Munster is named after early residents, the Monster family (later anglicized to Munster) from the Netherlands.
In the 1850s, the railroads brought settlers into the area and carried Lake County crops and dairy product to profitable Chicago markets. The railroad depot at Maynard (roughly today's Calumet Avenue and 45th Street) was the only map reference within the boundaries of the future town of Munster.
The Munster family was one of the first of a small group of Dutch immigrants to settle in this area of Northwest Indiana. Arriving in 1855, Eldert and Nieltje Munster (Monster) purchased land north of Ridge Road and east of what is today Calumet Avenue.
Their son, Jacob, grew to manhood here and helped his family convert a wilderness into productive farm land. After serving with General Sherman in the Civil War, he returned to this growing rural community to take over the family farm, to marry, and to help raise thirteen children.
About 1870, Jacob Munster opened the Munster General Store. Fronting the old Ridge Road, its ample supply of groceries, hardware, and goods attracted customers from Lansing to Highland.
Tradition has it that the Post Office's location at the Munster General Store had much to do with the eventual naming of the town. In any event, the new town was incorporated in 1907 and given the name of one of its distinguished first citizens.
Our new book, Images of America, Munster, Indiana, contains a photo of the Jacob Munster family.
How did the big barn next to the old house burn down?
Tragically, the Stallbohm barn, a rare English barn, was destroyed by arson on May 15, 2002. Some believe that the portable toilet placed next to the old barn was targeted by a local teenager who set it on fire, causing the dry old barn to burn down in less than twenty minutes. The Munster Historical Society had requested the portable toilet be removed, unfortunately, the fire occurred before action was taken. Another theory is that the barn was broken into and set on fire either intentionally or by careless smoking. Priceless farm tools, the Stallbohm family sleigh, and many other artifacts were lost in the fire. To date, the crime remains unsolved.
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