The Calumet Region

The Calumet region historical guide

The landscape of the Calumet, an area that sits astride the Indiana-Illinois state line at the southern end of Lake Michigan was shaped by the glaciers that withdrew toward the end of the last ice age--about 45,000 years ago. In the years since, many natural forces, including wind, running water, and the waves of Lake Michigan, have continued to shape the land. The lake's modern and ancient shorelines have served as Indian trails, stagecoach routes, highways, and sites that have evolved into many of the cities, towns, and villages of the Calumet area. People have also left their mark on the landscape: Indians built mounds; farmers filled in wetlands; governments commissioned ditches and canals to drain marshes and change the direction of rivers; sand was hauled from where it was plentiful to where it was needed for urban and industrial growth. These thousands of years of weather and movements of peoples have given the Calumet region its distinct climate and appeal.

Cialdella found himself drawn to the Calumet Region of his youth for a photographic exploration that has lasted more than twenty years, and that has resulted in hundreds of rich and complex works.

The location of one of the most diverse national parks in the United States, Northwest Indiana's Calumet area is home to what was at one time widely known as the most polluted river in the entire country. Calumet's advantageous location at the southern tip of Lake Michigan encouraged broadscale conversion of Indiana wilderness into an industrial base that once included the world's largest steel mill, largest cement works, and largest oil refinery. Thousands of tons of hazardous waste were dumped in and around the rivers with no thought for how it would affect the region's water, land, and air. However, a remarkable change of attitude has resulted in the rejuvenation of an area once rich in natural diversity and the creation of a National Park that brings in more than two million visitors a year, contains beautiful greenways and blueways, and provides safe recreation for nearby residents. A community-wide effort, the cleanup of this area is nothing short of remarkable. In this Indiana bicentennial book, Ken Schoon introduces the reader to the Calumet area's unique history and the residents who banded together to save it.

Once known as the Callimink River by the area's Potawatomi Indians, the Calumet River has been home to swimmers and fishermen, steamboats and canoes, and shipyards and factories for generations. Recreation and industry have coexisted along its banks for decades. Communities along the Calumet River--from South Chicago to northwest Indiana--have long derived their life blood from the river. With abundant wilderness, many recreational activities, and a convenient transportation corridor, the Calumet River has long been an important resource for the communities along its banks. Along the Calumet River presents the history, evolution, and development of the river corridor using over 200 vintage images.