Gary, Indiana

Gary is a city in Lake County, Indiana, United States. It is Indiana's eleventh-most populous city with a population of 69,093 as of the 2020 census. The city is famous for its big steel mill called Gary Works, which is part of U.S. Steel and is the largest in North America. Gary is close to Lake Michigan, just 25 miles (40 km) southeast of downtown Chicago.

The city was named after Elbert Henry Gary, a lawyer who helped start the United States Steel Corporation. It was built in 1906 to support the steel mills and was a busy place with many jobs. But since the 1970s, many jobs moved away, and the city's population has gotten smaller.

Gary has a rich history with African-American culture. It was the first city in the Midwest to integrate its public schools in 1945. In 1968, it elected the country's first Black mayor, Richard Hatcher. The city is also known for being the home of the famous Jackson family, including singers Michael and Janet Jackson. Today, Gary has its own airport, Gary/Chicago International Airport, and a baseball team called the Gary SouthShore RailCats.

History

Founding and early years

Further information: Gary Plan

Gary, Indiana, was founded in 1906 by the U.S. Steel corporation as the home for its new plant, Gary Works. The city was named after lawyer Elbert Henry Gary, who was the founding chairman of the United States Steel Corporation.

Gary saw civil unrest during the 1919 General Steel Strike. On October 4, 1919, a riot happened on Broadway, the main street through downtown Gary, between steel workers and people brought in to replace them. The governor declared martial law, and federal troops arrived to restore order.

The steel industry's jobs helped Gary grow quickly and attract many people from different places. By the 1930 United States census, Gary was the fifth largest city in Indiana and had many people from eastern Europe and African-American migrants from the South.

Post-World War II

Gary's success depended on the steel industry. When jobs moved away in the 1960s, Gary began to decline, like many other cities that relied on one industry. U.S. Steel cut many jobs, and by 2015, the workforce was much smaller.

Racial changes

Gary's population changed over time, with more African-American and Hispanic residents. The city elected one of the nation's first African-American mayors, Richard G. Hatcher, and hosted an important meeting in 1972.

U.S. Steel

U.S. Steel still makes steel but with far fewer workers. Gary has tried to bring in new businesses, like casinos, but faces challenges common to cities that once relied heavily on manufacturing.

21st century

Gary has closed many public schools. In 2021, a large Hard Rock Casino opened, featuring memorabilia from the Jackson 5 and a performance hall.

Geography

The city of Gary is found at the southern end of an old lake bed called Lake Chicago and next to the current Lake Michigan. Much of the soil in Gary is sandy, especially just below the surface. This sand has been mined for over a hundred years, mainly to make glass.

According to the United States Census Bureau, Gary covers a total area of 50.663 square miles (131.22 km²), with 49.932 square miles (129.32 km²) being land and 0.731 square miles (1.89 km²) being water.

Gary is shaped like a T, with its northern border along Lake Michigan. In the far northwest, Gary borders Hammond and East Chicago. One of the roads connecting Hammond and Gary, 165th Street, has been blocked off since 1981 because of a harmful flood. In the far east, Gary has a neighborhood called Miller Beach, which borders Lake Station and Portage. Gary’s far south touches Griffith, Hobart, Merrillville, and unincorporated Ross. Gary is about 30 miles from downtown Chicago, called the Chicago Loop.

Gary holds part of Indiana Dunes National Park, including Miller Woods, part of Long Lake, and the Paul H. Douglas Center for Environmental Education. Much of this area lies in Gary’s Miller Beach neighborhood, although the park’s far west reaches downtown Gary.

Climate

Gary has a humid continental climate, which means it has four distinct seasons. In July and August, the hottest months, temperatures often reach around 84°F (29°C) and can peak above 100°F (38°C), with nighttime lows around 63°F (17°C). In January and February, the coldest months, temperatures average about 29°F (−2°C) and can drop to 13°F (−11°C), sometimes even below 0°F (−18°C).

