Chesterton, Indiana

Chesterton, Indiana
Town
Calumet Ave, Downtown
Location of Chesterton in Porter County, Indiana.
Coordinates: 41°36′38″N87°3′51″W / 41.61056°N 87.06417°W / 41.61056; -87.06417
Country	United States
State	Indiana
County	Porter
Townships	Westchester, Jackson, Liberty, Pine
Settled	1833
Platted	1852
Incorporated (town)	May 4, 1899
Government
• Type	Town Council [1]
• President	James Ton (R, 1st) [2]
• Council Members	Erin Collins (D, 2nd) Dane Lafata (D, 3rd) Sharon Darnell (D, 4th) Jennifer Fisher (R, 5th) [2]
• Clerk-Treasurer	Courtney Udvare (D) [3]
Area [4]
• Total	9.49 sq mi (24.59 km2)
• Land	9.38 sq mi (24.30 km2)
• Water	0.11 sq mi (0.29 km2)
Elevation [5]	643 ft (196 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	14,241
• Density	1,517.91/sq mi (586.09/km2)
Time zone	UTC-6 (CST)
• Summer (DST)	UTC-5 (CDT)
ZIP code	46304
Area code	219
FIPS code	18-12412 [6]
GNIS feature ID	2396642 [5]
Website	http://www.chestertonin.org/

Chesterton is a town in Westchester, Jackson and Liberty townships in Porter County, in the U.S. state of Indiana. ^[5] The population was 14,241 at the 2020 Census. The three towns of Chesterton, Burns Harbor, and Porter are known as the Duneland area. ^{[7] [8] [9] [10]}

Etymology

The name Chesterton comes from its township, with Chester deriving from Westchester and the -ton suffix denoting it as a town. ^[11]

History

Chesterton was first settled under the name Coffee Creek in 1833, with its post office being established in 1835. The post office would eventually be renamed to Calumet in 1850, as which the town was platted when the railroad was extended to that point in 1852. Due to a town on the same railroad also being named Calumet, the name would finally be changed to Chesterton in 1870 ^[12] and it was reincorporated as a town in 1899 after a failed incorporation in 1869, ^[13] with its population of 788 being the second-largest in Porter County at the time. ^[14]

In 1933, a United Airlines NC13304 flight became the first known, proven case of sabotage in an aircraft. It was downed by a nitroglycerine bomb above Chesterton on October 10, 1933. All 7 people aboard the aircraft—four passengers and a crew of three—were killed in the crash. ^[15]

In 1962, United Tractor moved to the town. ^[16]

Geography

Just north of the town is Indiana Dunes State Park and Indiana Dunes National Park. Most of the town is flat. However, going south into the city on the Route 49 overpass, one can see the Valparaiso Moraine in the distance.

According to the 2010 census, Chesterton has a total area of 9.44 square miles (24.45 km²), of which 9.33 square miles (24.16 km²) (or 98.83%) is land and 0.11 square miles (0.28 km²) (or 1.17%) is water. ^[17]

Climate

Climate data for Chesterton, Indiana (Indiana Dunes State Park) 1991–2020 normals, extremes 1989–present
Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Year
Record high °F (°C)	66 (19)	72 (22)	85 (29)	88 (31)	95 (35)	98 (37)	102 (39)	98 (37)	96 (36)	89 (32)	77 (25)	69 (21)	102 (39)
Mean daily maximum °F (°C)	32.1 (0.1)	35.5 (1.9)	45.6 (7.6)	57.2 (14.0)	68.4 (20.2)	77.5 (25.3)	81.6 (27.6)	80.0 (26.7)	74.3 (23.5)	62.3 (16.8)	48.7 (9.3)	37.4 (3.0)	58.4 (14.7)
Daily mean °F (°C)	24.9 (−3.9)	28.3 (−2.1)	37.7 (3.2)	48.4 (9.1)	59.0 (15.0)	68.5 (20.3)	73.0 (22.8)	71.6 (22.0)	65.3 (18.5)	53.5 (11.9)	41.5 (5.3)	30.8 (−0.7)	50.2 (10.1)
Mean daily minimum °F (°C)	17.8 (−7.9)	21.1 (−6.1)	29.8 (−1.2)	39.5 (4.2)	49.6 (9.8)	59.5 (15.3)	64.3 (17.9)	63.1 (17.3)	56.3 (13.5)	44.7 (7.1)	34.2 (1.2)	24.1 (−4.4)	42.0 (5.6)
Record low °F (°C)	−22 (−30)	−15 (−26)	−4 (−20)	18 (−8)	31 (−1)	37 (3)	45 (7)	46 (8)	35 (2)	25 (−4)	9 (−13)	−19 (−28)	−22 (−30)
Average precipitation inches (mm)	2.21 (56)	1.97 (50)	2.34 (59)	3.55 (90)	4.27 (108)	4.31 (109)	3.98 (101)	4.08 (104)	3.65 (93)	3.75 (95)	2.76 (70)	2.29 (58)	39.16 (995)
Average snowfall inches (cm)	16.0 (41)	9.7 (25)	6.0 (15)	0.6 (1.5)	0.0 (0.0)	0.0 (0.0)	0.0 (0.0)	0.0 (0.0)	0.0 (0.0)	0.0 (0.0)	0.7 (1.8)	7.3 (19)	40.3 (102)
Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in)	12.6	9.0	10.9	11.3	12.3	11.7	9.7	9.9	9.6	11.5	10.6	11.9	131.0
Average snowy days (≥ 0.1 in)	8.4	5.6	3.4	0.6	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	1.0	5.7	24.7
Source: NOAA [18] [19]

