, District #2

St. John Township School, District #2

Location: 1515 Joliet Street (Old US 30/Lincoln Highway), east of St. John Road, at the St. John Township Community Center, Schererville

Erected in 1995 Indiana Historical Office and Committee to Save Township School #2

Built in 1853, about half a mile south; closed, 1907; moved to this site and restored for educational and community purposes, 1993-1994. One of twelve schools in St. John Township; typical structure of Indiana's early one-room school buildings.

The Lincoln Highway/The Ideal Section

The Lincoln Highway/The Ideal Section

Location: Southeast corner of US 30 (Joliet Street) and Janice Drive, Schererville

Erected in 1996 Indiana Historical Office, Northwest Indiana Lincoln Highway Association, Dyer and Schererville Historical Societies, Sand Ridge Bank, Welsh, Inc.

America's first transcontinental highway, built between 1913 and 1928, connecting New York to San Francisco. Dedicated to the memory of Abraham Lincoln. Designed by Carl G. Fisher to encourage the building of “good roads.” Sponsored by the Lincoln Highway Association and supported by the automotive industries.

The Lincoln Highway/The Ideal Section

“Ideal section” – 1.5 miles – of the Lincoln Highway, completed in 1923, designed and built as a model for road construction. Funded by the county, state and US Rubber Co. Features included a 100-foot right-of-way, 40-foot paved width, 10-inch steel-reinforced concrete, subsurface drainage, lighting, landscaping, a bridge and pedestrian paths.

Froebel School – side 1

Froebel School – side 1

Location: 15th Avenue and Madison Street, Gary

Installation of the Indiana Historical Office in 2014, the Froebel Alumni Park Committee and the Northern Indiana Public Service Company.

Froebel opened here in 1912, as many European immigrants and blacks from the South were settling in Gary to work in the steel mills. A progressive education experience, she has served students from diverse backgrounds and the local community. Despite early status as an integrated school, black students were excluded from many extracurricular activities and facilities until the 1940s. Closed in 1977.

Continued

Froebel School

Froebel School

Location: 15th Avenue and Madison Street, Gary

Installation of the Indiana Historical Office in 2014, the Froebel Alumni Park Committee and the Northern Indiana Public Service Company.

After World War II, Froebel made national headlines when hundreds of white students walked out to protest the “integration experiment.” The “hate strikes” lasted several weeks in 1945 and reflected growing racial tensions in the North. In 1946, the Gary school board adopted a policy of desegregation, but discrimination persisted. Indiana state law desegregating public schools was passed in 1949.

Stewart Settlement House

Stewart Settlement House

Location: 1501 E. Massachusetts St., Gary

2014 installation of the Indiana Historical Bureau, Indiana Landmarks and United Methodist Church of Christ

Stewart House was established during the Depression of 1921 to provide social services to Gary's black community. A vital neighborhood center for unemployed World War I veterans and Southern blacks who emigrated to work in the steel mills, it helped thousands adjust to urban life. Services included lodging and meals, as well as legal, medical and employment counseling. Moved here, 1925.

Stewart Settlement House

Stewart Settlement House

Location: 1501 E. Massachusetts St., Gary

2014 installation of the Indiana Historical Bureau, Indiana Landmarks and United Methodist Church of Christ

U.S. Steel, keen to regulate its workers, helped finance the colony house, designed by architect WW Cooke. The Methodist Episcopal Church and Blacks of Gary also donated funds. The Rev. Frank Delaney guided its development as superintendent from 1920 to 1939 and made it a source of pride for blacks. During the Great Depression, she helped hundreds of people every day. Closed in the 1970s.

