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A PORTER CHRONOLOGY - by Betty Canright and Eva Hopkins Joseph Bailly arrives and establishes a fur trading post on the Little Calumet River. "Joseph Bailly, a French fur buyer, who was in connection with Alexander Robinson in 1809 in the fur trade, opened a store and established a trading post on the Calumet River, four or five miles from the mouth of Fort Creek. His wife was an Ottawa Indian woman. They had four daughters and one son. The son died in 1827 when ten years of age, and at that time it is thought that the bereaved father erected a Roman Catholic chapel." (Northwestern Indiana from 1800 to 1900, TH Ball, 1900, p 308) -- "Joseph Baiily came by the way of Detroit to this country. He kept a store for Indian trade expressly." (1879 Porter Co, IN Atlas, p 23) -- "Joseph Bailly purchased a sloop in order to nagivate the Great Lakes and give his daughters the advantages of travel and Eastern education." (1882 History of Porter & Lake Cos, IN, p 16) -- Bailly's 1882-1835 ledgers are at Indianapolis historical museum. They are written in French. (John Canright's Joseph Bailly biography) -- Bailly to Porter Co: "His cabin of unhewn logs stood upon the north bank of the Calumet River in the SW 1/4 of the SE 1/4 of Sec 27, Twp 37N, Range 6W, although at that time the government survey had not been made." (History of Porter County, IN, 1912, vol 1, p 33) Treaty of Mississinewa, later known as the "Ten Mile Purchase" involves on of the last sections given up by the indians in Indiana and gives Indiana a shoreline. (Treaty line is now known as the Indian Boundry). Town of Baillytown is platted First sale of Porter County land is held at LaPorte. John Foster plats town of Waverly. Joseph Bailly dies. Henry Hageman builds log house. (On Waverly Road by Hawthorne Park.) Lumbermen are at the Bailly Homestead. Census lists 354 people in Westchester Township. Lake Shore & Michigan Southern Railroad reaches Porter County. Construction is commenced on plank road from Valparaiso to Michigan City. The first goods receieved in Porter County by rail are sent on a construction train from Michigan City. More than 30 slaves found refuge in Henry Hateman's old log barn north of the Michigan Central Railroad and left of the road to Waverly. 9/27/1910 CT Joel Wicher's saw mill burns. Wicker is a son-in-law of Joseph Bailly. Porter Station is platted by firm of Richerds & Travel. Augsburg Lutheran Church organizes with 31 members and uses Joel Wicher's old store building as its first church. The town of Porter dates its founding to this year. C. G. Johnson donates land for Augsburg Luthern Church pasonage. Anders and Johanna Chellberg and son Carl arrive from Sweden after four months enroute and settle in Baillytown. John Gondring to Porter/Chesterton area. (1882 History of Porter & Lake Cos, IN) Augsburg Church dedicates new 46' x 28' building on one acre donated by J. Johnson Marie Bailly, widow of Joseph Bailly, dies. John Vanderhaden has first brickyard in Porter with five employees (1870 Westchester Twp census). Other brickyards open in Porter. Town of Hateman is platted. John Gondring begins first store in Porter (1882 History of Porter & Lake Cos, IN) Brick from area brickyards is used in rebuilding after the 1871 Chicago fire. Hateman post office begins with Charles Mannhart as postmaster. Fred Sievert builds Sievert's Columbia Lunch Room in Porter. The second floor is Sievert's Hall until 1913. John Gondring sells his Porter store to Fred Dabbert. (1882 History of Porter & Lake Cos, IN) Burstrom Chapel is given to Augsburg Church by Frederick Burstrom. Waverly School, a one-room brick building, is built. Duplex Pressed Brick Co. buys land from John Gondring and opens brick yard. Brick schoolhouse is built in Portal. William Beam, superintendent of brick yard, builds brick house in Porter (Wagner Road). Population of Hateman was 300 & Porter was 60. Chellberg famhouse burns. New schoolhouse is built in Baillytown. Grand Circle skating rink in Hateman is under the management of Pillman and Eggert. Henry Dabbert, Hateman grocer, builds a brick addition to his store. Peter Wistrand opens grocery in his new building at Gateman. Labor gains the day at Hinchcliff Brick Yards after a 44-day strike. Cornerstone