Crown Point, Indiana | |
|---|---|
City | |
 Lake County courthouse in Crown Point | |
 Seal | |
| Nickname: Hub of Lake County | |
 Location of Crown Point in Lake County, Indiana. | |
| Coordinates:41°24′05″N87°21′22″W / 41.40139°N 87.35611°W /41.40139; -87.35611 | |
| Country |  United States |
| State |  Indiana |
| County | Lake |
| Townships | Center andRoss |
| Established | October 31, 1834 |
| Incorporated (town) | June 3, 1868 |
| Incorporated (city) | June 6, 1911 |
| Government | |
| • Type | City Council |
| • Mayor | Pete Land (D) |
| Area | |
• Total | 17.98 sq mi (46.58 km2) |
| • Land | 17.93 sq mi (46.44 km2) |
| • Water | 0.054 sq mi (0.14 km2) |
| Elevation | 717 ft (219 m) |
| Population (2020) | |
• Total | 33,899 |
| • Density | 1,890.6/sq mi (729.98/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-6 (CST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-5 (CDT) |
| ZIP codes | 46307-46308 |
| Area code | 219 |
| FIPS code | 18-16138[3] |
| GNIS feature ID | 2393682[2] |
| Website | crownpoint |
Crown Point is a city in and thecounty seat ofLake County, Indiana, United States.[4] The population was 34,884 per the 2023American Community Survey. 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. Due to its location, Crown Point is known as the "Hub of Lake County".
The city is surrounded byMerrillville to the north,Winfield to the east,Cedar Lake to the southwest,St. John to the west, and unincorporatedSchererville to the northwest. The southern and southwestern parts of Crown Point border some unincorporated areas ofLake County.
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.[5] In February 1837, Lake County was incorporated, withLiverpool, Indiana, as the county seat. Later that year, Solon Robinson funded aUS$500 project to build a new wooden county courthouse in Crown Point, and the legislature was delighted to designate it as the county seat. It was not until 1868 that Crown Point was incorporated as a town.[6]
In 1878, construction began on a new, larger county court house and clock tower. This new court house, now known as theGrand Old Lady, was built in the center of town and became the dominant feature of Crown Point (further additions to this courthouse would be made from 1907 to 1928). Campaigning for the presidency of the United States,William Jennings Bryan addressed a crowd from the steps of the courthouse 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, contraltoJessie Bartlett Davis. The Davises bred trotters and dogs at their Crown Point farm c. 1885–1917.[7] Crown Point was the site of the firstCobe Trophy automobile race, won byLouis Chevrolet in 1909.
On June 6, 1911, Crown Point was reincorporated as a city.[6]
The Old Lake County Courthouse was placed on theNational 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 for couples to marry; it became known as the "Marriage Mill". Many famous people came to Crown Point to marry, includingTom Mix,Rudolph Valentino,Muhammad Ali, andJackson 5 patriarchJoseph Jackson and their wives. Certain online sources claim thatRonald Reagan andJane Wyman were married in Crown Point.[8] But Reagan and Wyman were married inGlendale, California, according to sources such asFox News,[9]The Washington Post,[10] and theLos Angeles Times.[11]
TheWalter Allman House,Wellington A. Clark House,Crown Point Courthouse Square Historic District,Lake County Courthouse,Lake County Tuberculosis Sanatorium, Nurses Home and Superintendent's House,Lake County Sheriff's House and Jail,Albert Maack House, andWilliam Whitaker Landscape and House are listed on theNational Register of Historic Places.[12][13]
Locally designated residential historic districts include:
 | This sectiondoes notcite anysources. Please helpimprove this section byadding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged andremoved.(January 2018) (Learn how and when to remove this message) |
On March 3, 1934,FBI "Public Enemy #1"John Dillinger escaped from the "escape-proof" (as it was dubbed by local authorities at the time) Lake County Jail, which was guarded by many police and national guardsmen. Dillinger apparently escaped while brandishing a hand-carved wooden gun blackened with shoe polish, although this was disputed by some witnesses. Dillinger further embarrassed the city, as well as the 42-year-old female sheriffLillian Holley, by driving off in her brand newV-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, Holley made certain the Dillinger name would have no standing in Crown Point up until Holley's death in 1994 at 103.
In March 2008, aUniversal Studios team, under the direction ofMichael Mann, visited Crown Point to film parts of the moviePublic Enemies at the former county jail facility from which Dillinger escaped. The crime drama is set duringThe Great Depression with the focus on FBI agentMelvin Purvis' attempt to stop criminals John Dillinger,Baby Face Nelson, andPretty Boy Floyd.Christian Bale plays FBI agent Purvis, andJohnny Depp plays Dillinger. ActressLili 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. A scene was constructed for filming the exterior. Depp was on the set for all three days and stayed late into the evenings each night to shake hands with hundreds of fans who stood for hours to see him and the film shoot.[14] The movie was released in June 2009.
Crown Point lies on theValparaiso Moraine.
According to the 2010 census, Crown Point has a total area of 17.725 square miles (45.91 km2), of which 17.71 square miles (45.87 km2) (or 99.92%) is land and 0.015 square miles (0.04 km2) (or 0.08%) is water.[15]
Crown Point is situated approximately 40 miles southeast of Chicago'sLoop.
