People collections

Herman Billik

With the construction of the railroads and later the Standard Oil refinery, the Whiting area became a haven from all sorts of immigrants. These men and women brought with them their cultures, traditions and superstitions. In the 1890s, Herman Billik preyed on these superstitions. But, he was also a fortune teller, potion wielder and murderer.

CONDES FAMILY

Did you realize that besides Condes Restaurant and Condes Deli, that the Condes family also ran the Condes Drive-In, the Black Steer (which was a popular steak house), Condes Grocery store, the Cozy Restaurant, a fruit market and Wow Wee over the years.

Ciesar All Americans

From 1937 until 1948 the National Basketball League was the undisputed premier professional basketball organization in the United States and Whiting played a part in this.

THE HOSTESS WITH THE MOSTEST

The tradition of Christmas parties remains a beloved part of the holiday season. Mildred Ahlgren was the first women from the State of Indiana selected to serve as President of the General Federation of Women’s Clubs. However, she was also known to throw one heck of a holiday party.

Robertsdale Firemen: Stories of Old Stations & Big Tournaments

For more than a century, the firefighters of Robertsdale have saved many lives and many buildings, but for a time they were local heroes because of their athletic skills. This is a story of their heroics, as well as a story of the fire stations where they’ve served.

The Greatest Baseball Team Of All Time

Whenever diehard baseball fans gather, there’s always an ongoing debate: What’s the greatest baseball team of all time? Without reservation, the trophy for the absolute all-time best goes to the 1952 Whiting Little League All-Stars who played in the Little League World Series in Williamsport, Pennsylvania.

Once from Whiting - Always from Whiting

Earlier this year I received an email from a descendant of Herman Genaust. The individual was looking for the address of his ancestor who once lived in Whiting. What started as a simple address search turned into a major discovery. Did you know the person who filmed the flag raising on Iwo Jima once lived in Whiting, Indiana?

Whiting’s First Family

Twin sisters Sofie and Grace Cabrera, number two and three respectively, will be graduating as part of the Whiting High School Class of 2022. The Cabrera girls come from a long line of firsts. You can follow the Cabrera girls lineage in Whiting, Indiana for seven generations.

WHITING’S FIRST BROADWAY AND HOLLYWOOD STAR???

While researching information about “famous people” born in Whiting on Wikipedia, I discovered the name ”Irene Purcell” listed as having been born on August 7, 1896, in Whiting, Indiana.  She was an American film and stage actress in the late 1920s and 1930s. 

Who WAS WHO Back in the Day

Today Whiting is known for such important “people” as Mr. Pierogi and Miss Paczki but back during its Golden Jubilee, there were other names of prominence mentioned.

THREE WHITING PLAYERS WHO MADE THE MAJORS

What does it take to be a Major League Baseball player? Talent, skill, hard work, perseverance , good luck for you and perhaps bad luck for someone else? The Whiting/Robertsdale area has had three players who stayed for more than “a cup of coffee” in the majors.

The Hornecker Torpedo:
Whiting’s Motorcycle

For a brief time, Whiting was one of America’s motorcycle manufacturing centers. The Hornecker Torpedo was a competitor of Harley-Davidson and Indian.

THE LITTLE BOY WHO LOST HIS LEG

The Story of Ron Plewniak and the Whiting Refinery Explosion of 1955.

Jim Thorpe

Most people under a certain age probably never heard of Roby, Indiana. The city was named after Edward H. Roby who purchased 600 acres of land in the vicinity in 1873. The area was home to horse racing, boxing, and even auto racing. It was even, for a short time, the home to one of the greatest athlete of the Twentieth Century.

Doctor William Putnam

When he passed, the news of his death was the big headline of the day in the Lake County Times of 1923. The banner headline read “Doctor W. E. Putnam, Prominent Whiting Man Called.”

AFTER THEY LOADED SIXTEEN TONS

All work and no play? Not these Whiting refinery workers.

William Obermiller

In 1960 William Obermiller began his tenure as Whiting’s city judge. He held that position for 36 years. During this time he gained national notoriety for his unique brand of justice. At one point he was given the moniker “spanking judge” when he ordered a paddling to some juvenile delinquents.

Alan Robert Nye

In 1959 Whiting native Alan Robert Nye was convicted by a Cuban tribunal for the attempted assassination of Fidel Castro. Nye was later released and kicked out of Cuba.

the whiting special census of 1894

The oldest list of who lived here after the arrival of the refinery.

JoSeph Brenkus

Joseph Brenkus walked all the way from Whiting to Jerusalem and back again. His journey was covered almost daily in newspapers nationwide. The round trip took him a year and seventeen days.

Joe Kopcha

What makes a person a hero? Is it the roar of the crowd on a Sunday afternoon when one makes a great play? Is it saving the life of a little girl? Is it saving hundreds of football players from perhaps serious injury? Is it helping to bring thousands of new human beings into the world? If these things make someone a hero, then Joe Kopcha truly was one.

Life Magazine & Whiting’s Agile Trio

Cheerleading was a sport that was dominated by men in its inception. However, when large numbers of young men went off to fight in World War II, the ladies were given a shot to root on their teams. Whiting, Indiana shared the cheerleading spotlight in 1941, when the nationally published Life Magazine did a story on the “Agile Trio.”

Mary Bercik

Mary Bercik was the State of Indiana’s first female Mayor. In 1957, after her husband William’s passing, she became in charge of her eight children and the 9,655 citizens that lived in the city.

John Wooden

Before he became the Wizard of Westwood at UCLA, John Wooden was the Wizard of the Whiting Ciesar All Americans, one of the first professional basketball leagues in America.

George soltwedel

George Soltwedel’s building became home to many merchants through the years. The Soltwedel Brothers was the place to purchase the best brands of whiskies, shoot a round of pool, buy some jewelry, or even a house.

Abraham Lincoln Swam Here

Did the Lincoln family used to swim in Wolf Lake? Maybe. Maybe not. The only reason to consider this as a possibility is because of what one family told a local historian over seventy years ago.

A TRIBUTE TO A TEACHER:
BERNARD J. VESELY

“I can still see him parking his car on Oliver Street and walking into the north door of the Senior High Building. He was as handsome as any movie star -- tall, slender and impeccably dressed.”

AL ODLIVAK: Whiting's Own Norman Rockwell

You’ve seen his work even if you don’t know his name.  His paintings are at City Hall, the library, the Chamber of Commerce and in private homes.   They cover the history of Whiting from as far back as 1891 to the present.  The artist is Al Odlivak who is virtually “the Norman Rockwell of Whiting.”

What do Jefferson Davis, Winston Churchill’s father, President Grover Cleveland, Jack Johnson and Wyatt Earp have in common?

What could they possibly have in common? The answer: Every one of them spent at least a few minutes in Whiting-Robertsdale.

Bobby Kennedy and Whiting-Robertsdale

Whiting-Robertsdale residents were as stunned as any Americans at Kennedy’s death. He was popular here. In the three-way race in the 1968 primary, Kennedy received 43-percent of the vote in Whiting-Robertsdale

Not a Warm Whiting Welcome

In 1898, Frank Ward of Freeport, PA walked into Whiting. He probably never forgot the experience, no matter how hard he might have tried. Frank was a pedestrian. That word, “pedestrian,” had a different meaning in the 1800s than it does today.

Whiting's First Casualties of World War I

Walter Kleiber and John Santa both died on July 15, 1918. They were the first soldiers from Whiting to die in World War One.

A History of Whiting High School Football Before 1958

The 2018 Whiting Oilers football team has had an amazing year. For Whiting High School fans, though, winning football is a long, proud tradition.