Editing Lake Station, Indiana

{{Redirect|Lake Station}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2023}}
{{Infobox settlement
| name               = Lake Station, Indiana
| settlement_type    = [[City]]
| motto              = "Our Home Town"
| nickname           = 
| mapsize            = 250x200px
| image_skyline      = LakeStationIN.jpg
| imagesize          = 
| image_caption      = 
| image_seal         = LakeStationINseal.png
| seal_size          = 110px
| image_map          = File:Lake County Indiana Incorporated and Unincorporated areas Lake Station Highlighted 1841535.svg
| map_caption        = Location of Lake Station in Lake County, Indiana.
| image_map1         = 
| mapsize1           = 
| map_caption1       = 
| subdivision_type   = [[List of sovereign states|Country]]
| subdivision_name   = {{USA}}
| subdivision_type1  = [[U.S. state|State]]
| subdivision_name1  = {{flag|Indiana}}
| subdivision_type2  = [[List of counties in Indiana|County]]
| subdivision_name2  = [[Lake County, Indiana|Lake]]
| subdivision_type3  = [[List of townships in Indiana|Townships]]
| subdivision_name3  = [[Hobart Township, Lake County, Indiana|Hobart]], [[Calumet Township, Lake County, Indiana|Calumet]]
| government_type    = 
| leader_title       = [[Mayor]]
| leader_name        = Bill Carroll ([[Democratic Party (United States)|D]])<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.lakestation-in.gov/mayorsoffice/ |title=Mayor's Office |access-date=2020-03-20 | publisher = City of Lake Station}}</ref>
| area_note          = 
| established_date   = 
| area_footnotes     = <ref name="CenPopGazetteer2020">{{cite web|title=2020 U.S. Gazetteer Files|url=https://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/maps-data/data/gazetteer/2020_Gazetteer/2020_gaz_place_18.txt|publisher=United States Census Bureau|accessdate=March 16, 2022}}</ref>
| area_total_km2     = 21.82
| area_land_km2      = 21.47
| area_water_km2     = 0.35
| population_footnotes = 
| population_as_of   = [[2020 United States census|2020]]
| population_est     = 
| pop_est_as_of      = 
| population_note    = 
| population_total   = 13235
| population_density_sq_mi = 1596.50
| population_density_km2 = 616.44
| timezone           = [[North American Central Time Zone|CST]]
| utc_offset         = -6
| timezone_DST       = [[North American Central Time Zone|CDT]]
| utc_offset_DST     = -5
| area_total_sq_mi   = 8.42
| area_land_sq_mi    = 8.29
| area_water_sq_mi   = 0.13
| elevation_footnotes = <ref name=gnis/>
| elevation_ft       = 594
| coordinates        = {{coord|41|34|26|N|87|15|05|W|region:US_type:city|display=inline,title}}
| postal_code_type   = [[ZIP code]]
| postal_code        = 46405
| area_code          = [[Area code 219|219]]
| blank_name         = [[Federal Information Processing Standard|FIPS code]]
| blank_info         = 18-41535<ref name="GR2">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov|publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]|accessdate=2008-01-31|title=U.S. Census website}}</ref>
| blank1_name        = [[Geographic Names Information System|GNIS]] feature ID
| blank1_info        = 2395602<ref name=gnis>{{GNIS|2395602}}</ref>
| footnotes          = 
| website            = {{URL|https://www.lakestation-in.gov/}}
| unit_pref          = Imperial
}}

'''Lake Station''' is a city in [[Lake County, Indiana]], United States. The population was 13,235 at the 2020 census.

==History==
Initially, the site of modern Lake Station was the starting point of two [[indigenous peoples of the Americas|indigenous]] trails leading to [[Fort Dearborn]].<ref name=WPA>Workers of the Writers' Program of the Works Project Administration, 1939. ''The Calumet Region Historical Guide'', p.117.</ref> Later it became an early stagecoach depot stop, as the Fort Dearborn-Detroit Stagecoach Route passed through the site during the wet season.<ref name=WPA /> The location became known as Lake Station as far back as 1851 when it began to serve as a [[Train station|depot]], the western terminus of the [[Michigan Central Railroad]]<ref name=WPA /> (on what would later become its [[Detroit]] to [[Chicago]] line). This was the first train station in Lake County.<ref name=WPA /> The Michigan Central Railroad built a park and railroad shops around its two-story depot.<ref name=WPA /> A year later, in April 1852, George Earle mapped out and platted a town<ref name=WPA /> of about {{convert|6500|acre|km2}} on the site, continuing its name of Lake Station.

Being a bedroom community, Lake Station welcomed Abraham Lincoln to its Audubon Hotel, perhaps on more than one occasion, according to oral history. But [[George Pullman]], who tried to negotiate for land in Lake Station for his proposed railcar company, never struck a deal and [[Pullman, Chicago|set up shop on the south side of Chicago]] instead. Prior to its current location in [[Crown Point, Indiana]], the county seat was located on what is now the west end of Lake Station in a section called [[Liverpool, Indiana|Liverpool]], although it was a separate settlement at the time.