is laid for the German Lutheran Church in Hageman. Contract is let to A. J. Lundquist for a new school house in Old Porter. Purington and Kimball brick yards are consolidated into the Co-operative Brick Yard. Duplex Brick Yard situated between Hageman and Chesteron is destroyed by fire. The company will not rebuild. Chicago Hydraulic Press Brick Co. buys out smaller brick yards in Porter to become the largest in the midwests. Frank Wannegar becomes marshal. He is Porter's marshal until 1932. School at Hageman closes early because of scarlet fever. Arthur R. Harper operates a drug store in Porter. Rose Howe, daughter of Joseph Bailly, dies at the Bailly Homestead at the age of 78. Pillman Bros. store moves to new building in Hageman. Congregational Church organizes in Porter. Michigan Central erects new tower house at crossing in Porter. The Brass factory is operating to manufacture plumbing supplies. Houses are being built in Porter for employees of the Brass Works. Arthur Bowser launches Porter Tribune from new brick building (Porter Ave. and 15th Street). Warren Featherbone Company of Three Oaks, Michigan purchases the Brass Works. Porter School delays start until November because of late completion of new building which is being built of Chesterton brick. New Congregational Church is dedicated in Porter. Hokanson Meat Market and contents burns to the ground. Huge fire at Pillman & Olson Livery barn threatens the whole town. Frank Wanneger and Alfred Olson's houses burn and 14 horses are burned to death. Chicago Hydraulic Press Brick Co has huge fire and burns down caused by spark from passing train. They sue the railroad. Hokanson's Meat Market in the Carlson building burns to the ground for the second time. Porter incorporates into a town and organizes a fire department. Emil Busse is the first town marshal. Fire Company organizes in Porter. Porter's population is 524. Porter Town Board leases part of Emil Busse's new building for a town hall and a place for keeping the fire apparatus. New Porter Town Hall was dedicated. The bew bell is used for fire alarm as well as signal for meetings held in the town hall. Electric lights are installed in the porter school. Porter's population is 699. Dozens are killed or injured when two passenger trains collide at the Porter "diamond". Dead bodies are put in the post office and town hall. Dunes Highway (U.S. 12) is constructed from Gary to Michigan City. Huge Chicago Hydraulic Press Brick Co. in Porter shuts down after running out of clay. Columbia China plant on Lincoln near Waverly was almost completely destroyed by fire. Overhead bridge for the Dunes Highway over the New York Central Railroad at Baillytown is put into use. Fire threatens old Bailly home. Blaze is seen by one of the guests at the Bailly tourist cabin. Mary Brady, teacher without hands who taught in Porter 1897-1928, dies. Porter's population is 805. "Dunes Relief Highway" (U.S. 20) is constructed. Hotel is built at the Indiana Dunes State Park and the park entrace is paved. Joseph Strack who has the concession for the pavillion will operate the hotel. Harry Day starts the Spa Restaurant in an old house on Mineral Springs Road. Dr. Eric "Herman" Carlson establishes Carlson Planetarium. Emil Carlson is new Porter marshal. Augsburg Lutheran Church burns and five fire departments fight the fire. Coronado Lodge is built. Cloverleaf at U.S. 20 and St. Rd. 49 is built. Last local Civil War veteran, Johnny Anderson of Waverly, dies at 96. Emil Carlson resigns and Roy Zane becomes day marshal. Henry Kemp and Carlos Hankins are night marshals. New building for Augsburg Evangelical Lutheran Church is dedicated. Goodfellow Camp begins with tents. George Lowry, who has been an industrial arts teacher, opens a hardware store in Porter. "Wolves Against the Moon" a novel about Joseph Bailly by Julia Cooley Atrocchi is published. Porter's population is 1,190. Harry Meyne is Porter marshal. New First Evangelical Church is dedicated in Porter. Hokanson Grocery Store in Porter becomes self-service. A Veterans of Foreign Wars Post is organized for North Porter County. Site for new grade school in POrter is just west of the Evangelical Church off Wagner Road. Five Hokanson brothers purchase Emil Anderson Lumber & Coal business and run