Crown Point is a city in and the county seat of Lake County, Indiana, United
States. The population was 27,317 at the 2010 census. The city was incorporated
in 1868. On October 31, 1834, Solon Robinson and his family became the first
settlers to an area that later became Crown Point. Because of its location,
Crown Point is known as the "Hub of Lake County".
The city is surrounded by Merrillville to the north, Winfield to the east,
Cedar Lake to the southwest, St. John to the west, and unincorporated
Schererville to the northwest. The southern and southeastern parts of Crown
Point border some unincorporated areas of Lake County.
History On October 31, 1834, Solon Robinson and
his family became the first settlers to stake a claim in the area that would
eventually become Crown Point. In February 1837, Lake County was
incorporated, with Liverpool, Indiana, as the county seat. Later that year,
Solon Robinson funded a US$500 project to build a new wooden county courthouse
in Crown Point, and thus Crown Point became the county seat. However it
wasn't until 1868 that Crown Point was actually incorporated into a city. In
1878 construction began on a new, more impressive county court house and clock
tower. This new court house, known as the Grand Old Lady, was built in the
center of town and would become the dominant feature of Crown Point.
Campaigning for the presidency of the United States, William Jennings Bryan
addressed a crowd from the steps of the court house in 1896. In 1897 a crowd of
4,000 gathered to watch a winning harness racing horse bred by noted
Chicago theater manager Will J. Davis and his famous wife, contralto Jessie
Bartlett Davis. The Davis' bred trotters and dogs at their Crown Point farm
c.1885-1917. Crown Point was the site of the first Cobe Trophy automobile race,
won by Louis Chevrolet in 1909. The Old Lake County Courthouse was placed on the
National Register of Historic Places in 1974 and the new Lake County Government
Center opened on the north side of the city the next year. Because Crown Point
had no waiting period for marriage licenses, the city became a popular
place to get married and became known as the "Marriage Mill". Many famous people
came to Crown Point to be wed, including Tom Mix, Rudolph Valentino, Cassius
Clay, and Jackson 5 patriarch Joseph Jackson. Certain online sources claim
that Ronald Reagan and Jane Wyman were married in Crown Point, including the
website of current mayor David Uran. However, Reagan and Wyman were in fact
married in Glendale, California, according to Fox News, the Washington
Post, and the Los Angeles Times. = Gangster era=
On March 3, 1934, Crown Point etched its name forever in the history books as the
infamous bank robber and FBI "Public Enemy #1" John Dillinger escaped from
the "escape-proof" Lake County Jail, guarded by many police and national
guardsmen. Dillinger apparently escaped using a hand-carved wooden gun blackened
with shoe polish, although this was disputed by some witnesses. Dillinger
further embarrassed the city, as well as then-42-year-old Sheriff Lillian Holley,
by driving off in her brand new V-8 Ford. The press augmented her chagrin
with such headlines as: "Slim woman, mother of twins, controlled Dillinger as
sheriff." Incensed, Holley declared at the time, "If I ever see John Dillinger
again, I'll shoot him dead with my own gun. Don't blame anyone else for this
escape. Blame me. I have no political career ahead of me and I don't care."
Furthermore, Sheriff Holley made certain the Dillinger name would have no
standing in Crown Point up until her death in 1994 at 102.
= Public Enemies= In March 2008, Universal Studios, under
the direction of Michael Mann, visited Crown Point to film parts of the movie
Public Enemies at the former county jail facility from which Dillinger escaped.
The crime drama is set during The Great Depression with the focus on the FBI
agent Melvin Purvis' attempt to stop criminals John Dillinger, Baby Face
Nelson, and Pretty Boy Floyd. Christian Bale plays FBI agent Purvis, and Johnny
Depp plays Dillinger. Actress Lili Taylor portrayed Sheriff Holley in the
film. The shoot took three days to complete and involved a number of scenes
inside the former Sheriff's House and jail. There was a scene also constructed
for filming of the exterior. Johnny Depp was on the set for all three days and
stayed late into the evenings on each night to shake hands with hundreds of
fans who stood for hours to see him and the film shoot. The movie was released
in June 2009. Geography
Crown Point lies on the Valparaiso Moraine.
According to the 2010 census, Crown Point has a total area of 17.725 square
miles, of which 17.71 square miles is land and 0.015 square miles is water.
Crown Point is situated approximately 40 miles southeast of Chicago's Loop.
Demographics As of 2013, the estimated population of
the city is 27,904 people. The estimated racial makeup of the city was 85.9%
White, 8.0% African American, 0.1% Native American, 2.0% Asian, 2.6% from
other races, and 1.3% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race
were estimated to be 6.2% of the population.
The estimated median income for a household in the city in 2013 was
$63,121 while the mean income for a household in the town was $78,090.
Additionally, the median income for a family was $75,112 and the mean income
for a family was $90,507. The estimated per capita income for the town was
$31,177. About 4.3% of families and 7.0% of the population were estimated to be
below the poverty line. = 2010 census=
As of the census of 2010, there were 27,317 people, 10,394 households, and
7,001 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,542.5
inhabitants per square mile. There were 10,976 housing units at an average
density of 619.8 per square mile. The racial makeup of the city was 88.2%
White, 6.3% African American, 0.2% Native American, 1.8% Asian, 1.9% from
other races, and 1.6% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race
were 8.1% of the population. There were 10,394 households of which
29.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.6% were married
couples living together, 10.0% had a female householder with no husband
present, 3.8% had a male householder with no wife present, and 32.6% were
non-families. 27.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.7%
had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average
household size was 2.45 and the average family size was 3.01.
