Tremont, Indiana
Encyclopedia
| Tremont | |
| Founded | 1833 |
| Changed | 1876 |
| Location | U.S. 12 and Tremont Road |
| Nearest City | Porter, Indiana 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... |
| Coordinates | 41.66°N 87.04°W |
Tremont, Indiana, is a ghost town
Ghost town
A ghost town is an abandoned town or city. A town often becomes a ghost town because the economic activity that supported it has failed, or due to natural or human-caused disasters such as floods, government actions, uncontrolled lawlessness, war, or nuclear disasters...
formerly located in what is now the 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 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...
in Westchester Township
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:...
in northern Porter County, Indiana
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...
. It was first established in 1833. It was located at the intersection of U.S. Highway 12 and County Road 100 East, near Indiana 49. The community is named for three massive sand dunes that are now contained within the State park. They are Mount Tom (200 feet (61 m) above the surrounding area), Mount Holden 170 feet (51.8 m), and Mount Green 160 feet (48.8 m).
Tremont was located adjacent to the South Shore Line
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...
, an electric interurban
Interurban
An interurban, also called a radial railway in parts of Canada, is a type of electric passenger railroad; in short a hybrid between tram and train. Interurbans enjoyed widespread popularity in the first three decades of the twentieth century in North America. Until the early 1920s, most roads were...
railroad line that skirted the heart of the Indiana Dunes. For this reason, descriptions of the history of the Dunes often mention Tremont. For example, the Prairie Club beach house built in 1913 by landcape preservationist Jens Jensen
Jens Jensen (landscape architect)
Jens Jensen was a Danish-American landscape architect.-Early life:Jens Jensen was born near Dybbøl in Slesvig, Denmark, in 1860, to a wealthy farming family. For the first nineteen years of his life he lived on his family's farm, which cultivated his love for the natural environment...
and a group of friends was built in Tremont, close to the rail line.
Tremont was always an unincorporated community, but grew to some extent during the early 1900s and had its own commuter railroad station on the South Shore. However, the creation in the 1960s of the National Lakeshore by land acquisition caused the community to dwindle out of existence.
Part of the former village of Tremont remains built upon, as the South Shore Line's current NICTD
Dune 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...
headquarters building and station is located adjacent to the former village center. The original Tremont railroad station was built somewhat east of the current Dune Park station and parking lots.