Because Gary is close to Lake Michigan, the lake greatly affects the city's weather. Summers are usually humid, and Gary gets about 40 inches of rain each year, with summer being the wettest season. Winters are snowy, with about 25 inches of snow falling each year. Big snowstorms can happen because of “lake effect snow,” where water from the lake turns into heavy snowfall near the shore.

Neighborhoods

Downtown

Downtown Gary is split by Broadway into two areas. The East Side has streets named after states in the order they joined the United States. This area has many older wooden houses and was home to many families from Europe. Notable buildings here include Memorial Auditorium, The Palace Theater, Emerson School, St. Luke’s Church, and several stores along Broadway.

The West Side has streets named after U.S. presidents. This side has brick houses, bigger commercial buildings, and was home to wealthy people, including leaders of U.S. Steel. Important places here include the Gary National Bank Building, Hotel Gary (now Genesis Towers), and many shops and theaters along Fifth Avenue.

In recent years, many older buildings in downtown have been torn down, and the area has changed because there are fewer jobs in steel and heavy industry now.

West

Ambridge Mann is on the near west side along 5th Avenue. It was built for workers at the nearby steel plant in the early 1900s and has many beautiful homes from that time.

Brunswick is on the far west side, just south of a major road called Interstate 90. This area includes a shopping center called Tri-City Plaza.

Downtown West is in north-central Gary on the west side of Broadway. It includes important places like the Genesis Convention Center, the Gary Police Department, and the Main Branch of the Gary Public Library.

Tolleston is one of Gary’s oldest neighborhoods, established in 1857 when railroads were built there.

South

Black Oak is on the far southwest side of Gary. It was added to the city in the 1970s and is the only neighborhood in Gary where most people are from a different background than the rest of the city.

Glen Park is on the far south side and has houses mostly built in the middle of the last century. It includes a golf course and part of a university.

Midtown is south of Downtown Gary along Broadway. In the past, this area was where many African Americans lived when they moved to Gary for jobs in factories.

North and East

Aetna is on the far east side along the Dunes Highway. It was started in 1881 by a company that made explosives and was later added to Gary in 1928. It has many beautiful buildings from the early 1900s.

Emerson is in north-central Gary on the east side of Broadway. It includes Gary City Hall and a baseball stadium called U.S. Steel Yard, built in 2002.

Miller Beach, also called Miller, is on the far northeast side. It was its own town until 1918, when it became part of Gary. This area has a mix of people and many homes near Lake Michigan. It has shops, restaurants, and beautiful views of the lake.

Demographics

The city of Gary has seen big changes over the years. Since 1960, the number of people living there has gone down by almost two-thirds because of changes in jobs and the economy.

2020 census

In the 2020 census, Gary had 69,093 people living there. The average age was about 38 years old. About one in four people were younger than 18, and almost one in five were 65 or older. Most people lived in cities, with only a tiny fraction living in the countryside.

Of the homes in Gary, almost 30% had children under 18 living in them. About one in five homes were made up of married couples, while almost half had a woman as the main person living there with no husband. Many homes were made up of just one person.

There were about 37,000 places to live, but over 23% of them were empty. The number of people per square mile was about 1,389.

2010 census

The 2010 census counted 80,294 people in Gary. The city was mostly made up of African American people, with about 85% of the population. White people made up about 11%, and smaller numbers were from other groups. The average age was 36.7 years, and about one in three homes had children under 18.

2000 census

According to the 2000 census, there were 102,746 people living in Gary. African Americans made up most of the city, with about 84% of the population. The average age was 34 years. Many families lived below the poverty line, especially children under 18.

The average income for a family was about $32,000, and many people did not have much money.

Arts and culture

Arts and film

The musical The Music Man by Meredith Willson includes a song called "Gary, Indiana." In this song, a character named Professor Harold Hill talks about growing up in Gary, but this turns out to be a lie. The musical was also made into a movie in 1962 and a television film in 2003.

Many movies have been filmed in Gary. For example, the film Original Gangstas from 1996 was shot there. More recently, scenes for movies like Transformers: Dark of the Moon have also been filmed in Gary.

Historic places on the National Register

Main article: National Register of Historic Places listings in Lake County, Indiana

Gary has many special places that are important to history. These places are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Some of these places include buildings, schools, and neighborhoods that have stories and history to share.

