Michigan City, Indiana
Encyclopedia
Michigan City's origins date to 1830, when the land for the city was first purchased by Isaac C. Elston. Elston Middle School, formerly Elston High School, located at 317 Detroit St., is named after the founder.
The city was incorporated in 1836, by which point it had 1500 residents, along with a post office, a newspaper, a church, and a commercial district. That same year, the State Bank of Indiana opened a branch in town.
Michigan City Area Schools
, the city's public school system, includes one high school (Michigan City High School
), three middle school
s, and nine elementary schools. Michigan City also has three parochial high schools - Marquette
, La Lumiere, and Duneland Lutheran. Due to a lack of funds, Duneland Lutheran closed down at the end of the 2008/2009 school year. There are several parochial elementary schools in the city, including St. Paul Lutheran School, St. Stanislaus Kostka
School, Queen Of All Saints School, and Notre Dame Catholic School. At one time Michigan City had two public high schools, M.C. Elston High School (Red Devils)(Elston is now the name of one of the middle schools located in the city and is located at the former Elston High School), and M.C. Rogers High School (Raiders). The two schools combined after the 1994-1995 school year and now constitute the present day Michigan City High School
. The school is located at the former Rogers High School site.
Michigan City is the home of the Old Michigan City Light
, one of Indiana's few lighthouse
s. Michigan City's largest shopping center, Lighthouse Place Premium Outlets, which was built in the mid-1980s, pays homage to the lighthouse. The mall, owned by Chelsea Premium Outlets, contains stores such as Polo Ralph Lauren, Puma, Banana Republic, J.Crew, Ecco, Guess, Gap, Fossil, and Corning Revere.
The outlet mall is built on land previously occupied by the Pullman-Standard rail car plant. Marquette Mall, constructed in 1965, is Michigan City's sole conventional shopping mall. St. Anthony Memorial Health Center is Michigan City's sole hospital.
Michigan City has one daily newspaper, The News-Dispatch. It also has one FM radio station, WEFM, and one AM radio station, WIMS
AM 1420, together with one Government-access television (GATV) station, Access LaPorte County. Michigan City is in Chicago's Area of Dominant Influence. Radio and television broadcasts from both Chicago and South Bend reach most of the population.
Michigan City also houses a zoo
, and art center, and also is the home of the Indiana State Prison
.
Known for its many talented musicians, Michigan City also has one of the nation's oldest active municipal bands. Free concerts are performed for the public every Thursday evening at the Guy F. Foreman Amphitheatre located in Washington Park.
The eastern edge of the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore
is also located in Michigan City. Features include Mount Baldy, a large wandering dune. A larger dune
, Hoosier Slide, sat at the site of the current electrical generating station. This dune was mined for its sand in the late 19th century. The sand found on the beaches in and near Michigan City is nicknamed "singing sand" because of the sound it produces.
In recent years, Michigan City has added a riverboat, the Blue Chip Casino
. This casino is the largest riverboat in Indiana. The Blue Chip just finished building the biggest building in all of northwest Indiana by adding a 22 story hotel to its offerings in 2009. Michigan City has also added a new skatepark at Pullman
Field to its tourism offerings.
Going forward Michigan City is looking to revitalize much of its north end, which contains the oldest portions of the city. One plan that has been discussed is the Andrews Plan The Andrews Plan also won an award for 2008 CNU Charter Award of Excellence. Most discussion centers on maintaining and expanding open and accessible park areas on Lake Michigan and along Trail Creek.
Michigan City Power Plant lies along the shore of Lake Michigan west of the downtown core. The cooling tower of the coal burning plant is visible for miles around & is often mistaken for a nuclear power plant.
. Michigan City has a Council with nine members. Six are elected from geographic wards and three are elected as at-large members.
City Council members are:
Michigan City is a major stop along the South Shore Line
, one of the last interurban rail lines in the U.S. The train runs directly through on 11th Street (it has no separate right-of-way, and shares the street with automobiles and other road traffic), making two stops in Michigan City's downtown area (11th Street
and Carroll Avenue
). This rail line connects Michigan City with downtown Chicago westward as well as the South Bend Regional Airport to the east.
Amtrak
serves the city with Wolverine trains, which run from Chicago to Detroit, and Pontiac
three times a day in each direction. Under the current schedule, Wolverine fills in several gaps in South Shore Line's weekday service and augments weekend service. While Wolverine trains are faster, South Shore Lines are cheaper and run more frequently.
