A Photographic History of Valparaiso - Porter County, Indiana
A Photographic History of Valparaiso - Porter County, Indiana
A Photographic History of Valparaiso - Porter County, Indiana
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David <strong>Porter</strong>Once a village <strong>of</strong> bark wigwams, <strong>Valparaiso</strong> wasfirst settled by the Potawatomi Indians. Named inhonor <strong>of</strong> a Potawatomi chief, <strong>Valparaiso</strong> was thenknown as Chiqua's town.A French-Canadian, Joseph Bailly, established athriving fur post on the shore <strong>of</strong> Lake Michigan. Baillybecame the area's first white settler. For 11. years, heremained the sole non-Indian resident.The purchase <strong>of</strong> the Potawatomi land by the U.S.government in October 1832, paved the way for additionalsettlers. Many followed the Indian path, knownas the Old Sauk Trail, which passes near <strong>Valparaiso</strong>'spresent public library.J. P. Ballard was the first to erect a house on thesite <strong>of</strong> <strong>Valparaiso</strong> during 1834.By an act <strong>of</strong> the General Assembly in 1836, <strong>Porter</strong><strong>County</strong>, consisting <strong>of</strong> the present <strong>Porter</strong> and Lakecounties, was formed. Chiqua's town, now the countyseat, became known as <strong>Porter</strong>sville.Residents laid out plans for the town July 7, 1836.That same year, on October 31, the plat was <strong>of</strong>ficiallyrecorded.The <strong>Indiana</strong> legislature, in 1836, moved to separatewhat is now <strong>Porter</strong> <strong>County</strong> from LaPorte <strong>County</strong>. Atthis time residents voted to name the new county afterWar <strong>of</strong> 1812 hero, Commodore David <strong>Porter</strong>, and thecounty seat after <strong>Valparaiso</strong>, Chile, where <strong>Porter</strong> hadwaged war while in command <strong>of</strong> the frigate Essex.Thus, in 1837, <strong>Porter</strong>sville became known as <strong>Valparaiso</strong>or the Spanish, "Vale <strong>of</strong> Paradise."With a population <strong>of</strong> 520, in 1850, <strong>Valparaiso</strong> wasincorporated as a town. The <strong>of</strong>ficial papers incorporattingthe city <strong>of</strong> <strong>Valparaiso</strong> were signed Dec. 2, 1865.<strong>Valparaiso</strong>, located 15 miles south <strong>of</strong> Lake Michiganand the deep water Port <strong>of</strong> <strong>Indiana</strong>, is 55 milessoutheast <strong>of</strong> Chicago and 140 miles northwest <strong>of</strong> thestate capitol. The city encompasses approximately7.5 square miles and has a population (1975 estimatedcensus) 23,000. It lies on a moraine at an altitude <strong>of</strong>784 feet above sea level.<strong>Valparaiso</strong>, a 3rd class city, ranks 24th in citypopulation. It is the governmental, cultural and economiccenter <strong>of</strong> <strong>Porter</strong> <strong>County</strong>, the 12th largest andfastest growing county in the State <strong>of</strong> <strong>Indiana</strong>.