Chesterton, Indiana
Encyclopedia
Chesterton is a town in Westchester
, Jackson
and Liberty
townships, Porter County
, Indiana
, United States
. The population was 13,068 at the 2010 census. The three towns of Chesterton
, Burns Harbor, and Porter
are known as the tri-towns or the Duneland area.
of 2000, there were 10,488 people, 4,039 households, and 2,879 families residing in the town. The population density
was 1,232.0 people per square mile (475.8/km²). There were 4,212 housing units at an average density of 494.8 per square mile (191.1/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 96.29% White, 0.44% African American, 0.21% Native American, 1.37% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.51% from other races
, and 1.16% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.31% of the population.
There were 4,039 households out of which 36.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.3% were married couples
living together, 9.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.7% were non-families. 23.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.57 and the average family size was 3.06.
In the town the population was spread out with 26.8% under the age of 18, 8.1% from 18 to 24, 29.6% from 25 to 44, 24.8% from 45 to 64, and 10.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 95.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.3 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $55,530, and the median income for a family was $66,239. Males had a median income of $50,599 versus $28,300 for females. The per capita income
for the town was $26,539. About 3.1% of families and 4.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 6.5% of those under age 18 and 4.2% of those age 65 or over.
station.
's Orange Line route stops near the South Shore station, indirectly connecting Chesterton to Valparaiso University
, and the V-Shuttle service runs between Dune Park station and Valparaiso
's Village Center during evenings. V-Line is currently considering adding a route that would make stops within Chesterton proper.
and the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore.
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the town has a total area of 8.6 square miles (22.3 km²), of which 8.5 square miles (22 km²) is land and 0.1 square mile (0.258998811 km²) (1.27%) is water. Just north of the town is Indiana Dunes State Park
and the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore
. Most of the town is flat. However, going south into the city on the Route 49 overpass, one can see the Valparaiso Moraine
in the distance.
Westchester Township, Porter County, Indiana
Westchester Township is one of twelve townships in Porter County, Indiana. As of the 2000 census, its population was 18,133.-Cities and Towns:Westchester Townsip includes the communities of Chesterton, Porter, Dune Acres, and Burns Harbor.-Education:...
, Jackson
Jackson Township, Porter County, Indiana
Jackson Township is one of twelve townships in Porter County, Indiana. As of the 2000 census, its population was 4,592.-Education:Jackson Township is served by the Duneland School Corporation. Their high school is Chesteron High School, located in Chesterton to the northwest.-External links:* *...
and Liberty
Liberty Township, Porter County, Indiana
Liberty Township is one of twelve townships in Porter County, Indiana. As of the 2000 census, its population was 6,727.-Cities and Towns:The town of Chesterton has grown south from Westchester Township and has incorporated parts of Liberty Township along State Route 49 near the Indiana Toll Road...
townships, Porter County
Porter County, Indiana
Porter County is a county located in the U.S. state of Indiana. As of 2010, the population was 164,343. Much of the population growth has to do with the expansion of the Chicago Metropolitan Area eastward into Indiana. The county seat is Valparaiso...
, Indiana
Indiana
Indiana is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the Midwestern United States and Great Lakes Region. With 6,483,802 residents, the state is ranked 15th in population and 16th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38th in land area and is...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The population was 13,068 at the 2010 census. The three towns of Chesterton
Chesterton
-Places:United Kingdom*Chesterton, Cambridge**Chesterton railway station*Chesterton, Huntingdonshire*Chesterton Rural District*Chesterton *Chesterton, Oxfordshire*Chesterton, Staffordshire*Chesterton, Warwickshire...
, Burns Harbor, and Porter
Porter, Indiana
Porter is a town in Westchester Township, Porter County, Indiana, United States. The population was 4,972 at the 2000 census.Porter is noted for its proximity to the Indiana Dunes State Park and for its railroad heritage...
are known as the tri-towns or the Duneland area.
Demographics
As of the censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2000, there were 10,488 people, 4,039 households, and 2,879 families residing in the town. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 1,232.0 people per square mile (475.8/km²). There were 4,212 housing units at an average density of 494.8 per square mile (191.1/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 96.29% White, 0.44% African American, 0.21% Native American, 1.37% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.51% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 1.16% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.31% of the population.
