Liverpool, Indiana facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Liverpool, Lake County, Indiana
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 Liverpool, Indiana
Location in Indiana
Liverpool, Indiana
Location in the United States
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| Country |  United States |
| State |  Indiana |
| County | Lake |
| Township | Hobart |
| Elevation | 637 ft (194 m) |
| Time zone | UTC-6 (Central) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-5 (Central) |
| ZIP code |
46405
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| Area code | 219 |
| FIPS code | 18-44388 |
| GNIS feature ID | 438185 |
Liverpool was an old town in Lake County, Indiana. It was once the main town, or "county seat," for the area. Today, a neighborhood in Lake Station, Indiana, is called "Liverpool." It's in the same spot where the old town used to be.
Contents
History of Liverpool
Early Days and Founding
In 1836, the land where Liverpool would be built belonged to the Potawatomi people. But because of a special agreement called the Treaty of Tippecanoe, some Potawatomi received papers. These papers let them claim parts of the land.
A man named John Chapman bought one of these papers. This gave him ownership of a specific piece of land. Back then, Chicago was a small but quickly growing port city. Chapman wanted to build a city that could be just as big and important as Chicago.
Liverpool joined four other towns trying to become the biggest city on Lake Michigan. These were Chicago, Michigan City, City West, and Indiana City.
Chapman planned Liverpool near where the Little Calumet River and Deep River meet. At that time, boats could travel on both rivers.
The Town's Design
An article from 1929 described how Liverpool was planned. It had important streets like Broadway, Market Street, and Chestnut Street. Some of these streets were 100 feet wide.
The plan also included special areas. One block was called "Public Square," another "Market Square," and a third "Church Square." There were 40 blocks in total, divided into 435 smaller lots.
The Deep River flowed through the planned city. The plan showed 18 blocks north of the river and 23 blocks south of it.
Becoming the County Seat
In 1839, Liverpool competed with two other towns, Lake Court House and Cedar Lake. They all wanted to be the "county seat." The county seat is the main town where the government offices are located.
A rich land investor named George Earle owned much of the land nearby. He strongly supported Liverpool. A special group decided that Liverpool should be the county seat for Lake County.
Decline and Disappearance
However, in 1840, people in the western part of the county complained. They said the county seat was too far east for them to reach easily. Another group then decided to move the county seat to Lake Court House. This town later became Crown Point, Indiana.
This change, along with money problems from the Panic of 1837 (a big economic crisis), ended Liverpool's short time of importance. The courthouse in Liverpool was sold. It was floated down the river to Blue Island, Illinois.
George Earle, the land investor, moved away and started a new town called Hobart, Indiana. At its busiest time, about 500 people lived in Liverpool. But by the late 1840s, only two families were left.
Finally, a fire spread through the nearly empty town. Nothing was left of its original buildings. Today, a neighborhood in Lake Station, Indiana, is sometimes called "Liverpool." It is located in about the same spot as the old town.
