Valparaiso, Indiana Was Just Named One Of The Top 10 Historic Towns In America
Discover historic Valparaiso, Indiana, which is one of the oldest towns in the state. Most people know it for its college but the land has been used for much more than that. There is so much to know about this great place.
Readers on USA Today’s website recently named Valparaiso one of the top 10 historic small towns in the United States, and we couldn’t agree more. Keep scrolling for more details.
Located along the Sauk Indian Trail that extends from Detroit to Rock Island, Valparaiso in northwest Indiana is a popular town known for its history.
The population currently sits at about 35,000 residents, though that number has changed over the years. This thriving town has a long and complicated history that goes back to at least the 1600s.
The first European settlers to make their way to what is now Indiana did so around 1670 though it was not until 1822 that Joseph Bailey established a fur trading post near Lake Michigan, attracting more Europeans.
Ten years later, in 1832, it is reported that the U.S. Government bought land from the Potowatomi Native Americans which included present-day Valparaiso.
If you’ve ever been to historic Valparaiso, Indiana, we’d love to hear from you. Please share your experiences and photos with us below in the comments.
An Illinois transplant who grew up and went to school in Indiana for 22 years, Elizabeth holds a BFA in creative writing and has enjoyed traveling across the country and parts of Europe. She has visited half of the states, as well as parts of Canada, Mexico, and the Caribbean, and regularly travels home to the Hoosier State to see friends and family. With more than five years of writing experience, Elizabeth’s articles have been featured on several websites, and her poetry and short stories have been published in multiple literary journals.
