Kenneth J. Schoon

As this book details the very specific history of the area at the southern tip of Lake Michigan--with particular emphasis on its geologic history from the Ice Age onwards--it will admittedly have a very limited audience. But at I grew up there, I enjoyed it.

The author, whose family not only has long roots in the area but who also was a middle- and high-school science teacher, particularly excels in describing the legacy of the Ice Age glaciers. And probably because he was used to teaching disinterested adolescents, he makes that history simple to understand without lading it full of technicality and jargon.

Unfortunately, being more of a scientist than a historian, his narrative becomes rather dull when human beings enter the scene. Whereas the glaciers produced drama, the humans don't have much life to them. We get a lot of recitation about who became postmaster where and when, and what churches were founded where and when, but these are simply catalogues of facts, not true history. Take simply one community, the major city of the area: Gary, Indiana. Anyone who grew up there knows that Gary came into being in 1906 when US Steel decided to build its premier steel plants there. Certainly there must have been drama in that, e.g. the politics that made it happen, the disruption caused by those already resident there. There is barely a hint of any conflict. Furthermore, the young Gary became the site of some progressive experimentation, especially in education. The schools were showcases of a sort. What brought that about? We get not a word.

Perhaps these details were beyond the purpose of the book. But precisely because the opening chapters of the book concerning geologic history were done so well, the remaining chapters were a disappointment.… (más)