THE TM 911 Franklin Street Weekly Newspaper Michigan City, IN 46360 Volume 28, Number 22 Thursday, June 7, 2012 Saving the Indiana Dunes for Artists and for Posterity In 1961, Save the Dunes zealots picketed along Lake Michigan, while plans were being advanced for a deep-water port and a fully integrated steel mill Save the Dunes 60th Anniversary Richardson Photo Exhibit at Brauer by Barbara Stodola and Westchester For the early organizers of Save the Dunes Coun- by Barbara Stodola cil, this undertaking was far more than a pet proj- Naturalist photographer William D. Richardson ect. It became a crusade, a fervent battle, a mission lasting a lifetime. (1876-1936) typifi ed the attitudes toward the In- “By their deeds, ye shall know them” intoned its diana dunes embraced by his colleagues. Like the fi rst president, Dorothy Buell, quoting the Bible to painters, poets and dramatists who turned to the the Chicago Tribune. In 1952 Mrs. Buell, a graduate dunes for inspiration, Richardson focused on the of Lawrence College with a degree in oratory, rose aesthetic qualities found in this unique habitat. to the challenge of saving the dunes for future gen- Today his photographs are valued for their artis- erations. The fi rst meeting was held in her Ogden tic merit, and are featured in an exhibit running Dunes home; it was attended by 21 women. thru Aug. 5 at Valparaiso University Brauer Mu- Dorothy Buell held the presidency for 16 years seum. Concurrently, an exhibit of personal papers, and was followed by Sylvia Troy, who served in documents and books assembled by the photogra Continued on Page 2 Continued on Page 4 THE Page 2 June 7, 2012 THE 911 Franklin Street • Michigan City, IN 46360 219/879-0088 • FAX 219/879-8070 In Case Of Emergency, Dial e-mail: News/Articles - [email protected] email: Classifieds - [email protected] http://www.thebeacher.com/ PRINTED WITH Published and Printed by TM Trademark of American Soybean Association THE BEACHER BUSINESS PRINTERS Delivered weekly, free of charge to Birch Tree Farms, Duneland Beach, Grand Beach, Hidden 911 Shores, Long Beach, Michiana Shores, Michiana MI and Shoreland Hills. The Beacher is also delivered to public places in Michigan City, New Buffalo, LaPorte and Sheridan Beach. Save the Dunes Continued from Page 1 tion is currently housed in Michigan City at Barker House, on the wooded property left by Mrs. Norton this position from 1968 to 1978. The organiza- Barker to the Nature Conservancy. Its current pres- tion’s greatest accomplishment was the passage of ident is Jeanette Neague, who has been a member the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore by Congress since she was a teenager. in 1966. “These are people who just really cared about the “Frankly, I never dunes,” observed Nicole Barker, Save the Dunes ex- thought it would hap- ecutive director, adding that membership is open to pen,” admitted Mrs. Troy, all like-minded individuals, and support from indi- who still lives in Beverly viduals helps the organization to achieve its goals. Shores. “Anyone who was “Today there are new threats to the dunes,” Bark- anyone opposed it; the In- er said, “more subtle threats – such as pollution, diana Senators turned us water contamination, invasive species that threat- down; industry opposed it; en the diversity of plant life. We support the efforts the Chamber of Commerce of the Indiana State Park and the national park. We opposed it; and local news- have partnered with other organizations and with papers opposed it. The only attorneys in fi ghting for our causes. We are always people who supported it monitoring the permits that have been issued.” were the people, the Save Some of the biggest threats fought off by Save the the Dunes Council (that Dunes have been NIPSCO’s proposal to build a nu- wild-eyed band of conser- clear power plant; expansion of freight yards; a jet- Dorothy Buell, founder of Save vationists) and Senator port in Chesterton and an airport in Lake Michigan. the Dunes, led the charge Paul Douglas of Illinois…” The biggest fi ght they lost was preservation of the against industrial encroachment. Today, Save the Dunes Central Dunes, an area in Porter County between can point to 15,000 acres of parkland preserved Ogden Dunes and Dune Acres, which became a steel within the national and state parks. The organiza- mill. Sunfl owers and other botanical drawings by Ann Tompkins are available at Art work inspired by the dunes includes, most recently, Save the Dunes shop in Ann Tompkins’ drawings of pine cones. Beverly Shores. THE June 7, 2012 Page 3 Specifi c projects supported by Save the Dunes today include Moon Valley in Michigan City; the Dunes Creek daylighting project, aimed at remov- ing the parking lot that runs over the creek; and studying the east branch of the Little