"The Northwest Indiana Beekeepers Association was founded by Jacob Van Wyngarden around 1920.  Jacob and his brother, Cornelius, came to the Hebron/Lowell area of Indiana in 1914 from Chicago. They purchased two yards of bees from Fred Cavanagh. They had one yard in Hebron and the other in Lowell amounting to 20 hives. Profit from their bees their first year was 2,000 pounds of honey.  They used the earnings to buy two more acres in Lowell. From there they began a nursery business and continued with the bees until they owned 400 colonies. This brought in 10,000 pounds of honey at 10 cents per pound.

                                 

The Northwest Indiana Beekeepers Association (NWIBA)

 

They continued to buy more land with their profit. It was around 1920 that a group of beekeepers began meeting in Valpo, Hebron and Lowell. The group was known as the Northwestern Beekeepers Association.  E.S. Miller from Valparaiso was the first President.  He was a professor and well known beekeeper."   - excerpt from Club History files. Mrs. Robert Black circa 1946

The club has been known by a couple other names, has endured some falling outs but it remains by bringing people who have a passion for beekeeping together. 

 

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