A Publication of the Historical Society of Ogden Dunes, Indiana,
Inc. Volume 9 Number 2
May 2001
Trillium Trail
Outdoor Ogden Dunes used to be quite different than what we find today. This is perhaps not too strange, when you think about it. After all, houses and roads have been added. Dune slopes have been regraded and landscaped. Wetlands have been filled in, during their intermittant dry stages.
The brush fires which used to sweep through town, as late as the '60s, have been completely suppressed. After that, the ODVFD used to controlled burn off the fringe areas around town. That kept at least some areas open. Since that responsibility has been taken over by another agency, scrub brush has completely taken over that surrounding territory, too. Even Long Lake is becoming so choked by unnatural brush, that a lot of people do not see it as a lake anymore.
The only large, open expanse left in town is Kratz Field. Although the lawn grass along the sides of our streets is often locally referred to as "natural," lawn grass is not native to Ogden Dunes. There were naturally pockets of woods here and there in Ogden Dunes, which still exist as they had decades ago. Much of town resembled Suicide and Polliwog Pond however. The northwest corner of Ogden Dunes is the last vestige of what most of our yards started out looking like.
When Gary and Portage were founded, the idea was to conquer icky nature and completely alter the terrain. They certainly succeeded. Still today most subdivision developments are designed to totally reshape what was there before.
The formation of Ogden Dunes and Dune Acres were different from those other places. People moved here who wanted to live on or between dunes, rather than on a flat-as-a-pancake sandmine. Our streets were platted curvy to follow the contours of the land, not to fool drivers into thinking they were out in the country.
Early Dunes residents moved here because they wished to be surrounded by wildflowers and chipmunks and hooting owls and howling wolves. Hmm, no, I guess the wolves were gone by then.
Over the years, since natural ecological succession was overridden, unnatural succession has taken over. Many of our yards, including mine, have nice trees and flowers which are not native to the Indiana Dunes. My yard little resembles what it was like before the last brush fire burned it off three decades ago.
O. D. Frank, the original occupant of what is now our Hour Glass historical museum, taught kids about the nature around us here. A nature trail was even laid out through the then less-developed town. Different plants and animals were noted here & there at different locations up and down our dunes.
The Historical Society would like to recreate a smaller, more compact version of that same idea on the grounds of the Hour Glass. History is not simply a collection of artifacts and a list of former residents. The native vegetation is a part of Ogden Dunes' history, too.
The Hour Glass yard can become a concentrated repository for some of the wide variety of plants which naturally grew throughout our Dunes. Native plants of course still exist here and there in different parks and yards. Residents will be able to stroll along the Hour Glass' nature trail and learn, from interpretive tags, what those various plants are.
Members of the local chapter of the Indiana Native Plant & Wildflower Society (INPAWS) have met with George Svihla and others of the Historical Society. Plans are being formulated towards designing and building a safe and instructive nature trail to encircle the Hour Glass. Native plants remaining in the yard will be supplemented with those transplanted from other spots in town, purchased and donated.
We cannot expect however that "outsiders" will come in and create our nature trail, while we simply sit back and watch. Certain unnatural, invasive species, such as myrtle and garlic mustard, need to be removed before the restoration of desired species, now missing from the yard, can begin. Other non-native vegetation will be removed over time. A viewing area has been suggested for the rear of the house for those not wanting to climb.
The yard's fallen branches and leaves shall be gathered up to form the trail itself. Volunteers have already begun to yank out some of the naughty plants. There will be plenty more to do over the summer. VOLUNTEERS WILL BE NEEDED. We will keep you informed.
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