Calumet Community Conversations

Calumet Community Conversations

The Field Museum and the Calumet Heritage Partnership are collaborating to organize a series of community conversations about the potential for creating a Calumet Heritage Area where residents, organizations, and businesses will be asked what a future heritage area could be. Across the country, heritage areas have become an effective way to connect people to places for the benefit of communities and landscapes. These conversations will contribute to a feasibility study for a Calumet National Heritage Area in Northeast Illinois and Northwest Indiana. Future topics will include the region’s environmental, cultural, and recreational resources.

Next Conversations


None scheduled at this time.  See the notes from past conversations below. Notes will be posted as they are compiled.

 

Notes from Past Conversations


Past Conversations

Ethnic/Cultural Heritage in the Calumet Region

Wednesday, September 23, 2015*
5:30 – 7:30 pm
Porter County Public Library
2665 Irving St. Portage, IN 46368
or
Thursday, September 24, 2015*
5:30 – 7:30 pm
Public Safety Building 725 W. 138th St. Riverdale, IL 60827

Download a flyer (PDF)
Spanish, Polish, Serbian, Croatian, English, Swedish. These are just some of the languages that would have been spoken in the mills of early 20th century Calumet. No matter how your family came to the Calumet region–such as through Ellis Island, as part of The Great Migration, or out of the Appalachian foothills–they brought with them the diverse cultural practices that enrich the region. From festivals and cuisine, to art and language, these practices continue to shape the region’s identity. Whether you are a recent resident or your roots go back for generations, we want to hear what your cultural heritage means to the region and how you would like to see cultural heritage represented in a future Calumet National Heritage Area.

Please bring a photo or object that tells a story about the ethnic and cultural heritage of the Calumet region. We will use these to start the conversation,  so come ready to share! 

Recreation and Heritage in the Calumet Region

Wednesday, June 17, 2015*
5:30-7:30 p.m.
Location:
Vodak East Side Branch Chicago Public Library
3710 East 106th Street Chicago, IL 60617
or
Tuesday, June 30, 2015*
5:30-7:30 pm
City Hall
Emergency Management Room
100 East Michigan Boulevard Michigan City, IN 46360

Download a Flyer (PDF)
Boating, fishing, softball, picnics however you enjoy the outdoors in the Calumet region this gathering is for you! The Calumet region was long known as a sportsman’s paradise for the quality and quantity of its hunting and fishing opportunities. Even with the legacy of 100 years of heavy industry and residential growth, it is still home to unique and extensive recreational options, from swimming at Calumet Park, to windsurfing at Wolf Lake, and biking from Mt. Baldy to Cowles Bog in the Indiana Dunes. Come share your memories, old and new, of enjoying the outdoors in the region. We want to hear why you choose your activities and locations, what is unique about recreation in the region, and how you would like the region’s recreational heritage represented in a Calumet National Heritage Area.

Please bring a photo or two of your friends and family enjoying the outdoors in the Calumet region. We will use these to start the conversation, so come ready to share!

*To RSVP or for more information, contact Madeleine Tudor: [email protected] or (312) 665-7471

Environment and Heritage in the Calumet Region

Thursday, April 23, 2015
5:30-7:30 p.m.
Location:
Medowbrook Conservation Center and Preserve
Shirley Heinze Land Trust
109 West 700 North
Valparaiso, IN 46385

Wednesday, April 29, 2015
3:30-5:30 p.m.
Location:
Vodak East Side Branch Chicago Public Library
3710 East 106th Street Chicago, IL 60617

Download a Flyer (PDF)

Environmental stewards, conservationists, land managers, activists, and Calumet residents — this gathering is for you!   From the wetlands of Lake Calumet to the dune and swale of the Indiana Dunes National Park, the Calumet region is home to some of the most fragile and biodiverse habitats on the planet. Do you help to care for the greenspaces and wilderness areas that make up the region? Are you a nature enthusiast who enjoys seeing a sand hill crane or a lady slipper orchid? Do you advocate for reducing the impact of pollution in your neighborhood? Then come share your reflections on caring for and appreciating nature in the region. We’re interested in hearing about how you connect with nature, what it means to you, and how you would like to see it represented in a future Calumet National Heritage Area. All are welcome at both events, but you do not need to attend both for your voice to be heard! To RSVP or for more information, contact Madeleine Tudor: [email protected] or (312) 665-7471

Please bring a photo or an object that tells a story about your experience with nature in the Calumet region. We will use these to start the conversation, so come ready to share! 