Public libraries

Gary has several libraries. The main library was once located on West 5th Avenue, but it closed in 2011. Now, the building is used as a museum. There are still other smaller libraries in different parts of the city. Nearby, the Lake County Public Library also has a branch in Gary, and Indiana University Northwest has its own library too.

Sports

Gary is home to some exciting sports teams. The Gary SouthShore RailCats are a professional baseball team that plays in the American Association. They used to play in the Northern League but now compete in the American Association. The team has won big championships in 2005, 2007, and 2013.

Gary has also been home to two professional basketball teams. The Gary Splash played from 2010 to 2013, and before that, the Gary Steelheads played in different leagues during earlier years. Both teams played their games at the Genesis Convention Center.

Education

Gary has three school districts that help educate its students, and there are also several special schools called charter schools in the city.

Most parts of Gary are served by the Gary Community School Corporation. Some areas, like the Black Oak neighborhood, use the Lake Ridge Schools Corporation. A few southeast parts of Gary are covered by the River Forest Community School Corporation.

There are also special charter schools in Gary, such as Thea Bowman Leadership Academy and the Charter School of the Dunes. Gary is also home to two colleges: Indiana University Northwest and Ivy Tech Community College Northwest.

Media

Newspapers

Gary gets its news from two big newspapers that are based outside the city, plus a local paper focused on African-American readers. These newspapers cover regional news and events happening in Gary.

• The Post-Tribune, originally called the Gary Post-Tribune, is now based in nearby Merrillville.
• The Times, once known as the Hammond Times, has its offices in nearby Munster.
• The Gary Crusader, based in Gary, focuses on African-American interests and readers.
• The INFO Newspaper, also based in Gary, serves African-American readers.
• The Chicago Tribune and the Chicago Sun-Times, based in Chicago, are also available in Gary.

Television and radio

Gary has five local TV and radio stations, plus many Chicago area radio stations, and others nearby in Illinois and Indiana.

• WPWR-TV (Channel 50) is a Chicago MyNetworkTV station licensed to Gary. Its studios and transmitters are in Chicago with WFLD, owned by Fox Television Stations.
• WYIN (Channel 56) is a PBS station licensed to Gary, with studios in Merrillville.
• WGVE (FM 88.7) is owned by the Gary Community School Corporation and used mainly for teaching. Students at the Gary Career Center create the programming. WGVE also airs some NPR shows.
• WLTH (AM 1370) mainly offers talk shows and local programs.
• WWCA (AM 1270) is a Relevant Radio station that broadcasts programs from the Catholic Relevant Radio network.

Infrastructure

Gary has several important services to help people stay healthy and safe. The city has medical facilities like the Gary Community Health Center and Methodist Hospital. The Gary Police Department and the Lake County Sheriff work to keep the city secure.

The Gary Fire Department provides fire protection and emergency medical help to the whole city.

Gary also has many ways for people to travel. The Gary Public Transportation Corporation runs buses all over the city and to nearby places, even helping people who can’t get around easily. The Gary/Chicago International Airport serves as an extra airport for the Chicago area. Major highways like Interstate 90, I-80, I-94, and I-65 pass through Gary, making it easy to drive. The Northern Indiana Commuter Transportation District runs the South Shore Line, a train that connects Gary to Chicago and South Bend.

Notable people

The Jacksons

Gary is the hometown of the Jackson family, a family of musicians who helped shape modern popular music. In 1950, Joe and Katherine Jackson moved from East Chicago, Indiana into a small house at 2300 Jackson Street. Their children grew up to become famous entertainers. They even recorded a song called "2300 Jackson Street" in 1989. The Jackson children include:

• Rebbie Jackson
• Jackie Jackson
• Tito Jackson
• Jermaine Jackson
• La Toya Jackson
• Marlon Jackson
• Michael Jackson
• Randy Jackson
• Janet Jackson

Other notable people

Gary has been home to many famous people from different fields, including sports, entertainment, and more. Some well-known individuals include:

