Baillytown, Indiana facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Baillytown
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Former community
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The planned layout of Bailly, Indiana, as recorded in 1833 by founder Joseph Bailly
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 Baillytown
Location in Indiana
Baillytown
Location in the United States
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| Country |  United States |
| State |  Indiana |
| County | Porter |
| Founded | 1833 |
| Changed | 1876 |
| Location | U.S. 12 west of Steel Mill and Power Plant entrance |
| Nearest City | Porter, Indiana |
Baillytown was once a small community in northern Porter County, Indiana. It was located near where the towns of Porter and Burns Harbor are today. Even though the town planned as the Town of Bailly was never fully built, the name Baillytown was used for many years. It referred to the area around the old trading post of Joseph Bailly. Today, "Baillytown" is still used as the name of a neighborhood in Porter, built in the 1990s.
Baillytown started as a "paper community." This means it was planned out on maps by Joseph Bailly in 1833, but not actually built. It was near his trading post on the Little Calumet River. Bailly had hoped a group of French Canadians would settle there.
However, Bailly became sick in 1835. He advised these families not to travel to Lake Michigan. He worried they would struggle in the wilderness. They did not speak English and were not used to living among Native American groups.
Still, the name Baillytown was often used in the 1830s. It described the area around Bailly's trading post. Many Potawatomi people visited the post to trade goods. Baillytown was also on a northern path of the Sauk Trail. You could also reach it from Lake Michigan using Petit Fort.
When stagecoaches started running in 1833, Baillytown was the last stop before Chicago. The trip to Chicago could take from six hours to six days! It depended on the weather and road conditions. Later, a very long wooden bridge called the Long Pole Bridge was built. It was west of Baillytown and helped travelers cross the Little Calumet River.
Swedish Settlers in Baillytown
In the 1850s, Baillytown became home to many Swedish-American families. These new settlers first came to work in a sawmill. This sawmill was run by Bailly's son-in-law. After working there, many of them started farms in the area.
By 1856, about 20 Swedish families lived in Baillytown. They worked as farmers and loggers. Most of these immigrants came from a part of Sweden called Östergötland.
Religious life began with a visit from a Swedish Lutheran minister. His name was Erland Carlsson, and he visited around 1855. The Swedish Lutheran Church of Baillytown was officially started in 1858. It was part of the Augustana Synod. This church is still active today as the Augsburg Evangelical Lutheran Church in Porter.
The people of Baillytown wanted their children to remember their Swedish culture. So, an old toolshed was used for Swedish language classes until 1912. This building had been the town school from 1880 to 1885. A large Swedish community also grew in nearby Chesterton. This community was centered around the Hillstrom Organ factory. During this time, Westchester Township had the most Swedes in Indiana.
Baillytown's Lasting Impact
In the early 1900s, the name Baillytown was used for a local school. It was also a stop on the South Shore Line train. The Baillytown school was one of eight one-room schools in Westchester Township. It closed in the 1920s as schools began to combine. Later, important early meetings for the Save the Dunes Council were held in the old Baillytown schoolhouse.
Today, the history of the French Canadian and Swedish people in Baillytown is remembered. You can see this at the Chellberg Farm area. This farm is part of the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore. It is named after the Chellberg family (originally Kjellberg). They started a farm on some of Joseph Bailly's old land in the 1870s.
