5When Schererville was platted in 1866, founder and namesake Nicholas Scherer could not have imagined it becoming one of the 100 Best Places to Live in the U.S. That distinction was bestowed in 2007 by Money magazine. By then, its population had soared from 25 families to over 25,000 residents and surrounding areas had been incorporated. By its 2016 sesquicentennial, the expanding schools included a middle school, three elementary schools, and three private schools. As part of the Tri-Town area, Schererville students attend high school in St. John, where student enrollment now exceeds Schererville's entire centennial population in 1966. Growth is partly attributed to the major highway routes often based on Indian trails crisscrossing the region. Over 900 businesses operate in Schererville today, bringing with them jobs, goods, services, and prosperity. Schererville's humble beginnings and enduring title as Crossroads of the Nation are explained through this portrait of early settlers, government accomplishments, and the contributions of its citizens.