North Webster, IN

North Webster is a Kosciusko County town on Webster Lake, platted in 1837 and named for Daniel Webster. Its post office has operated since 1879, but the water is what gives the town its summer shorthand. The Dixie, Indiana's oldest stern-wheel paddle boat, has cruised Webster Lake since 1929 and remains part of the town's identity. The Mermaid Festival, started in 1946, brings pageants, parades, and lakefront events downtown each June; Dixie Day adds boats, cars, crafts, and cruises in July.

ATTRChris Light / CC BY-SA 4.0

North Webster is also a working town rather than just a lake stop. The town government meets locally, the North Webster Community Public Library serves residents, and State Road 13 carries traffic through the chain of northern Indiana lake communities. The old International Palace of Sports castle in the middle of town is another recognizable landmark, even though its original use has changed. Put those pieces together and North Webster is easy to place: a Daniel Webster name on an 1837 plat, a post office dating to 1879, a 1929 boat, and two annual events that keep the lake at the center of the calendar.