Crown Point: The Jail Dillinger Walked Out Of

Crown Point became the Lake County seat in eighteen thirty-seven, known for its grand courthouse called the Grand Old Lady. But the town earned its most lasting fame on March third, nineteen thirty-four. That morning, bank robber John Dillinger walked out of what Indiana called its strongest and most escape-proof jail, holding guards at bay with a pistol he had carved from a washboard scrap and stained with shoe polish.

He then stole the sheriff's car and drove to Chicago. The wooden-gun story made front pages nationwide. Later evidence suggested his lawyer had helped arrange the escape with cash bribes.

Either way, Crown Point never quite lived down the moment its impenetrable jail let Public Enemy Number One slip out the door.