Merrillville: Wiggins Point to the Sauk Trail

Before Merrillville was Merrillville, it was Wiggins Point, named for Jeremiah Wiggins, who built a log house along the Great Sauk Trail in eighteen thirty-five. The Sauk Trail was an ancient Native pathway, and Wiggins Point became a recognized stop for wagon trains heading toward Joliet. The land before that had been Potawatomi territory, with a clearing known as McGwinn Village used for ceremonial purposes.

After Wiggins died in eighteen thirty-eight, settlers renamed the place Centerville. In eighteen forty-eight the post office settled on Merrillville, honoring the Merrill brothers, Dudley and William, who were prominent local residents. Today Merrillville is an incorporated town that grew into one of the largest retail and commercial hubs in northwestern Indiana.