There were 4,039 households out of which 36.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.3% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 9.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.7% were non-families. 23.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.57 and the average family size was 3.06.
In the town the population was spread out with 26.8% under the age of 18, 8.1% from 18 to 24, 29.6% from 25 to 44, 24.8% from 45 to 64, and 10.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 95.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.3 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $55,530, and the median income for a family was $66,239. Males had a median income of $50,599 versus $28,300 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the town was $26,539. About 3.1% of families and 4.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 6.5% of those under age 18 and 4.2% of those age 65 or over.
Public Schools
Chesterton High School, or CHS, serves the tri-town area. Chesterton High School operates Chesterton's only local radio station,WDSO 88.3FM. Since this station is non-commercial, it is not serviced by the Arbitron rating system so there is no way to accurately measure its audience.Business and Industry
Chesterton has a local newspaper, the Chesterton Tribune, which is published weekdays and delivered in the afternoons. The newspaper has served the Chesterton area since 1884 and has been published daily since 1961.South Shore Line
The South Shore Line, operated by the Northwest Indiana Commuter Transportation District, has their headquarters here. The South Shore Line stops north of Chesterton at the Dune ParkDune Park (NICTD)
Dune Park is a station in unincorporated Porter County, Indiana located north of the municipalities of Chesterton and Porter. It is used by South Shore Line trains, and serves as the headquarters of the Northern Indiana Commuter Transportation District , the umbrella agency that operates the South...
station.
Valparaiso V-Line
V-LineV-Line (bus)
The V-Line is the local bus operation in Valparaiso, Indiana. Service began on October 1, 2007 making Valparaiso one of the smallest cities in the United States to have its own independent public transit system.-Operations:...
's Orange Line route stops near the South Shore station, indirectly connecting Chesterton to Valparaiso University
Valparaiso University
Valparaiso University, known colloquially as Valpo, is a regionally accredited private university located in the city of Valparaiso in the U.S. state of Indiana. Founded in 1859, it consists of five undergraduate colleges, a graduate school, a nursing school and a law school...
, and the V-Shuttle service runs between Dune Park station and Valparaiso
Valparaíso
Valparaíso is a city and commune of Chile, center of its third largest conurbation and one of the country's most important seaports and an increasing cultural center in the Southwest Pacific hemisphere. The city is the capital of the Valparaíso Province and the Valparaíso Region...
's Village Center during evenings. V-Line is currently considering adding a route that would make stops within Chesterton proper.
Significant Historical Events
- In 1933, a United Airlines NC13304 flight became the first known case of an attack against an aircraft. It was downed by nitroglycerine bomb above Chesterton on October 10, 1933. All 7 persons aboard the aircraft—four passengers and a crew of three—were killed in the crash.
- In 2009, on the second day of school that year, Chesterton Middle School suffered tornado damage, as did over 100 other homes and apartment buildings. One residential building was severely damaged.
Historic Districts and Structures
- Chesterton Commercial Historic DistrictChesterton Commercial Historic DistrictThe Chesterton Commercial Historic District is a historic district in Chesterton, Indiana.Originally called Coffee Creek and located a little to the south of the current downtown, the name was changed some time after the post office was established in 1833 to Calumet, the river to the north...
- The Brown Mansion
Media Exposure
- In 2008, MTVMTVMTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
came to Chesterton in Spring and filmed their hit reality-TV show MADEMadeMade or MADE may refer to:*Made - town in the Netherlands*van der Made - Dutch family name*Made *Made *Made *Made - by Scarface*M.A.D.E...
. Courtney Jurick was made in to a BMX racer and Marie Kosakowski was made into a hip-hop dancer. Both shows aired on 9/13/08. - The 2009 tornado brought live coverage from The Weather ChannelThe Weather ChannelThe Weather Channel is a US cable and satellite television network since May 2, 1982, that broadcasts weather forecasts and weather-related news, along with entertainment programming related to weather 24 hours a day...
and Chicago news affiliates.
