Misplaced Pages

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34-714: Pine Township in Porter County, Indiana . The east parking area, which is better developed, is reached from U.S. 20 near the Town of Pines. Taking County Road 500 E, southward about 3 miles (4.8 km) to County Road 1400 N. Turning east on 1400 N, 1 mile (1.6 km) to County Road 600 E. South about 1 mile (1.6 km) you’ll find the parking lot. The rookery is also accessible from Chesterton, Indiana , from State Route 49 and Indian Boundary Road. At Indian Boundary Road (County Road 1275 N), turn east and follow Indian Boundary Road 1 mile (1.6 km) east to County Road 300 E. At

68-506: A family was $ 73,065. Males had a median income of $ 59,542 versus $ 35,534 for females. The per capita income for the county was $ 27,922. About 6.6% of families and 9.4% of the population were below the poverty line , including 12.8% of those under age 18 and 5.2% of those age 65 or over. Maplewood Cemetery, next to Graceland in Valparaiso, has burials from the 1700s. The Bailly Cemetery was started in 1827. Additional cemeteries were created as

102-680: A high of 83 °F (28 °C) in July, although a record low of −25 °F (−32 °C) was recorded in January 1985 and a record high of 105 °F (41 °C) was recorded in July 1934. Average monthly precipitation ranged from 1.82 inches (46 mm) in February to 4.66 inches (118 mm) in June. The county government is a constitutional body, and is granted specific powers by the Constitution of Indiana and

136-666: A single body of water in the three basins of Lake Michigan , Lake Huron and Lake Superior. The lake drained through three outlets, the Chicago Outlet River , the St. Clair - Detroit River , and through the Trent Valley . The first stage occupied only the south part of the basin of Lake Huron, including Saginaw Bay. It received tributary drainage from smaller lakes in the south part of the Georgian Bay and Lake Simcoe basins. Its existence

170-481: Is assisted by a constable who is also elected to a four-year term. In some cases, court decisions can be appealed to the state level circuit court . County Officials: The county has other elected offices, including sheriff , coroner , auditor , treasurer , recorder , surveyor , and circuit court clerk . These officials are elected to four-year terms. Members elected to county government positions are required to declare party affiliations and to be residents of

204-501: Is based on evidence of the establishment and erosion of its outlet through the distributaries of the St. Clair River at St. Clair, and on characters of the Niagara River and gorge. The steps of transition following this are simply physical and logical necessities, made so by the conditions of development from the first stage to the later fully developed Lake Algonquin, which included all three of

238-551: The East Arm Little Calumet River . Across the river on the north bank is the rookery. Annually, these great birds return to nest. The great blue heron is the largest of the North American heron families. They stand 4 feet (1.2 m) tall and have a wingspan of 7 feet (2.1 m). It is best to visit with a ranger on a guide walk as the birds can be hard to find, high in their nests. If you continue west along

272-551: The Indiana Code . County Council: The legislative branch of the county government; controls spending and revenue collection in the county. Representatives are elected to four-year terms from county districts. They set salaries, the annual budget and special spending. The council has limited authority to impose local taxes, in the form of an income and property tax that is subject to state level approval, excise taxes and service taxes. Board of Commissioners: The executive body of

306-521: The Lake Michigan shoreline (exact elevation varies due to variation in lake level). According to the 2010 census, the county has an area of 521.78 square miles (1,351.4 km ), of which 418.15 square miles (1,083.0 km ) (or 80.14%) is land and 103.63 square miles (268.4 km ) (or 19.9%) is water, most of it in Lake Michigan . The municipalities in Porter County and their populations as of

340-697: The Lake Stanley Low Phase in the Huron Basin. The Early Lake Algonquin covered only part of Lake Huron. It included Saginaw Bay, but did not include Georgian Bay or any of the Lake Michigan or Lake Superior basins. Lake Chicago was in the southern portion of Lake Michigan and Lake Duluth was in the western tip of the Lake Superior basin. Lake water drained through the Port Huron outlet and down

374-567: The St. Clair and Detroit rivers into Early Lake Erie. As the glacial front melted northward, the lake expanded in the Huron basin. When it retreated north of Alpena, Michigan , the waters of Lake Chicago merged with Early Lake Algonquin. The two lakes were nearly the same level and no change of altitude. Each maintained its original outlets; the Port Huron outlet on the southeast and the Chicago outlet in

