Gary, Indiana, ghost town

Wayne, I do remember the portable building at Washington, though I was never inside it. Bob Dulla graduated from Edison the year after me. He was one of the funniest guys I ever knew. Right after graduation he bought a barracuda with a Hemi. It was really a bad machine until he blew the engine. Andy Pazak had to have been the most powerful 12 year old I ever saw. I remember two foul balls he hit in an allstate game at BLL that cleared the infield on the minor league field. I thought both balls were fair when they cleared the fence. BLL lost that game in 9. That was the game the ump called Mike Mokol out for leaving too soon on what would have been the winning run. funny the things you remember from 52 years ago.

Wayne H-------When my sisters and I were little, our doctor was in Tolleston although we lived in the "new" East Glen Park. His name was Dr. Duncan. His office was upstairs and just walking up the stairs you could smell the "Drs. Office!" I was noticing all the Eastern European names you mentioned that had moved to Merrillville. Back in the day, nobody thought anything wrong at all if you said "you know that Serb" or that Croat or Pollock" down on 53rd and Broadway. I wonder what changed between then and now? Also Wayne--have you ever eaten at The Paragon down on Ridge Rd?

Al, if i remember correctly, Whitcomb St may have been the border between Anderson LL and BrLL. I know Whitcomb was the border for Tolleston HS and Edison HS. Hendricks keeps popping into my mind and may have been the border for AndLL and BrLL. Again, way to far along to remember. I do remember the "Dulla's of Anderson" LOL I think the Dulla's eventually went to Andrean HS. There was a deep rivalry between BrLL and AndLL. Do you remember any of the Pazak boys? Their father Andy umpired at BrLL and i eventually worked with him at the Main P.O. in Gary.

Mike Bajza..... i slightly remember him because he only rode our school bus 2 years and graduated in '65, but i knew his younger sis Mary. I also remember a Paula Bajza. Mike, Paula and Mary rode our bus when we all moved to N. M'ville in the early 60's. In fact, there were several families from the old "hood" that moved to N. M'ville. Bajza, Henik, Gerbick, Hanson, Bronowski, Balunda, Born, Stasak, Simac, Julovich, Bush. Many others moved to M'ville. I went through my '67 and '68 yearbooks and counted well over 40 people who lived in the old "hood" and eventually attended M'ville HS.

Washington School.... Al, do you remember the old white 4 room "portable" building. When i went to Washington i spent 2nd grade there with Ms Nowak. That building smelled so musty! I wonder how much mold and asbestos was in there? The basement was also our Bomb Shelter during the Cold War.

Memories Memories Memories....... they will live forever, i hope! LOL

You are right Wayne. It was A&W. I remember Washington school well. A friend from my pre school days lived nearby. Mike Bayja lived close by. It was kind of strange that kids of my age from Gary Heights played LL at Anderson, but those of your age went to BLL. Bob Dulla was on my team at Anderson. I guess it was probably because of the changing neighborhoods. I know we steadily moved west. You are right 50 years makes a huge difference. It still amazes me how solidly Gary built its schools. I look at the photos of Edison, Emerson, and Horace Mann and realize they could still be servicible as schools.

Al, yell a Hi right back to Don! Ahhh, baseball practice at old Washington school. I took a trip on Google Street view recently and saw that old baseball backstop is still there at the school! Don mentioned going to the K&N..... that kinda slips my mind as i'm thinking of the A&W on 15th and Wright. Maybe it was the K&N? 50 years ago is a long time! Then there was the Mom n Pop store on the corner of 11th about a block or 2 east of Wright St where we would get candy. I can not remember the name of that store, is Don referring to that? There was no such thing as us kids sitting in front of a video game all day or watching TV all day..... we kept busy outside!

Wayne, my brother, Don, asked about you on Sunday. He said to say hi and he mentioned the Indian Pumpkin Seeds. Remember the salt on them. He also said you all would go to the K&N after baseball practice at Washington school. 35 years just zipped by. It's hard to believe that was in the 60s.

I grew up in Gary IN and graduated from Wirt High in "84". My family lived on the west side of town (Polk Street). I finished my 1st year of school at Norton Elementary. My older siblings attended the Junior high and siblings attended Roosevelt High School. For the most part, I grew up on 6th & Maryland St. I remember a lot of good things about Gary. Kids in the street playing. Walking to bakery to get fresh baked bread and donuts. I use to love to walk downtown with my mom to Goldblatt's and Woolworths. And so it is so sad to see this city and these beautiful buildings in ruins. I know people blame the economy, and that is one factor in the downfall of many communities, but you have to stand up as a community and say enough is enough.

so sad...but still my town,do not care if only a rock and a stop sign is there....would like to rally to get those who have money to invest in the city and bring it to a nice quiet retirement town,country town,quiet self sustaining town,respectible town. Any one know how to start and where. I wrote once to judge mathis..no response.

