THE TM 911 Franklin Street Weekly Newspaper Michigan City, IN 46360 Volume 23, Number 39 Thursday, October 4, 2007 Jumping Off Point by Barbara Stodola In Ogden Dunes, Ski Hill Road is more than a chi chi name for a residential road that climbs up a perilously steep dune. Ski Hill Road marks the spot where international tourna- ments took place 80 years ago, on one of the tallest ski jumps in the United States. What remains today are half-hidden remnants of the con- crete supporting piers, and a cluster of masonry cottages with French casement windows and sloping roofs, like you might have seen in 1920s-era Alpine villages. Ken Martin, president of the Ogden Dunes Historical Soci- ety, feels the interest in this bit of history is strong enough to warrant an annual tour of homes. This year’s tour, acclaimed “a great success,” was augmented by a nicely researched bro- chure done by Richard Meister, a retired De Paul University history professor, who follows in the footsteps of Ogden Dunes’ original residents. The earliest persons to settle on Ski Hill Road, Meister re- ports, were school teachers, artists, university professors and nature-lovers, who built modest summer cottages in the 1930s. But even before that time, the spectacular dune had been dis- covered by ski enthusiasts from Chicago, many of whom were Norwegian-Americans. They formed the Ogden Dunes Ski Club and in January, 1928, held the fi rst of fi ve annual inter- national tournaments. The Ogden Dunes ski meets, advertised on South Shore Railroad posters, attracted thousands of spectators. Many arrived by train. Poster provided by Framing Station. “The jump itself was touted as the largest steel ski jump in the United States,” Meister said. “It rose nearly 200 feet above the dune.” According to the calculations of Jim Morrow, anoth- er historian, the top of the ski jump towered almost 32 stories above the base of the dune, making possible a record leap of 169 feet – set by Casper Oimon in 1930, before an audience of 8,000 spectators. Unfor- tunately, the event continued to be plagued by lack of snow, so the ski slide was dismantled after the 1932 The Lenz cottage, built in 1932 for a Chicago school teacher, was later competition. owned by a real estate broker, a jeweler and a couple of art historians from the University of Chicago. Jump Continued on Page 2 THE Page 2 October 4, 2007 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 Subscription Rates delivered to public places in Michigan City, New Buffalo, LaPorte and Sheridan Beach. 1 year $38 6 months $21 3 months $13 1 month $6.50 Jump Continued from Page 1 about the mosquitoes. Even on my studio roof I get In the meantime, the scenic beauty of the area no privacy, an airplane pilot spots you and swoops had attracted Chicagoans looking for second-home down.” Other artists were also moving into Ogden sites. Clifton Tidholm and Elwood Koch, owners of Dunes, and their presence contributed to the mys- the Imperial House restaurant, commissioned Har- tique of this secluded location. ry Howe Bentley to design their summer home, 63 At least four other houses in the neighborhood steps up the hill. Bentley was a noted architect who were modeled after Bentley’s design, including the had taught at the Armour Institute of Technology, Lutz cottage next door, which was originally owned worked in Chicago with Howard Van Doren Shaw, by a school teacher from the Beverly Hills area of and authored the book, “Small Houses from French Chicago. It too has a huge fi replace, vaulted ceilings Villages.” with wood beams and walls of cement block – which were often produced on-site, using sand from the ex- cavation. An expert addition to the Lutz home doubled its size, while retaining its French country style. In 1928, the noted architect Harry Howe Bentley designed this home for Chicago restaurateurs. The screened porch was added later. The Tidholm-Koch house was featured in the New York Herald Tribune in March, 1931, headlined “Novel Cottage Constructed on Sand Dune Site.” Approximating the look of French country houses, Bentley used French doors and casement windows hung from massive wooden lintels. The walls were made of concrete block roughly mortared and “left sloppy,” as one homeowner said, to maintain a rus- tic fi nish. A large stone fi replace in the living room “The Anchorage,” similar