Henry Schrage (1844-1932), born in Darmstadt, Hesse, Germany, grew up in one of Whiting's first families after immigrating to the United States with the Schrages, who acquired land in northwest Indiana. After serving in the Union Army in Company K of the 30th Illinois Regiment during the American Civil War, he returned to Whiting and in 1868 opened the town's first general store on his family's lakefront land. He ran the store with his wife, Carolina, serving a small but growing settlement and making the business a social center for the community. Henry became Whiting's first postmaster in 1871, served as area road supervisor during the 1870s and 1880s for roads between the state line and the Calumet River, and saw the B&O Railroad establish a station stop by Lake Shore Road in 1874, increasing traffic through the area toward Chicago. As industry and development expanded in northern Indiana, land owned by the Schrage family became part of plans for what would become the nation's largest oil refinery, including 50 acres of their property connected with Standard Oil's development. In 1895, after selling his store business, Henry opened the private Bank of Whiting with $5,600 in first-day deposits, and the bank became a cornerstone of town life. He also served on the town council, was a township trustee for six years, and became a councilman after Whiting was incorporated as a city in 1903. During the Great Depression, when more than 30 banks failed in Lake County, Indiana, Henry used his personal assets to establish a 15-year trust fund to protect depositors and cover bad loans, helping his bank survive the worst economic crisis of the 20th century.