10 Years Ago
Friday, Dec. 30, 2011 – Highlights from the Year in Review: Services are held for U.S. Army Spc. James A. Butz, killed in Afghanistan; six homicides are reported in Porter County; firefighters respond to 11 residential fires and two drownings; the Downtown utility project is completed; ground breaks on the new Chesterton municipal complex; ground also breaks on the Addison Point Health & Rehabilitation Center.
15 Years Ago
Tuesday, Jan. 2, 2007 – Chesterton Park Superintendent Bruce Mathias is assaulted by an ATV on the Prairie Duneland Trail while walking his dog. . . Field Station Cooperative introduces Field Station Explorers, a nature-based program for elementary school children. . . Andy St. Germain, Ben Williams, and Alex Sanchez place at the 32-team Al Smith Wrestling Invitational in Mishawaka.
25 Years Ago
Monday, Dec. 30, 1996 – John R. Hart is the local winner of the “Voice of Democracy” essay contest sponsored by VFW Post 2511. . . CHS wrestlers finish third at the Wawasee Invitational. Rob Smith places first in the 119-pound class. Placing second are Luke Ember at 112 pounds, Nick Pace at 171 pounds, and Todd Ribar at 189 pounds. . . Officers from Porter County police departments will conduct sobriety checkpoints on New Year’s Eve.
50 Years Ago
Thursday, Dec. 30, 1971 – The Burns Harbor Town Board last night encumbered the money to buy the barrow pit in the Haglund subdivision area as a town park. The board passed a resolution encumbering $31,000, although the agreed price is $30,000. It was felt that the extra $1,000 may be needed for more work on the site. The encumbering of the funds is not an obligation to spend the money… The office of Porter County Auditor Robert Pierce will be open until 4:30 p.m. Friday in case any bids come in to buy the old country fairgrounds. The bidding is to remain open until Dec. 31 at not less than $979,800. If no bids are received, the 29-acre fairgrounds will probably be reappraised. . . The Porter County Council voted funds on Tuesday that will accomplish several things next year: $20,900 to provide a full-time county prosecutor’s office; the prosecutor, attorney David Bahlmann, will receive a $26,500 salary paid by the state and will not return to private practice. And $38,650 to raise the salaries of county officials now that Porter county is a second-class county; these are mandatory increases. . . General Telephone of Indiana is cooperating with law enforcement officials in apprehending people who abuse the telephone system by placing annoying phone calls. A Fort Wayne woman was convicted recently on charges of making annoying telephone calls. “Tracing these calls is no problem,” said C.K. Corbett, security director of General Telephone of Indiana. “Any customer receiving an annoying phone call should notify the police so that appropriate action can be taken.” . . SEEN AND HEARD: Heard—That Girl Scout Junior Troop 282 of Chesterton has received a thank you for one of the ditty bags the girls filled for the Red Cross, which were sent to Vietnam. Sgt. Gordon Langsford of Phan Rang AFB wrote the troop a thank you note and said he especially appreciated the Spanish peanuts which he said are nonexistent over there. . . Tonight’s TV Highlights: “Dean Martin Show,” NBC. Guest stars are Art Carney and Howard Costello. Skits include the trio as hardhat workers making fun of personalities named Martin, Carney, and Cosell.
100 Years Ago
Thursday, Dec. 29, 1921 – V.D. Young was injured at the plant of the American China Company last Thursday. He was employed by the Foster Lumber Company and was unloading lumber when a heavy board hit him on the side of the head and cut a deep gash. Several stitches were necessary to close the wound. . . The Christmas shopping season in Chesterton this year was good. Business for the merchants did not quite come up to last year generally, although a few stores did a great business. However, the business was considerably more than was expected and businessmen are satisfied. Small town merchants did a good holiday business all over the country. On the contrary, mail-order houses report a great falling off in sales for the last two months. This shows that folks are beginning to realize it’s better to see it before you buy it, and that home merchants can and do compete with mail-order prices. The excellent holiday advertising which reached the local public through the medium of the Chesterton Tribune was one of the big factors in keeping trade at home this year. . . A splendid Christmas present arrived Christmas morning at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Frank Peterson. The gift is named Roy Edwin and he is a splendid young fellow. Santa Claus seldom is as good as he was to the Petersons this year… Frank Targgart was the lucky man who won the electric train which has been on display in the window of P. & H. Drug Store this season. The winning number was 3. A large crowd gathered for the drawing on Christmas Eve. . . New Year’s Ball, given by Anderson and Young, at Chesterton Hall on Saturday. Come and dance our good-old fashioned Square Dances, Toddles, and Fox Trots in turn. Music by Spencer’s Orchestra. Admission 50 cents… The state highway commission has taken action against the erection and posting of signs along the state highways. The commission ordered all advertising signs removed from the highways under their control effective July 1, 1922. This is very gratifying to the Hoosier State Auto Association. “We believe in the power of the printer’s ink,” the manager declares. Roadside signs are a record of dead and gone business firms, including some that are not defunct, of course, but the stranger can’t tell which is which.
125 Years Ago
Saturday, Jan. 2, 1897 – Fire destroyed the barn on the Albert Henke place on Christmas Eve. The farm is rented by Frank Linderman. Both the Linderman and Henke families were away at the time, and the barn and contents were totally destroyed. The barn was insured in the Continental for $800. Linderman lost considerable and had no insurance. The origin of the fire is unknown. . . Agent Ruggles of the Michigan Central at Porter is suffering from a severe case of blood poisoning. He accidentally pricked his hand on a paper hook, which started the trouble… The late bank failures in Chicago have again tightened up the money market all over the country. There is not much use hoping for or expecting better times until the laboring men of this country have been working a year at good wages. No help need be expected from the money changers. . . “The bloated millionaires” of the Chicago banks got some very hot tomatoes in their stockings on Christmas, which goes to prove that the hard times are felt by all classes. . . Ex-sheriff Jim Malone made a killing on the Board of Trade a short time ago and is roosting high. The exact sum is not known but it is somewhere between $25,000 and $30,000. The lucky speculation immediately lifted a big mortgage on his farm. As the game now stands, Jim Malone has the doubtful honor of being the only Porter County man who is ahead of the Board of Trade…Charles Swanson ate his Christmas turkey in Westchester. He is still in the pickle business and getting rich. Since he left here and became a citizen of Chicago, he entered Masonry and recently took the 32nd degree. . .
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