Summer feast highlights Merrillville landmark

5/16/2013

When the Boyd family built their brick farmhouse in Lake County in 1865, traffic along the country roads through Merrillville was slow and sparse. By the 1920s however, the road past the Boyd house had become part of the Lincoln Highway, the nation’s first transcontinental route built specifically for automobiles – stretching from Times Square in New York City to Lincoln Park in San Francisco. Eventually, hundreds of motorists passed through Merrillville each day.

Capitalizing the city’s lack of hotels and the home’s convenient location, the Boyds began renting rooms to highway travelers grateful for a spot to rest and eat. Indiana Landmarks invites you to enjoy your own relaxing repast and mark the Lincoln Highway’s 100th anniversary during our Boyd House Feast on June 28.

Tour the Boyd House and grounds, guided by owner George Rogge, to learn about one of Lake County’s earliest families. Then gather on the expansive lawn for an al fresco dinner, with a special Rogge Ranch Ale created for the occasion by 18th Street Brewery.

Cost for the event is $35 per member of Indiana Landmarks, $45 per non-member. Make your reservations online at http://boydhouse-eorg.eventbrite.com/#, or contact Tiffany Tolbert in our Northwest Field Office, 219-947-2657, ttolbert@indianalandmarks.org.