Crown Point, Indiana

Crown Point is a city in and the county seat of Lake County, Indiana, United States. The population was 27,317 at the 2010 census. 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. Because of its location, Crown Point is known as the "Hub of Lake County".

The city is bounded by Merrillville to the north, Winfield to the east, Cedar Lake to the southwest, St. John to the west, and unincorporated Schererville to the northwest. The southern and southeastern parts of Crown Point border some unincorporated areas of Lake County.

History
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. In February 1837, Lake County was incorporated, Liverpool, Indiana, as the county seat. Later that year, Solon Robinson funded a US$500 project to build a new wooden county courthouse in Crown Point, and thus Crown Point became the county seat. However it wasn't until 1868 that Crown Point was actually incorporated into a city. In 1878 construction began on a new, more impressive county court house and clock tower. This new court house, known as the Grand Old Lady, was built in the center of town and would become the dominant feature of Crown Point (further additions to this courthouse would be made from 1907–1928). Campaigning for the presidency of the United States, William Jennings Bryan addressed a crowd from the steps of the court house 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, contralto Jessie Bartlett Davis. The Davis' bred trotters and dogs at their Crown Point farm c.1885-1917 (Chicago Daily Tribune, Aug 8, 1897, pg 7). Crown Point was the site of the first Cobe Trophy automobile race, won by Louis Chevrolet in 1909. The Old Lake County Courthouse was placed on the National 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 to get married and became known as the "Marriage Mill". Many famous people came to Crown Point to be wed including 2009Tom Mix, Rudolph Valentino, Cassius Clay, Jackson 5 patriarch Joseph Jackson. Certain online sources claim that Ronald Reagan and Jane Wyman were married in Crown Point, including the website of current mayor David Uran. However, Reagan and Wyman were in fact married in Glendale, California, according to Fox News, the Washington Post, and the Los Angeles Times.

On March 3, 1934, Crown Point etched its name forever in the history books as the infamous bank robber and 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 using a hand-carved wooden gun blackened with shoe polish, although this was disputed by some witnesses. Dillinger further embarrassed the city, as well as then-42-year-old Sheriff Lillian Holley, by driving off in her brand new V-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, Sheriff Holley made certain the Dillinger name would have no standing in Crown Point up until her death in 1994 at 102.

In March 2008, Universal Studios, under the direction of Michael Mann, visited Crown Point to film parts of the movie Public Enemies at the former county jail facility from which Dillinger escaped. The crime drama is set during The Great Depression with the focus on the FBI agent Melvin Purvis' attempt to stop criminals John Dillinger, Baby Face Nelson, and Pretty Boy Floyd. Christian Bale plays FBI agent Purvis, and Johnny Depp plays Dillinger. Actress Lili 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. There was a scene also constructed for filming of the exterior. Johnny Depp was on the set for all three days and stayed late into the evenings on each night to shake hands with hundreds of fans who stood for hours to see him and the film shoot. The movie was released in June 2009.

Geography
Crown Point is located at 41.42167°N, -87.35611°W (41.421703, -87.356066).

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 16.6 square miles (43.1 km²), of which, 16.6 square miles (43.0 km²) of it is land and 0.06% is water. The city lies on the Valparaiso Moraine, which is also the Eastern Continental Divide

Crown Point is situated approximately 45 miles southeast of Chicago's Loop.

Demographics
As of the census of 2010, there were 27,317 people and 10,976 households in the city. The racial makeup of the city was 88.20% White, 6.30% African American, 0.20% Native American, 1.80% Asian, 0.00% Pacific Islander, 1.90% from other races, and 1.60% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 8.10% of the population.

As of 2009, the median income for a household in the town was $67,741 while the mean income for a household in the town was $86,745. Additionally, the median income for a family was $81,201 and the mean income for a family was $102,002. The estimated per capita income for the town was $33,182. About 2.6% of families and 4.7% of the population were estimated to be below the poverty line.

Government
The government consists of a mayor and a city council. The mayor, currently David Uran, is elected in citywide vote. The city council consists of seven members. Five are elected from individual districts. Two are elected at-large.

Neighborhoods

 * Downtown
 * Covington - Single family homes near the intersection of I-65 and 231
 * Ellendale Farm/Estates of Ellendale Farm/Homestead of Ellendale Farm/The Highlands of Ellendale Farm/The Old Town Village of Ellendale *Farm/The Townhomes of Ellendale Farm - Single Family homes, Estate homes and maintenance-free Townhomes south of the downtown square
 * Feather Rock - Single family homes south of the downtown square
 * Hamilton Square - Townhomes and Condominiums with maintenance-free living near the intersection of I-65 and 231
 * Morningside - Estate homes near the intersection of I-65 and 231
 * Penn Oak - Single Family homes near the intersection of Broadway and 231
 * Pentwater - Single Family homes and maintenance-free Single Family Villa homes in a resort-style community near the intersection of I-65 and 231
 * Pine Hill - Single Family homes near the intersection of I-65 and 231
 * Regency - Single Family homes, Single Family Courtyard homes and maintenance-free Paired Villa Manor homes in a golf course community south of the downtown square
 * Schmidt Farms - Single Family homes near the intersection of I-65 and 231
 * Stillwater - Single Family homes near the intersection of Broadway and 231
 * Summer Tree Estates - Single Family homes and maintenance-free Paired Villa homes in a golf course community mid-way between Route 30 and the downtown square on 101st.
 * Waterside Crossing/The Village of Waterside/The Settlement of Waterside/The Commonwealth of Waterside/The Colony of Waterside - Single Family homes, Estate homes, maintenance-free Paired Ranch homes and maintenance Single Family Patio homes with golf course lots available near the intersection of I-65 and the new 109th exit

Schools
Crown Point residents who live in Center Township are served by the Crown Point Community School Corporation while residents who live in Ross Township are served by the Merrillville Community School Corporation.

Public schools in Crown Point are administered by the Crown Point Community School Corporation :
 * Crown Point High School
 * Robert A. Taft Middle School
 * Colonel John Wheeler Middle School
 * Timothy Ball Elementary School
 * Eisenhower Elementary School
 * Lake Street Elementary School
 * Solon Robinson Elementary School
 * Jerry Ross Elementary School (in Winfield)
 * Winfield Elementary School (in Winfield))
 * MacArthur Elementary School (in Cedar Lake)
 * Crossroads Alternative Achievement Center
 * The Crown Point Community School Corporation administers the public schools for Center and Winfield Townships.

Private schools:
 * Pathway Christian School
 * Trinity Lutheran School
 * St. Mary Catholic Community School
 * Avicenna Academy

Private Colleges:
 * Hyles-Anderson College {Unincorporated Crown Point}
 * University of Saint Francis (Indiana)

Rivals of Crown Point High School include Merrillville High School, Portage High School, Hobart High School, Lake Central High School, and Hanover Central High School.

Lake County Court House
The old 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, with portions being added on all the way up to 1928. Inside the "Grand Old Lady", there are gift shops, a restaurant, and a museum which is located on the second floor.

Fairgrounds
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, the county's only covered bridge (relocated from Rush County in 1933) and a historic grandstand near the swimming area in Fancher Lake

Events
The Lake County Fair, is 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 on Memorial Day, Independence Day, and St. Patrick's Day.

Notable People from Crown Point

 * William G. Haan, World War I general
 * Dan Plesac, Major League pitcher and MLB Network analyst
 * Jerry L. Ross, Astronaut
 * Richie Roberts, Wide Receivers Coach
 * Thelma Strabel, novelist
 * John Wheeler, Civil War officer
 * Dean White, Entrepreneur and billionaire