Portage Township near Gary in Porter County, Indiana — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)
Diana (Alice) in Duneland: 1915-1925
Diana of the Dunes Dare
Indiana Dunes National Park
| | National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior | |
Photographed by Connor Olson, November 4, 2024
1. Diana (Alice) in Duneland 1915-1925 Marker
Alice Mabel Gray, known as "Diana of the Dunes" of regional folklore, had a free spirit and love for the Indiana Dunes that propelled her to make the wild shoreline her home for nine years.
In the early 1900s, shanties rather than beach homes dotted Lake Michigan's Indiana coast. These outposts were home to fishermen on the fringe of society. Around them, white pines and cottonwoods beckoned to Alice as she shunned her city life in Chicago. She rode the rails from Chicago to Duneland on October 31, 1915 and set up her home in an abandoned shack. One of her makeshift homes was known as the "Wren's Nest" and was said to be located nearby.
"I had measured myself with the world-and the results were not encouraging. I came here to measure myself with nature." Quote taken from Alice's diary as reprinted in the Chicago Herald Examiner, 1918.
In Diana's Own Words
Alice Mabel Gray (Diana), a free spirit, supposedly bathed nude in Lake Michigan and drew attention from local fisherman. Gossip spread to Chicago newspapers, which dispatched relentless reporters to investigate this curious woman living on her own.
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"I wanted to live my own life- a free life. The life of a salary earner in the cities is slavery, a constant fight for the means of living. Here it is so different." - Quote taken from Alice's diary as reprinted in the Chicago Herald Examiner, 1918.
Supply Trips
Any trip for supplies was a hike, but Alice Mabel Gray (Diana) gladly trekked across miles of remote sandhills to the library or general store, returning with provisions and books in a gunnysack. Perhaps she even stopped along the way to visit with women she befriended in Baillytown. Lake Michigan, with its many-moods, vast expanses of dunes, rich and diverse plant life, and a brilliant sky, were all her captivating treasures.
Erected by National Park Service; Friends of Indiana Dunes; Indiana Dunes Tourism.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Parks & Recreational Areas • Women. A significant historical year for this entry is 1915.
Location. 41° 37.432′ N, 87° 12.248′ W. Marker is near Gary, Indiana, in Porter
Photographed by Daniel Barriball, July 22, 2026
2. Diana (Alice) in Duneland 1915-1925 Marker in context
Regionally, this marker is in Northwest Indiana, specifically on the Indiana Dunes and Lake Michigan Shore, and in the Calumet Region. It is also in the American Midwest and in the Corn Belt. Globally, it is in North America, on the Great Lakes, in the Western Hemisphere, in the Western World, and in 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 3 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: Why is it Called Dianas Dune? (about 500 feet away, measured in a direct line); Beach to Beeches (approx. Ό mile away); Ogden Dunes Ski Jump (approx. 0.7 miles away); History of Marquette Park (approx. 2½ miles away); Southern Point of Lake Michigan (approx. 2.6 miles away); Willow Creek Confrontation (approx. 2.7 miles away); Shipwreck Archeology (approx. 2.7 miles away); Tuskegee Airmen Remembered (approx. 2.7 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Gary.
Credits. This page was last revised on July 23, 2026. It was originally submitted on November 21, 2024, by Connor Olson of Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin. This page has been viewed 178 times since then and 39 times this year. Last updated on July 23, 2026, by Daniel Barriball of Chesterton, Indiana. Photos: 1. submitted on November 21, 2024, by Connor Olson of Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin. 2. submitted on July 23, 2026, by Daniel Barriball of Chesterton, Indiana. • Devry Becker Jones was the editor who published this page.
