Current
Monthly Updates
Added to our school histories in the month of
January were some facts and a few names for the
Springfield
Township School History.
Cemeteries - Many of the Starrett stones in Union
Mills Cemetery were added on line.
I have completed the photo project with older
associated families contributed by Connie Novreske. Some of those glimpses back
in time are: Harness, Watkins, Wolford, Moffit and Pliske family members.
Connie also submitted a wonderful excerpt from a diary about Eight Square
School which, being on the county line road, where many LaPorte and Porter
County children attended classes.
Partially made possible because of some of the
notes from the Mary Weston Diary, I was able to piece together a bit of the
descendence of this family and place it on line for all to view at:
Weston Notes
.
The Charles Werden Deane photo has been added to
his biography and was contributed by Margot Timberlake.
We continue to add to our old time schools on line.
So please check back often to see what has been added. Also do a search to see
if any of your family names appear in the school rosters.
Old
Villages That Disappeared - continued from previous months - In the
1970's Jim Landing wrote some wonderful articles for the News Dispatch
concerning many of the "Lost and Vanishing" County Villages.
When the
county was established in 1832, there were villages and hamlets dotting the
landscape. A few survived but other remain only as a vague memory.
We break
these down into categories.
1. Indian villages that were
here during the early pioneers days.
2. Rural villages had their day when
they were along well travel routes. And example would be Door Village on the
old Sauk Trail. Many of these prospered for a period of time but then
disappeared and no longer exist.
3. Commercial villages, who were
established by proprietors who sold lots. A prime example of this would be
Michigan City.
4. Villages come into existence from the Railroad. The
railroads were good and bad for the smaller villages. Those lucky enough to
have a rail station in their village fared much better than those on old foot
trails or wagon routes.
So what were some of the Villages that came and
then all but vanished?
Lakeland - an incorporated town that lay on the east limits
of Michigan City in the general vicinity of Long Beach and Pottawattomie Park.
Highway 12 ran through its center and at one time there was a shopping center
located south of the highway along what is not known as Karwick Road. Lakeland
was officially annexed to Micghian City, but this having taken place only a few
decades ago, many residents still consider is a sub-unit of the City.
Lake
Park was a stop on the South Shore Rialroad that served residents along the
southern marin of Hudson Lake.
Lakeport was one of the earliest villages in the county
being recorded in June 1834 by John Egbert. Original plat shows the village
divided in 60 lots on the south shore of what is now known as Hudson Lake. When
platted if was located in Wills township, but it became part of Hudson Township
when Hudson was created in 1836. Shortly after it took on the name of Hudson
and is known by that name to this day.
Laketon - large village consisting of 275 lots platted in
November 1857, by W. J. Walker and his wife C. M. Walker. Walker was one of the
earliest residents of LaPorte and owned extensive properties, most of which
were subdivided and later annexed into LaPorte City.
Laketon
- a political nightmare, portions lying in each of Center, Scipio, Kankakee and
Pleasant townships, and covered parts of four different sections. The village
was on the northern edge of what was then known as Walker Lake. The area would
later be drained and would be used by a local truck farmer. Laketon was annexed
into the city of LaPorte and is bounded by Runeley, Ohio, Robert and Clement
streets. The Patton Cemetery occupies land located between Laketon and the old
Walker Lake.
Disappearing Villages to be continued next month....
