Since 1968, the Lake County Parks and Recreation Department has cared for some of the most important historical and natural locations in Lake County. These include the Buckley Homestead in Lowell, Deep River County Park in Hobart, and the Gibson Woods Nature Preserve in Hammond.
Although countless individuals have helped support Lake County Parks by volunteering and donating funds, there are some who have committed their entire careers to helping the department run as smoothly as possible. Interestingly enough, many of these dedicated individuals come from the same families.
“It’s inherently good to protect spaces such as parks,” Communications Director Emily Trisler said. “Meaningful things happen within those parks. We talk to people who have been coming to particular programs every year since they were children, and now they're bringing their own kids to these programs. The fact that we have that through-line is a benefit of our being here for over 50 years. It means that we've become part of a tradition, which I find far more meaningful than just preserving undeveloped land.”
Jim Basala, chief executive officer, expressed a similar sentiment, and noted that Lake County Parks does much more than simply preserve landmarks and natural areas.
“We, as Parks and Recreation Departments, are making people's lives better,” Basala said. “Whether it’s in Crown Point Parks, Valparaiso Parks, Schererville Parks, or us at Lake County Parks, we add to the mental, physical, and societal health of the community. We also add to the wealth of the community, and some of that wealth can be seen in the many family connections in our Parks Department.”
As it helps improve the Region in a variety of ways, Lake County Parks safeguards several landmarks important to the county’s rich history. The Buckley Homestead is a location whose history is closely intertwined with the legacy of a local family.
Dennis and Catherine Buckley, Irish immigrants who came to Lowell along with their five children in the mid-1800s, were the original owners of the Buckley Homestead. Rose Buckley Pearce, their great-granddaughter, was present at the dedication of Wood’s Historic Grist Mill at Deep River County Park in 1976. Inspired by the event, Pearce donated a portion of the Buckley Homestead property to Lake County Parks the following year.
The donation included the main house, the barn, a number of outbuildings, and 160 acres of land. Pearce arranged it so that the rest of the property – about 440 acres – would be donated to Lake County Parks after she passed. Today, the Buckley Homestead is a living history farm that has been entertaining and educating visitors since 1996.
Several years before Rose Buckley Pearce made her first donation to Lake County Parks, another family made their own contribution to the county’s history. In 1973, the Baum family had three boulders and a plaque placed at Stoney Run County Park in Hebron. This memorial commemorated their son who had died in Vietnam. Compelled by this gesture, a group of Vietnam veterans, with the help of Lake County Parks’ John Stacks – then manager and Vietnam veteran – got permission from Lake County Parks to expand upon the memorial.
The additions to the Baum family’s original memorial were paid for with funds raised by the veterans themselves. The project was completely executed by volunteers, the majority of whom were veterans. The Veteran’s Memorial continues to play an important role today as it serves as a gathering place for Lake County Parks’ annual Memorial Day service.
After families like the Buckleys and the Baums helped lay the foundations of two important Lake County Parks locations, a number of other families stepped up to assist in the care and operation of these and other properties.
One such example can be seen in the Dilts family. Moses Dilts joined the Lake County Parks Board in the 1970s and was very involved with Deep River Waterpark during the early years of its operation. His son, Chris Dilts, has served as the president of the board since 2021.
Sarah Kranc-Arndt is another member of Lake County Parks who had a history with the organization long before she began working there. Members of the Kranc family have been volunteering at the Buckley Homestead for many years. According to Basala, Kranc-Arndt has been participating in programs all her life, as her mother would bring the newborn Kranc-Arndt along when she led programs.
Turkey Creek Golf Course Park Technician Leslie Edmonds’ family has been closely involved with Lake County Parks. Edmonds’ mother worked as a seasonal guest services associate at Deep River Waterpark when it opened in 1995, and her aunt worked full-time in Lake County Parks’ financial division. Edmonds’ son Frank Edmonds currently works as a park technician at Stoney Run County Park.
Trisler, who has worked with Lake County Parks for over half of her life, herself is also a legacy Parks Department employee. Her father, Chris Cioroianu, served as the green superintendent at Turkey Creek Golf Course for many years before being promoted to the superintendent of parks operations. He went on to retire from the position last summer.
“My degree is in psychology, so I never expected to become a ‘Parks Department grown-up,’” Trisler said. “I always thought I’d only be a Parks kid. I started working part-time on the weekends at one of our banquet halls when I was 15. Then, in 2010, Bellaboo’s Play and Discovery Center opened in Lake Station, and I worked part-time there throughout college. That grew into a full time position which then led to another until it stuck and I ended up staying at Lake County Parks.”
In the half-century that has passed since Lake County Parks’ creation, families of the community have dedicated countless hours and numerous resources to help further the department’s mission.
“When this department was young, everybody was excited about what we were doing,” Basala said. “Now, many people seem to think ‘Lake County Parks has always been there, it hasn't changed.’ We want to get that original excitement back and encourage community members to go out and be one with nature. The parks are there for them and their families to use and enjoy. We’re trying to show people that the things we do don't just happen – they’re made possible through the efforts of hundreds of thousands of employees, volunteers, and families who go above and beyond.”
Today, Lake County Parks is responsible for over 8,000 acres of land and continues to invest in community-improving projects like the recent extension of the Pennsy Greenway Trail in Schererville. If it weren’t for the efforts of the families who lent their support to Lake County Parks over the years, the locations managed by the department – and perhaps even Lake County as a whole – likely would not be all that they are today.
For more information about the Lake County Parks and Recreation Department and the department's upcoming events, visit lakecountyparks.com.
