Liverpool, Indiana

Last updated
Liverpool, Lake County, Indiana
USA Indiana location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Liverpool
Usa edcp location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Liverpool
Coordinates: 41°33′09″N87°17′41″W / 41.55250°N 87.29472°W / 41.55250; -87.29472
Country Flag of the United States.svg  United States
State Flag of Indiana.svg  Indiana
County Lake
Township Hobart
Elevation
[1]
637 ft (194 m)
Time zone UTC-6 (Central)
  Summer (DST) UTC-5 (Central)
ZIP code
46405
Area code 219
FIPS code 18-44388 [2]
GNIS feature ID438185 [1]

Liverpool was the original county seat of Lake County, Indiana, and one of the oldest towns in the area. Today, another settlement on the same site, named "Liverpool" after the former town, is a neighborhood of Lake Station, Indiana.

History

At the start of 1836, the land that Liverpool would occupy was still owned by Potawatomi Amerinds. However, under the Treaty of Tippecanoe, some of the Potawatomi were given certificates that allowed them to claim parcels of land. John Chapman bought one of these certificates, giving him ownership of section 24 of township 36 north of range 8 west. At the time, Chicago was a small but rapidly growing harbor town, and Chapman intended to make a city large enough to rival it. It joined the other four cities then competing to be the metropolis of Lake Michigan: Chicago, Michigan City, City West, and Indiana City. [3] Chapman platted Liverpool near the confluence of the Little Calumet River and Deep River, both of which were navigable at the time. An article from 1929 describes the original plan for the town, enumerating central streets and blocks:

"Of the streets thereon they had their Broadway, their Market Street, their Chestnut Street, Michigan, Indiana, and others of like dignity and rank, some of which were 100 feet in width. One block was designated "Public Square;" another "Market Square;" another "Church Square." Then there were 40 blocks subdivided into lots, 435 in number. Through this city to be, flowed the waters of Deep River, then described upon the plat as being 14 feet in depth, there being 18 blocks north of the river and 23 south." [3]

The town competed with the settlements of Lake Court House and Cedar Lake for the position of county seat in 1839. A wealthy land speculator named George Earle, who had acquired much of the surrounding territory, campaigned in support of Liverpool, and a commission decided in Liverpool's favor, making it the seat of Lake County. However, in 1840 citizens in the west of the county complained to the state legislature that the county seat was too far east, and another commission moved the county seat to Lake Court House, which later became Crown Point, Indiana. [3]

Combined with the financial problems of the Panic of 1837, this resulted in the end of Liverpool's brief period of significance. The Liverpool courthouse was sold and floated downriver to Blue Island, Illinois. George Earle moved away and founded Hobart, Indiana. At its height, there were about 500 settlers living in Liverpool; by the late 1840s, there were only two families left. Finally, a fire swept through the almost-empty town, and nothing was left of its original forty blocks of buildings. [3] [4]

Today, a neighborhood of Lake Station, Indiana, which is at approximately the same location as the old city of Liverpool is sometimes referred to as "Liverpool."

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lake County, Indiana</span> County in Indiana, United States

Lake County is a county located in the U.S. state of Indiana. In 2020, its population was 498,700, making it Indiana's second-most populous county. The county seat is Crown Point. The county is part of Northwest Indiana and the Chicago metropolitan area, and contains a mix of urban, suburban and rural areas. It is bordered on the north by Lake Michigan and contains a portion of the Indiana Dunes. It includes Marktown, Clayton Mark's planned worker community in East Chicago.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hammond, Indiana</span> City in Indiana, United States

Hammond is a city in Lake County, Indiana, United States. It is part of the Chicago metropolitan area, and the only city in Indiana to border Chicago. First settled in the mid-19th century, it is one of the oldest cities of northern Lake County. As of the 2020 United States census, it is also the largest in population. The 2020 population was 77,879, replacing Gary as the most populous city in 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 Purdue University campus and numerous historic districts that showcase the residential and commercial architecture of the early 20th century.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lake Station, Indiana</span> City in Indiana, United States

Lake Station is a city in Lake County, Indiana, United States. The population was 13,235 at the 2020 census.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Calumet River</span> System of rivers and canals in Illinois and Indiana, United States

The Calumet River is a system of heavily industrialized rivers and canals in the region between the south side of Chicago, Illinois, and the city of Gary, Indiana. Historically, the Little Calumet River and the Grand Calumet River were one, the former flowing west from Indiana into Illinois, then turning back east to its mouth at Lake Michigan at Marquette Park in Gary. Now the system is part of the Chicago Area Waterway System and through the use of locks flows away from Lake Michigan to the Cal-Sag Channel.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Roads and expressways in Chicago</span> Highway system

Roads and expressways in Chicago summarizes the main thoroughfares and the numbering system used in Chicago and its surrounding suburbs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">East Side, Chicago</span> Community area in Chicago

East Side is one of the 77 official community areas of Chicago, Illinois. It is on the far south side of the city, between the Calumet River and the Illinois-Indiana state line, 13 miles (21 km) south of downtown Chicago. The neighborhood has a park on Lake Michigan, Calumet Park, and a forest, Eggers Grove Forest Preserve. The forest preserve has hiking/walking trails, picnic grounds and birdwatching. It is served by U.S. Highway 12, U.S. Highway 20, and U.S. Highway 41.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Riverdale, Chicago</span> Community area in Chicago

Riverdale is one of the 77 official community areas of Chicago, Illinois and is located on the city's far south side.

The Calumet Region is the geographic area drained by the Grand Calumet River and the Little Calumet River of northeastern Illinois and northwestern Indiana in the United States. It is part of the Great Lakes Basin, which eventually reaches the Atlantic Ocean. It is a sub-region of the greater Northwest Indiana region and the even larger Great Lakes region.

