PORTER, Ind.  — Nestled among the majestic, swirling mountains of sand native to Indiana Dunes National Park stands an oasis of verdant farmland that was home to the Anders Chellberg family. Now a preserved working farm, the circa-1870s Chellberg farm and neighboring Bailly homestead serve as living history lessons for youth groups and others interested in the challenges, hardships and joys associated with early pioneer life in the Dunes area and Porter County. 

According to the National Park Service (NPS) Indiana Dunes website, the Chellberg farm represents a typical 1890-1910 era Swedish and northwestern Indiana farmstead. In 1869, the Chellbergs arrived from Sweden and purchased 40 acres of land to establish their farm. By 1874, 40 additional acres had been added.

The brick farmhouse, built in 1885, was a replacement for the original wood-framed house that was destroyed by fire in December of 1884. The bricks for the new house were transported by wagon from a brickyard in nearby Porter. Carl Chellberg continued to operate the farm until 1972, when he sold the property to the NPS. In the 1980s the NPS began to restore the farmhouse to its turn of the 20th century appearance, except for the dining room, which had been modified by the Chellbergs in the 1920s.

Today the meandering Chellberg property plays host to several seasonal events and summer youth camps, according to NPS Ranger Bruce Rowe, who also serves as one of the park’s resident historians. 

“We utilize the property in several ways and for several different audiences: the public throughout most of the year; school and camp groups for education programs including our own overnight camp group at Dunes Learning Center; and the public during special events,” said Rowe. “The first two weekends in March the public comes out for our Maple Sugar Time festival. The farm has a sugar shack from the 1930s that the Chellbergs used to supplement their income while the crops weren’t growing.

“We also have ranger-led programs that take people through the sugar shack, and we set up a pioneer site with large kettles maple syrup makers would use. In addition, we set up a Native American site to offer a broader history of the region.”

The Dunes’ Native American history is richly documented within the Indiana Dunes Visitor’s Center. At least five tribes were present in the area before settlers such as the Chellbergs and Baillys (Joseph Bailly traded furs with the Potawatomi and Miami nations on the nearby Little Calumet River from 1822-1835) began clearing land for their families.  

The Chellberg property is also the site for park-led Swedish celebrations (a Maypole Festival and solstice events) and the Indiana Dunes Apples Festival every September (this year’s event is set for Sept. 18-19). A large apple orchard on the Chellberg farm had gone by the wayside, though 16 apple trees were planted there a few years ago. Maple syrup, apple cider and apple butter are among the tasty treats that can be found at the festival.

A Swedish-themed Christmas celebration is also held at the Chellberg house, with volunteers of Swedish heritage providing guidance on decor and customs. 

A tour of the house offers a glimpse into the rigors of farm living over a century ago, and how one family worked together to meet the many challenges of frontier life. The living room fireplace is flanked on either side by windows and bookshelves, providing comfort and security. In the parlor, a vent above the wood-burning stove allowed the warm air from the stove to circulate to the bedroom above where the children slept. 

The kitchen features a wood-burning stove, which is still operated by volunteers during special events and tours. An underground root cellar is accessed by a trap door in the kitchen floor. A windmill behind the house pumped water for use in the house and for farm animals.

“In Indiana Dunes National Park, the beaches and the dunes get the most people. But in terms of the areas that are off-beaches, Chellberg Farm is probably the best known and best loved. It’s the history aspect, it’s the farm animals, and it’s the events,” said Rowe. “I run into people there all of the time who say their parents or school brought them there, and now they are doing the same with their kids or grandkids.”