Origin of Dr. MLK Day's Law

Origin of Dr. MLK Day's Law

Location: 1927 Madison Street, Gary

Installed in 2019 Indiana Historical Bureau, KHEF, Inc., Atty. Junifer Hall, Atty. Jacqueline Hall and Law Firm of Deacon-Atty. John Henry Room

Representative Katie Hall (1938–2012)

Democratic leader Katie Hall was born in rural Mississippi and moved to Indiana in 1960. She taught school in Gary before serving in the Indiana General Assembly, 1974-82. Hall became Indiana's first African-American U.S. Representative, serving from 1982 to 1985. During her tenure, she authored and sponsored the bill that made Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day a federal holiday.

Origin of Dr. MLK Day's Law

Origin of Dr. MLK Day's Law

Location: 1927 Madison Street, Gary

Installed in 2019 Indiana Historical Bureau, KHEF, Inc., Atty. Junifer Hall, Atty. Jacqueline Hall and Law Firm of Deacon-Atty. John Henry Room

Origin of Dr. MLK Day's Law

The fight to make Dr. King's birthday a federal holiday began shortly after the civil rights leader's death in 1968. Growing interest, publicity and advocacy helped Rep. Hall secure passage of the bill. 'a bill in 1983. President Ronald Reagan signed the bill into law in November. , designating the third Monday in January as a public holiday. The celebration began in 1986.

Bailly property

Bailly property

Location: Bailly Cemetery, US 12

The marker no longer holds.

Home of Joseph Bailly, a French Canadian, who established a fur trading post on the Detroit-Chicago route in 1822. It became a commercial, cultural and religious center. The family cemetery is on the grounds nearby.

Iron Brigade

Iron Brigade

Location: US 20 eastbound, southeast corner of the Ind Viaduct. 49, Chesterton

Erected in 1995 Indiana Historical Office, Porter Co. Tower. Com., Indpls. Civil War Rnd. Tbl., Porter Cmp. 116, Dept. of Ind., Sons of Un. Veterinarians. of the civil war

Made up of infantry regiments from Indiana, Wisconsin, and Michigan, the Iron Brigade fought with the Army of the Potomac during the Civil War (1861-1865). Received his name for his bravery at the Battle of South Mountain, Maryland (1862). The number of combat deaths was among the highest of the Union armies.

Willow Creek Showdown

Willow Creek Showdown

Location: Southeast corner of Woodland Park, 2100 Willow Creek Road, Portage

Erected in 1995 Indiana Historical Office

As rail lines expanded across the United States, conflicts arose between competing lines. The Michigan Central Railroad, with tracks in Porter County since 1851, briefly defied state militia and court orders (1874) to allow the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad to cross its tracks. The crossing was constructed at Willow Creek Station.

Ogden Ski Jump.jpg

Ogden Dunes Ski Jump

Location: Kratz Field, 82 Hillcrest Road at Boat Club Road, Ogden Dunes

Erected in 1997 Indiana Historical Bureau and Ogden Dunes Historical Society.

A steel and wood ski jump with adjustable height and length was built here for the Ogden Dunes Ski Club, incorporated in 1927 to promote winter sports. Five annual events with international competitors took place between 1928 and 1932, with 7,000 to 20,000 spectators. Reputed to be the largest artificial ski jump of the time. Dismantled after the 1932 event.

Teale1.jpg

Edwin Way Teale

Location: 285 EUS, Highway 20, Chesterton

Installed: 2009 Indiana Historical Bureau and Musette Lewry Trust

Born in 1899 in Illinois, Teale became an influential naturalist, author, and photographer.[ who won 1966 Pulitzer Prize for his book Wandering Through Winter. Teale wrote that boyhood summers and holidays spent near here at his grandparents’ farm inspired his interest in nature. Teale moved to New York City; employed by Popular Science Monthly 1928-1941.

Teale 2.jpg

Edwin Way Teale

Location: 285 E. U.S. Highway 20, Chesterton

Installed: 2009 Indiana Historical Bureau and Musette Lewry Trust

Teale published his first critically acclaimed book, Grassroot Jungles, in 1937. In 1943, he published Dune Boy, recollections of time spent exploring the dunes and woodlands in this area. During his life, he wrote, edited, and contributed to over 30 books, which educated Americans about nature’s importance and beauty. He died in Connecticut in 1980.

