Hessville is a neighborhood of Hammond, Indiana. Located in the southeast corner of Hammond, it adjoins the Hammond neighborhood of Woodmar to the west, the East Chicago neighborhood of Calumet to the north, the Gary neighborhoods of Westside and Black Oak to the east, and the town of Highland to the south. The neighborhood's boundaries correspond to Hammond's Planning District VI.[2]

Hessville
Neighborhood
Map
Coordinates: 41°35′44″N 87°27′42″W / 41.59556°N 87.46167°W / 41.59556; -87.46167
Country United States
State Indiana
CountyLake County
CityHammond
Unincorporated1852
Annexed by Hammond1923
Elevation181 m (594 ft)
Time zoneUTC-6 (CST)
 • Summer (DST)UTC-5 (CDT)
ZIP code
46323
Area code219

Notable natural areas in Hessville include the Carlson Oxbow Park, Gibson Woods, and the Seidner Dune and Swale preserve operated by the Shirley Heinze Land Trust. Much of the neighborhood is built on a former dune and swale landscape.[3]

Notable people from Hessville include Jean Shepherd, whose movie A Christmas Story is set in a fictionalized version of mid-20th-century Hessville.[4]

The town was founded by local merchants Joseph and Elizabeth Hess in 1852.[3] Hessville was incorporated in 1918, but following a legal battle its incorporation was invalidated.[5] The town was annexed by Hammond in 1923.[6]

References

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  1. ^ "US Board on Geographic Names". United States Geological Survey. 2007-10-25. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
  2. ^ "Hessville Planning District VI" (PDF).
  3. ^ a b Kenneth J. Schoon (2003). Calumet Beginnings. ISBN 025334218X.
  4. ^ Molly Woulfe (2008-11-16). "The real 'Christmas Story' house, unwrapped". Times of Northwest Indiana.
  5. ^ State ex rel. Hunter v. Town of Hessville, 131 N.E. 16, 16 (Ind. 1921).
  6. ^ Archibald McKinlay (2001). The Great State of Lake: The New Lake County, Indiana. p. 64. ISBN 1578641020.