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408-437: The 2010 Census: The 12 townships of Porter County: Public schools in Porter County are administered by several districts, most of which cover areas that roughly follow the county's township boundaries: High Schools and Middle Schools Elementary Schools The county is served by two public library systems: In recent years, average temperatures in Valparaiso have ranged from a low of 15 °F (−9 °C) in January to

442-565: The French and then the English encouraged native people to live in central villages along major waterways. Therefore, there are no recorded villages within Porter County's current boundaries. It was not until 1830 when Chiqua's town and Tassinong appear on maps and in records. Chiqua's town is a mile east of Valparaiso on State Route 2, the old Sauk Trail . Tassinong is south of Valparaiso about 5 miles (8.0 km) on State Route 49 at Baum's Bridge Road,

476-402: The T, turn north a short distance and take the first road east, Country Road 1300 N. CR 1300 N ends at Country Road 450 E, 1.5 miles (2.4 km), and the west parking area for the rookery is just to the right corner of the intersection. The most enjoyable season to visit the rookery is when the great blue herons are nesting. From the east parking area, you can follow the trail northwards to

510-407: The age of 18 living with them, 55.7% were married couples living together, 10.4% had a female householder with no husband present, 29.2% were non-families, and 23.3% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.60 and the average family size was 3.07. The median age was 38.4 years. The median income for a household in the county was $ 47,697 and the median income for

544-550: The county was organized. It was named for Capt. David Porter , naval officer during the Barbary Wars and the War of 1812 . In 1962, Bethlehem Steel built a large integrated steel mill on the shores of Lake Michigan, which is now owned and operated by Cleveland-Cliffs . The construction of the mill, as well as the neighboring Port of Indiana , generated enormous controversy between industrial interests and locals who wanted to conserve

578-514: The county. Porter County is part of Indiana's 1st congressional district . In state government, Porter County is in Indiana Senate districts 4th, 5th and 6th; in Indiana House of Representatives districts 3rd, 4th, 10th, 19th and 20th. For most of its history, Porter County was a Republican Party stronghold in presidential elections. It has become a swing county in recent years, voting for

612-496: The county; commissioners are elected county-wide, to staggered four-year terms. One commissioner serves as president. The commissioners execute acts legislated by the council, collect revenue and manage the county government. Court: The county maintains a small claims court that handles civil cases. The judge on the court is elected to a term of four years and must be a member of the Indiana Bar Association. The judge

646-703: The governor of the territory, and Vincennes was established as the capital. After the Michigan Territory was separated and the Illinois Territory was formed, Indiana was reduced to its current size and geography. By December 1816 the Indiana Territory was admitted to the Union as a state. The Indiana State Legislature passed an omnibus county bill on February 7, 1835, that authorized the creation of thirteen counties in northeast Indiana, including Porter. In 1837

680-735: The hypothesis that this area was an embayment of Glenwood phase of Glacial Lake Chicago (Ancestral Lake Michigan). (Chrzastowski and Thompson, 1992) The soils are nearly level and somewhat poorly drained. Along the Little Calumet, the soils are fluvaquents . They are deep, somewhat poorly drained, particularly on bottom lands. They do have a moderate ability to hold water, but with only a moderate organic content. These types of soils remain mostly in forest as they are not well suited for crops. For use as pastures, they would need to be protected from flooding. In addition, these soils are not well suited for roads, construction or septic systems. Thus along

714-459: The lake was replaced by Lake Chippewa and Lake Stanley as the glaciers retreated and 3,000 years later by the current Lakes Michigan, Huron, and Superior. About 11,000 years before present, the Laurentian Glacier had retreated northward, forming a boundary across the northern edges of Lake Superior and Lake Huron . The water level was at 605 feet (184 m) above sea level, creating

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748-709: The limited sizes found in the rookery. Porter County, Indiana Porter County is a county in the U.S. state of Indiana . As of 2020, the population was 173,215, making it the 10th most populous county in Indiana. The county seat is Valparaiso . The county is part of Northwest Indiana , as well as the Chicago metropolitan area . Porter County is the site of much of the Indiana Dunes , an area of ecological significance. The Hour Glass Museum in Ogden Dunes documents

