Since 1822, the Bailly Homestead has changed repeatedly. In the 1820's, when Potawatomi Indians brought beaver pelts by canoe to trade with Joseph Bailly, the main house had not yet been built. Constructed of white oak logs with weatherboard siding, it was still under construction in 1835 when Joseph Bailly died, and it was completed after his death. The Bailly heirs altered the house on a number of occasions, and its exterior has been restored to its 1917 appearance, the earliest year that could be accurately documented. A brick house built for Bailly's granddaughter, Rose Howe, was constructed in the late 1870's. Joseph Bailly, the Potawatomi, and their children, while trading and living here, played a significant role in the history and development of the Calumet Region.

Photo: Connor Olson

Porter, Indiana · USA