Al and Wayne,
My grandfather and I used to get the Jay's Potato Stix and Pork Rinds at that store. It was down the street from Fromans 66 Station where my grandfather and I helped Dave Froman. I used to sit on the stool behind the candy case and eat as much as I sold. We had the little coke bottles and my grandfather would put a little salt in the top to cut the carbonation a bit. We also had "little stores" at 9th and Burr and 9th and Colfax where you could get treats.

Not to mentioned the BLL concession stand. That's where I would get my "sputnicks". If you won 10 cents...if you lost a nickel. So if we won 5 sputnicks and a popcycle or just the sputnicks on a losing day. lol

Mrs Weisse's was on 11th between Rooosevelt and Taft. It was close to Frank Grillo's toy store. She had all the favorite candies and sold hand packed ice cream. It was a great place. You could get a nice bag of candy for a dime. Remember when all candy didn't have to be packaged for safety. The candy in the big jars. I used to love the root barrels, red hots, red and black licorice whips and the nickel candy bars. I remember the bubble gum very well. The red hot bubble gum that really did heat up your tongue. How about the penny and nickel packs of baseball cards. It was a rare thing to get fresh gum in your baseball cards, but the cards smelled good.

Al, i remember a Mom n Pop type store on 11th Ave. not too far from Washington Elem. School(Wright St). 11th & Whitcomb St. maybe? It was on the northwest corner of 11th Ave about a block or 2 east of Wright St. I always bought candy there. Candy cigs, the lipstick candy and Bazooka bubble gum. It's the first place i ever saw the Sputnick gumballs, light blue with a sugar granule surface, that was in the late 50's. I know the store was in between Wright St. and where my Uncle lived at 3313 W 11th Ave across from the "projects", We lived at 4414 W 11th. Do you remember the name of that store?

i went to this school with my older brother,i must of been 7 yrs. old.i remember living in this wood house,a lot of grass ,and houses were far apart.there was a small store behind us that had a donut machine.the family that ran it,was very nice.on one side of our house were tons of wild purple iris.to the other side was a elderle couple with a boy.and to ther side was a pond,where we used to collect tadpoles in babyfood jars.also,cut pussywillows.i remember walking to this school called Ivanhoe,that loked like the "house in the prarie" school.We lived there only about 2 yrs.i remember holding my big brothers hand so tight on our way to school,cause it was like walking through a forest.the street in front of the store was a main st.,with more traffic....please somebody tell me i was'nt dreaming!..my brother has passed away,he was the only one i used to share this memory. this was approx.in 1957.thankyou...for reading this.

I have never been to Gary, but remember the song from "Music Man". The history of this once proud city is wonderful. It's so sad to see what has happened to this glorious place in America. This is what happens when a nation, as a whole, invites God to leave our institutions. Gary stands as a symbol for what all the corrupt, greedy politicians have done to our once prosperus, blessed, safe nation. I hope your once beautiful city can be restored.

Just upgrading my location

Anyone remember Mrs Weisse's candy on 11th avenue in Tolleston? She was a very sweet elderly lady. Her daughter was school secretary at Beveridge.

Chris,

I remember eating the heck out of Mrs. Handley's ice cream. My old 82 year old memory tells me it was some where around 5th and Virginia. Too may good memories of Gary.

Does anyone have details on MRS. HANLEY'S ICE CREAM? I have an old one quart container (tan & blue 7" cylinder) that says "Gary, IND" above the one quart printing. The art on the container of a lady holding a spoon looks like it might be 1950's? Any info would be appreciated.

I was born 1958 in Gary. A few months older than MJ. My dad and other relatives worked with Joe in the steel Mills. we did move when I was 6. I went back a few months ago to visit relatives nearby. I took my wife into Gary to show her where I was born. Growing up with 10 kids I was no. 6 some spent there life growing up in Gary. It was eerie from the second I crossed into Lake County. It has to be one of the most depressed areas in the US or maybe the world. I did not see any of the improvements mentioned on this website, that the city was trying to do. There is no way the city by itself can take back what was once a proud city without the help of the State and Federal Govt. It is just to far gone. The street I grew up on Indiana St. now named Martin Luther King Drive is just horrendous. More than half of all the homes burned, boarded up or destroyed. At the end of the street by the railroad tracks is where I lived. It did have the most homes that were lived in and taken care of. No one could be seen ouside doing anything. We used to go out to the park behind our house where I would pay a nickel to make pot holders to take back to my mom. Downtown used to be built-up and thriving which now standes in ruins with city blocks destroyed. I did not or would never go at dark, during the day already made us feel eerie. The one thing standing was the Cross with Jesus there in area by the road as you turned onto my street, never bothered by the destruction going on around the City. Still standing like hope still exsist and who knows, maybe one day the people will take back the city and bring it back unto the days of life where many of us lived. Gary, God Bless and Good Luck

Linda, I don't know if this will be of any help, but I knew some Fowlers that lived on 45th Ave on the East Side behind Bailey Jr. High, and they moved there from somewhere near down town Gary. The father who has passed aways many years ago was named Van Odis Fowler. The family still lives there and I know the oldest boy who is about 50 and as far I know, somewhere out here with me.