Demographics

Indian Boundary, where SR 49 and I-94 meet

Historical population

Census	Pop.	Note	%±
1880	488		—
1890	931		90.8%
1900	788		−15.4%
1910	1,400		77.7%
1920	1,604		14.6%
1930	2,231		39.1%
1940	2,470		10.7%
1950	3,175		28.5%
1960	4,335		36.5%
1970	6,177		42.5%
1980	8,531		38.1%
1990	9,124		7.0%
2000	10,488		14.9%
2010	13,068		24.6%
2020	14,241		9.0%
U.S. Decennial Census [20]

2010 census

As of the census ^[21] of 2010, there were 13,068 people, 5,029 households, and 3,554 families living in the town. The population density was 1,400.6 inhabitants per square mile (540.8/km²). There were 5,354 housing units at an average density of 573.8 per square mile (221.5/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 92.7% White, 1.4% African American, 0.3% Native American, 2.1% Asian, 1.8% from other races, and 1.7% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 6.9% of the population.

There were 5,029 households, of which 37.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.1% were married couples living together, 11.8% had a female householder with no husband present, 4.7% had a male householder with no wife present, and 29.3% were non-families. 23.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.2% 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 3.07.

The median age in the town was 37.8 years. 26.5% of residents were under the age of 18; 7.1% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 27.5% were from 25 to 44; 27.5% were from 45 to 64; and 11.3% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the town was 48.7% male and 51.3% female.

2000 census

As of the census ^[6] of 2000, there were 10,488 people, 4,039 households, and 2,879 families living in the town. The population density was 1,232.0 inhabitants per square mile (475.7/km²). There were 4,212 housing units at an average density of 494.8 per square mile (191.0/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 96.29% White, 0.44% African American, 0.21% Native American, 1.37% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.51% from other races, and 1.16% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.31% of the population.

There were 4,039 households, out of which 36.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.3% were married couples living together, 9.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.7% 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 2.57 and the average family size was 3.06.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 26.8% under the age of 18, 8.1% from 18 to 24, 29.6% from 25 to 44, 24.8% from 45 to 64, and 10.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females, there were 95.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.3 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $55,530, and the median income for a family was $66,239. Males had a median income of $50,599 versus $28,300 for females. The per capita income for the town was $26,539. About 3.1% of families and 4.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 6.5% of those under age 18 and 4.2% of those age 65 or over.

Education

Chesterton High School, or CHS, serves the tri-town area. Chesterton High School operates Chesterton's only local radio station, WDSO 88.3.

Two private schools also operate in Chesterton: St. Patrick Catholic Elementary School and Fairhaven Baptist Academy.

In Chesterton, there are 5 public elementary schools. These are Liberty Elementary School, Bailly Elementary School, Yost Elementary School, Jackson Elementary School, and Brummitt Elementary School. These schools serve grades K-4. After 4th grade, students from Jackson and Liberty will move to Liberty Intermediate School for 5th and 6th grade. Students from Bailly, Yost, and Brummitt will move to Westchester Intermediate School for 5th and 6th grades. After the 6th grade, all students from Liberty and Westchester will go to Chesterton Middle School for 7th and 8th grades. After 8th, students will move to Chesterton High School for their Freshman, Sophomore, Junior, and Senior years.

The town has a lending library, the Westchester Public Library. ^[22]

Media

Chesterton has a local newspaper, the Chesterton Tribune , which was first established in 1882 before shortly going out of business and later being resurrected in 1884. It had been published daily since 1961 before ceasing operations on December 30, 2020. ^[23] However, it was purchased by Hometown Media Inc. on March, 10th, 2021, becoming a twice-weekly, full color paper. ^[24] The town also is serviced by Chesterton's high school radio station, WDSO, which provides local news in addition to its regular music programming. ^[25]

Transportation

The South Shore Line, operated by the Northwest Indiana Commuter Transportation District, is headquartered in Chesterton. ^[26] The South Shore Line stops north of Chesterton at the Dune Park station with multiple trains per day to Chicago and South Bend. V-Line's Orange Line route stops near the South Shore station, indirectly connecting Chesterton to Valparaiso University on weekends.

Culture

Festivals

Chesterton was home to the annual Wizard of Oz Festival, established in 1982, which is the largest and most famous of its kind. ^[27] In 2006, former organizers Lakeshore Festivals and Events moved the event to the Porter County Expo Center in Valparaiso, Indiana. After 3 years, LFE discontinued the festival and it was brought home to Chesterton by the Duneland Business Initiative Group in 2009. The Duneland Business Initiative later rescinded their support of the festival in 2013.

