Lake Station
Indiana
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The City of Lake Station
The City of Lake Station Indiana
Today it could be known as East Gary, as it was from 1908 to 1977 or as Independence, a name some favored in 1976. But Lake Station harkened back to its root when it officially changed its name in 1977. An early depot stop on the Michigan Central Railroads Detroit to Chicago line through the Calumet region, the village was first named when George Earle mapped out a town of about 6,500 acres in 1852, dubbing it Lake Station.
The City of Lake Station, like many Northwest Indiana communities that sprung up along either Suak Trail, the Indiana route through the region, or railroad lines, had other brushes with history. A transportation hub for more than three decades beginning in the 1850's, the prosperous community took a hit when the railroad post office moved its operations in the 1880's further west to Joliet, Illinois.
The outlook brightened at the turn of the century when U.S. Steel set up its "million dollar factory" in bordering Gary. Lake Station, marketed as "East Gary" to attract executives and management who might want to live in a suburban enclave, functioned as a bedroom community. Twists of fate have their effect to this day. Being a bedroom community, Lake Station did welcome Abraham Lincoln to its Audubon Hotel perhaps on more than one occasion according to oral history. But George Pullman, who tried to negotiate for land in Lake Station for his proposed railcar company, never struck a deal and set up shop on the south side of Chicago instead.
Today, Lake Station remains a mostly residential community. According to Mayor Shirley A. Wadding, the city now focused on accenting its positives and building the future. Selected a Millennium Community by the Governor of the State of Indiana in 2000, Lake Station initiated projects to celebrate and preserve its local history and prepare its children for the new millennium. With its share of monies collected in taxes from regional casino's, Lake Station is making the kinds of infrastructure and revitalization investments that will help it in 2000 and beyond. Water and sewer line upgrades are in the works and many road projects are coming to fruition. New residential housing, including a 400-unit apartment community, will provide homes for residents and newcomers as well as help spread out the local property tax burden among a greater number of citizens.
"Its tough for smaller communities like ours that have more housing but less commercial development," says Wadding, who nonetheless feels that undeveloped land within the city's boundaries could prove to be excellent and conveniently located space for new or relocating companies. "we're playing to our strengths and expect growth and improvements will come surely, if sometimes more slowly than we'd like."
The youngsters in Lake Station will depend upon their elders to grow the city. In the meantime, they grow strong in a close-knit community where Little League baseball games, good schools, and family outings to beautiful Riverview Park are all a kid could ask for.
"The new millennium has brought a new partnership between leaders and citizens," Wadding smiles. "If Lake Station once was changed by fate, today it's being improved through careful planning and a positive outlook."
Today it could be known as East Gary, as it was from 1908 to 1977 or as Independence, a name some favored in 1976. But Lake Station harkened back to its root when it officially changed its name in 1977. An early depot stop on the Michigan Central Railroads Detroit to Chicago line through the Calumet region, the village was first named when George Earle mapped out a town of about 6,500 acres in 1852, dubbing it Lake Station.
The City of Lake Station, like many Northwest Indiana communities that sprung up along either Suak Trail, the Indiana route through the region, or railroad lines, had other brushes with history. A transportation hub for more than three decades beginning in the 1850's, the prosperous community took a hit when the railroad post office moved its operations in the 1880's further west to Joliet, Illinois.
The outlook brightened at the turn of the century when U.S. Steel set up its "million dollar factory" in bordering Gary. Lake Station, marketed as "East Gary" to attract executives and management who might want to live in a suburban enclave, functioned as a bedroom community. Twists of fate have their effect to this day. Being a bedroom community, Lake Station did welcome Abraham Lincoln to its Audubon Hotel perhaps on more than one occasion according to oral history. But George Pullman, who tried to negotiate for land in Lake Station for his proposed railcar company, never struck a deal and set up shop on the south side of Chicago instead.
Today, Lake Station remains a mostly residential community. According to Mayor Shirley A. Wadding, the city now focused on accenting its positives and building the future. Selected a Millennium Community by the Governor of the State of Indiana in 2000, Lake Station initiated projects to celebrate and preserve its local history and prepare its children for the new millennium. With its share of monies collected in taxes from regional casino's, Lake Station is making the kinds of infrastructure and revitalization investments that will help it in 2000 and beyond. Water and sewer line upgrades are in the works and many road projects are coming to fruition. New residential housing, including a 400-unit apartment community, will provide homes for residents and newcomers as well as help spread out the local property tax burden among a greater number of citizens.
"Its tough for smaller communities like ours that have more housing but less commercial development," says Wadding, who nonetheless feels that undeveloped land within the city's boundaries could prove to be excellent and conveniently located space for new or relocating companies. "we're playing to our strengths and expect growth and improvements will come surely, if sometimes more slowly than we'd like."
The youngsters in Lake Station will depend upon their elders to grow the city. In the meantime, they grow strong in a close-knit community where Little League baseball games, good schools, and family outings to beautiful Riverview Park are all a kid could ask for.
"The new millennium has brought a new partnership between leaders and citizens," Wadding smiles. "If Lake Station once was changed by fate, today it's being improved through careful planning and a positive outlook."