There are moments that stand out in people's memories, and at 87 years old, Highland resident Ruth Barton has quite a few to sift through. But there's one memory that stands out in such great detail that her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren marvel that she remembers its specifics.

(Read stories, watch videos, view slideshows and more.)

That memory is the beginning of the reason Crown Point made headlines in 1934.

Growing up in East Chicago, it wasn't unusual for Barton, then about 13, to run errands for her mother, going down the street from the store her family owned to the other stores on Chicago Avenue.

"In those days, we didn't have much to be frightened about walking around," Barton said.

January 1934 was no different. Barton's mother asked her to go to Mrs. Felds' Deli, and Barton went. The next thing she remembers is not being allowed out of the store by police.

Across the street, the First National Bank of East Chicago was in the process of being robbed by John Dillinger and his gang. During the robbery, Officer William O'Malley was shot and killed. After Dillinger was caught in Tucson, Ariz., he was transported to the Lake County Jail in Crown Point to await trial in the killing.

In the store, Mrs. Felds attempted to comfort Barton, who said she heard a gunshot and someone say, "They've shot someone."

"Everyone was just standing and talking. I might have shaked a little bit," she said.

After about three hours, Barton was allowed to return home, and she ran the entire block and a half to get there. Her parents asked her why she was late coming home, and when she explained, her brother asked her why she didn't come tell him that Dillinger was robbing a bank.

Barton said she didn't realize it was a big deal until she saw it written up in the newspaper.

She found out later the officer who had been shot and killed was the father-in-law of her cousin.

Eventually, life in East Chicago returned to normal, but the memory stayed with Barton. Her dentist was located above the bank.

"I don't know how much damage was done while robbing the bank," Barton said. "But I was frightened to go up there after that happened."

Barton said she's not sure if she'll see the Dillinger movie starring Johnny Depp that will be partly filmed in Crown Point, because even though Dillinger lives in her memory, she thinks he should stay in the past.

"East Chicago was a great, clean little town," Barton said. "The Dillinger thing is the only really bad thing. I don't think that a person that was robbing and stealing and shooting people should be put in a museum to brag about things."