Michigan City operates a bus service. Officially known as Michigan City Transit
, it is made up of four routes that run on Monday-Saturday. All routes originate at Michigan City Public Library and travel around the city in (largely mono-directional) loops until they return back to the library. Route 3 connects to Carroll Avenue South Shore Line station, while other routes connect to the 11th street station. In addition, Route 1 passes near the Amtrak station on the way to Washington Park. Michigan City also operates a Dial-a-Bus service.
Coach USA
's Tri-State/United Limo service between The University of Notre Dame
and O'Hare airport stops at Michigan City
at the Clarion Hotel (5820 Franklin St). The service makes stops at Notre Dame, South Bend, Portage, Highland, Crestwood and O'Hare and Midway airports. Buses run from 4:10 am – 1:10 am (US Central Time). Buses run once every hour in both direction between Michigan City and O'Hare and Midway and once every two hours between Michigan City and Notre Dame.
Michigan City Municipal Airport has a 4100-foot runway and averages 118 operations per week.
Options for commercial air service include the Gary/Chicago International Airport
in Gary, and the South Bend Regional Airport
in South Bend. The South Shore Line terminates at the South Bend airport, while there is a train stop serving the Gary airport.
The city was incorporated in 1836, by which point it had 1500 residents, along with a post office, a newspaper, a church, and a commercial district. That same year, the State Bank of Indiana opened a branch in town.
Points of interest
On clear days it is possible to see the Chicago skyline across Lake Michigan. In 1996 Mayor Sheila Brillson introduced a new logo for Michigan City, which featured the Chicago Skyline. Many residents objected to this proposal, so the official logo was changed. The official logo for Michigan City was designed by artist James McDonald.Michigan City Area Schools
Michigan City Area Schools
Michigan City Area Schools is a school district based in Michigan City, Indiana in LaPorte County. It serves students in Michigan City and several adjacent towns and villages. It operates one high school, three middle schools, and nine elementary schools....
, the city's public school system, includes one high school (Michigan City High School
Michigan City High School
Michigan City High School is located in Michigan City, Indiana. At the beginning of the 2008-2009 school year, there were 1935 students During normal hours of operation.-History:...
), three middle school
Middle school
Middle School and Junior High School are levels of schooling between elementary and high schools. Most school systems use one term or the other, not both. The terms are not interchangeable...
s, and nine elementary schools. Michigan City also has three parochial high schools - Marquette
Marquette Catholic High School (Michigan City, Indiana)
Marquette Catholic High School is a private school in Michigan City, Indiana. It is run along the principles of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Gary.-History:...
, La Lumiere, and Duneland Lutheran. Due to a lack of funds, Duneland Lutheran closed down at the end of the 2008/2009 school year. There are several parochial elementary schools in the city, including St. Paul Lutheran School, St. Stanislaus Kostka
Stanislaus Kostka
Stanisław Kostka S.J. was a Polish novice of the Society of Jesus. In the Catholic Church as Saint Stanislaus Kostka....
School, Queen Of All Saints School, and Notre Dame Catholic School. At one time Michigan City had two public high schools, M.C. Elston High School (Red Devils)(Elston is now the name of one of the middle schools located in the city and is located at the former Elston High School), and M.C. Rogers High School (Raiders). The two schools combined after the 1994-1995 school year and now constitute the present day Michigan City High School
Michigan City High School
Michigan City High School is located in Michigan City, Indiana. At the beginning of the 2008-2009 school year, there were 1935 students During normal hours of operation.-History:...
. The school is located at the former Rogers High School site.
Michigan City is the home of the Old Michigan City Light
Old Michigan City Light
The Old Michigan City lighthouse is located in the harbor of Michigan City, Indiana.Built in 1858 at a cost of $8,000, this lighthouse, replaced an 1837 brick & stone light built at water's edge...
, one of Indiana's few lighthouse
Lighthouse
A lighthouse is a tower, building, or other type of structure designed to emit light from a system of lamps and lenses or, in older times, from a fire, and used as an aid to navigation for maritime pilots at sea or on inland waterways....
s. Michigan City's largest shopping center, Lighthouse Place Premium Outlets, which was built in the mid-1980s, pays homage to the lighthouse. The mall, owned by Chelsea Premium Outlets, contains stores such as Polo Ralph Lauren, Puma, Banana Republic, J.Crew, Ecco, Guess, Gap, Fossil, and Corning Revere.
