The Aftermath
What happened in Crown Point, Indiana after John Dillinger escaped from the Lake County Jail?
After the Dust Settles
"If I ever get John Dillinger back, I'll shoot him dead with my own gun." - Sheriff Lillian Holley
Three days after Dillinger's escape, the story of the recovery of Holley's car and a gun Dillinger left in it was front-page news in the Hammond Times. [18] The media had a field day with Dillinger's escape with Holley receiving the most backlash and criticism due to her previous claims of her jail being "escape proof" as well as her posed photos for the media with Dillinger.
However, Holley was not succumbing to the backlash. On that same paper about Dillinger's escape, Sheriff Holley Hits Back, was the larger headline as she defended herself against several news items reported. She stated, "If I ever get John Dillinger back, I'll shoot him dead with my own gun."[13]
However, this was not enough. Many people blamed Holley for his escape, insisting that sheriff was no role for a woman. [15] The residents wanted Holley to resign due to Dillinger's escape. She refused. An intensive investigation was then opened up and Holley was facing wrongdoing or negligence charges but luckily she was absolved of any blame.
Holley went on to finish up the rest of her term and John Dillinger was found and shot dead July 22, 1934 by special agents in Chicago, Illinois.
A Force to be Reckoned: Paving the Way for Women
Sheriff Holley persevered in the face of criticism. Many called her gutsy and tenacious for the way she took the backlash of Dillinger's escape and turned it into a drive to recapture him stating and showing the world she was not defeated.
Even with all the backlash Holley received and still receives today, she is no doubt an icon for women empowerment and women in law enforcement. Not only was she a woman but she was a woman in law enforcement. In fact, she was the first sheriff of Lake County. With this role, she rose to the challenge of taking office a day after her husband's death as well as overcoming the backlash of Dillinger's escape. Her determination and perseverance drove her to not only overcome these obstacles but to show that women can do a man's job; as Special Agent Melvin Purvis wrote "[Holley] was not at fault in this escape, (yet) it should seem extremely unnecessary to say that a sheriff's office is no place for a woman." [21] This was especially important during the time she served in office due to the nature of gender roles and beliefs in the 1930s, as shown by Purvis's statement. as well as the Federal Economy Act being present.
Holley is not only a significant figure for women's history, she is also a significant figure for midwestern history. Holley can be classified as a midwestern intellectual due to her attitudes hostile to the values of what Lasch called “Middle America,” [which] came to affirm, deepen, and enrich attitudes and ideas too often curicaturated by those to whom the Midwest is just a flyover country. [20] Holley did exactly that when she took over a man's position and proved that a woman could do a man's job, no matter the outcome or backlash. She stuck true to her beliefs and never lost sight of what she was fighting for making her an iconic figure of history.
Some would say she served as a pre-WWII Rosie the Riveter for women working in law enforcement. Holley has inspired many women to take up law enforcement jobs in the Indiana region due to her determination and perseverance to show that women are indeed a force to be reckoned with.
Signing off: Leaving a Legacy Behind
Until her death in 1994, Holley was known for her efforts in restoring local historic landmarks. These included donating funds anonymously in the 1970s to restore the clock in the courthouse tower and helping to preserve "The Old Homestead."
Years after her death, the old sheriff's home where Holley lived when she was in office was dedicated as the Sheriff Lillian Holley Law Enforcement Resource Center in 2010. A star granite sculpture of Holley is at the front of the center surrounded by bricks with the names of retired and fallen Lake County female officers, showcasing women in law enforcement alongside their icon. [11]
The Dillinger Museum
The Dillinger Museum opened in 2015 in the lower level of the Lake County Courthouse. The museum contained animatronics and several rooms of artifacts related to the 1930s bank robber such as — the pants he wore when federal agents gunned him down July 22, 1934 which have blood stains on the pocket; the wicker body basket used to transport the corpse; a photo of Dillinger's "lifeless face"; and so forth. [7]
The museum was originally pitched to be featured in the Lake County Jail (known now as the Old Sheriff's House and Jail) that Dillinger escaped from. However, the Old Sheriff's House Foundation denied the idea. Thus, the Dillinger Museum was placed in the lower level of the Lake County Courthouse.
But in 2017 the museum suddenly closed. The reason why is still unknown to the public today but speculations have risen. Some say a division amongst the town arose as some claimed the museum was disrespectful to the late Sheriff Lillian Holley. Others say it was a failed cash grab. [6] While the true reason is still uncertain to the closing of the museum one thing is certain, the collection from the museum is still intact.
History Returns: Welcoming Back Sheriff Holley's Stolen Car
During his escape from the Lake County Jail, Dillinger stole Sheriff Lillian Holley's 1933 Ford Police V8 which he later ditched in Chicago, Illinois. Chicago police then impounded the car and sold it at a private auction.
But 87 years after Dillinger's escape, Sheriff Lillian Holley's car returned to Crown Point, Indiana fully restored with its original sirens and lights on April 3, 2021. The police car’s return included a parade and a procession of Lake County Sheriff’s Department police vehicles that accompanied it to the Old Sheriff’s House and Jail in Crown Point. It roughly followed the reverse route Dillinger took while fleeing to Chicago. Hundreds of people, including both the Dillinger and Holley families, lined up along Main Street in downtown Crown Point to witness this historic piece of their town's iconic history return. The Discovery Channel filmed the car's return for a documentary on Dillinger that will feature a dramatic reenactment of a bank being robbed in Crown Point. [16]