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Legacy of Steel/Burns Harbor Steel Plant

Location: Burns Harbor Town Hall, 1240 N. Boo Rd., Burns Harbor

Installed 2018 Indiana Historical Bureau, ArcelorMittal, and the Town of Burns Harbor

In the early 1900s, steel plants were developed on southern Lake Michigan to improve access to growing Midwest markets. After purchasing 3,300 acres in Porter County, Bethlehem Steel built and began its Burns Harbor operations in 1964. The plant’s development spurred local conservation efforts leading to the creation of the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore in 1966.

Steel 2.jpg

Legacy of Steel/Burns Harbor Steel Plant

Location: Burns Harbor Town Hall, 1240 N. Boo Rd., Burns Harbor

Installed 2018 Indiana Historical Bureau, ArcelorMittal, and the Town of Burns Harbor

The Burns Harbor plant was key to building the Port of Indiana and incorporation of the Town of Burns Harbor in 1967. Designed as a fully integrated plant, it relies on the port for transporting raw materials. Since 1969, Burns Harbor remains the newest integrated U.S. steel facility. Global steelmaker ArcelorMittal gained ownership of the Burns Harbor plant in 2007.

Civil War camps.jpg

Civil War Camps

Location: Ind. 2 W and Colfax Avenue, La Porte

Erected by the Indiana Civil War Centennial Commission, 1963

Two Civil War training camps: Colfax and Jackson, were located near La Porte. The 9th and 29th Indiana Volunteer Infantry regiments were organized and trained here.

Old lighthouse.jpg

Old Lighthouse

Location: Old Lighthouse Museum in Washington Park, Michigan City

Marker no longer standing. Replaced by local marker.

Built on the water’s edge, 1858, by the United States Government. One of the first lights on the Great Lakes. Harriet E. Colfax was the tender from 1853-1903. Remodelled 1904, electrified 1933, discontinued 1960.

Railroad.jpg

Chicago-New York Electric Air Line Railroad

Location: CR 250 and Ind. 39, south LaPorte

Erected 1995 Indiana Historical Bureau.

Proposed in 1905 as a 742 mile, straight-line, high speed route, without crossings; estimated ten hours travel time at a cost of ten dollars. Just under twenty miles, between LaPorte and Chesterton, were constructed, 1906-1911.

Camp Anderson.jpg

Camp Anderson

Location: 2404 E. Michigan Boulevard at Carroll Street, Michigan City

Erected 1996 Indiana Historical Bureau and McDonald’s Restaurant

One of three Civil War training camps in La Porte County. Site is one fourth mile west. Named for Colonel Edward Anderson. Used 1863-1864 to train Indiana Union volunteers of the 127th, 128th, and 129th regiments.

Boundary line 1.jpg

Indiana Territory Boundary Line

Location: 213 Pine Lake Avenue, LaPorte

Erected 1999 Indiana Historical Bureau, the Hinton Family, and L Porte County Historical Society, Inc.

Northwest Territory formed 1787; Indiana Territory formed 1800. Admission of Ohio 1803 and formation of Michigan Territory 1805 established Indiana Territory’s northern boundary at southern tip of Lake Michigan. When Indiana became state in 1816, Congress moved boundary ten miles north giving Indiana part of Lake Michigan.

Boundary line 2.jpg

Indiana Territory Boundary Line

Location: 213 Pine Lake Avenue, LaPorte

Erected 1999 Indiana Historical Bureau, the Hinton Family, and L Porte County Historical Society, Inc.

Northern boundary of Indiana Territory established at southern tip of Lake Michigan when Michigan Territory formed in 1805.

