In 1961, U. S. Senator Paul Douglas continued his efforts towards Dunes preservation as he led a delegation of federal and local politicians through the Indiana Dunes, proclaiming their aesthetic beauty and calling on the federal government to address unmet needs of nearby city residents. Douglas found an ally in Secretary of the Interior Steward Udall. Serving during the John F. Kennedy and Lyndon Johnson administrations, Udall spoke of the need to provide all Americans, particularly city residents, with improved access to the nation's vast natural recreational resources. For the significant population living in and around the Midwest's largest metropolis -- far from western and eastern national parks -- the undeveloped duneland of Porter County, Indiana provided such a resource and Udall became a powerful advocate for a national Dunes park.

Photographer: Anthony B. Cak
Source: Chicago Historical Society (ICHi-37449)