The median age in the city was 39.6 years. 21.2% of residents were under the
age of 18; 8% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 27.7% were from 25 to 44;
26.9% were from 45 to 64; and 16.1% were 65 years of age or older. The gender
makeup of the city was 50.0% male and 50.0% female.
= 2000 census= As of the census of 2000, there were
19,806 people, 7,824 households, and 5,359 families residing in the city. The
population density was 1,191.7 people per square mile. There were 8,166
housing units at an average density of 491.3/sq mi. The racial makeup of the
city was 95.32% White, 1.41% African American, 0.18% Native American, 0.98%
Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 1.02% from other races, and 1.04% from two or
more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4.00% of the population.
There were 7,824 households out of which 29.2% had children under the age of 18
living with them, 57.1% were married couples living together, 8.9% had a
female householder with no husband present, and 31.5% were non-families.
27.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.7% had someone living
alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.45 and
the average family size was 3.01. In the city the population was spread
out with 22.5% under the age of 18, 7.7% from 18 to 24, 27.2% from 25 to 44,
25.3% from 45 to 64, and 17.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age
was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 90.3 males. For every 100
females age 18 and over, there were 87.2 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $52,889, and the median income
for a family was $64,274. Males had a median income of $50,090 versus $26,669
for females. The per capita income for the city was $24,568. About 2.1% of
families and 3.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 3.9%
of those under age 18 and 3.2% of those age 65 or over.
Government The government consists of a mayor and a
city council. The mayor, currently David Uran, is elected in citywide vote. The
city council consists of seven members. Five are elected from individual
districts. Two are elected at-large. Schools
Crown Point residents who live in Center Township are served by the Crown Point
Community School Corporation. Residents who live in Ross Township are served by
the Merrillville Community School Corporation.
Public schools in Crown Point are administered by the Crown Point
Community School Corporation: Crown Point High School
Robert A. Taft Middle School Colonel John Wheeler Middle School
Timothy Ball Elementary School Eisenhower Elementary School
Lake Street Elementary School Solon Robinson Elementary School
Jerry Ross Elementary School Winfield Elementary School
MacArthur Elementary School Crossroads Alternative Achievement
Center The Crown Point Community School
Corporation administers the public schools for Center and Winfield
Townships. Private schools:
Pathway Christian School Trinity Lutheran School
St. Mary Catholic Community School Avicenna Academy
Private Colleges: Hyles-Anderson College {Unincorporated
Crown Point} University of Saint Francis
Rivals of Crown Point High School include Merrillville High School,
Portage High School, Valparaiso High School, Lake Central High School, Lowell
High School, and Hanover Central High School.
Transportation Gary Public Transportation Corporation
provides bus service along the 93rd Avenue corridor; however, there are
plans to expand bus service within the city along the Broadway corridor from
93rd Avenue to the north terminating at US-231 to the south. These plans are
known as the "Livable Broadway Plan" that aims to allow easy travel by public
transportation between Gary, Merrillville, and Crown Point and to
encourage transit-oriented development at each hub.
Lake County Court House The old Lake County Court House is
prominently situated in the center of Crown Point, which is commonly referred
to simply as the square. The first portion of the court house was erected
in 1878, with portions being added on all the way up to 1928. Inside the
"Grand Old Lady", there are gift shops, a restaurant, and a museum which is
located on the second floor. Lake County Fairgrounds
The Lake County Fairgrounds are located near the southern portion of Crown
Point. The fairgrounds include historic brick exhibition buildings, tree covered
hills, rambling walking paths and a historic grandstand near the swimming
area at Fancher Lake. The Crown Point Bridge, an 85-foot, single span Burr
Arch Truss bridge, is the county's only covered bridge. It was originally built
in 1878 near Milroy in Rush County and relocated to the northwest area of the
fairgrounds over a gully in 1933. Events
The Lake County Fair, the 2nd-largest county fair in the state of Indiana, is
held on the fairgrounds each year in early August for 10 days. The Lake
County Fair always boasts monster trucks, demolition derby, and an entire
arena for horse shows. The Corn Roast and the Taste of Crown
Point, annual festivals featuring food and entertainment, are held downtown
around the historic courthouse. Foodstock Benefit Concert is an annual
concert held in May that benefits the Food Bank of Northwest Indiana. The
concert is organized by Crown Point High School students and features an array of
musical styles from both student and faculty bands. The concert is held at On
the Square Sports Academy. Bands such as Asteria, Top Hat Tuesday, The Sunshine
Killaz, Freedom 129, Hip-Hoptimus Prime and the MotherFunkers, Doug
Norris/Performance First, and The Administrators are a few acts that have
headlined past concerts. There are also parades held on Memorial
Day, Independence Day, and St. Patrick's Day.
Notable people Spike Albrecht, Basketball Player
William G. Haan, World War I general Dan Plesac, Major League pitcher and MLB
Network analyst Richie Roberts, Wide Receivers Coach
Jerry L. Ross, Astronaut Thelma Strabel, novelist
John Wheeler, Civil War officer Dean White, Entrepreneur and billionaire
See also Crown Point Police Department
Lake County, Indiana Lake County Sheriff's Department
Indiana State Police References
External links City of Crown Point, Indiana website
Crown Point Community Website Crown Point Community School Corporation
Crown Point,In. Police Department Greater Crown Point Chamber of Commerce
Lake County Fair