LaPorte courthouse 1.jpg

LaPorte County Courthouse

Location: 813 Lincolnway and Michigan Avenue, southeast corner of LaPorte County Courthouse lawn

Installed: 2001 Indiana Historical Bureau, LaPorte County Board of Commissioners, and LaPorte County Historical Society

County formed by Indiana General Assembly and LaPorte selected county seat 1832. Three courthouses built on this site: first 1833, second 1847-1848. Present courthouse constructed 1892-1894 of Lake Superior Red Sandstone; designed by Brentwood S. Tolan of Fort Wayne in Richardsonian Romanesque Style. Incorporates cornerstone from 1848 courthouse.

LaPorte courthouse 2.jpg

LaPorte County Courthouse

Location: 813 Lincolnway & Michigan Avenue, SE corner of La Porte County Courthouse lawn, LaPorte

Installed: 2001 Indiana Historical Bureau, La Porte County Board of Commissioners, and La Porte County Historical Society, Inc.

Features include open-arched central tower, stained glass window transoms, wood paneling, and gilded friezes. Goddess of Justice stained glass graces courtroom. Tower has 272-piece glass skylight; gargoyles decorate exterior. Included in Downtown La Porte Historic District, listed in National Register of Historic Places 1983.

Carnegie 1.jpg

LaPorte’s Carnegie Library

Location: LaPorte County Public Library, SW corner of 904 Indiana Avenue/US 35 & Maple Avenue

Installed: 2002 Indiana Historical Bureau and Friends of the LaPorte County Public Library

La Porte’s first public library was established 1896. La Porte City School Board was awarded $27, 500 Carnegie grant 1916; by 1919 local support had been secured to meet grant requirements. Architect Wilson B. Parker designed the Neo-Classical style structure. Library opened in 1920 with 30, 000 volumes.

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LaPorte’s Carnegie Library

Location: LaPorte County Public Library, SW corner of 904 Indiana Avenue/US 35 & Maple Avenue

Installed: 2002 Indiana Historical Bureau and Friends of the LaPorte County Public Library

Renovation and expansion designed by architect William Koster; building dedicated 1991. Original 1920 section retained. Library has played a major role in community’s development. One of 1, 679 libraries built in U.S. with funds from philanthropist Andrew Carnegie. Indiana built more Carnegie libraries than any other state.

Rumely Co 1.jpg

The Rumely Companies

Location: NW corner of Madison Street & Lincolnway, La Porte

Installed: 2003 Indiana Historical Bureau and Rumely Historic Recognition Committee

Meinrad Rumely (1823-1904), a German immigrant, founded a blacksmith shop here 1853, which grew into a dominant company through reorganizations and acquisitions. Rumely companies in La Porte benefited from available rail transportation plus German and later Polish immigrant laborers. Products included a wide variety of agricultural machines.

Rumely Co 2.jpg

The Rumely Companies

Location: NW corner of Madison Street & Lincolnway, La Porte

Installed: 2003 Indiana Historical Bureau and Rumely Historic Recognition Committee

Rumely’s prizewinning thresher later became one of the earliest powered by steam. Thousands of OilPull tractors sold worldwide 1910-1930. Rumely companies were at the forefront of mechanization of American and world agriculture and had significant impact on La Porte. Allis-Chalmers acquired the firm 1931 and closed La Porte plant 1983.

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The Lincoln Funeral Train

Location: 100 E. Michigan Blvd. (U.S. 12), Michigan City

Installed 2010 Indiana Historical Bureau and Indiana Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Commission

Assassinated President Abraham Lincoln’s funeral was April 19, 1865 at the White House. The funeral train left for Springfield, Illinois April 21 directed by military; stops en route allowed the public to pay homage. From Indianapolis, train passed mourners lighted by bonfires and torches along the way; arrived in Michigan City by 8:35 a.m., May 1.