782-710: The main route across the Great Kankakee Marsh . After the American Revolutionary War established US sovereignty over the territory of the upper midwest, the new federal government defined the Northwest Territory in 1787 which included the area of present-day Indiana. In 1800, Congress separated Ohio from the Northwest Territory, designating the rest of the land as the Indiana Territory. President Thomas Jefferson chose William Henry Harrison as

816-408: The national winner in every presidential election since 1980 except for 1992 and 2020. As of the 2010 United States census , there were 164,343 people, 61,998 households, and 43,901 families in the county. The population density was 393.0 inhabitants per square mile (151.7/km ). There were 66,179 housing units at an average density of 158.3 per square mile (61.1/km ). The racial makeup of the county

850-612: The natural shoreline and habitat. Although the activists lost and the steel mill and port were constructed, the US Congress created the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore in 1966 to protect the area's unique natural habitat. Porter County lies on the northern edge of Indiana; its north border is formed by Lake Michigan and its south border is formed by the westward-flowing Kankakee River Its once-tree-covered low rolling hills have been cleared and devoted to agriculture;

884-401: The only exceptions in Porter County are the drainages carved into the terrain, which are brush-filled. The East Arm Little Calumet River flows westward through the upper portion of Porter County. The highest point, at 870 feet (270 m), is a small hill on the county's east border, 2.75 miles (4.4 km) NW of Westville . The lowest point, at approximately 585 feet (178 m), is along

918-532: The population grew. Early cemeteries were often family owned or church related. As communities grew, community cemeteries developed. The newest cemetery in the county is Angel Crest Cemetery north of Valparaiso, near Indiana State Road 49 . Porter County has grown from a single park, Sunset Hill Farm County Park , to four, including: Calumet Trail , Dunn's Bridge County Park , and the newest, Brincka Cross Gardens . Glacial Lake Algonquin Lake Algonquin

952-483: The region's ecological significance. The Porter County area was occupied by an Algonquian people dubbed Huber-Berrien. This subsistence culture arrived after the glaciers retreated around 15,000 years ago and the rise of glacial Lake Algonquian , 4–8,000 years ago. The native people of this area were next recorded during the Iroquois Wars (1641–1701) as being Potawatomi and Miami . The trading post system used by

986-410: The river way, little has been developed as farms or housing. Most of the adjacent areas are made up of Bourbon, sandy loam . Large tracts parallel the river on both sides. They are nearly level, deep, but poorly drained soil. They have an increased ability to move water downward or laterally with a high organic matter content. They are subject to seasonally high water. Thus, it is better not to visit

1020-442: The rookery after a heavy rain fall or during winter and spring rainy seasons. This area has remained a tree lot as it was not adequately drained for other uses. Sebewa soils act as drains across the surround Bourbon soils to the river. Nearly level but slightly depressed below the surrounding soils. They are very poorly drained and are often have standing water. Larger tracts of this type of soil can be used for row crops, but not

1054-535: The trail, you’ll follow the Little Calumet River for over a mile through a hardwood forest. The herons roost in the eastern end with its tall sycamores . As you move towards the west, the woods become denser with beech , tulip poplars and maples . Here, there are a variety of smaller birds, including kinglets , wood thrushes , woodpeckers , and warblers . The soils through this part of Porter County are Whitaker-Milford-Del Rey soils, consistent with

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1088-583: The upper Great Lake basins. By 10,500 YBP the lake gained a lower outlet across the front of the glacier, creating the North Bay Outlet . Running in reverse to the modern French River , and across the divide into the ancestral Ottawa River . With water levels dropping, the two basins of Michigan and Huron, separated into individual lakes, entering the Lake Chippewa low phase in the Michigan Basin and

1122-412: Was 91.3% white, 3.0% black or African American, 1.2% Asian, 0.3% American Indian, 2.3% from other races, and 1.9% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 8.5% of the population. In terms of ancestry, 29.1% were German , 18.5% were Irish , 10.1% were Polish , 9.7% were English , 5.8% were Italian , and 5.6% were American . Of the 61,998 households, 34.1% had children under

1156-426: Was a prehistoric proglacial lake that existed in east-central North America at the time of the last ice age . Parts of the former lake are now Lake Huron , Georgian Bay , Lake Superior , Lake Michigan , Lake Nipigon , and Lake Nipissing . The lake varied in size, but it was at its biggest during the post-glacial period and gradually shrank to the current Lake Huron and Georgian Bay . About 7,000 years ago,

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