Festivals
Chesterton is home to the annual Wizard of Oz Festival, which is the largest and most famous of its kind. In 2006, former organizers Lakeshore Festivals and Events moved the event to the Porter County Expo Center in Valparaiso. After 3 years, LFE discontinued the festival and it was brought home to Chesterton by the Duneland Business Initiative Group in 2009.Notable natives and residents
- Jim GaffiganJim GaffiganJames Christopher "Jim" Gaffigan is an American stand-up comedian and actor.-Early life:Gaffigan was born in Chesterton, Indiana and attended La Lumiere School in La Porte, Indiana. He is the youngest of six children and often jokes about growing up in a large family. He attended one year at...
, standup comedian and actor - Matt Nover, former Indiana University basketball player and star of the movie Blue ChipsBlue ChipsBlue Chips is a 1994 drama film about basketball, directed by William Friedkin, written by Ron Shelton and starring Nick Nolte as a college coach and real-life basketball stars Shaquille O'Neal and Anfernee "Penny" Hardaway as talented finds....
- Mickey MorandiniMickey MorandiniMichael Robert "Mickey" Morandini is a former All-Star second baseman who played for the Philadelphia Phillies, Chicago Cubs, and Toronto Blue Jays of Major League Baseball, and the current manager of the A-level Williamsport Crosscutters...
, former Major League Baseball player - Ron KittleRon KittleRonald Dale Kittle is a former left fielder and designated hitter in Major League Baseball who was known mostly for his home run power, being named the 1983 AL Rookie of the Year...
, former Major League Baseball player - Eddie WinelandEddie WinelandEddie Wineland is an American professional mixed martial artist from Highland, Indiana who fights in the bantamweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship. Wineland is a former World Extreme Cagefighting Bantamweight Champion...
, professional MMA fighter (Bantamweight)
Parkland
Chesterton's park system includes several large public parks and sports fields. The town is also served by the Porter County Park District and the nearby Indiana Dunes State Park. Several trails connect Chesterton with PorterPorter, Indiana
Porter is a town in Westchester Township, Porter County, Indiana, United States. The population was 4,972 at the 2000 census.Porter is noted for its proximity to the Indiana Dunes State Park and for its railroad heritage...
and the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore.
Coffee Creek
Coffee Creek flows through an area that includes downtown Chesterton. The Coffee Creek Watershed Preserve includes a restored section of the creek and its associated wetland.Effluent Discharge
Chesterton is known for dumping hundreds to thousands of gallons of sewage into the nearby Little Calumet River every year during almost all rainfall events. The Little Calumet River then flows to Lake Michigan. Most days after a heavy rainstorm nearby beaches are then closed because of high e.coli counts. The Chesterton Tribune reports any or all waste water treatment plant bypasses. In the Spring of 2010, this is to be fixed permanently when the City is slated to undergo a complete re-working of the sewer systems in the downtown area and other sections of town. The downtown sewer system replacement project was placed on hold this year due to the congestion caused by the enormous roadway re-alignment project already in progress located at Calumet Avenue, State Road 49, and County Road 1100 North.Geography
Chesterton is located at 41°36′15"N 87°3′30"W (41.604251, -87.058442).According to the United States Census Bureau
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the town has a total area of 8.6 square miles (22.3 km²), of which 8.5 square miles (22 km²) is land and 0.1 square mile (0.258998811 km²) (1.27%) is water. Just north of the town is Indiana Dunes State Park
Indiana Dunes State Park
Indiana DunesDesignationState Park; National Natural LandmarkLocationPorter County, Indiana, USAAddress1600 N 25 EChesterton, IN 46304Nearest CityPorter, IndianaCoordinatesAreaDate of Establishment1925...
and 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...
. Most of the town is flat. However, going south into the city on the Route 49 overpass, one can see the Valparaiso Moraine
Valparaiso Moraine
The Valparaiso Moraine is a terminal moraine around the Lake Michigan basin in North America. It is a band of high, hilly terrain made up of glacial till and sand that reaches an elevation of near 300 feet above the level of Lake Michigan at its maximum height in Indiana and 17 miles wide at its...
in the distance.