The Dash

Written by Victoria Gresham | May 26, 2023 Memorial Day Origins Memorial Day once known as Decoration Day was observed to honor soldiers who sacrificed their lives during the Civil War. Decoration Day was a tradition following the Civil War where veterans would decorate the graves of the fallen soldiers. General John Logan, a veteran…

Written by Victoria Gresham | April 28, 2023 Healing the Sick Have you ever had an itchy throat or a constant cough that won’t stop? Catching that common cold often comes with battling symptoms of hoarseness and a sore throat. Being in the middle of a conversation to then whirl into an unexpected coughing fit…

Written by Victoria Gresham | March 13, 2023 When the Bell Tolls and the Whistle Blows The town clock struck six. The hustle and bustle of everyday people could hear the Catholic bell ringing in the background. However, there was one sound no one expected that resonated over it all. Twelve eye witnesses recalled the…

Written by Victoria Gresham | February 27, 2023 A Summer Silenced On the 200th day of summer in 1890, a devastating event occurred in Porter County. July 19th marked a Saturday that would carry a dark cloud in the blossoming City of Valparaiso. Three men gave their testimony to the dreary scene left in the…

Written by Victoria Gresham | January 20, 2023 Coroners Inquest of James Call, May 17, 1900 One spring day on Friday, May 11, 1900, James Vincent woke to begin his day as any other. However, on this particular day, things would be different. His usual chores on the Beach Farm located north of the City…

Written by Victoria Gresham | December 16, 2022 Gretna Green Cities in the United States There was a time when couples in the United States had the opportunity to wed without being restricted by certain marriage laws. Couples eager to tie the knot could hop in their car or ride the rails of a train…

Written by Victoria Gresham | September 2, 2022 One of the most successful lawyers in history was Marcus Tullius Cicero. He was a Roman statesman, war hero, scholar, orator and philosopher, who lived between 106 BC-43 BC. He made a career of the law and introduced philosophy to Rome, which transcended into the modern world.…

Written by Victoria Gresham | June 3, 2022 The 1960’s was a time of extraordinary events for America. While we feared the threat of nuclear bombs and championed the efforts of becoming the first nation to send a man to the moon, it was a critical time for Porter County, Indiana and its residents as…

Written by Victoria Gresham | March 4, 2022 In the vast plains and moraines of what is known as Porter County, the land was traveled by French fur traders and Catholic missionaries seeking new conquests for France. Between 1679-1711, Robert Cavilier, Sieur de la Salle left Canada to explore the Mississippi River. In April, 1682,…

Written by Victoria Gresham | January 7, 2022 While the prehistory of Indiana spans from ca. 10,000 B.C to approximately 1650 A.D. at a time when the Europeans began to keep record of its historical accounts, Porter County was mostly unchartered land inhabited by various native American Indian tribes. While Joseph Baily is accredited with…