Major Historical Events – Historical Society of Ogden Dunes

Ogden Dunes Ship Wreck: 1936 Article in the Vidette-Messenger

Report on the Ogden Dunes Ship Wreck (1936) Following the write-up of an Indian trading post near Ogden Dunes, the article went on: “Perhaps boats stopped here for trading purposes also. One boat stopped, it is certain, for now, if the beach is just right and if the waves have been in an accommodating mood during the preceding winter, the top outline of the hull of an old boat can be seen. This is not always visible; Nature has to be on your side if you are fortunate enough to be one of [...]

Ogden Dunes Ship Wreck: 1936 Article in the Vidette-MessengerRichard Meister2018-08-26T12:38:57-05:00

1930: Port Williams

Ogden Dunes and the Planned City of Port Williams By Dick Meister In the 2010 donation to the Historical Society of the papers of the late Joseph Thomas, an Ogden Dunes resident, journalist and editor for the Gary Post-Tribune, by his daughter (see September 2010 issue of The Hour Glass Newsletter) was a large plat map of the proposed city of Port Williams to be located just east of Burns Ditch and south of Dunes Highway (U.S. 12). Port Williams was to be another Gary and is a precursor of Burns Harbor and the Port [...]

1930: Port WilliamsRichard Meister2018-08-02T21:01:59-05:00

The Battle to Save the Dunes: 1952 to 1966 The Ogden Dunes Story

The Battle to Save the Dunes: 1952 to 1966 The Ogden Dunes Story by Dick Meister This story was prepared for the Hour Glass Exhibit, “The Battle to Save the Dunes” in collaboration with the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore and other museums in Porter County and was published in the “Hour Glass” Newsletter, May 2016. The exhibit was on display from the Autumn of 2016 to the Autumn of 2017 in the West Room of The Hour Glass Museum and is currently on display in the Community/Fire Hall in Ogden Dunes (from October 2017 [...]

The Battle to Save the Dunes: 1952 to 1966 The Ogden Dunes Storyadmin2018-07-10T15:16:43-05:00

The Battle for the Indiana Dunes: Examples of Local Leadership

The Battle for the Indiana Dunes: Examples of Local Leadership By Dick Meister Dorothy Richardson Buell (1886-1977) Dorothy Richardson (1886-1977) was born in Winnebago County, Wisconsin. Following graduation from Lawrence College and a career as a teacher and an organizer of a National Women’s Sorority, she married James Harold Buell (1881-1970), an electrical engineer and utilities executive, in 1918 in Chicago. The Buell family, augmented by the birth of their son, Robert, in 1922 spent much of the 1920s in Tulsa, Oklahoma before moving to Chicago by 1930 and a few years later [...]

The Battle for the Indiana Dunes: Examples of Local Leadershipadmin2018-07-10T15:15:49-05:00

The Battle to Save the Dunes: 1952 to 1966 The Ogden Dunes Story

HSOD Exhibit Battle to Save the Dunes rev 050216 wphoto The Battle to Save the Dunes: 1952 to 1966 The Ogden Dunes Story by Dick Meister (This story was prepared for the Exhibit, “The Battle to Save the Dunes” in collaboration with the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore and other museums in Porter County and was published in the “Hour Glass” Newsletter, May 2016. The exhibit was on display from the Autumn of 2016 to the Autumn of 2017 in the West Room of The Hour Glass Museum and is currently on display in the [...]

The Battle to Save the Dunes: 1952 to 1966 The Ogden Dunes Storyadmin2018-07-10T15:06:16-05:00

Gray, Alice Mabel: ‘Diana of the Dunes’: Time Line

Alice Mabel Gray: Time Line (dates and newspaper articles) 1881: Note: Birth Date- March 25, 1881 (U of C transcript) and not November 25, 1881 as found on death certificate on info from nephew. 1898? Graduated from South Division High School - “the college class” 1903 Graduated from the University of Chicago, Phi Beta Kappa, honorable mention in mathematics, astronomy, Greek and Later 1903 October 22: United States Naval Observatory (hair cut short, and wore pants) 1905: University of Gottingen 1908: University of Chicago, editorial secretary from Astrophysical Journal 1916: July: Chicago Examiner, possibly first [...]

Gray, Alice Mabel: ‘Diana of the Dunes’: Time Lineadmin2018-08-02T20:38:44-05:00

Gray, Alice Mabel: ‘Diana of the Dunes’: Myth and Reality

“Diana of the Dunes” Myth and Reality Alice Mabel Gray: March 25, 1881 – February 9, 1925 By Ken Martin and Dick Meister On January 17, 2016 Ken Martin and Dick Meister presented a program on “Diana of the Dunes” to the Aquatorium Society as part of its Winter Lecture Series. The program was held at 3:00 p.m. at the recently restored, historic Gary Bath House in Marquette Park. Over fifty persons defied the zero degree, wind blown weather to attend the presentation. In the power-point presentation of more than 100 images, [...]

Gray, Alice Mabel: ‘Diana of the Dunes’: Myth and Realityadmin2018-08-02T20:30:42-05:00

19th Century: The Alpha Shipwreck on Ogden Dunes Beach

The odyssey of the "Alpha Wreck" shipwreck, as it was described in 2007, near the east end of the shoreline in Ogden Dunes beach has periodically been the subject of articles, especially when the lake level is lower than normal. In 2007 the shipwreck was very visible and was investigated by a team, described as the Briggs team, and lead by Roger J. Barski. He and his team made the following presentation at the Historical Society. Please note: It is extremely important that the Alpha Wreck not be disturbed in its resting place. Please do not [...]

19th Century: The Alpha Shipwreck on Ogden Dunes Beachadmin2018-08-18T11:30:52-05:00

Gray, Alice Mabel: ‘Diana of the Dunes’: The True Story

by Janet Zenke Edwards, published by The History Press, 2010. Review by Dick Meister Background to the Review: The connection between Ogden Dunes and Alice Gray, a.k.a. Diana of the Dunes, begins in 1923. Samuel Reck and his associates in Ogden Dunes Inc. discovered that, on closing their deal on the 513 acres for their planned community, the purchase included a couple of squatters, Alice Gray and Paul Wilson. Wilson, born Paul George Eisenblatter in Michigan City, was, most likely, Alice’s common-law husband. Joseph Thomas, a journalist and a long-time resident of Ogden Dunes, edited A History [...]

Gray, Alice Mabel: ‘Diana of the Dunes’: The True Storyadmin2018-08-02T20:40:39-05:00

Gray, Alice Mabel: Diana of the Dunes

Biographical (to the degree that fictionalized accounts can be referred to as "biographical") pieces on former town resident Alice Gray ("Diana of the Dunes") claim that articles on her appeared in newspapers around the globe. An excellent recap of Alice Gray's life was written by Indiana writer David Hoppe, published in the 1996 edition of "Traces". Here is a link to his excellent article: http://www.spicerweb.org/miller/Diana_TracesArticle.pdf The Historical Society of Ogden Dunes (HSOD) has collected stories from three dozen papers in four midwestern states. HSOD now has members living pretty far afield. If such, or even vacationers, have [...]

Gray, Alice Mabel: Diana of the Dunesadmin2018-08-02T20:42:40-05:00