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1880 | 1,708 | — | |
| 1890 | 1,907 | 11.7% | |
| 1900 | 2,336 | 22.5% | |
| 1910 | 2,526 | 8.1% | |
| 1920 | 3,232 | 27.9% | |
| 1930 | 4,046 | 25.2% | |
| 1940 | 4,643 | 14.8% | |
| 1950 | 5,839 | 25.8% | |
| 1960 | 8,443 | 44.6% | |
| 1970 | 10,931 | 29.5% | |
| 1980 | 16,455 | 50.5% | |
| 1990 | 17,728 | 7.7% | |
| 2000 | 19,806 | 11.7% | |
| 2010 | 27,317 | 37.9% | |
| 2020 | 33,899 | 24.1% | |
| Source: US Census Bureau | |||
The estimated racial makeup of the city was 85.9%White, 8.0%African American, 0.1%Native American, 2.0%Asian, 2.6% fromother races, and 1.3% from two or more races.Hispanic orLatino of any race were estimated to be 6.2% of the population.[16]
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.[16]
| Race / Ethnicity(NH = Non-Hispanic) | Pop 2000[17] | Pop 2010[18] | Pop 2020[19] | % 2000 | % 2010 | % 2020 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| White alone (NH) | 18,354 | 22,606 | 25,326 | 92.67% | 82.75% | 74.71% |
| Black or African American alone (NH) | 275 | 1,687 | 2,419 | 1.39% | 6.18% | 7.14% |
| Native American orAlaska Native alone (NH) | 28 | 29 | 41 | 0.14% | 0.11% | 0.12% |
| Asian alone (NH) | 194 | 475 | 961 | 0.98% | 1.74% | 2.83% |
| Native Hawaiian orPacific Islander alone (NH) | 6 | 2 | 2 | 0.03% | 0.01% | 0.01% |
| Other race alone (NH) | 16 | 42 | 87 | 0.08% | 0.15% | 0.26% |
| Mixed race or Multiracial (NH) | 140 | 263 | 1,148 | 0.71% | 0.96% | 3.39% |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 793 | 2,213 | 3,915 | 4.00% | 8.10% | 11.55% |
| Total | 19,806 | 27,317 | 33,899 | 100.00% | 100.00% | 100.00% |
As of thecensus[20] of 2010, there were 27,317 people, 10,394 households, and 7,001 families residing in the city. Thepopulation density was 1,542.5 inhabitants per square mile (595.6/km2). There were 10,976 housing units at an average density of 619.8 per square mile (239.3/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 88.2%White, 6.3%African American, 0.2%Native American, 1.8%Asian, 1.9% fromother races, and 1.6% from two or more races.Hispanic orLatino 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% weremarried 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.
As of thecensus[3] 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 inhabitants per square mile (460.1/km2). There were 8,166 housing units at an average density of 491.3 per square mile (189.7/km2). 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% fromother races, and 1.04% from two or more races.Hispanic orLatino 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% weremarried 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. Theper capita income for the city was $24,568. About 2.1% of families and 3.7% of the population were below thepoverty line, including 3.9% of those under age 18 and 3.2% of those age 65 or over.
The government consists of a mayor and a city council. The mayor is Pete Land, the former chief of police . The city council consists of seven members. Five are elected from individual districts. Two are elected at-large.
Crown Point residents who live in Center Township are served by theCrown Point Community School Corporation. Residents who live in Ross Township are served by theMerrillville Community School Corporation.
Public schools in Crown Point are administered by the Crown Point Community School Corporation:[21]
Private schools:
Private Colleges:
Public library:The city has a lending library, the Crown Point Community Public Library with two branches.[23]
Gary Public Transportation Corporation provides bus service along the 93rd Avenue corridor; with 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 encouragetransit-oriented development at each hub. The first steps of this plan were realized with theBroadway Metro Express.[24]
The Pennsylvania Railroad's Chicago to Columbus line and the Erie Lackawanna's Jersey City to Chicago line served Crown Point and had commuter service to and from Chicago. Both rail lines have been abandoned.
Theold 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,[25] with portions being added on all the way up to 1928. Inside the "Grand Old Lady", there are gift shops, a record shop, and a museum which is located on the second floor.
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 retired swimming area at Fancher Lake. TheCrown Point Bridge, an 85-foot, single span Burr Arch Truss bridge, is the county's only covered bridge. It was originally built in 1878 nearMilroy inRush County and relocated to the northwest area of the fairgrounds over a gully in 1933.
The Crown Point Sportsplex is a 95-acre multi-use outdoor sports and event destination conveniently located off I-65. The facility currently features twosynthetic turf multi-purpose fields, 10 natural grass, illuminated fields, and champion field with stadium seating. Accompanying these sports amenities, are two fully equipped support buildings that include restrooms, concessions and storage.[26]
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.
There are also parades held onMemorial Day, Independence Day, and St. Patrick's Day.
Municipalities and communities ofLake County, Indiana,United States | ||
|---|---|---|
| Cities |  | |
| Towns | ||
| Townships | ||
| CDPs | ||
| Other communities | ||
| Ghost town | ||
| Footnotes | ‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties. | |
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Geographic | |
| Other | |
