Charles Dolnics, vice-president of the Harbor Motor Company (an automobile dealership) in Indiana Harbor, and Clementine had their wood frame house with a basement and garage built in 1951-52. (See 12 Sept., 1951, Sandpiper.)
Mrs. Dolnics salvaged the most tulips of anyone from the derailment of 1953. They made the front triangle into quite a show-piece. The tulips have dissipated over the years. The last stragglers were eaten by animals around a decade ago.
Mr. Dolnics drove a front-wheel-drive car and had to back up the hill for traction. They were sorry to leave the Dunes but Harbor Motors went bankrupt.
Herbert and Alene Youngman, with kids Marcia and Peter, bought the house in July, 1954, but did not move in until November. Their Ranborn Woods home (built by L. I. Combs) was sold to Stanley and Jean Gorski (no relation to today’s nearby Gorskis) in January, 1955. Herb was a supervisor at U. S. Steel. Alene taught at Crisman Elementary but not until a decade later.
Jennifer was born here the 4th February, 1955. (Just how many children have been born in Ogden Dunes before and since? It would be interesting to know.) The house was reroofed and partially resided after a savage hailstorm the 3rd March, 1955. The insurance claim mentions A. L. Cash but a Gallagher (Lester’s brother?) did the work.
In the Spring of 1958, the front porch was extended and screened-in. Sam Yazel (of Valpo) did at least part of the job. That is also when the concrete pad of the upper driveway was added. We three kids’ hands were pressed unpleasantly into the drying cement of the lower sidewalk. The impressions wore away decades ago.
A new house on the vacant lot next door (#37) was threatened. The Youngmans, Petersons (43 Cedar Trail,) and Ziegenhagens (2 Cedar Court) decided to buy the lot off Alvan and Willie Battey (apparently of Chicago) and split it into unequal thirds. Nelson Reck handled the deal. It was set up by March, 1963, but not finalized until October, 1965. Apparently the delay was due to the Ziegenhagens also wanting part of the Petersons’ backyard lot #39.
A dining room was added on (Fall 1967-Spring 1968) by Charles Ashby. Herb designed the cabinets and had them built by Cruikshank (of Portage.) The porch was enclosed by (Hobart’s) Afco in the Fall of 1970.
Ogden Dunes has changed from mainly open sand to yards with lots of trees. Our wide view of the Lake slowly shrank over the years to where it is now visible only from the roof. After Alene Marriott moved into her new Hillcrest Road home with Art in 1981, son Peter Youngman began renting 10 Cedar Ct.
–Peter Youngman 3/94