in layout to Bentley’s had a metal crane attached, showing signs of fre- designs, takes on more of an Alpine character, with quent usage for indoor cooking by its restaurateur its wood paneling on the second level, above the ma- owners. sonry blocks. Knotty pine and cypress are used on In 1946, the Tidholm-Koch cottage was sold to interior walls and fl oors, and a nautical theme is Joseph Tomanek, a Chicago artist best-known for retained in the furnishings. A stairway in the living his paintings of nude fi gures in natural settings. To- room leads to a loft area, with a balcony overlooking manek found it diffi cult to paint nudes in Chicago, the main fl oor. saying, “In Paris you can rent little garden studios Several of the homeowners have kept original and pose your models in privacy. Here, if I work out- furnishings in place. “The Anchorage” has a vintage doors, I have to pose the girls in bathing suits. Take stove in the tiny kitchen. The Frederiksen-Miller them to the forest preserves, and they complain home has an original wood-burning stove in the THE October 4, 2007 Page 3 dining room. In most cases, screened porches were added to the original cottages, or large family rooms Open ‘til 6 p.m. with three walls of windows, to take advantage of Evenings the spectacular dune-top views. Jump Continued on Page 4 www.littlehousefashions.comElegant Apparel for the [email protected] Conscious Woman Women’s Apparel An original wood- COAT SALE burning stove is preserved in the Now Thru October 15th Frederiksen-Miller home. All coats are 20% off “The Anchorage” resembles a Swiss chalet, with its steep roof and lavish use of wood, on the exterior and interior. Tent Sale still going on! Drastically reduced items in the tent. 409409 Alexander Alexander Street Street, LaPorte,LaPorte, IN IN 326-8602326-8602 On Hwy 35 - 5 Blocks South of Lincolnway Historian Jim Morrow enjoyed the tour with Barbara Stodola (left), TurnTurn Rightright on AlexanderAlexander writer for The Beacher, and Ursula Henkel, who drove the Monday-FridayMonday - Friday 10 am 9:30 to 6 topm 7 Saturday Saturday 9:30 9:30 am to to 5 5 pm golf cart up Ski Hill Road. THE Page 4 October 4, 2007 Jump Continued from Page 3 They brought along rock specimens, contributing The history compiled by Richard Meister shows to Frank’s large collection of unusual rocks. These that many Ski Hill Road residents were involved in were incorporated into the fi replaces and garage ad- governing the fl edgling Ogden Dunes community. dition, in one place spelling out “The Hour Glass,” They served on the Town Board and contributed to as the home was named. Frank also compiled a map The Sandpiper, the local newsletter. Their wives or- to identify each of the rocks and its origin. ganized the Women’s Club and Girl Scout troops, and taught in Sunday school. Edward Heinz served on the committee planning for daily mail delivery. Joe Thomas, city editor for the Gary Post-Tribune, later bought Heinz’ house, and wrote a 40-page His- tory of Ogden Dunes. “The Hour Glass,” built in 1932 for O.D. Frank, a University of Chicago botanist and his wife, Tillie, is now the home of the Ogden Dunes Historical Society. A garage addition to the Heinz-Thomas House has a great room with windows on three sides, taking advantage of the beautiful treetop views. O.D. Frank’s unusual stones were used to spell out “The Hour Glass,” which he had named his house in Ogden Dunes. Antique accessories enhance the aura of living history on Ogden The Heinz-Thomas home welcomed visitors to the Dunes’ Ski Hill Road. historic house tour in Ogden Dunes. It stands near the original ski jump. Although built originally as summer cottages, the In 1992, “The Hour Glass” was bought from homes often developed into year-round residences Frank’s great niece by Sue Mechtersheimer, an Og- and showcases for their owners’ extraordinary af- den Dunes realtor who had been Prof. Frank’s stu- fections. O.D. Frank, a botanist and teacher at the dent 60 years earlier. She donated it to the Ogden University of Chicago High School, invited stu- Dunes Historical Society, which continues to oper- dents and friends from all over the world to visit. ate the building as a small museum. THE October 4, 2007 Page 5 E LIST IPL ING LT S U E M R V I C E 6 OF LAPORTE COUNTY INC. 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