The City of Whiting is definitely a quirky, fun-filled town. With a beautiful lakefront, plenty of industry, and a classic little downtown, the city provides its residents with the best of so many worlds. From summertime to an ice-covered winter, this city by the lake offers so much to its residents, and how they came to be a city is just as interesting as the town itself.
Currently, the city consists of just over three square miles, one and a half of which consists of Lake Michigan! This small area packs quite a punch, though, and that legacy began with “Pop” Whiting, a heavy freight train engineer who ditched his train to let a faster moving passenger train have right of way. The area first became as Pop Whiting’s Siding, a name which was fortunately shortened later on.
The railroads were built in 1851 by the Michigan Southern Railroad, which aside from allowing travel across the swamp and wilderness, led to a few German settlers sticking around the area over the years. There weren’t many people around when Pop arrived, though Henry Schrage had opened a store in the area just after the Civil War. However, the area gained residents over the years, leading to Schrage becoming the local postmaster in 1871. This was also the year that Pop Whiting’s Siding became known as Whiting.
Many years later, Standard Oil Company came in and began purchasing land due to the area’s perfect proximately to the lake and railroads. This led Whiting even further down it’s path to becoming the city it is today. In 1895 they incorporated, making them a recognized town in the state of Indiana. Finally, in 1903, they became a city and truly became what we know them as today.
Now, the town hosts plenty of wacky and fun events throughout the year. With Pierogi Fest, their most widely known and celebrated event kicking off summer each year, they’ve created a unique niche of excitement for residents and visitors. Their quirky events don’t end in summertime, though, and they host Wickedly Whiting each Halloween and an illuminated Christmas Parade in the winter, calling families out to celebrate the holidays with each other. With unique events like these and more set to come, Whiting has enjoyed a fun, quirky life and will continue to do so in years to come.
To check out more on the City of Whiting’s History, Click here!
