Schererville residents and veterans press council to provide land for new veterans museum

Several veterans, veterans‑group leaders and longtime local volunteers urged the Schererville Town Council on Aug. 13 to allow a new veterans museum to be located in town, presenting a proposal they say has outgrown its current space at the Safety Village.

Speakers including Suzanne Gonzales (1445 Autumn Drive) and Pat O’Donnell (Hammond) described local collections and family artifacts and urged council support and a land donation. Bill Jarvis, who told the council he would serve as executive director, introduced the plan for a “National Crossroads Veterans Museum.” Tom Clark, identified as the museum curator and a former Lake Central teacher, said the project grew from more than three decades of student research and artifact collection and that the group is seeking about 2–3 acres for a roughly 12,000–15,000‑square‑foot facility.

Jarvis said the museum has outgrown its current pad at the Safety Village and that most construction costs would be covered by donations and grants rather than the town’s budget. Clark described the collection as the product of 37 years of student work: binders of letters from service members, uniforms, medals and other artifacts collected from families across Lake County and beyond. Clark said the museum’s scope includes artifacts from the Civil War through recent conflicts and would serve as an educational resource.

Multiple veterans organizations and residents spoke in support during the public comment period: speakers identified themselves as members or supporters of the American Legion, Sons of the American Legion (SAL), Disabled American Veterans and other local veterans groups. Several speakers noted the museum’s potential to attract visitors regionally and suggested the proposed site near U.S. 30 (referred to during the meeting as the Illiana/Indiana Speedway area) would provide good visibility and access.

Council members asked clarifying questions about size and land needs. Tom Clark said the group needs "about 2 to 3 acres" and that they have three 10-by-20 containers full of materials and additional stored collections. He also said staff at the Safety Village and trades groups had previously provided donated labor and that the project would pursue grants and private donations for materials and construction. Clark asked the council to preserve and expand the collection in Schererville so the museum could continue student research and public exhibits.

Several council members expressed support for exploring town land at the Illiana/Indiana Speedway parcel or other properties and said they would schedule a follow‑up discussion to identify potential parcels and next steps. No formal vote to convey land or to allocate municipal funding was taken at the meeting.

The advocates said they would continue fundraising and outreach; Clark and Jarvis asked the council for ongoing engagement as the group develops formal plans and site options.