Industrial Heritage in the Calumet Region 

Tuesday, March 10, 2015 5:30-7:30 pm
Porter County Public Library
2665 Irving St. Portage, IN 46368

Monday, March 16, 2015 5:30-7:30 pm
Vodak East Side Branch Chicago Public Library
3710 East 106th Street Chicago, IL 60617
 
Download a Flyer (PDF)

The Calumet region has a rich and significant industrial heritage, serving as an economic engine for America for over a century. If you have worked or currently work in Calumet industry or have been influenced by it, come share your reflections on the region’s industries, from steel mills to railroads to food processing. How do you connect with Calumet’s industrial heritage? How is it relevant today? We are interested in hearing your take on the unique nature of the Calumet region, its contributions to industrial America, and the ways you would like this heritage represented in a future Calumet National Heritage Area. All are welcome at both events, but you do not need to attend both for your voice to be heard! To RSVP or for more information, contact Madeleine Tudor: [email protected] or (312) 665-7471


Make History in the Calumet Region!
Local History and Historic Preservation Community Conversation 4
Monday, September 29,  5:30pm – 7:30pm

Vodak-East Side Library Meeting Room 3710 East 106th Street Chicago, IL 60617
Historians, History Buffs, Genealogists, Preservationists! This gathering is for you…   Why is knowing or preserving the past important for our communities? How can we build on local history to shape the future of our region? Join us for the second conversation on the roles that historic memory and historic preservation play in the emerging vision of a bi-state Calumet Heritage Area, and discuss your involvement in keeping history alive in your community.   This conversation will be similar to the one held on July 14, 2014, in Miller-Gary, Indiana. All are welcome, but you do not need to attend both for your voice to be heard! To RSVP or for more information, contact Madeleine Tudor: [email protected] or (312) 665-7471

Notes from Local History and Historic Preservation Community Conversation

At the second Local History & Historic Preservation Community Conversation, we asked participants to tell us what places are most important to Calumet regional heritage. This map shows some of the important sites the participants identified.

Make History in the Calumet Region
Local History and Historic Preservation Community Conversation 3
Monday July 14th, 5:30-7:30 pm Indiana Landmarks Northwest Field Office 541 Lake Street  Gary, IN 46403

Historians, History Buffs, Genealogists, Preservationists! This gathering is for you…   Why is knowing or preserving the past important for our communities? How can we build on local history to shape the future of our region? Join us for a conversation on the roles that historic memory and historic preservation could play in a Calumet Heritage Area in Northwest Indiana and Northeastern Illinois.    Come prepared to talk about your involvement in keeping history alive in your community, and how these efforts connect to the emerging vision of a Calumet Heritage Area. To RSVP or for more information, contact Madeleine Tudor: [email protected]  or (312) 665-7471

At this Local History & Historic Preservation Community Conversation, we asked participants to tell us what places are most important to Calumet regional heritage. This map shows the areas they marked as some of the most integral to local history

Community Conversation 2: Putting Art on the Map in the Calumet!

Join us at a gathering of Calumet region artists on Monday, May 12, from 5:30-7:30pm at the Vodak/East Side Branch of the Chicago Public Library, to discuss the potential of a Calumet Heritage Area. Across the country, National Heritage Area designations have helped benefit local communities and landscapes. This is the second in a series of community conversations with residents, organizations, and businesses to document their contributions to the uniqueness of the Calumet Region, and gather their feedback on what a future heritage area could be. We believe starting these discussions with artists is important because they often make a point of looking at concepts from unique perspectives. 

Please RSVP by contacting Madeleine Tudor at (312) 665-7471 or [email protected].

 

Notes from the second Community Conversation

 

Map of artist’s locations from the first Putting Art on the Map conversation (click to enlarge)

Community Conversation 1: Putting art on the Map in the Calumet
On December 12, 2013, 24 residents and friends of the Calumet region came together at the Black Box Gallery on the campus of the Calumet College of St. Joseph  to discuss current arts practices in the region and the role that the arts could play in a potential Calumet National Heritage Area.

Notes from the first Putting Art on the Map meeting

If you are interested in attending future conversations please contact Madeleine Tudor, The Field Museum, [email protected] (312) 665-7471