Today we’d like to introduce you to Julie Zasada.
So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
I grew up in the Northwest suburbs of Chicago. When my husband and I chose Cedar Lake, Indiana, to raise our family in 2004, I was immediately captivated by the fascinating history of this small town. I was inspired to establish a children’s museum to tell the history of Cedar Lake through hands-on play. Although that project has yet to launch, I was invited to become a Cedar Lake Historical Association board member in 2008 due to my interest in town history. Since 2015, I have been serving as the CLHA Executive Director. I’ve been busy networking, grant writing, and researching new ways to grow our museum and increase our community outreach.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
We struggle with being a “best kept secret.” Each year, thousands of tourists flock to Cedar Lake to enjoy lake recreation, fine and casual dining experiences, festivals, and live music – yet most do not realize that we have an historic museum here in the town grounds complex. Guests will dine at the Lighthouse Restaurant across the street, or sit in the lawn adjacent to the museum to listen to the Northwest Indiana Symphony, and they are not even aware of the “Escape to the Past” that we offer right next to them within the museum! Furthermore, we regularly meet town residents and business professionals who do not realize there’s a museum in Cedar Lake. We are doing our best on a shoe string budget to change that!
Cedar Lake Historical Association – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
The Cedar Lake Historical Association mission is to connect people to the history of Cedar Lake, Indiana. We are staffed solely by volunteers with a passion for this mission. We provide an “escape to the past” for our visitors by transporting them to another era. We host educational programs, special events, and operate a history museum on the shore of Cedar Lake.
Our museum is housed in a 60-room, 2-story building which is nearly 100 years old. The east wing was originally located on the west shore of Cedar Lake. It was built in 1895 by Chicago’s Armour Bros. meatpacking company as a boarding house for “ice farming” employees who cut and harvested ice on the lake. In 1919, Chris Lassen, who owned a thriving dance pavilion in Cedar Lake, purchased the boarding house and wood from the ice barn. During the winter of 1919 he moved the entire boarding house over the frozen lake to its present site on the east shore. He then built the west wing with wood from the ice barns, remodeled, and opened a hotel for his resort in 1920.
Among many other grants in the past 2 years, we were recently awarded a $34,000 Heritage Support Grant from the Indiana Historical Society, made possible by a grant from Lilly Endowment, Inc. We are exploring the best way to ensure our museum will stand secure for all residents and visitors to Cedar Lake for generations to come.
What is “success” or “successful” for you?
I define success through impact. While I would love to have a large impact in terms of numbers, I am keenly aware that the personal experience of a single individual matters just as much. Making a tourist feel welcome with a warm greeting, allowing someone to share a treasured memory from childhood, helping a child create a new memory to be treasured into adulthood, or engaging someone through a comment about our historic pictures in social media…those are the ways I try to have impact and create the “escape to the past” for our visitors.
Pricing:
- Museum tours are $2 per adult, $1 per child
Contact Info:
- Address: 7408 Constitution Avenue,
Cedar Lake, IN 46303 - Website: www.cedarlakehistory.org
- Phone: 219-390-9423
- Email: clhamuseum@yahoo.com
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CedarLakeHistoricalAssociation/
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/cedar-lake-historical-association-museum-cedar-lake-2
Image Credit:
LolaJean Brink
Dawn Gower
Getting in touch: VoyageChicago is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
