Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1876-08-17
THE CITY OF LAKES.
LaPOrte, Ind, the Pride of the IlOOsIer
State.

III We MIS-
I.aPOrte, Ind, the Pride of the HOOsIer
State.
From the Chicago Times of Aug. s. 1876.
I'm the heart of one of the richest ag-
ricultural portions of Indiana, 80 miles
from this city, on the line of the Lake
Shore and Michigan Southern railroad,
is the beautiful city of LaPorte, con-
tanning Il population of 10000. About
three miles to the southwest of that
city there were two groves of tall, heavy
timber, rising like wall from the prai-
RE, lying north and south. These
groves approached within a few rods of
each other, leaving an opening between
them, like door, from the prairies on
the east and west. The early French
missionaries and traders called this
opening Ia porte, in French, the door,
and from this the prairie, and after
ward the county and city derived their
names. Nature has been most lavish
in her gifts in making that city all that
the heart could desire, and what was
/ left undone has been. and is being, full
/ ly supplied by the arts of its enterprls-
! ing people. LaPorte was first settled
in 1880, Walter Wilson, j. Walker, j.
z. Teeple, Geo Thomas, ]. b. Niles,
Gen. Brown, Mr.. Allison, and Father
Orr, being among those who waved
! fond adieu to the retreating footsteps
of the mobile red man, The town is
peopled largely from the eastern, mid
die and southern states, who brought
with them their habits of industry,
economy and perseverance, hence its
citizens to-day, are solid, moral and en-
/ terpris;ng, and both the mercantile and
manufacturing industries of the place,
are, Notwithstanding the depression of
the times, sound and prosperous. The
town IS supplied with gas, and water
works on the Holly plan, of a capacity
of 100000 gallons per day. The
streets are broad, and outside of the
main business thoroughfares, are flank
ed on each side with rows of naples,
which gives the place the appearance
of monster grove. The business
houses are generally large and attract
i've, while the residences, as rule, are
metropolitan in appearance. There are
some thirteen church organizations,
a majority in which own fine edifices.
The school facilities are ample and most
excellent in character. To the west,
south and east of the city is a highly
cultivated farming country, with
Deep-waving fields and pastures green
With gentle slopes and groves between,
while encircling its northern limits are
chain Of lakes, gem-like in their beau
ty, and of which the citizens feel a just
pride. Prominent among these charm
ing lakelets, of which there are fully a
half dozen, is Lily lake, Clear lake,
Stone lake and Pine lake. Lily lake,
the smallest of the four mentioned,
water-works being on its south shore,
while to the east, and connected with
it by an outlet-over which fine road
way is built-is Clear lake, covering
the north and northwestern portion of
the city. This sheet of water is about
a mile long by half mile in width,
with bold banks, and is unsurpassed in
beauty. About 100 iods to the north
west of Lily lake is Stone lake, which
is about the same size of Clear lake,
while further Cd to the north and east,
distance of about two miles from the
city is Pine lake, the largest and most
charming of the group. There are out
lets connecting this entire chain of
lakes, which with comparatively
small outlay in the way of dredging
could be rendered passable, so that
small pleasure steamer could traverse
the entire chain, a distance of fully
twelve miles. Nature seems To have
designed this group of inland seas, with
their bold banks covered with beautiful
groves of forest trees, as "A site for parks
and pleasure grounds, as also the subur-
ban homes OF such as desire to live out
side of the dust and heat OF CONNER
cial centres. And it is passing strange
that the people of this city, who are
looking for delightful summer residen-
ces or suburban homes, have not ere
this turned their eyes in that direction.
The climate is all that the heart could
desire in this latitude, the scenery is
most picturesque, and what is more, it
Is less than two hours ride from this
city. Quite recently DIR. $. Il. Collins,
who has amassed quite a fortune dur
ing the past few years in the sale of his
acres of land situated ON the north side |
of Clear and Lily lakes, which he is i'm |
proving in a manner that must certain |
ly invite speedy settlement of that |
charming addition to the city. The !
doctors purchase extends about half |
the distance from Clear to Pine lake;
that portion lying on the shore of the |
lakes being covered with groves and |
hills, Offering large number of charm |
ing residence points. These grounds |
are laid out with view of construct |
ing broad avenue or drive along the |
shores of the lakes, each lot fronting on |
such avenue, thus affording residents
an unobstructed view of the lakes AID |
city. The doctor is alive to the enterprise
of improving and identifying those |
hills, dales and lakelets, and employing |
them as nature intended, and to that |
end he offers the most liberal induce
ment to such as wish a pleasant home.
To any enterprising man who will con-
struct and maintain during the sum-
mer months a first-class hotel he offers 4
the choice. rent free for 20 years, of ten I
acres of ground. There are both white |
and blue sulphur springs within short !
Instance, the waters of which, as prov |
EN- by analysis, are equal in their cura-
tive properties to the famed springs at |
Saratoga. Hence there is nothing |
wanting but enterprise and capital to
make that a popular summer resort. |
In fact one cannot comprehend why !
the many rpeourcee there offarad have