Hoosier Slide

At about the same time as it became a tourist attraction, it was found to be a good source of iron-rich sand that would make a light blue-tinted glass.

[2] Originally covered by stubby trees, the hill was revealed as a sand dune when the land was cleared.

[3] The dune became a popular destination for weddings and recreation, and had famous visitors such as Daniel Webster and Harriet Martineau, who wrote about the beauty of Lake Michigan as seen from Hoosier Slide.

[4][5] United States President William McKinley visited Hoosier Slide on October 17, 1899, where he was honored with a 21-gun salute in celebration of the end of the Spanish–American War.

Wind-blown sand from the dune was sampled for glassmaking, and due to its iron-rich composition, was found to produce a light aqua-blue glass.