The towering sand dunes along Lake Michigan not far from Chicago are one of the most unexpected natural features of Indiana. Dreams of Duneland is a beautifully illustrated introduction to the Dunes region, its history, and future prospects. This area of shifting sands is also a place of savanna, wetland, prairie, and forest that is home to a wide diversity of plant and animal species. The preserved area of the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore sits by residential communities, businesses, and cultural attractions, evidence of a long history of competition for the land among farmers, fur traders, industrialists, conservationists, and urban and recreational planners. With more than 400 stunning images, the book brings to life the remarkable story of this extraordinary place.
Kenneth J. Schoon is Professor of Science Education at Indiana University Northwest and a northwest Indiana native. He is author of Calumet Beginnings: Ancient Shorelines and Settlements at the South End of Lake Michigan (IUP, 2003) and City Trees.
"There?s a lot of interesting history packed into 45 miles of shoreline. Discover a rich and varied history with Dreams of Duneland by Kenneth J. Schoon." ?Little Indiana
"In Dreams of Duneland: A Pictorial History of the Indiana Dunes Region, author Kenneth Schoon takes us not only into the beauty of the lakeshore landscape and the woods, marshes, bogs and prairies during each season but also this magnificent area?s past." ?nwitimes
"This book highlights the places that inspired people who dreamed of the potential of an unusual and dynamic landscape. Dreams of Duneland brings together disparate and untold stories that were previously scattered among many sources." ?Noel Pavlovic, ecologist, United States Geological Survey
"[A] love letter to a quirky 15-mile stretch of national park land sandwiched between the steel plants at Chicago's southern edge and the Michigan state line. Schoon... captures the character of the unlikely vacationland with the obsessive zest for detail you'd get from the best local tour guide." ?Chicago Tribune's Printers Row
"I share Ken Schoon's feelings that the dunes and the dunes parks are under-appreciated. Two previous books on the dunes are out of print and Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore will celebrate its 50th anniversary in 2016." ?Dale Endquist, National Park Service, Manager, Indiana Dunes National Shoreline