Northwest Indiana, nicknamed The Region after the Calumet Region, comprises Lake, Porter, LaPorte, and Newton counties in Indiana. This region neighbors Lake Michigan and is part of the Chicago metropolitan area. According to the 2020 Census, Northwest Indiana has a population of 831,080 and is the state's second largest urban area after the Indianapolis Metropolitan Area. It is also the home of the Indiana Dunes, parts of which have been preserved through conservation efforts. The town of Ogden Dunes houses the Hour Glass, a museum showcasing the ecological and conservation efforts of O. D. Frank.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Calumet Park</span> United States historic place

Calumet Park is a 198-acre (79-hectare) park in Chicago, Illinois. It provides access to Lake Michigan from the East Side neighborhood on the city's Southeast Side. The park contains approximately 0.9 miles (1.5 km) of lake frontage from 95th Street to 102nd Street. The park is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lake Chicago</span> Prehistoric lake from the Wisconsin Glacial Period

Lake Chicago was a prehistoric proglacial lake that is the ancestor of what is now known as Lake Michigan, one of North America's five Great Lakes. Formed about 13,000 years ago and fed by retreating glaciers, it drained south through the Chicago Outlet River.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Geography of Indiana</span> Overview of the geography of Indiana

The geography of Indiana comprises the physical features of the land and relative location of U.S. State of Indiana. Indiana is in the north-central United States and borders on Lake Michigan. Surrounding states are Michigan to the north and northeast, Illinois to the west, Kentucky to the south, and Ohio to the east. The entire southern boundary is the Ohio River.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Yellow River (Indiana)</span> River in Indiana, United States

The Yellow River is a 62.3-mile-long (100.3 km) tributary of the Kankakee River in the Central Corn Belt Plains ecoregion, located in northern Indiana in the United States. Via the Kankakee and Illinois rivers, it is part of the watershed of the Mississippi River, draining an area of 427 square miles (1,110 km2).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Westchester Township, Porter County, Indiana</span> Township in Indiana, United States

Westchester Township is one of twelve townships in Porter County, Indiana. It is included in the Calumet, Northwest Indiana, and Great Lakes regions. It is located on the southern shore of Lake Michigan, about 50 miles (80 km) southeast of Chicago. It stretches from the famous Indiana Dunes on its northern border, south to the Valparaiso Moraine, a ridge of rolling hills left by the last glacier to pass through the area. As of the 2010 census, its population was 19,396.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Miller Beach</span> Neighborhood in Lake County, Indiana, United States

Miller Beach is a neighborhood of Gary, Indiana on the southernmost shore of Lake Michigan. First settled in 1851, Miller Beach was originally an independent town. However, the "Town of Miller" was eventually annexed by the then flourishing city of Gary in 1918. Located in the northeastern corner of Lake County, Indiana, the former town is now known as "The Miller Beach Community." Miller Beach borders Lake Michigan to the north, Porter County to the east, and is largely surrounded by protected lands, including Indiana Dunes National Park. Miller Beach is also the closest beach/resort community to Chicago, and has been a popular vacation spot since the early 20th century. As of the 2000 US census, it had a population of 9,900.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Marquette Park (Gary)</span>

Marquette Park, originally called Lake Front Park, is a municipal park completely surrounded by Indiana Dunes National Park. Its primary features include 1.4 miles (2.2 km) of Lake Michigan beaches, inland ponds, sand dunes, wetlands, a lagoon, and indigenous oak savanna. The park is located within the Miller Beach community. The park includes the Octave Chanute museum, registered as a National Landmark of Soaring.

The Indiana Dunes are natural sand dunes occurring at the southern end of Lake Michigan in the American State of Indiana. They are known for their ecological significance. Many conservationists have played a role in preserving parts of the Indiana Dunes. The Hour Glass, a museum in Ogden Dunes, showcases some of the ecological import of the Dunes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">City West, Indiana</span> Village in Porter County, Indiana, US

City West was a village in Porter County, Indiana, US, located on the shore of Lake Michigan approximately 10 miles west of Michigan City, Indiana. It was situated near the mouth of Fort Creek, now known as Dunes Creek, which empties into Lake Michigan near the Indiana Dunes State Park swimming beach. It was located near the former site of Petit Fort.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Grand Calumet River</span> River in Illinois, United States

The Grand Calumet River is a 13.0-mile-long (20.9 km) river that flows primarily into Lake Michigan. Originating in Miller Beach in Gary, it flows through the cities of Gary, East Chicago and Hammond, as well as Calumet City and Burnham on the Illinois side. The majority of the river's flow drains into Lake Michigan via the Indiana Harbor and Ship Canal, sending about 1,500 cubic feet (42 m3) per second of water into the lake. A smaller part of the flow, at the river's western end, enters the Calumet River, and through the Illinois ultimately drains into the Mississippi River.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Deep River (Indiana)</span> River in Indiana, United States

Deep River is a river that flows 29.5 miles (47.5 km) northeast to the Little Calumet River in Lake County in northern Indiana in the United States. It is part of a fluvial system that drains about 10% of northern Indiana to Lake Michigan at Port of Indiana-Burns Harbor.

References

  1. 1 2 U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Liverpool, Indiana
  2. "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau . Retrieved 2015-04-13.
  3. 1 2 3 4 Bowers, John O. 1929. "Dream Cities of the Calumet," (pp. 174-198) History of Lake County, Volume 10. Gary, Indiana: Lake County Historical Association (Calumet Press). 223 p.
  4. Goodspeed, Weston Arthur. 1882. Counties of Porter and Lake, Indiana: historical and biographical. Chicago, Illinois: P. A. Battby & Co.