Cedar Lake, Indiana
Cedar Lake is a town in Hanover and Center townships, Lake County, Indiana, United States. It is near the Illinois state line. Its population was 11,560 at the 2010 census. The town is notable for its location on Cedar Lake, the Lake of the Red Cedars museum. History Cedar Lake was settled by pioneers in the mid-19th century and was originally named West Point; the name “Cedar Lake” belonged to a nearby town that is now called Creston, Indiana. In 1839, the town that was then called West Point competed with the settlements of Liverpool and Lake Court House (later called Crown Point) to be the county seat of Lake County, but lost out to Liverpool. By 1870, the Cedar Lake Post Office was established, giving the area a new name. After the Monon Railroad came to the lake's western shore in 1882, many new residents flocked to the area along with tourists who saw the lake as a resort destination. From the late 19th century to the early 20th century, Cedar Lake was a popular place for Chicagoans looking for a retreat from the city. The lake had over 50 hotels at the time and several pavilions and ballrooms that brought many well-known bands to entertain the visitors. The Lassen Hotel and Monon Park Dancing Pavilion are listed in the National Register of Historic Places. Geography According to the 2010 census, Cedar Lake has a total area of , of which (or 85.54%) is land and (or 14.46%) is water. The lake, which is the largest natural lake in northwest Indiana, appears to have formed from glacial meltwaters. There is an abundance of hills around the lake, which are evidence of the Valparaiso Moraine running through the area. The 781 acre lake is naturally fed by small streams, storm runoff, and a natural spring. The lake has a median depth of 8.8 feet. Its deepest depth at 16 feet located in the middle basin. The lack of clarity in the water is due to the low refresh rate of the water and the shallow depths combined with the size of the lake. The lake bed is composed mostly of a dirt and sand mixture, clay, and rocks. Demographics 2010 census As of the census of 2010, there were 11,560 people, 4,193 households, and 3,002 families living in the town. The population density was . There were 4,692 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the town was 94.9% White, 0.5% African American, 0.3% Native American, 0.4% Asian, 2.4% from other races, and 1.7% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 6.5% of the population. There were 4,193 households, of which 39.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.9% were married couples living together, 11.7% had a female householder with no husband present, 6.0% had a male householder with no wife present, and 28.4% were non-families. 22.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and