Originally published in The Vidette-Messenger of Porter County on October 20, 1955.
Porter Is Growing Fast; Taxes Are Dropping
(EDITOR’S NOTE一This is the third of a series on the government, facilities, problems and fall election plans of the wight incorporated towns of Porter county.)
A “quiet election” is expected this year in the small but fast-growing town of Porter, located northwest of Chesterton in Westchester township.
The town board is said to have taken advantage of the fact that the town’s valuation has increased greatly, and taxes have been reduced, during its four-year administration. The board is composed of three Democrats and one Republican.
A $1.59 town tax rate for 1956 is currently proposed for Porter, 13 cents less than the present tax of $1.74. Porter’s valuation rose by $270,000 to total $2,250,000 this year, the second highest increase among the county towns. A total of 45 homes were built there during the last assessing period, more than in any other county town.
All Incumbents Run
All four incumbent town board members, three of which are Democratic, are running in the fall election. Current board members include: first ward, Charles Meyne, Democrat, employed by Gary Sheet and Tin mill; second ward, Henning Hokanson, Democrat, employed by Carnegie Illinois Steel in Gary; third ward, William Sexton, Republican, employed by Ortman-Miller Machine company in Hamond, and clerk-treasurer, Robert Griffin, Democrat, employed by Sears, Roebuck company in Michigan City.
The Democrat running against Sexton for the office of third ward trustee is John Sitar, a barber at Richard Anderson’s barber shop in Chesterton.
The three new Republicans seeking office are: first ward, Henry Edd Cosley, employed by E.J. and E. railroad: second ward, Arthur Hicks, employed by Charles Lorenz and son, Chesterton contractors, and clerk-treasurer, Lester C. Esmoer, treasurer of Gary Street Railways.
Though Porter, with an estimated population of about 2,000, has less than half the population size of neighboring Chesterton, it boasts more than double the Chesterton land area. And new subdivisions are quickly adding to its population. As available Chesterton lots get fewer, many land purchasers are settling in Porter, it was pointed out.
Porter comprises 2,500 acres, compared to 1,177.6 acres in Chesterton, swinging in a large arc around the more populous town. Porter is bounded on the north by Lake Michigan, on the east by Waverly road and the Calumet river, on the south by Woodlawn avenue and the Michigan Central railroad, and on the west by Mineral Springs road and 23rd street in Chesterton.
A long, narrow town, with wandering boundaries it is about a mile wide on Lake Michigan, located between Dune Acres and Dunes State park, about 4 miles long, and broadens suddenly to a width of 2 miles on the south end.
Of the town’s 2,500 acres, which comprise 3 and 8/10 square miles, 120 acres are zoned for industry, 150 for business, 20 for parks and the remainder is residential, officials said. Though the town zoning board has provided land for industry when it comes, none has yet been attracted to the town.
Porter has a small business section, with bank, grocery, drug, hardware and a few similar stores, but for medical services and many other needs residents go to Chesterton, a fact which tends to make Porter seem a suburb of its larger neighbor.
Same Water Source
An example of its close tie-in with Chesterton is the fact that both towns have been supplied with water for some years by the Home Water company. Chesterton plans a referendum on Election Day, Nov. 8, in which its residents will decide whether they wish to buy the company.
Porter plans no such referendum, but according to Clerk Treasurer Griffin, holds an option on the water supplies, which would probably mean that if Chesterton buys the water company, it will in some manner be required to supply water to the neighboring town, an unusual procedure.
Porter’s mile of beach on Lake Michigan is not public, except for those areas where town streets, often forming small beaches, are established, Griffin pointed out. As not all these streets are yet laid out, this is a source of trouble between beach - goers and persons who own property along the lake, Griffin said. Johnson’s hotel owns a block of property along the lake in Porter, which it keeps open to the public, however.
Has Three Parks
Another source of recreation to Porter townspeople is the town’s three parks, Hawthorne park, Dunes Forest park and State little League park. Hawthorne park contains a community building, ball park, wading pool and bandstand.
The Porter Victory club, an organization of young Porter men, sponsors various recreational town activities and this year raised $800 for improvements for the town’s park, to be used mainly in rebuilding the park lighting system, according to reports.
Porter has no Chamber of Commerce, and few organizations except the Victory club and Veterans of Foreign Wars organization.
The town’s “adequate” volunteer fire department consists of 16 firemen and the fire chief, and has three fire trucks. A town marshal and two deputy marshals police the town, and plans are to use the 1956 budget to purchase a badly needed squad car and radio for the marshals, the town clerk-treasurer reported.
The town has a sewage system, but no sewage disposal plant, and no immediate plans to purchase one. There are about 55 miles of road in Porter, of which 50 are blacktopped and 5 miles cindered.
Porter school children are included in the Westchester township school system and taxpayers, with the overall increase in the township’s school population, are paying increased rates accordingly.