I am searching for any info about Martha Fowler or her family of East Gary, IN. Crazy story here - hope you can follow it! Martha was searching for my grandmother and must not have realized she was actually writing to her (she thought she was writing to a cousin). In the letter she mentions my grandmother's parents by name, has my grandmother's correct address and married last name. She mentions that my grandmother has a step-sister who would like to meet her. Of course my grandmother was quite confused because she thought she was an only child and didn't answer the letter. You see my GR grandmother died when my grandmother was 2 y/o and her father passed her off to his aunt & uncle to raise her. Obviously this Martha Fowler was in contact with someone from the Wellsville, NY area that knew everything about my grandmother and was passing this info along. I believe this Martha Fowler was the actual "step-sister". If this is the case then she was originally from either the NY or PA area. I do not know her husband or children's names. in 1959 my grandmother was around 47 y/o so if this was her "sister" then she would probably have been in her mid or late 50's. So if Martha had children in school they could have been teen-agers. Does any of this ring a bell with anyone?

We moved out of Gary in August 1969, I lived off 8th avenue on Monroe St when we left, it was getting pretty rough!
I went to school at Jefferson Elementary! Lived across the street from Jefferson Park! Dis anyone live in that area?
We use to sled in Jefferson park, Devils hill, Angels hill, what a blast in the winter time. I use to get my haircut at Goldblats downtown on Broadway, use to buy candy at a small private candy store, "Pinellas"
I played little league base ball in Gary down around 4th or 5th ave, won the little league championship in 1968, and 69 for the Cubs, coached by coach Cruza. What a childhood in Gary, we use to go swimming at Horace Mann HS, do to the CYO downtown Gary. The we became a minority in 1968, I recall kids we played with, Mark Pera lived around the corner it got pretty rough! By 69 everyone was moving out! Rick Hoppes, retired US Navy

Does anyone remember the one room school house that was on the land where they put up West Side High School? It was way before my time, but my oldest brother and sister remember it well.

Ricky (as I remember your name) . . . your name is very familiar and the Riley/Wallace dates correspond to mine. The Bells moved to Merrillville approximately 1963. We moved to Merrillville in 62' and I graduated from Merrillville in 65' and Jim was not there during those years. The Bells lived next to my now wife (Sue Miller). Sue said they moved there when she was 14 or 15. Sue's address was 7003 Katheryn St. and Bells lived in the house to the south of the Millers. Sue and Cindy were best buds. Cindy died in an automobile accident in 1981 or 1982. Mr. & Mrs. Bell moved to Lakes of the Four Seasons some time after 1967. Jim married Joyce Bryant. Joyce lived in the house just to the east of Sue's house. That's about all I know. I hope this helps.

I just came across this site today. The walk down 'memory lane' was bittersweet. Lived in Gary from birth (46') to 1962. What a carefree time. Even though I remember through young eyes, those times are remembered as carefree. Riley Elementary, Lew Wallace. Such sadness to see it now.

Larry,
We were a basketball town!!! All the way to Lafayette and Indianapolis. What fun to follow our teams. There were several theaters close to the Palace.

My best memories of Gary are of attending the High School Basketball Sectional at Memorial Auditorium. We would attend Wed AM, Wed Pm, Thur AM, Thur PM, Fri AM, Fri Pm, Sat Am and finals Sat PM. In between we would go to lunch in the resturants on Broadway or even the movies . I remember going to the movies at the Palace or I think there was another movie theater a couple of blocks away. I enjoyed trying to get seats in the balcony of Memorial Auditorium. I tink there was about 12 0r 13 teams in that sectional at that time (1962-1964). I remember enjoying the bus ride from Hobart to downtown Gary to sop at Sears or Pennys. My Junior year of high school, I worked at Phillips Icecream on about 35th and Broadway. I rode the bus there too. I joined the Army in 1965 from the Army Recruiting Station on Broadway & about 7th. I dated a girl who went to Emerson. It's so sad whats happened to the city with so many great memories

hello there, look on facebook for urban explorers, there r people on there that go take photos of parts of gary, its urban exploration they go all over but they love gary, its pics of methodist church st mary hospital on tyler and 5th, just part of it the other part is the police station, just take a look good luck

hello there, i soooo wanted a monkey, they sold them downstairs in goldblatts, we always would go shopping and we would stop eat a hotdog, and my brother would go look in the records part, and i always b over by the pets, it was fishes, birds, and the the monkeys, i would cry everytime i had to leave but yes they sold them there.