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The Lincoln Funeral Train

Location: 100 E. Michigan Blvd. (U.S. 12), Michigan City

Installed 2010 Indiana Historical Bureau and Indiana Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Commission

Residents decorated depot north of here with memorial arches adorned with roses, evergreens, flags, and images of Lincoln. Train stopped to switch engines and to allow dignitaries from Illinois and Indiana to board. Sixteen women entered funeral car to place flowers on casket. Train left for Chicago on Michigan Central Railroad; track was lined with mourners.

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LaPorte University/Indiana Medical College

Location: Lincoln Elementary School, SE corner of Clay St. and Harrison St., LaPorte

Installed 2018 Indiana Historical Bureau and the Healthcare Foundation of LaPorte

LaPorte University was established in the early 1840s to include law, literary, and medical departments. The medical department, later Indiana Medical College, began classes by 1842. Its distinguished faculty attracted students from across the U.S. Notable attendees included Dr. William W. Mayo, whose practice evolved into Mayo Clinic, and Dr. William H. Wishard.

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LaPorte University/Indiana Medical College

Location: Lincoln Elementary School, southeast corner of Clay Street and Harrison Street, LaPorte

Installed 2018 Indiana Historical Bureau and the Healthcare Foundation of LaPorte

Before the university’s founding, Indiana offered few opportunities for professional medical training. The medical college trained skilled doctors in the Midwest, preparing them for the region’s medical needs in surgery, anatomy, theory, and obstetrics. Classes ceased circa 1850; it consolidated with Indiana Central Medical College (1849-1852) in Indianapolis, 1851.

Source: Indiana Historical Bureau, www.in.gov/history/

Gary Roosevelt 1

Gary Roosevelt High School

730 W. 25th Ave., Gary

Installed 2020 Indiana Historical Bureau, Lady Panthers & Supporters ’63, Roosevelt Adult Booster Club, National Gary Theodore Roosevelt Alumni Assoc., Inc., and Indiana Landmarks

As Gary grew in the early 1900s, African American students were segregated within white schools or overcrowded into small, separate schools. To compensate, officials transferred some Black students to Emerson High School in 1927. After over 600 white students walked out in protest, the school board reinforced segregation by building a new school for the Black community.

Gary Roosevelt 2

Gary Roosevelt High School

730 W. 25th Ave., Gary

Installed 2020 Indiana Historical Bureau, Lady Panthers & Supporters ’63, Roosevelt Adult Booster Club, National Gary Theodore Roosevelt Alumni Assoc., Inc., and Indiana Landmarks

Theodore Roosevelt High School was dedicated in 1931 as an all-Black K-12 school. While many community members opposed segregation, they took pride in Roosevelt, and strove to make it equal to Gary’s white schools. It employed highly educated Black teachers, pushed students to excel in academics and sports despite discrimination, and produced many distinguished alumni.

Gallery: Indiana Historical Landmarks in the Area

First doctor

Great Sauk Trail (Sac)

St. John Lutheran Church in Tolleston

Dutch in the Calumet region

St. John Township School, District #2

The Lincoln Highway/The Ideal Section

The Lincoln Highway/The Ideal Section

Froebel School – side 1

Froebel School

Stewart Settlement House

Stewart Settlement House

Origin of Dr. MLK Day's Law

Origin of Dr. MLK Day's Law

Bailly property

Iron Brigade

Willow Creek Showdown

Ogden Ski Jump.jpg

Teale1.jpg

Teale 2.jpg

Steel 1.jpg

Steel 2.jpg

Civil War camps.jpg

Old lighthouse.jpg

Railroad.jpg

Camp Anderson.jpg

Boundary line 1.jpg

Boundary line 2.jpg

LaPorte courthouse 1.jpg

LaPorte courthouse 2.jpg

Carnegie 1.jpg

Carnegie 2.jpg

Rumely Co 1.jpg

Rumely Co 2.jpg

Lincoln train 1.jpg

Lincoln train 2.jpg

LaPorte university 1.jpg

Laporte university 2.jpg

Gary Roosevelt 1

Gary Roosevelt 2

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