August 20, 2012

We slept later this morning since we got up so early yesterday.  After lunch we went to Michigan City and toured the Barker Mansion.  Mr. Barker was a founder of Haskell and Barker Car Company.  It was the largest manufacturer of freight cars in the world.  In 1922 it merged with Pullman Inc.  Mr. Barker and his wife died leaving their 14 year old daughter Catherine with their fortune of 50 to 80 million dollars.  In 1968 she gave the house to the city.  Built in 1858 and reconstructed in 1901, it has the original furniture and art objects.  No photos were allowed inside the house.

We went to a factory outlet mall a block away.  The outlet mall is built on the property where Mr. Barker’s train car factory used to be.  Then we went back to the Casita stopping at a bar in Beverly Shores for a beer.  I cooked supper and then we made a campfire.  The campground is really quiet with all the weekend people gone.