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 the region's ecological significance.

History

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 as being Potawatomi and Miami. The trading post system used by 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 on State Route 49 at Baum's Bridge Road, 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 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 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 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.

Geography

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; 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, is a small hill on the county's east border, 2.75 miles NW of Westville. The lowest point, at approximately, is along the Lake Michigan shoreline. According to the 2010 census, the county has an area of, of which is land and is water, most of it in Lake Michigan.

Adjacent counties

Protected areas

Major highways

*

Railroads

Municipalities

The municipalities in Porter County and their populations as of the 2010 Census:

Cities

Towns

Census-designated places

Unincorporated communities

Townships

The 12 townships of Porter County:

Education

Colleges and Universities

Public School Districts

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

Public libraries

The county is served by two public library systems:
  • Porter County Public Library has its main branch in Valparaiso with branches in Hebron, Kouts, Portage and South Haven.
  • Westchester Public Library has its main branch, the Thomas Library, in Chesterton with a branch, the Hageman Library, in Porter.

Hospitals

  • Porter Health Care System – 301 beds
  • * Portage Hospital – Portage
  • * Porter Regional Hospital – Valparaiso

Climate and weather

In recent years, average temperatures in Valparaiso have ranged from a low of in January to a high of in July, although a record low of was recorded in January 1985 and a record high of was recorded in July 1934. Average monthly precipitation ranged from in February to in June.

Government

The county government is a constitutional body, and is granted specific powers by the Constitution of Indiana and 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 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 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 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 the national winner in every presidential election since 1980 except for 1992 and 2020.

County elected officials

Board of Commissioners:
  • Jim Biggs
  • Barb Regnitz
  • Ed Morales
County Council:
  • Ronald "Red" Stone, Vice President
  • Jeremy Rivas
  • Greg Simms
  • Andy Vasquez, President
  • Michelle Harris
  • Andy Bozak
  • Mike Brickner
Elected Officials:

Demographics

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, the county had a population of 173,215. The median age was 40.6 years. 22.1% of residents were under the age of 18 and 17.6% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 96.7 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 94.5 males age 18 and over.
The racial makeup of the county was 82.6% White, 4.4% Black or African American, 0.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.3% Asian, <0.1% Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander, 2.9% from some other race, and 8.5% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents of any race comprised 10.9% of the population.
76.4% of residents lived in urban areas, while 23.6% lived in rural areas.
There were 67,361 households in the county, of which 30.6% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 52.2% were married-couple households, 17.2% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 23.5% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 25.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.
There were 71,483 housing units, of which 5.8% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 75.9% were owner-occupied and 24.1% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.2% and the rental vacancy rate was 7.2%.

2010 Census

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. There were 66,179 housing units at an average density of. The racial makeup of the county 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 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 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.

Cemeteries

Maplewood Cemetery, next to Graceland in Valparaiso, has burials from the 1700s. The Bailly Cemetery was started in 1827. Additional cemeteries were created as 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.

Parks

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.
  • Brincka Cross Gardens Pine Township
  • Calumet Trail, parallel to U.S. 12, at the north end of the county. A mixed use trail for walking, running, biking and cross-country skiing.
  • Dunn's Bridge County Park on the southern boundary of the county on County Road 500 East, Dunn's Bridge spans the Kankakee River to Jasper county. It is one of the oldest landmarks in the region. Built over a century ago across the Kankakee River by a resident farmer named Dunn, legend suggests its origins may be traced to the famous George Ferris, creator of the first 'Ferris Wheel'. The park provides small boat access to the Kankakee River and a parking lot.
  • Sunset Hill Farm County Park. Built around the Col. Murray farm, the open meadows are used for festivals and events.

Cultural activities

Museums

  • Alton Goin Museum is operated by the Portage Community Historical Society at Countryside Park in Portage to preserve the city's history, including the Trager farmhouse.
  • Bailly Homestead & Chellberg Farm is part of Indiana Dunes National Park.
  • Brauer Museum of Art is operated by Valparaiso University and is located in Valparaiso University Center for the Arts. It has the largest collection of works by Junius R. Sloan.
  • [Beverly Shores (NICTD station)|Depot of Beverly Shores Museum & Art Gallery] is a pink stucco museum to preserve Beverly Shores history through rotating exhibits of paintings, drawings, sculpture, ceramics and woodcarving.
  • Hour Glass House Museum has the works of local artists.
  • Porter County Museum of History maintains the history of Porter County.
  • Stagecoach Inn & Panhandle Depot is operated by the Hebron Historical Society in Hebron.
  • Westchester Township History Museum is operated by the Westchester Public Library and is located in the George Brown Mansion, the former home of a wealthy family that exhibits local history of the Indiana Dunes.
  • Task Force Tips Fire Museum is operated by Task Force Tips in Valparaiso to preserve the history of fire equipment.

Live Theater

  • 4th Street Theater is a community theater in Chesterton.
  • Chicago Street Theatre is a community theater in Valparaiso.
  • Front Porch Music is a music supply store that offers a weekly 'open mic' night and sponsors concerts in Valparaiso.
  • Memorial Opera House presents live theater and a variety of other monthly programs.
  • Valparaiso Theatrical Company travels to different venues in Porter County presenting live theater with the proceeds benefitting a variety of charities.
  • Valparaiso University Center for the Arts is the Valparaiso University's performing arts center.