• Charles Adkins, Olympic boxer
• Forddy Anderson, NCAA basketball coach
• Dan Barreiro, sports radio talk show host
• Adam Benjamin Jr., United States Representative from Indiana
• Bob Benoit, horse racing executive
• Frank Borman, crew member of Apollo 8
• Lyman Bostock, Major League Baseball player
• John Brim, blues musician
• Donna Britt, journalist and author
• Avery Brooks, actor and director
• Vic Bubas, NCAA basketball coach
• Vivian Carter, music producer
• John Chickerneo, National Football League player
• Rudolph M. Clay, Mayor of Gary from 2006 to 2012
• William Coyne, DuPont Company executive
• Branden Dawson, basketball player
• Tony DeSantis, founder of Drury Lane theaters
• Polly Draper, actress known for Thirtysomething
• Dianne Durham, first Black national gymnastics champion
• Richard Esteras, actor known for The Bear
• Clarissa Pinkola Estés, writer and psychoanalyst
• Dana Evans, WNBA player for the Las Vegas Aces
• Karen Fairchild, country music singer
• Bianca Ferguson, actress known for General Hospital
• Karen Freeman-Wilson, Mayor of Gary from 2012 to 2019
• Winston Garland, basketball player
• Darius Garland, basketball player
• Freddie Gibbs, rapper
• A. J. Hammons, basketball player
• Tom Harmon, 1940 Heisman Trophy winner
• Richard G. Hatcher, Mayor of Gary from 1968 to 1987
• LaTroy Hawkins, Major League Baseball pitcher
• Chuck Higgins, saxophonist known for "Pachuko Hop"
• Eric Hillman, baseball pitcher
• Gerald Irons, NFL player
• Tim Jankovich, basketball coach
• Elijah Johnson, basketball player
• Jason Johnson, NFL player
• Tank Johnson, NFL player
• Alex Karras, NFL player and actor
• Lou Karras, NFL player
• Ted Karras Jr., football player and coach
• Ted Karras Sr., NFL player
• Robert Kearns, inventor of intermittent windshield wiper systems
• Big Daddy Kinsey Blues musician
• Ron Kittle, Chicago White Sox outfielder
• Bob Kuechenberg, NFL player
• Karl Malden, Academy Award-winning actor
• William Marshall, stage and film actor
• Milt May, professional baseball player
• Kym Mazelle, singer
• Willie McCarter, NBA player
• Lloyd McClendon, baseball player and manager
• Matt McConnell, television broadcaster
• James McCracken, opera singer
• Robert A. McDonald, CEO of Procter & Gamble
• Karen McDougal, model
• Ralph McQuarrie, conceptual designer for Star Wars
• Eddie Melton, Indiana state senator, Mayor of Gary
• Larry Moffett, basketball player
• Brandon Moore, NFL player
• Sista Monica Parker, singer and songwriter
• Jerilynn Patton, electronic musician known as Jlin
• Jon Petrovich, television executive
• Dan Plesac, baseball pitcher and analyst
• Elizabeth Brown Pryor, author and diplomat
• Jimmy Reed, musician
• Glenn Robinson, NBA player and father of Glenn Robinson III
• Glenn Robinson III, NBA player
• Paul Samuelson, economist and Nobel Prize winner
• Sharmell, WWE wrestler
• Jerry Shay, NFL player
• Jana Naomi Smith, filmmaker and writer
• Helene Stanley, film actress
• Rosie Stephenson-Goodknight, Wikipedia editor
• Joseph Stiglitz, economist and Nobel Prize winner
• Hank Stram, NFL coach
• Jeanne Stunyo, Olympic diver
• Robert Summers, economist
• George Taliaferro, first Black NFL player
• Crystal Taliefero, singer
• Ernest Lee Thomas, actor
• Todd Wagner, entrepreneur
• Deniece Williams, Grammy Award-winning singer
• Fred Williamson, NFL player and actor
• Tony Zale, boxing champion

Sister cities

Gary has special connections, called sister cities, with places far away. One is Fuxin in Liaoning, China. The other is Lagos in Nigeria. These friendships help people learn about each other and work together.