Historical Images of Porter County

A Short Cut to Dune Park
Dune Park, Indiana

Date: Circa 1908
Source Type: Photograph
Publisher, Printer, Photographer: Unknown
Postmark: Not Applicable
Collection: Steven R. Shook
Remark: Taken from a photograph album, this photograph is one of thirteen showing a view from a trip taken to Dune Park, Indiana, and the dunes of Indiana along the shoreline of Lake Michigan. Dune Park was located in the far northeastern corner of Porter County's Portage Township and today is the site of heavy industry.

It is believed that the individuals seen in this photograph were students of the University of Chicago, who, at this period in time, would often travel to the dunes of Indiana to study biology, botany, ecology, and geology.

The rail cars seen here are sand cars that were used to haul sand mined from the dunes of Indiana to Chicago area for use in construction. Given the amount of sand visible on tracks, this was likely a spur line traversing northward into the dunes from the Lake Shore & Michigan Southern Railway tracks near Dune Park.

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Image and related text prepared by Steven R. Shook