East Chicago’s post office opened in 1889, and 52% of its homes were built before 1940
More historic than 85% of U.S. towns · #185 of 593 in Indiana. What drives it
3 places in town are on the National Register, among them a historic district with 138 buildings. Below: 9 old photos and papers, maps from 1900 on, and the census since 1890.
From East Chicago’s archive · credits on each photo
Quick answers
How East Chicago began
When was East Chicago founded?
1889
The East Chicago post office opened in 1889, the earliest record of the town by name. Wikidata gives 1893. Another post office, Indiana Harbor (1902), opened inside today’s city and later closed.
First census: 1,255 in 18902020 census: 26,370137 years
How historic is East Chicago?
A
More historic than 85% of U.S. towns, on its age, its old homes and the National Register.
Founding year: the first East Chicago post office (Blevins & Helbock, CC0). Wikidata: 1893.The full story ↓
History grade
What drives East Chicago’s History grade
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, East Chicago is more historic than 85% of U.S. towns, #185 of 593 in Indiana. Its share of homes from before 1940 holds the grade up; its age pulls it down.
A
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of East Chicago’s overall grade.
Indiana towns list more on the Register than most of the country (a typical Indiana town has 7.9 per 10,000 residents, the U.S. 2.4), so East Chicago’s 53.8 sits above most of its state (75% of Indiana towns have fewer) while its 140 historic buildings outnumber those of 91% of U.S. towns.
How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would range from B to A+. The pre-1940 share (±2.9 points) is firm at this size. The founding year is the first post office, not a stated founding date; Wikidata’s 1893 falls in the same era, so the grade doesn’t depend on which one is used.
Founding year: the first post office (other dates in Quick answers). Homes: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register: National Park Service, May 2026 list; each listing counted once (boundary changes and added documentation belong to their listing), and a historic district counts its contributing buildings. How TownRatings grades history →
What stands out about East Chicago’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
The land that became East Chicago was originally swampland unsuitable for farming. The state of Indiana began selling off plots of land to railroads and speculators after 1851 to fund the local school system. Settlement of the area was very slow at first, and as late as the 1890s, the city had no proper streets or public utilities. East Chicago was incorporated as a city in 1893. The city was named from its location east of Chicago, Illinois.
Passages that mention East Chicago, cut from the printed page as they were published.
A standard history of Lake County, Indiana, and the Calumet region1915 · page 277Read the page →
Read the text
The Indiana Harbor Belt Railroad Company operates one of the best known lines of that character in the Calumet region. Its history and financial status are thus set forth by W. S. Osborn, its auditor : ''This company, under the name of East Chicago Belt Railroad Company, was incorporated under the law^s of the State of Indiana on May 16. 1896, and constructed certain lines of railroad in the vicinity of Hammond. On June 29, 1907, the name of East Chicago Belt Railroad Company was changed to Indiana Harbor Belt Railroad Company.
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
A standard history of Lake County, Indiana, and the Calumet region1915 · page 419Read the page →
Read the text
Gen. Joseph F. Tobrence and His Work Incidentally, the connection of Gen. Joseph F. Torrence, of Chicago, with the founding of East Chicago has been noted. During its initial year he started the Calumet Canal and Improvement Company and the Standard Steel and Iron Company, the latter establishing the pioneer industry of the locality ; more strictly speaking, it was the latter corporation, backed by General Torrence, which platted the City of East Chicago in 1889.
Text read by machine from the scan; it may contain errors.
Scans and text from the Internet Archive. Books published in 1930 or earlier, which are in the public domain.
Timeline
East Chicago, 1889 to 1973
Woven from the archive, old maps, post office records, the National Register and the people born here.
Nothing in the archives for these yearsWeddings on Main Street, storms, parades, school pictures, the old store. If it’s in your family album, it belongs here.
Nothing in the archives for these yearsWeddings on Main Street, storms, parades, school pictures, the old store. If it’s in your family album, it belongs here.
The East Chicago post office opened in 1889, the earliest record of the town by name (U.S. post office records). Wikidata gives 1893.
How does East Chicago rank for history?
East Chicago is more historic than 85% of U.S. towns, #185 of 593 in Indiana. The History grade combines the town’s founding era, the share of homes built before 1940 and its National Register listings. It’s a character grade, so it isn’t part of the overall grade. How it works.
What is on the National Register in East Chicago?
Three places: the Marktown Historic District (listed 1975), the Indiana Harbor Public Library (2005) and the St. Mark A.M.E. Zion Church (2025).
How old are the homes in East Chicago?
52% of East Chicago’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±2.9 points), against a typical 14% for an Indiana town; the median home was built in 1938.
Founding dates: Wikidata, Wikipedia, the U.S. post office records of Blevins & Helbock (CC0) and the Census. Homes by year built: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register of Historic Places: National Park Service (list of May 22, 2026). Old photos, postcards and papers: Wikimedia Commons, the Library of Congress and other public archives, credited on each item’s page. Maps: U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (via Esri) and Sanborn fire-insurance maps (Library of Congress). History text and census tables: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Places that used to be: USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).
From Wikimedia Commons (17), Wikidata (1), the National Register of Historic Places (3), Wikipedia, Wikidata and Wikipedia for famous people, U.S. Geological Survey historical maps, U.S. Census counts (via Wikipedia), the US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock), the USGS Geographic Names Information System and old county and town histories (Internet Archive). Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.
c. 1910
c. 1913
1917
1973
1973
2006
2006
2006
2006
2006
2006
2006
2004
