The Lake County times. [volume] (Hammond, Ind.) 1906-1933, 1922-09-22
LAKE FRONT
NEGLECTED.
ROBERTSDALE
Pollution of Water Nothing
Short of Criminal

Isotc- tsdale residents who are
the Lake Front PARK as an example
ot Ha.nmond's neglect.
After investing a large amount of
money in a modern bathhouse, Ham
mond entirely abandoned its program
for the Improvement Of the park
and bathing beach. The grass Is
gone and the park has become a sand
waste. The pollution of the water
continues to such an extent that
bathing this summer was unpleas-
ant and dangerous
The Lake Front park has become
Z disgrace. Meantime Whiting has
improved It's lake front park until it
has become one of the most delight
ful bathing beaches on the lake.
BooNE,s PLAN FORGOTTEN
When the late David Boone was
member OF the Hammond city coun-
c1, under the Smalley administration
he started a movement for the i'm
provement of the Lake Front park.
The first unit Of improvement was
the bathhouse which was built un-
der a fire of criticism. Boone's
scheme was as follows:
/. Erection of modern bath
house.
?. Legislation to stop the pollution
OF the lake.
;. Elevation Of the Pennsylvania
Kew York Central and Baltimore &
Ohio tracks across the lake front.
4. Extension OF the park into the
lake to the end of the piers on made
land"
). Construction of concrete road
from Five Points on Calumet avenut
TO the lake, to include a large con-
crete parking space for automobiles
ard a lake wall
A vIsIoN, NOT VISIONARY
Boone's plan was vision, but 1t
was not visionary The pollution OF
the lake cannot go on and on for
ever 1t gets worse each year. The
people cannot be expected to drink
dirty. tasteless water filled with city
sewage and industrial refuse from
the STANDARD Oil and American
Maize Products plants even If 1t Is
treated with chlorine. Some time the
pollution of the lake viii have to
stop. Why not now?
AS for the elevation of the rail-
roads at the lake front the same
reasoning applies. Some day the
railroads Will be forced to elevate
through Hammond Whiting and Ind
lana Harbor. They are already eleva-
ted to the East Side. just west of
the state line The grade crossings
at Calumet avenue and Lake avenue
are the most dangerous in the re-
g,en. 1t Is fear of these crossings
where express trains go laundering
by at sixty and seventy miles an
hour. that keeps people from the
lake front 1t is a death trap.
Hammonds share of the cost OF
elevation will be twenty-five per cent
Of the cost of construction at the
two street crossings.
Filling in the lake to the end OF
the piers is In keeping with the pol
lev of other cities on the lake. Chi
cago has built Grant Park into the
lake aS wei as JaChSOIt a. anu
stretches along the north shore The
Inland Steel has built scores OF
acres of made land" The Stag can
be had for the hauling. The Whit
Ing Park is made land"
It is only by elevation of the
railroads, extending the park into
the lake and stopping the pollution
OF the lake that Hammond can have
a Lake Front park that will be a
credit to the city.
Robertsdale people say that 1t Is
shameful the way Hammond has
neglected its lake front.
The working people OF moderate
means are the ones who suffer. The
well-to-do people can drive to Cedar
Lake, Miller Beach or Chicago
beach for relief from the heat in
summer.
Robertsdale people say that Ham
mond IS the least progressive OF the
cities of the region as regards the
lake front.