Supposedly the name referred to a supposed settlement of French fur trappers/traders hundreds of years ago. Several local historians have written about or at least mentioned the idea that there had been such a village long before Bailly's days nearby. The locations put forth by different writers vary within a ten-mile stretch of lakefront, with one fiction-loving author even contradicting himself repeatedly.

One of the possible locations of the possible cluster of cabins was about where Burns Ditch later emptied into Lake Michigan or south a mile at U.S. 12 or south another couple blocks at the old Indian trail (which no longer exists there but farther west is Stagecoach Road.) Most writers do not even acknowledge that the three points are not the same. Such a town existing at the mouth of Burns Ditch was used in 1950s pro-port propaganda but the story preceded that scam. No road existed until 1923 where U.S. 12 runs, which is why a quarter mile south is a likelier location for ancient huts than right on 12.

I cannot now come up with where I saw it but somewhere I once read that the French Village restaurant was named because of this old tale. That might have simply been an assumption on the part of a reporter but it does make sense.

Was the old French Village somewhere along where the north arm of Burns Ditch was later dug? I don't know. Did a French Village, under that or some other name, ever exist anywhere from Miller to Tremont? 'Beats me. If any of you are looking for something to do with your time, please look into this mess. You will have to check out all the primary material that still exists. The biggest problem with printed versions of the tale is that none of them name specific sources for their facts and none of them include explanations of what led the writers to their interpretations.

As for Sacopulos' French Village, it was one of the taverns which gave the Dunes Highway an unsavory reputation during prohibition. I came across a 1937 news article about Anthony being fined $50 & costs after beer was found during a raid by the county sheriff. Anton and Josephine Sacopulos still owned the French Village when it was sold in 1959 to real estate developers (who were hoping to cash in on its proximity to the nascent Midwest Steel plant.)

Several telephone men were stringing up wires. Theodore Purdy was in the local exchange and informed us they are installing the dial system at the new exchange; the system should be ready by September. The present exchange is housed in the same building as the Ogden Dunes Realty Co. Mrs. H. M. Whelpley is chief operator and keeps busy with over 130 telephones.

We rode all over Ogden Dunes, whose winding roads and topography somehow reminded us of overseas, except that there was no swamp or tropical vegetation. Spacious residences were built wherever it took someone's fancy, and preferably on a dune or out of the way place. The main avenues of Ogden Dunes are Hillcrest Road, Cedar Trail, Shore Drive, and Ogden Road. All roadways are well marked at corners. This is a necessity. Without the street signs, one would be lost in the maze.

We found the home of Mr. and Mrs. Nelson Reck, subscribers to our Tribune, and planned to call but no one was in. Mrs. Reck puts out a mimeographed sheet of news called the Sandpiper.

Ogden Dunes has a volunteer fire department. E. M. Kratz is president of the town board and other members are Ogden Nickerson and Edward Kidwell. The business district of the town is located across US-12 from the South Shore station. Here you have a food shop, Ogden Dunes Inn, and Ogden Dunes Garage, all owned by Thomas Brady. He bought out Gordon Engel a year ago, coming from Indiana Harbor.

Dolores Comer, senior at Portage high school and resident at Wells St. Beach, is a waitress at the inn. She goes to Good Fellow camp this week to join her friend, Phyllis Canright, counsellor. Dolores has two other sisters in school, Jeanie, 16, and Marian, 13. Mr. and Mrs. William Bluck run the inn. Mr. Brady is the garage man.

Visiting with the Van Bergens this week are Judge and Mrs. Irwin C. Taylor of Kankakee, Ill., where he is county and probate judge.

Mrs. H. Davidson and Mrs. S. Newstrom, Chicagoans of Swedish descent, always wanted to go into the restaurant business and finally this summer started the Stuga, a mile south of Ogden Dunes Garage. But they have more than a restaurant. In a large rambling house they have done their three dining rooms in blue and yellow, the Swedish national colors, with tables and chairs and tableware in matching colors.

The waitresses are Crisman high school girls. Lois Weaver gets her mail from Chesterton, Louise Johnson and Marjorie Marvel are from Ogden Dunes. We found the fruit soup they served very delicious. Other Swedish dishes are also served, though such dishes do not make up the menu exclusively. Mrs. Davidson stated that quite a few people from Chesterton and Porter have been at the Stuga, which was formerly a well known eating place under different management, but which was closed during the war.

Well, at Wilson's Beach, three miles west of Porter Beach, failing to find a certain woman to interview, who works with girls, it looked like no news from that locality until we met Paynter Rhed.

Paynter knew of your reporter through his daughter Bertha, who graduated from CHS in May. He is mechanical foreman at the Indiana Lake Sand Co., which is at Wilson's. There are more employees than you think at the place, of which Russell Manley of Brockton, Ill., is the head.

John Coan, the millwright, from Miller is building a house in Haglund's subdivision. Gene Kauffman from Michigan City is a new employee at the sand company. James Palmer is superintendent and Carl Chellberg is hoistman. Both are from town. Earl Vincent, also from Chesterton, is plant operator. Everett Wilson, car loader, comes from Shadyside and John Haymaker has the same kind of work and is from the same place. Jim Coan Sr. greases up the machinery.

In Mr. Manley's office Margaret G. Brown holds down the position of secretary while Betty Van Bergen from Ogden Dunes is receptionist.

Some time this autumn our readers will learn how the sand company plant operates. The plant dries and screens sand and ships it to order. Summer is the slack season, says Mr. Rhed. Only about eight or ten cars a day are shipped. Indiana Lake Sand Co.'s building was put up by the Dille Construction Co. several years ago. The company has a more modern branch near Michigan City. Mr. Manley, the president, also heads the Panel Truss Co., which has recently started business at the old Sall Mountain tract in Chesterton.

The Hour Glass George Svihla, Editor A. Muntean, Ass't. Ed. 762-5184 763-4989 G.svihla@worldnet.att.net Ammuntean@worldnet.att.net Historical Society Officers Naomi Svihla, President Susan Clouser, Vice President Mary Simons, Treasurer Jane Sutton, Secretary George Svihla, Curator Peter Youngman, Historian Trustees Susan Clouser Gene Miller Constance Richter John Skafish Courtney Van Lopik - Don Kurtz Naomi Svihla  George Svihla Jane Sutton Tom Tittle Peter Youngman  Anne Muntean Ann Sampson

Memberships:

Life memberships and contributions beyond the membership level amount go into an endowment fund.
Dues, except Life, are to be paid annually PREFERABLY, IN JANUARY, and are good for the calendar year, BUT MUST BE PAID BY JULY 1.

Historical Society of Ogden Dunes, Inc.
115 Hillcrest Road - 101
Ogden Dunes, IN 46368-1001

OPEN HOUSE at HOUR GLASS
Third Sunday of the Month
Replaced by Slide Show at the Fire house
Ice-Cream Social on May 31, after Memorial Day Service.

e-mail	Hour Glass	H.S.O.D.	MEMBER of the POD

Return to top of page.

This page is at https://members.tripod.com/~Ogden_Dunes/newsltr/7/hg7-5.html.

Web-published 30th August, 1999. Slightly altered and reposted 19th February, 2003.