Chellberg Farm - Indiana Dunes National Park

In 1863, Anders Ludwig Kjellberg, his wife Johanna Anderson, and their young son Carl left Sweeden for America. Joel Wicker, one of Joseph Bailly's sons-in-law was then managing the Bailly Homestead (see blogpost here) and was recruiting Swedes in Chicago to work clearing land and operating the sawmill. By 1874, Mr. Chellberg had purchased 80 acres of Bailly land and started his own farm. Fast-forward nearly a century to 1972 and a third-generation Chellberg sold the farm to the National Park Service as part of the newly created Indiana Dunes Lakeshore.

An interpretive sign provides some additional background information:

Chellberg Farm and the Swedish Community

Swedish immigrants played an important role in northwestern Indiana. During the 1850’s, many Swedes came from Chicago to work at the local sawmill. By the 1860’s, they were purchasing land for farming, and working for local businesses. The Chellberg Farm, restored by the National Park Service to its appearance around 1900, provides a look at the life of one Swedish family.

The Swedes were proud of their ethnic heritage. Augsburg Lutheran Church, established in 1858, was the heart of their social world. The church held services in Swedish until the 1920’s.

We visited the farm during our October 2019 trip to Indiana Dunes National Park.

Garden scarecrows

Group picnic area

South side of Chellberg home

East side

North side

Kitchen addition

Original parlor converted to the dining room

Original dining room converted to the parlor

Original kitchen converted to a bedroom

Another view of the bedroom

Summer kitchen addition

Example of the layers revealed during restoration

Barn

Corn crib and chicken coop

Front drive

One of several working horses on loan from neighboring farms

Closer view of the chicken coop

Silo foundation

North side of the barn

Hog lot

Turkey pen

Autumn colors

Entry to Indiana Dunes National Park is free. However, an expanded amenity fee of $6 daily is collected at West Beach from the Friday of Memorial Day weekend through the Monday of Labor Day weekend from 8:00 am to as late as 7:00 pm Central Time. This fee is used to provide the bathhouse and lifeguard service.

The Chellberg Farm webpage is https://www.nps.gov/indu/learn/historyculture/chellberg.htm.

The park website is https://www.nps.gov/indu/index.htm.