The outlet mall is built on land previously occupied by the Pullman-Standard rail car plant. Marquette Mall, constructed in 1965, is Michigan City's sole conventional shopping mall. St. Anthony Memorial Health Center is Michigan City's sole hospital.
Michigan City has one daily newspaper, The News-Dispatch. It also has one FM radio station, WEFM, and one AM radio station, WIMS
WIMS
WIMS is an AM Station broadcasting on 1420 kHz in Michigan City, Indiana, and serves the northwest Indiana listening area. Its format is primarily news, talk and sports...
AM 1420, together with one Government-access television (GATV) station, Access LaPorte County. Michigan City is in Chicago's Area of Dominant Influence. Radio and television broadcasts from both Chicago and South Bend reach most of the population.
Michigan City also houses a zoo
Washington Park Zoo
The Washington Park Zoo is a zoo located in Michigan City, Indiana, which covers on a hilly sand dune close to the southeastern tip of Lake Michigan.The zoo exhibits more than 220 animals of 90 species originating throughout the world...
, and art center, and also is the home of the Indiana State Prison
Indiana State Prison
The Indiana State Prison is a maximum security Indiana Department of Corrections prison for adult males; however, minimum security housing also exists on the confines. It is located in Michigan City, Indiana, about east of Chicago. The average daily inmate population in November 2006 was 2,200. ...
.
Known for its many talented musicians, Michigan City also has one of the nation's oldest active municipal bands. Free concerts are performed for the public every Thursday evening at the Guy F. Foreman Amphitheatre located in Washington Park.
The eastern edge of the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore
Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore
Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore is a U.S. National Lakeshore located in northwest Indiana and managed by the National Park Service. It was authorized by Congress in 1966. The national lakeshore runs for nearly along the southern shore of Lake Michigan, from Gary, Indiana, on the west to Michigan...
is also located in Michigan City. Features include Mount Baldy, a large wandering dune. A larger dune
Dune
In physical geography, a dune is a hill of sand built by wind. Dunes occur in different forms and sizes, formed by interaction with the wind. Most kinds of dunes are longer on the windward side where the sand is pushed up the dune and have a shorter "slip face" in the lee of the wind...
, Hoosier Slide, sat at the site of the current electrical generating station. This dune was mined for its sand in the late 19th century. The sand found on the beaches in and near Michigan City is nicknamed "singing sand" because of the sound it produces.
In recent years, Michigan City has added a riverboat, the Blue Chip Casino
Blue Chip Casino, Hotel and Spa
Blue Chip Casino, Hotel and Spa is a casino, hotel and spa located in Michigan City, Indiana.The riverboat casino received a $163m renovation in 2005....
. This casino is the largest riverboat in Indiana. The Blue Chip just finished building the biggest building in all of northwest Indiana by adding a 22 story hotel to its offerings in 2009. Michigan City has also added a new skatepark at Pullman
Pullman, Michigan
Pullman is an unincorporated community in Lee Township of Allegan County in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is in a predominantly rural area of Western Michigan, about 150 miles east of Chicago. It is centered on the junction of 109th Avenue and 56th Street between sections eight and nine of Lee...
Field to its tourism offerings.
Going forward Michigan City is looking to revitalize much of its north end, which contains the oldest portions of the city. One plan that has been discussed is the Andrews Plan The Andrews Plan also won an award for 2008 CNU Charter Award of Excellence. Most discussion centers on maintaining and expanding open and accessible park areas on Lake Michigan and along Trail Creek.
Michigan City Power Plant lies along the shore of Lake Michigan west of the downtown core. The cooling tower of the coal burning plant is visible for miles around & is often mistaken for a nuclear power plant.
Government
The mayor is Chuck OberlieChuck Oberlie
Chuck Oberlie is the current mayor of Michigan City, Indiana, serving since January 1, 2004. On Dec 1, 2010 Oberlie announced that he would not seek re-election.-External links:* official government website* profile...
. Michigan City has a Council with nine members. Six are elected from geographic wards and three are elected as at-large members.
City Council members are:
- Richard Murphy, First Ward
- Marc Espar, Second Ward
- Ron Meer, Third Ward
- Patricia Boy, Fourth Ward
- Faye Moore, Fifth Ward
- Phillip Jankowski, Sixth Ward
- Joseph Doyle, Councilman At-Large
- Angela Nelson, Councilwoman At-Large
- Robert McKee, Councilman At-Large
Famous people from Michigan City
- Anne BaxterAnne BaxterAnne Baxter was an American actress known for her performances in films such as The Magnificent Ambersons , The Razor's Edge , All About Eve and The Ten Commandments .-Early life:...
