Editing Crown Point, Indiana (section)

==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.<ref name=CPH>Crown Point Network,''[http://www.crownpoint.net/history.htm Crown Point Indian History]'' (last accessed 31 Aug 2006)</ref> In February 1837, Lake County was incorporated, with [[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 the legislature was delighted to designate it as the county seat. It was not until 1868 that Crown Point was incorporated as a town.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=HISTORICAL TIMELINE |url=https://crownpointlibrary.org/research/indianaroom/historical-timeline/ |access-date=2025-03-26 |website=crownpointlibrary.org}}</ref>

In 1878, construction began on a new, larger county court house and clock tower. This new court house, now known as the ''Grand 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, contralto [[Jessie Bartlett Davis]]. The Davises bred trotters and dogs at their Crown Point farm c. 1885–1917.<ref>''Chicago Daily Tribune'', August 8, 1897, p. 7</ref>  Crown Point was the site of the first [[Cobe Trophy Race|Cobe Trophy]] automobile race, won by [[Louis Chevrolet]] in 1909.

On June 6, 1911, Crown Point was reincorporated as a city.<ref name=":0" />

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 for couples to marry; it became known as the "Marriage Mill". Many famous people came to Crown Point to marry, including [[Tom Mix]], [[Rudolph Valentino]], [[Muhammad Ali]], and [[Jackson 5]] patriarch [[Joseph Jackson (manager)|Joseph Jackson]] and their wives.  Certain online sources claim that [[Ronald Reagan]] and [[Jane Wyman]] were married in Crown Point.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.crownpoint.net/history.htm|title=Crown Point Indiana History|work=crownpoint.net|access-date=17 April 2015}}</ref> But Reagan and Wyman were married in [[Glendale, California]], according to sources such as [[Fox News]],<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.foxnews.com/story/oscar-winner-jane-wyman-ronald-reagans-first-wife-dead-at-93|publisher=Fox News|title=Oscar-Winner Jane Wyman, Ronald Reagan's First Wife, Dead at 93|date=September 10, 2007}}</ref> ''[[The Washington Post]]'',<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A18329-2004Jun5.html|newspaper=The Washington Post|title=Actor, Governor, President, Icon|date=June 6, 2004|access-date=April 30, 2010}}</ref> and the ''[[Los Angeles Times]]''.<ref>{{cite news|title=Locations Range from the Exotic to the Pristine|last=Oliver |first=Marilyn|work=Los Angeles Times|date=March 31, 1988}}</ref>

The [[Walter Allman House]], [[Wellington A. Clark House]], [[Crown Point Courthouse Square Historic District]], [[Lake County Courthouse (Indiana)|Lake County Courthouse]], [[Lake County Tuberculosis Sanatorium, Nurses Home and Superintendent's House]], [[Lake County Sheriff's House and Jail]], [[Albert Maack House]], and [[William Whitaker Landscape and House]] are listed on the [[National Register of Historic Places]].<ref name="nris">{{NRISref|version=2010a}}</ref><ref name="nps">{{cite web|url=http://www.nps.gov/nr/listings/20110701.htm|title=National Register of Historic Places Listings|date=2011-07-01|work=Weekly List of Actions Taken on Properties: 6/20/11 through 6/24/11|publisher=National Park Service}}</ref>

Locally designated residential historic districts include:

* '''Sunnyside Historic District''', includes St. Mary's Church and School and surrounding homes.
* '''Holley Historic District''', includes 20 homes and one church, including former Sheriff [[Lillian Holley]]'s home at the southeast corner of South and East streets.

===Gangster era===
{{Unreferenced section|date=January 2018}}

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 sheriff [[Lillian Holley]], by driving off in her brand new [[Ford F-Series|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, Holley made certain the Dillinger name would have no standing in Crown Point up until Holley's death in 1994 at 103.

===''Public Enemies'' (film)===
In March 2008, a [[Universal Pictures|Universal Studios]] team, under the direction of [[Michael Mann (director)|Michael Mann]], visited Crown Point to film parts of the movie ''[[Public Enemies (2009 film)|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 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.  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.<ref>{{cite web|last=Woulfe|first=Molly|title=Johnny Depp|url=http://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/johnny-depp-as-dillinger/article_e23d0619-f2ba-5316-a1ab-e73af5278c60.html|publisher=NWI Times|access-date=22 October 2013}}</ref> The movie was released in June 2009.