Almanac
Unique Antiques
Good news, antique seekers.
The Greater Crown Point Chamber of Commerce hosts a Spring Antique Show every February, and a Fall Antique Show each November. Both events take place at the Lake County Fairgrounds.
A total of 60 vendors are at each show, with antique items that include furniture, jewelry, pottery and paintings. Admission is $3.50, with the events serving as the largest fundraisers for the chamber each year.
Trees To Go
They do business for only a month, but they do plenty of it.
Luers Christmas Tree Farm is open from late November to Dec. 23 at its site on West 91st Street. Owned by Crown Point resident Bud Luers, the farm sells trees ranging in size from 3 to 13 feet; customers cut down the tree they want to purchase.
Tree choices include Scotch pine, Austrian pine, Virginia pine, Douglas fir, Canaan fir, Fraser fir and spruce – and the farm also sells wreaths.
Dillinger Was Here
It wasn’t Crown Point’s most shining moment, but it sure was interesting.
Noted gangster John Dillinger was captured in Arizona in January 1934 and was extradited to Crown Point to stand trial for the murder of an East Chicago policeman. The Crown Point jail had a national reputation of being escape-proof, but Dillinger bolted from the perceived fortress on March 3, 1934. Some say he used a wooden gun crafted from a washboard; others say it was carved from a bar of soap. Most others claim a gun was smuggled in to him. The fact remains that he escaped.
Dillinger was on the run for four more months until FBI agents gunned him down outside a Chicago movie theater.
Tasty Town
Food festivals appeal to many tastes in Crown Point. For example, the largest corn roast this side of Nebraska takes place at Home-town Festival Days, while the Rotary Club schedules an annual Blues, Brews & Barbecue fest each year. In addition, a Taste of Crown Point provides the best culinary offerings from more than 30 area restaurants and nonprofit organizations. And don’t forget the Lions Club Steak Fry, a tradition since 1946. It is a stag event attended by more than 900 males, but women help get it organized. How else would it ever happen? What a Lady! On a clear day, you can see the Chicago skyline from the top of the old Lake County Courthouse. The courthouse – constructed in 1878 – is known for its beauty, with noted Chicago architect J.C. Cochran credited with its Romanesque and Georgian style. Architects Beers and Beers, also of Chicago, added the structure’s north and south towers in 1909. Nicknamed the Grand Old Lady, the impressive edifice is still visited annually by thousands of people interested in old architecture. The courthouse is no longer headquarters of Lake County government offices – it’s been replaced by the new Lake County Government Center – but city court still convenes in its ornate upstairs courtroom. Also inside are shops, a restaurant, business offices and the Lake County Historical Society Museum. Big and Beautiful It’s fair to say that the Lake County Fairgrounds in Crown Point is one of the most scenic fairgrounds in Indiana. The site has hosted the Lake County Fair since 1852, providing an attractive setting for the 250,000 people who attend the 10-day event. That setting includes historic brick exhibition buildings, tree-covered hills, an old grandstand, winding walking paths and Lake County’s only covered bridge. The fairgrounds are also spacious, allowing Lake County to produce Indiana’s largest county fair. The 2006 fair will occur Aug. 4-13.
Attracting Star Power
Ornamental and Historic
Go, Jon Leaser, GO!
Thanks for the Memories
Heeding the Call
Food festivals appeal to many tastes in Crown Point. For example, the largest corn roast this side of Nebraska takes place at Home-town Festival Days, while the Rotary Club schedules an annual Blues, Brews & Barbecue fest each year. In addition, a Taste of Crown Point provides the best culinary offerings from more than 30 area restaurants and nonprofit organizations. And don’t forget the Lions Club Steak Fry, a tradition since 1946. It is a stag event attended by more than 900 males, but women help get it organized. How else would it ever happen? What a Lady! On a clear day, you can see the Chicago skyline from the top of the old Lake County Courthouse. The courthouse – constructed in 1878 – is known for its beauty, with noted Chicago architect J.C. Cochran credited with its Romanesque and Georgian style. Architects Beers and Beers, also of Chicago, added the structure’s north and south towers in 1909. Nicknamed the Grand Old Lady, the impressive edifice is still visited annually by thousands of people interested in old architecture. The courthouse is no longer headquarters of Lake County government offices – it’s been replaced by the new Lake County Government Center – but city court still convenes in its ornate upstairs courtroom. Also inside are shops, a restaurant, business offices and the Lake County Historical Society Museum. Big and Beautiful It’s fair to say that the Lake County Fairgrounds in Crown Point is one of the most scenic fairgrounds in Indiana. The site has hosted the Lake County Fair since 1852, providing an attractive setting for the 250,000 people who attend the 10-day event. That setting includes historic brick exhibition buildings, tree-covered hills, an old grandstand, winding walking paths and Lake County’s only covered bridge. The fairgrounds are also spacious, allowing Lake County to produce Indiana’s largest county fair. The 2006 fair will occur Aug. 4-13.
Additional Culture Articles
Attracting Star Power
Ornamental and Historic
Go, Jon Leaser, GO!
Thanks for the Memories
Heeding the Call