, Academy Award-winning American actress - Daniel D. BruceDaniel D. BruceDaniel Dean Bruce was a United States Marine who posthumously received the Medal of Honor for heroism in Vietnam...
, United States Marine who was posthumously awarded the Medal of HonorMedal of HonorThe Medal of Honor is the highest military decoration awarded by the United States government. It is bestowed by the President, in the name of Congress, upon members of the United States Armed Forces who distinguish themselves through "conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his or her...
for heroism in VietnamVietnam WarThe Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
in March 1969 - Abe GibronAbe GibronAbraham Gibron was an American football coach and player. He is best remembered for his tenure as head coach of the Chicago Bears of the National Football League. He played in the NFL as an offensive lineman for the Cleveland Browns, the Philadelphia Eagles, and the Bears...
, Chicago BearsChicago BearsThe Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
American footballAmerican footballAmerican football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
player - John HuppenthalJohn HuppenthalJohn Huppenthal is the current Arizona Superintendent of Public Instruction.His political career includes serving as City Councilman, State Representative, and State Senator. Huppenthal was also a Senior Planning Analyst for Salt River Project.- Personal :Huppenthal was born in Michigan City,...
, Republican State SenatorState SenatorA state senator is a member of a state's Senate, the upper house in the bicameral legislature of 49 U.S. states, or a legislator in Nebraska's one house State Legislature.There are typically fewer state senators than there are members of a state's lower house...
in the Arizona LegislatureArizona LegislatureThe Arizona Legislature is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Arizona. It is a bicameral legislature that consists of a lower house, the House of Representatives, and an upper house, the Senate. There are 60 Representatives and 30 Senators...
. - Anita KingAnita KingAnita King was an American stunt driver, actress, and thoroughbred racehorse owner.-Early life:Born Anna Keppen to German immigrants in Michigan City, Indiana, her father committed suicide in 1896 when she was twelve years old and two years later her mother died of pulmonary tuberculosis...
, American racecar driver, actress, and thoroughbred racehorse owner - Mike LaRoccoMike LaRoccoMike LaRocco is a former professional Supercross and Motocross racer. He is often referred to as "LaRocket" or "the rock" and raced a Kawasaki 125, 250, 500cc two strokes and a Honda 450cc four-stroke dirt bike.Mike LaRocco was a pro from 1988 to 2006, a record 19 seasons. He made his 214th start...
, professional SupercrossSupercrossSupercross is a motorcycle racing sport involving off-road motorcycles on an artificially-made dirt tracks consisting of steep jumps and obstacles. Professional supercross contest races are held almost exclusively within professional baseball and football stadiums.-History:Supercross was derived...
and MotocrossMotocrossMotocross is a form of motorcycle sport or all-terrain vehicle racing held on enclosed off road circuits. It evolved from trials, and was called scrambles, and later motocross, combining the French moto with cross-country...
racer - Don LarsenDon LarsenDonald James Larsen is a former Major League Baseball pitcher. During a 15-year baseball career, he pitched from 1953-67 for seven different teams. Larsen is best known for pitching the sixth perfect game in baseball history, doing so in game 5 of the 1956 World Series...
, Major League BaseballMajor League BaseballMajor League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
pitcher - David LilienthalDavid LilienthalDavid Eli Lilienthal was an American public official who served in many different governmental roles over the course of his career...
, Chairman of the Tennessee Valley Authority 1941-1946; Chairman, U.S. Atomic Energy Commission, 1947–1949 - Achy ObejasAchy ObejasAchy Obejas is a Cuban American writer and journalist focused on personal and national identity issues, living in Chicago, Illinois.-Life and career:Obejas was born June 28, 1956 in Havana, Cuba...
, American writer and journalist{ - Amy SpindlerAmy SpindlerAmy M. Spindler was an American journalist who had been style editor of The New York Times Magazine. She died of a brain tumor in 2004....
, fashion critic and style editor of The New York Times MagazineThe New York Times MagazineThe New York Times Magazine is a Sunday magazine supplement included with the Sunday edition of The New York Times. It is host to feature articles longer than those typically in the newspaper and has attracted many notable contributors... - Ted ThorneTed ThorneTed Thorne was born October 16, 1929 in Detroit, Michigan. Thorne at 17 became the youngest sports editor of a daily newspaper in the state of Indiana, the Michigan City News-Dispatch...