The name of Lake Station was officially changed to '''East Gary''' in 1908 in an attempt to lure executives from the nearby [[US Steel]] plant in [[Gary, Indiana]] into creating a [[suburban]] community. With another name change in 1977, primarily to disassociate itself from the urban decay and crime of Gary, the city reverted to its historical designation of Lake Station.

In September 2015, the mayor of Lake Station, Keith Soderquist, and his wife, Deborah Soderquist, were found guilty of conspiracy, wire fraud, and filing false income tax returns. Keith's daughter, Miranda N. Brakley (married name Barnitt), a court clerk, was found guilty of embezzlement and filing bad bankruptcy papers. Under state law, a mayor convicted of a felony forfeits his elected office. The Soderquist's served time in correctional institutions, while Ms. Brakley (Barnitt) served time in house arrest. The Soderquist's and Barnitt are still residents of Lake Station, Indiana. <ref>{{cite web | title = Northwestern Indiana Mayor, Wife Convicted of All Charges | publisher = WISH-TV | date = September 12, 2015 | url = http://wishtv.com/2015/09/12/northwestern-indiana-mayor-wife-convicted-of-all-charges/}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | title = Miranda Brakley Was Sentenced to 2 Years Probation | publisher = United States Attorney's Office | date = July 7, 2016 | url = https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndin/pr/miranda-brakley-was-sentenced-2-years-probation}}</ref>

==Geography==
According to the 2010 census, Lake Station has a total area of {{convert|8.431|sqmi|sqkm|2}}, of which {{convert|8.3|sqmi|sqkm|2}} (or 98.45%) is land and {{convert|0.131|sqmi|sqkm|2}} (or 1.55%) is water.<ref name="census-g001">{{cite web
  |url=http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_SF1/G001/1600000US1841535
  |title=G001 - Geographic Identifiers - 2010 Census Summary File 1
  |accessdate=2015-07-29
  |publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]
  |archive-url=https://archive.today/20200213052353/http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_SF1/G001/1600000US1841535
  |archive-date=2020-02-13
  |url-status=dead
  }}</ref>

The city lies on the [[Calumet Shoreline]], which is seen today as a sand ridge.

===Major highways===
* [[Interstate 65]]
* [[Interstate 80]]
* [[Interstate 90]]
* [[Interstate 94]]
* [[U.S. Route 6]]
* [[U.S. Route 20]]
* [[Indiana State Road 51]]

===Lakes and rivers===
*Grand Boulevard Lake
*[[Deep River (Indiana)]]

===Surrounding cities===
* [[Hobart, Indiana|Hobart]]
* [[Gary, Indiana|Gary]]
* [[Portage, Indiana|Portage]]
* Town of [[New Chicago, Indiana|New Chicago]]

==Demographics==
{{US Census population
|1880= 170
|1910= 484
|1920= 813
|1930= 2409
|1940= 3401
|1950= 5635
|1960= 9309
|1970= 9858
|1980= 15087
|1990= 13899
|2000= 13948
|2010= 12572
|2020= 13235
|footnote=Source: US Census Bureau
}}

===2010 census===
As of the [[census]]<ref name ="wwwcensusgov">{{cite web|title=U.S. Census website|url=https://www.census.gov|publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]|accessdate=2012-12-11}}</ref> of 2010, there were 12,572 people, 4,577 households, and 3,067 families residing in the city. The [[population density]] was {{convert|1514.7|PD/sqmi|PD/km2|1}}. There were 5,137 housing units at an average density of {{convert|618.9|/sqmi|/km2|1}}. The racial makeup of the city was 79.7% [[White (U.S. Census)|White]], 3.6% [[African American (U.S. Census)|African American]], 0.5% [[Native American (U.S. Census)|Native American]], 0.3% [[Asian (U.S. Census)|Asian]], 11.7% from [[Race (U.S. Census)|other races]], and 4.1% from two or more races. [[Hispanic (U.S. Census)|Hispanic]] or [[Latino (U.S. Census)|Latino]] of any race were 28.0% of the population.

There were 4,577 households, of which 35.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 42.4% were [[Marriage|married couples]] living together, 17.1% had a female householder with no husband present, 7.5% had a male householder with no wife present, and 33.0% were non-families. 26.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.72 and the average family size was 3.28.

The median age in the city was 35.4 years. 26.4% of residents were under the age of 18; 9% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 27.2% were from 25 to 44; 26.7% were from 45 to 64; and 10.7% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 50.0% male and 50.0% female.