Notable people

Main article: List of people from Chesterton, Indiana

• Jim Gaffigan, standup comedian and actor
• Ron Kittle, former Major League Baseball player
• Mitch McGary, former professional basketball player
• Mickey Morandini, former Major League Baseball player
• Zack Novak, former NCAA (University of Michigan) and professional basketball player
• Matt Nover, former professional basketball player and actor
• Blake Pieroni, Gold medalist swimmer and current Indiana University swimmer
• Eddie Wineland, professional MMA fighter (Bantamweight)
• Taylor Zakhar Perez, actor

Environmental amenities

Parkland

Chesterton's park system includes several large public parks downtown and sports fields. The town is also served by the Porter County Park District and the nearby Indiana Dunes State Park. Several trails connect Chesterton with Porter and Indiana Dunes National Park (which is connected to Indiana Dunes State Park).

Coffee Creek

Coffee Creek flows through an area that includes downtown Chesterton. The Coffee Creek Watershed Preserve includes a restored section of the creek and its associated wetland.

Historic Preservation

• Chesterton Commercial Historic District
• Chesterton Residential Historic District
• George Brown Mansion
• Norris and Harriet Coambs Lustron House
• New York Central Railroad Passenger Depot, Chesterton, Indiana
• Martin Young House

References

1. "Town Council". Town of Chesterton, IN. Archived from the original on May 12, 2016. Retrieved April 22, 2016.
2. "Town Council | Chesterton, IN - Official Website". Archived from the original on June 21, 2020. Retrieved June 18, 2020.
3. "Clerk-Treasurer | Chesterton, IN - Official Website".
4. "2020 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on March 18, 2021. Retrieved March 16, 2022.
5. U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Chesterton, Indiana
6. "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on August 7, 2022. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
7. The cultural impact of a museum in a small community: The Hour Glass of Ogden Dunes. The Shouth Shore Journal, 2, pp. 16–28.
8. "South Shore Journal - the Cultural Impact of a Museum in a Small Community: The Hour Glass in Ogden Dunes". Archived from the original on July 14, 2014. Retrieved July 3, 2014.
9. D. Smith, S. & Mark, S. (2006). Alice Gray, Dorothy Buell, and Naomi Svihla:Preservationists of Ogden Dunes. The South Shore Journal, 1, 15-21
10. "South Shore Journal - Alice Gray, Dorothy Buell, and Naomi Svihla: Preservationists of Ogden Dunes". Archived from the original on September 13, 2012. Retrieved June 11, 2012.
11. "Westchester Township History Museum". Westchester Public Library. June 3, 2019. Archived from the original on May 18, 2020. Retrieved August 12, 2021.
12. "Chesterton History". chestertonin.org. Archived from the original on February 20, 2015. Retrieved August 12, 2021.
13. History of Porter County, Indiana : a narrative account of its historical progress, its people and its principal interests. Lewis Publishing Company. 1912. p. 189.
14. Kenneth J. Schoon (2003). Calumet Beginnings: Ancient Shorelines and Settlements at the South End of Lake Michigan. Indiana University Press. p. 189. ISBN   0-253-34218-X.
15. "1933 Crash of United Airlines Trip 23 Boeing 247 NC13304 Part 01 of 01". FBI. Archived from the original on December 22, 2017. Retrieved December 21, 2017.
16. "Facts Given on Porter, Chesterton". Vidette-Messenger. March 30, 1962. p. 31. Archived from the original on July 25, 2021. Retrieved July 23, 2021.
17. "G001 - Geographic Identifiers - 2010 Census Summary File 1". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on February 13, 2020. Retrieved July 14, 2015.
18. "NowData – NOAA Online Weather Data". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Archived from the original on November 10, 2018. Retrieved May 29, 2021.
19. "Station: Indian Dunes NL, IN". U.S. Climate Normals 2020: U.S. Monthly Climate Normals (1991-2020). National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Archived from the original on June 2, 2021. Retrieved May 29, 2021.
20. "U.S. Decennial Census". Census.gov. Archived from the original on April 26, 2015. Retrieved June 6, 2013.
21. "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on August 7, 2022. Retrieved December 11, 2012.
22. "Indiana public library directory" (PDF). Indiana State Library. Archived from the original (PDF) on February 18, 2017. Retrieved March 14, 2018.
23. Pete, Joseph S. (December 16, 2020). "Chesterton Tribune to Cease Print Newspaper After 136 Years". NWI Times. Archived from the original on December 19, 2020. Retrieved December 31, 2020.
24. Pete, Joseph S. (March 10, 2021). "New owner to revive the 137-year-old Chesterton Tribune". nwitimes.com. Archived from the original on March 20, 2021. Retrieved March 16, 2021.
25. "Going Daily Citizenship and community delivered every day". Chestertontribune.com. Archived from the original on July 18, 2011. Retrieved April 13, 2019.
26. "Contact". South Shore Line. Archived from the original on September 12, 2016. Retrieved August 12, 2021.
27. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on April 23, 2009. Retrieved March 17, 2009.

External links

• Town of Chesterton, Indiana website