it as Portal Lumber & Coal. War Memorial is dedicated in Hawthorne Park in Porter. Tornado rips apart the town of Porter - "the worst disaster that ever struck the town." Westchester Advisory Board approves $160,000 in bonds for new grade school in Porter. Johnson's Beach has 1,000 cars on a July weekend. Porter's population is 1,459. New grade school (Yost) opens in Porter. Spa Restaurant burns to the ground. Porter Library Board votes to convert the town library into a Class 1 Library. Porter Fire Dept drive their fire truck in the Chesterton Centennial. Carlson Planetarium on U.S. 20 near the Spa is torn down. Ray Wiesemann is marshal. Fire at Porter Deputy Marshal Ray Wiesemann's house. His wife and son die in the fire. Plans are announced for an amusement park to be called Enchanted Forest on U.S. 20 near the State Police Post. Nike bases are installed in Northwest Indiana. Bethlehem Steel purchases 3,500 acres in Baillytown area. U.S. Army Nike missile base opens on Mineral Springs Road in Porter. Town of Porter celebrates Centennial. George Lowry is chairman. Richard Blakely is Porter marshal (deputies: Harry Meyne and Ray Wiesemann). Augsburg Lutheran Church celebrates centennial. Porter's population is 2,189 Indiana Port Commission selects Burns Ditch as site for Indiana Port. Fallout shelters are located at Yost School, Chesterton High School, Bethlehem Lutheran Church and the Dunes State Park Pavilion. Bethlehem Steel announces plans for a $250 million steel plant in Baillytown. Hageman School in Porter closes. Additions are built or planned for Augsburg Church, Chesterton Furniture Store, Porter Town Hall and Yosy School. Hundreds are employed on construction of Bethlehem Steel plant. Sand removal operations begin at site of deep-water port on Lake Michigan. Chesterton Sewage Disposal plant goes into operation. Portal Library moves to new quarters. St. Paul Lutheran Church moves from Porter to new building on south edge of Chesterton. Bailly Homestead is sold and new order plans to operate a restaurant. Proposal for Port of Indiana wins approval. Bethlehem Steel opens new $400 million plant at Burns Harbor. Public school kindergarten begins for Westchester Township Schools. Porter Post Office becomes a branch of the Chesterton Post Office and house to house delivery begins in Porter. Congress creates the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore. An election is held on the question of merging the towns of Chesteron and Porter. Chesterton votes say yes and Porter votes say no by a margin of 63 votes. Indiana's Sesquicentennial is celebrated with 5-night pageant and fireworks at local Troy Field, parade and ball and special program at the Bailly Homestead. Contract is awarded for construction of breakwater and dock facilities at Midwest Steel plant. Groundbreaking is held for Indiana's port on Lake Michigan. Dead alewife fish clog Lake Michigan beaches. Agreement is signed for Chesterton's sewage disposal plant to serve the town of Porter. Methodist and EUB churches merge to become United Methodist churches. Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore buys property from several small landowners. Bethlehem Steel will make the Burns Harbor plant a fully integrated steel mill. High waves erode dunes along Lake Michigan. Porter Hardware is destroyed by spectacular fire. Port of Indiana opens. Merger of Chesterton and Porter is voted down again. Porter's population is 3,058. Bypass for State Road 49 around Chesterton opens and final contract is let on I-94. Town of Burns Harbor buys borrow pit in the Haglund subdivision for a town park. Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore acquires Bailly Homestead and Bailly Cemetery. I-94 is finally completed north of town. National Lakeshore begins restoration of exterior of Bailly Homestead. Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore will operate a working farm on the old Chellberg farm property. Horse trails are opened in Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore. National Park Service buys Cowles Bog from the Save the Dunes Council. Old Thomas and Hageman schools are demolished to make way for new library buildings. American Youth Hostel operates in the Coronado Lodge on U.S. 20. Two new library buildings are under construction. Richard Blakely retires after 16 years at 70 as marshal. Leonard Smith succeeds him. Former Nike base (Mineral Springs Road) becomes administrative center for the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore. Hageman and Thomas Libraries are dedicated. Restored Bailly Homestead in the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore is dedicated. Town of Porter names first Economic Development Commission. Night time fire claims four lives at Holiday Trailer Park. Efforts to merge Chesterton, Porter, and Burns Harbor into a single town die. Bethlehem Steel shows off new plate mill, basic oxygen furnace and ore carrier. Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore reopens Chellburg farm. Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore opens trails for cross country skiing. The addition of 488 acres to the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore is approved by Congress. Porter's population is 2,988. "Maple Sugar Time" takes place at Chellberg Farm. Old orange cars on the South Shore Railroad make last run as aging cars are replaced. VFW Post 2511 opens addition to post home on Wagner Road. Town of Porter celebrates 125th anniversary. VFW building is damaged by fire. Bethlehem Steel unveils $60 million continuous heat treating line. 90-year-old switching tower in Porter is torn down. Dune Acres Volunteer Fire Department disbands. Congress adds hundreds of acres to Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore. Westchester Neighbors Food Pantry moves to Community Building in Porter's Hawthorne Park. Banquet and conference center is built at the Spa Restaurant. Local governments are affected by cuts in assessed valuation for Bethlehem Steel's Burns Harbor plant. New construction includes Worthington Steel, Spring House Inn, Nature Center at the Dunes State Park, Wee Care Child Development Center, Super 8 Motel, Duneland Cove Subdivision and Towne Center mini-mall. Worthinton Steel plant is constructed in Porter. Chesterton Art Fair moves to Hawthorne Park in Porter. Porter's population is 3,118. Chesterton and Porter recycling programs start. First Midnight Independence Day parade takes place in Porter. Auction is held at closed Enchanted Forest. Downtown Porter gets new lighting. New Town of Porter fire station is located on Beam Street. Expansion bill for Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore passes. The additional land approved totals 1,117 acres and includes the Indiana 49 corridor. Campground opens in Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore. Bridge over the Little Calumet River at U.S. 20 and Mineral Springs Road is rebuilt. Water park will operate at site of former Enchanted Forest. Additions are built to Bailly and Yost elementatry schools. Splash Down Dunes opens. VFW builds addition to post home on Wagner Road. Voters in Porter vote in favor of a police commission. Stoplight is activated at U.S. 20 and Waverly Road. First Taste of Porter takes place in Hawthorne Park. Former Goodfellow Camp is converted into Environmental Learning Center. New police station is built in Porter. Volunteers erect playground equipment at Kids Cove in Porter Cove and Hawthorne Park in Porter. Coronado Lodge is town down. Town of Porter builds Millenium Gazebo in Hawthorne Park. Spa Restaurant closes. LTV Steel files for bankruptcy. Porter's population is 4,972. Bethlehem Steel declares Chapter 11 bankruptcy. Severe cutbacks are instituted at Westchester Public Library and in the town of Burns Harbor due to loss of property tax income from Bethlehem Steel. (and Porter?) Residents of Porter fight to keep town hall from being torn down. Porter Town Council votes to build new town hall and old one is demolished. Bethlehem Steel retirees lose health benefits. Bethlehem Steel is purchased by Internation Steel Group (ISG). New Porter Town Hall is opened. Emergency road is constructed between Dune Acres and Porter. Marshal Leonard Smith retires. John Lane becomes Porter Poliece Chief for a year. Jamie Spanier is now marshal. ISG is purchased by Mittal Steel. Mittal Steel announces that its headquarters will be located in Chicago. 80th anniversary of the Indiana Dunes State Park and the 40th anniversary of the Indiana Dunes Nation Lakeshore are observed. |