, Chicago news anchor, local radio host
Transportation
South Shore Line (NICTD)
The South Shore Line is an electrically powered interurban commuter rail line operated by the Northern Indiana Commuter Transportation District between Millennium Station in downtown Chicago and the South Bend Regional Airport in South Bend, Indiana...
, one of the last interurban rail lines in the U.S. The train runs directly through on 11th Street (it has no separate right-of-way, and shares the street with automobiles and other road traffic), making two stops in Michigan City's downtown area (11th Street
11th Street (NICTD)
The 11th Street station is a street stop in the central city neighborhood of Michigan City, Indiana. It is located adjacent to the historic 11th Street Station of the former Chicago, South Shore and South Bend Railroad, which operated the station from 1927 until 1987.-History:The Chicago, South...
and Carroll Avenue
Carroll Avenue (NICTD)
The Carroll Avenue station is located on the east side of Michigan City, Indiana. For reasons of road access and parking, it, and not the 11th Street station also located in Michigan City but in the middle of a public street, is the city's primary commuter station for South Shore Line service...
). This rail line connects Michigan City with downtown Chicago westward as well as the South Bend Regional Airport to the east.
Amtrak
Amtrak
The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, doing business as Amtrak , is a government-owned corporation that was organized on May 1, 1971, to provide intercity passenger train service in the United States. "Amtrak" is a portmanteau of the words "America" and "track". It is headquartered at Union...
serves the city with Wolverine trains, which run from Chicago to Detroit, and Pontiac
Pontiac, Michigan
Pontiac is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan named after the Ottawa Chief Pontiac, located within the Detroit metropolitan area. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 59,515. It is the county seat of Oakland County...
three times a day in each direction. Under the current schedule, Wolverine fills in several gaps in South Shore Line's weekday service and augments weekend service. While Wolverine trains are faster, South Shore Lines are cheaper and run more frequently.
Michigan City operates a bus service. Officially known as Michigan City Transit
Michigan City Transit
Michigan City Transit is a municipal bus service in Michigan City, Indiana. It was known as Michigan City Municipal Coach until 2007. The service was created in 1955, when Michigan City assumed control of bus routes operated by Michigan City Transit Lines, a private bus system...
, it is made up of four routes that run on Monday-Saturday. All routes originate at Michigan City Public Library and travel around the city in (largely mono-directional) loops until they return back to the library. Route 3 connects to Carroll Avenue South Shore Line station, while other routes connect to the 11th street station. In addition, Route 1 passes near the Amtrak station on the way to Washington Park. Michigan City also operates a Dial-a-Bus service.
Coach USA
Coach USA
Coach USA LLC is a holding company for various American transportation service providers providing scheduled intercity bus service, local and commuter bus transit, city sightseeing, tour, yellow school bus, and charter bus service...
's Tri-State/United Limo service between The University of Notre Dame
University of Notre Dame
The University of Notre Dame du Lac is a Catholic research university located in Notre Dame, an unincorporated community north of the city of South Bend, in St. Joseph County, Indiana, United States...
and O'Hare airport stops at Michigan City
Michigan City
Michigan City may refer to:* Michigan City, California* Michigan City, Indiana* Michigan City, Mississippi* Michigan City, North Dakota...
at the Clarion Hotel (5820 Franklin St). The service makes stops at Notre Dame, South Bend, Portage, Highland, Crestwood and O'Hare and Midway airports. Buses run from 4:10 am – 1:10 am (US Central Time). Buses run once every hour in both direction between Michigan City and O'Hare and Midway and once every two hours between Michigan City and Notre Dame.
Michigan City Municipal Airport has a 4100-foot runway and averages 118 operations per week.
Options for commercial air service include the Gary/Chicago International Airport
Gary/Chicago International Airport
Gary/Chicago International Airport is a public airport located three miles northwest of the central business district of Gary, a city in Lake County, Indiana, United States. The airport, which serves the Chicago metropolitan area, is 25 miles southeast of the Chicago Loop...
in Gary, and the South Bend Regional Airport
South Bend Regional Airport
South Bend Regional Airport is a public airport located three miles northwest of the central business district of South Bend, a city in St. Joseph County, Indiana, United States. This airport is publicly owned by St. Joseph County Airport Authority...
in South Bend. The South Shore Line terminates at the South Bend airport, while there is a train stop serving the Gary airport.