Michigan City in LaPorte County, Indiana — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)
Barker Mansion
The House that Freight Cars Built
Photographed by Lou Donkle, April 4, 2024
1. Barker Mansion Marker
The mansion before you was built by freight car magnate John Barker, Sr. in 1857.
Barker lived in this home with his wife, Katherine, and daughter, Catherine. Tragically, both parents died in 1910, making Catherine the world's richest heiress at age 14.
[Captions:]
Son John H. Barker became president of his father's company in 1883 and expanded the building into a 38-room mansion with ten bathrooms and seven fireplaces in 1905.
Left: Dining Room, Far left: Library
John Barker and his wife Katherine.
In 1968, the home was donated to the City by the Barker Welfare Foundation. Today, tours and special events are held in the opulent restored rooms and elegant outdoor gardens.
Erected by The Barker Mansion.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Architecture • Industry & Commerce • Railroads & Streetcars. A significant historical year for this entry is 1857.
Location. 41° 42.892′ N, 86° 54.149′ W. Marker is in Michigan City, Indiana, in LaPorte County. It is at the intersection of Washington Street and West 7th Street, on the right when traveling south on Washington Street.
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Regionally, this marker is in Northwest Indiana, specifically on the Indiana Dunes and Lake Michigan Shore, and in Greater South Bend. It is also in the American Midwest, on the Great Lakes, and in the Corn Belt. Globally, it is in North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture and also the Northwest Territory.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Barker Civic Center (a few steps from this marker); Haskell & Barker Historic District (about 600 feet away, measured in a direct line); First Log Cabin in Michigan City (approx. 0.2 miles away); From Freight Cars to Outlet Stores (approx. 0.2 miles away); a different marker also named Haskell & Barker Historic District (approx. Ό mile away); Elston Grove Historic District (approx. Ό mile away);
Photographed by Lou Donkle, April 4, 2024
2. Front of Barker Mansion with this marker on right and another marker on the left
Credits. This page was last revised on May 26, 2025. It was originally submitted on April 5, 2024, by Lou Donkle of Valparaiso, Indiana. This page has been viewed 534 times since then and 31 times this year. Last updated on May 24, 2025, by Daniel Barriball of Chesterton, Indiana. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on April 5, 2024, by Lou Donkle of Valparaiso, Indiana. • Devry Becker Jones was the editor who published this page.