===2000 census===
As of the [[census]]<ref name="GR2" /> of 2000, there were 13,948 people, 5,041 households, and 3,528 families residing in the city. The population density was {{convert|1,681.0|PD/sqmi|PD/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}. There were 5,328 housing units at an average density of {{convert|642.1|/sqmi|/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}. The racial makeup of the city was 86.23% [[White (U.S. Census)|White]], 0.77% [[African American (U.S. Census)|African American]], 0.50% [[Native American (U.S. Census)|Native American]], 0.30% [[Asian (U.S. Census)|Asian]], 0.05% [[Pacific Islander (U.S. Census)|Pacific Islander]], 9.31% from [[Race (United States Census)|other races]], and 2.85% from two or more races. [[Hispanic (U.S. Census)|Hispanic]] or [[Latino (U.S. Census)|Latino]] of any race were 20.61% of the population.

There were 5,041 households, out of which 33.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.9% were [[Marriage|married couples]] living together, 14.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.0% were non-families. 23.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.75 and the average family size was 3.24.

In the city, the population was spread out, with 27.1% under the age of 18, 10.5% from 18 to 24, 30.7% from 25 to 44, 21.0% from 45 to 64, and 10.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 33 years. For every 100 females, there were 99.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 98.4 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $36,984, and the median income for a family was $41,454. Males had a median income of $35,761 versus $22,659 for females. The [[per capita income]] for the city was $15,319. About 10.6% of families and 14.6% of the population were below the [[poverty line]], including 21.3% of those under age 18 and 10.0% of those age 65 or over.

==Economy==
Major employers include Sun Engineering, and Pro-Chem-Co. Lake Station's busiest rail line is [[CSX Transportation]]'s [[Porter Subdivision]]. The [[Chicago, Fort Wayne and Eastern Railroad]] also runs through Lake Station.{{Citation needed|date=January 2009}}

The Joliet Line of the [[Michigan Central Railroad]] once ran through Lake Station; the Fairview Walkway, a [[rail trail]], now occupies the abandoned rail line.<ref>{{cite web | title = Request for Proposals Notification | publisher = City of Lake Station | date = October 19, 2012 | url = https://www.in.gov/dot/div/legal/rfp/LPARFP/Archive/2012/oct/Fairview1.pdf}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | title = Northwest Indiana Pedestrian & Bicycle Transportation Plan of 2010 | publisher = Northwestern Indiana Regional Planning Commission | year = 2010 | url = https://nirpc.org/wp-content/uploads/2010-Ped-Pedal-Plan.pdf}}</ref>

==Arts and culture==
Lake Station also plays host to some events such as the Fuzz Follies, which is a car show that takes place in Riverview Park every year since 1984. Since 2004 The Heritage Days Festival has also taken place in Riverview Park. Both events are usually in June. The city's newest event held for the first time in September 2009 is Septemberfest, which is held around Labor Day weekend.

Lake County Public Library operates the Lake Station - New Chicago Branch, which also serves [[New Chicago, Indiana|New Chicago]].<ref>"[http://www.lakeco.lib.in.us/location.htm Locations and Hours] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081225092136/http://www.lakeco.lib.in.us/location.htm |date=2008-12-25 }}." ''Lake County Public Library''. Retrieved on January 21, 2009.</ref>

==Parks and recreation==
*Four Winds Park
*Columbus Park
*Riverview Park
*Miller Park
*Mock Park
*Deep River Outdoor Recreation Center
*Johnson Park
*Bicentennial Park
*Warrick Park
*Riley Park

==Government==
The mayor of Lake Station since January 1, 2020, is Bill Carroll.<ref>{{Cite web
  | url =  https://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/post-tribune/ct-ptb-lake-station-mayor-carroll-st-1224-20191223-qkaq3oj3sreq7o6pfjaeduyjta-story.html
  | accessdate = 2020-03-31
  | title = From hardwre store to mayor's office: New mayor takes oath of office in Lake Station 
  | newspaper = Chicago Tribune
  | author = Carole Carlson
  | date = 2019-12-23
  | quote = From hardware store to mayor’s office: New mayor takes oath of office in Lake Station
}}</ref>

==Education==
[[Lake Station Community Schools]] serves most of Lake Station. Some portions are served by [[River Forest Community School Corporation]].

The Lake Station Community Schools district consists of two elementary schools, Virgil I. Bailey and Alexander Hamilton, and one combined junior and senior high school [[Thomas A. Edison Junior-Senior High School]].

The River Forest Community School Corporation serves the West End of Lake Station (approximately one-third of the city). River Forest High School, River Forest Junior High School, John I. Meister Elementary School, and Henry S. Evans Elementary School are all within the city limits of Lake Station (as the result of the city's 1972 annexation of previously unincorporated parts of Hobart Township).

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
*{{Official website|https://www.lakestation-in.gov/}}  

{{Lake County, Indiana}}

{{authority control}}

[[Category:Cities in Indiana]]
[[Category:Cities in Lake County, Indiana]]
[[Category:Northwest Indiana]]
[[Category:1852 establishments in Indiana]]
[[Category:Populated places established in 1852]]