About PoCo Stories

PoCo Stories is a PoCo Muse podcast that explores the people, places, and moments that have shaped Porter County. Drawing on newspapers, photographs, public records, firsthand accounts, and other historical sources, each episode goes beyond the familiar version of a story to uncover the people and circumstances behind it—and to connect Porter County’s past with the places and communities we know today.

Whether you listen at home, on the road, or while exploring Porter County, PoCo Stories invites you to discover the history all around us.

The Porter County Courthouse, Part II

In Part I, PoCo Stories followed the Porter County Courthouse from the establishment of the Public Square in 1836 through the devastating fire of December 27, 1934. But extinguishing the flames was only the beginning.

In The Porter County Courthouse, Part II, we pick up the story the morning after the fire. A tragic journey home, displaced county offices, a bitter political struggle, lawsuits, competing plans, and questions about whether the damaged courthouse should be restored or replaced all stood between Porter County and the building we recognize today.

Follow the remarkable story of how a courthouse nearly destroyed by fire was rebuilt—and how the decisions made in the aftermath of the disaster shaped the center of downtown Valparaiso for generations to come.