Calumet River, east of Burns Ditch. “We are interested in anything relating to the health of the waterways,” Barker said, “and we work to leverage our support of projects that will protect the environment.” Nicole Barker, M.A. in environmental studies, directs the organization’s projects from her offi ce at Barker House in Michigan City. For many years Save the Dunes volunteers have staffed a gift shop, specializing in dunes-related art, on Hwy. 12 in Beverly Shores, adjacent to Glenn L. Firme art supplies. Earlier this spring, the decision was made to close the shop, effective August 31. However, many other activities and volunteer opportunities are being offered, with the hopes of including all local communities and widening Save the Dunes base of support. A partial listing of events follows: Saturday, June 16 – 60th anniversary hike and beach cleanup, at Indiana Dunes State Park Thursday, June 21 – Council Ring and potluck barbeque at Barker House, Michigan City Sunday, June 24 – 60th anniversary interactive presentation at Ogden Dunes Community Church Saturday, September 8 – Jammin’ for the Dunes at Washington Park, Michigan City Sunday, September 16 – Bartlett’s Buckin’ Good Beer Fest, a benefi t for Save the Dunes, at Bartlett’s Grill, Beverly Shores Saturday, October 27 – 60th Anniversary Gala at Sand Creek Country Club, Chesterton Details of events can be found online, at Save the Dunes website. THE Page 4 June 7, 2012 Richardson Photo Continued from Page 1 as saying, “If I catch pher and his wife, Flora, will be displayed at the part of Westchester Township History Museum, Chester- a bird song ton. between An open- the rumble ing reception and roar of will be held the city, it at the Brau- is to me like er Museum a burst of at 7 p.m. sunshine on Friday, June a wet and William D. Richardson, Caspian Tern 8, for the rainy day.” His bird photographs are probably the Richardson most signifi cant part of his legacy, and several are exhibition included in the current exhibit. and for Art Another subject that drew Richardson’s atten- William D. Richardson, European City in Bloom, a tion was the landscape, particularly trees refl ected show of fl oral arrangements by Kenton Johnson of in lakes and streams. Such picturesque scenes ap- Hidden Garden Florist. Johnson will do a demon- pealed to early 20th century photographers, as they stration on Sunday afternoon June 24, and muse- attempted to explore the artistic um director Gregg Hertzlieb will possibilities of this new medium. conduct a gallery talk Wednesday Gregg Hertzlieb, curator of the evening, July 11. show, places Richardson’s work William and Flora Richardson in the tradition of Pictorialists, were among the earliest conser- “who strove to make photographs vationists who began to spend as rich and atmospheric as any weekends hiking and camping painting through using the cam- in the dunes. They lived in Hyde era and darkroom processes ex- Park, socialized with Universi- pressively rather than solely as ty of Chicago intellectuals, and means to a documentary end.” joined such organizations as the Hertzlieb points out Richardson’s Prairie Club and Friends of Our use of deep black shadows, thus William D. Richardson, Gannets (Adult with chick) Native Landscape. achieving the look of charcoal However, unlike Frank Dudley, a full-time drawings in his landscape photographs. painter, and Carl Sandburg, who made his living The Indiana dunes provided the Richardsons with as a writer, ample opportunity to indulge their interests in the Richardson native plant and animal life. They built a small hut, pursued a then a cabin, in the area that is now Dune Acres, scientifi c ca- and attempted to maintain their land in its natural reer. He was state. They amassed a huge library of books relat- chief chem- ing to the environment. ist for Swift After William Richardson’s death, Flora became & Company, a full-time resident of Dune Acres. She lived there the large for more than 20 years, establishing the Richard- Chicago son Wildlife Sanctuary in 1958. The site is now for meatpack- sale, but the house deteriorated and has been de- ers, and he William D. Richardson, Waterscape molished. introduced The Westchester Township Public Library has important methods for curing and preserving meat. made an agreement to house the archives from the He also founded The Journal of Flora Richardson Foundation. Ser- Industrial Chemistry. On his ena Sutliff, curator, has just com- travels for Swift & Company, he pleted archival work on the many took along his camera. documents – “bird journals, notes As a young boy, Richardson on their nesting habits, records of had become fascinated by birds, land purchases, his will, papers and would climb up trees to from his work at Swift, Flora’s di- observe and photograph nests.