Historical Images of Porter County
Sheridan Beach, Flint Lake
Valparaiso, Indiana
Date: Circa 1907-1909
Source Type: Postcard
Publisher, Printer, Photographer: Elmer E.
Starr (#61396)
Postmark: July 22, 1912, Valparaiso, Indiana
Collection: Steven R. Shook
Remark: The large white structure seen in the background is Richard
Lytle's store where the Sheridan Beach Resort Hotel was later built. The
site is along the southeast corner of Flint Lake. As early as 1876, John McQuiston owned all the land located along
the east side of Flint Lake. Much of McQuiston's land was later sold to A. W.
Lytle, and as early as 1895 the site was being referred to as Sheridan Beach.
Edgewater Beach, located on the north shore of Flint Lake, was immediately
adjacent to Sheridan Beach. The hotel at the beach was constructed in 1905; it
was sold along with 47 acres of property to a retired manufacturer from Chicago
name Sigmund Freund in 1906. Freund soon added running water and electricity to
the resort. The resort was later purchased from Freund by the Kilmer-Fraiser
Company on July 4, 1925, and the resort was renamed Blackhawk Beach Summer
Resort. The resort was once again upgraded to include a roller skating facility,
picnic grounds, a toboggan slide, and concession stands. The hotel was razed in
1957.
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Valparaiso
Flint Lake, Blackhawk, Edgewater, and Sheridan Beach Images
Index
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Porter County Photographs & Historical Images
Please contact the
Porter County GenWeb Coordinator if
you can provide any additional information concerning this image.
Image and related text prepared by Steven R. Shook