Still to this day I own property in Miller Beach, which is still part of Gary, Indiana, which is its downfall. The city is run by all blacks which don't know anything about running a town. They are all stupid racists. I went in there to pull a permit to actually fix up my property and they told me I couldn't because you have to be a resident to do work in their ghetto. When I told them I own the property to their surprise they gave me a permit but eventually chased me out when I "disturbed the land" without a permit trying to get materials up a hill with a bobcat. I have not been back since, it has been many years, and I am still trying to sell my 2 acres at 333 N Lake Street with no success. Gary lacks leadership and until they rid themselves of the racists black politicians, that city will go nowhere. Miller Beach needs to split from Gary to save their values.

Dorthy Douthit,
I remember 'way" back to 1930 when I was born on the east side. All of the down town sites, I remember very well. In my mind there was not a greater city than "The city of the century" Gary, In

I grew up in East Gary, but when I was in high school I worked at Woolworth's dime store on Broadway. That was from 1954-56. I have many fond memories of riding the bus to and from work, going with my friends to the theater in Gary, etc. Gary was the "big" city! Do any of you remember way back then?

Robert,
You're right Dad never said a word about WW2. It was only after he passed in 1986 that I petitioned the Navy for his records and duplicates of his medals. From the records I put together his Pacific travels culminating in the sinking of their ship in May of 1945. it was quite an ordeal. They still have reunions every year for the Okinawa veterans. He was quiet, unassuming, PTA President, Church treasurer, Little League Coach and even made the coffee everyday in the accounting department at the Gary Sheet and Tin Mill for 28 years. He never had an unkind word or gossiped about anyone. I didn't appreciate all that at the time. He just did his job as Father and employee/volunteer and never boasted... barely tipped a alcoholic beverage as well. Good role model for all of us kids. All the Fathers were that way in our Little League/Churchgroup. Paul Hills Dad, Carl Yurechco, Don Knutilla, Mr Torres, Mr Collins, Gus Teitge. Fine group all of them.

I went to college at Indiana University Northwest in Gary, IN. I've lived a few places between Laporte County and Lake County Indiana. When I graduated from college in 2008, our comencement was at the Gary Civic Center, which is right noext to the old Methodist Church. I've only recently heard of the term "Urban Exploration", and I figured I must be one, since I love going to run down building and learning the history. I'd love to explore more of my area. I wonder if there are more people in the great Northwest Indiana area. If there are, please pont on here so we can chat and see what places need exploring. I'd love to build a community in our area who are looking to explore.

Jay W,
Your father was one of the unsung hero's of WW 2. Most likely he didn't talk too much about it, but if he is still living get him to tell you about his time in the service so you can tell your kids, and etc.

I wasted all my baseball cards fixing up my bike for the Edison homecoming parade...not sure if we were in it or chasing it. lol Then I got a Mattel Varrrooom. Which I loved, it was mounted on the handlebars. I think I ran the batteries down the second day and they were hard to come by. I snuck fresh ones from my Dad's flashlights. he was always wondering why they were dead when he wanted them...usually when we spent the night (many Summer nights) in the southwest corner of the basement due to tornado warnings. darn that PJ Hoff on channel 2. Seemed like we lived in the basement. Dad was always worried about us. He was an old Navy man, earned a Purple Heart at Okinawa. His missle cruiser was hit by kamakasis and he spent 3 days in the water waiting for rescue. I think it affected him later in life. He felt more comfortable staying at home.

As previously mentioned he had a Ford tractor and an old dump truck. He sodded nearly all the ball fields in Gary, I remember Glen Park and Junedale he mentioned. He was a farmer from Sterling Illinois originally. He came to Gary and rented what is now Southlake Mall property. We grew tomatoes and cantalopes in the early days. I plowed the fields with him riding on the tractor fendor. I feel bad I wouldn't eat the tomatoes only the cantalopes...I had a bad sweet tooth. lol He always took me to the truckstops (Black Cat) and the one in Miller on the way to get black dirt in Chesterton at a place called Good Earth.

After the land was sold to build the mall, he worked with his best friend Dave Froman. Froman owned the Phillips 66 station between Clark Rd and Chase. I used to help plug tires, but mainly drank the 6 oz cokes and ate Payday bars. That was a great time. There was a little store (that's what we always called them) nearby and I got pork rinds and Jay's Shoe String potato chips.

He was a bowler too and I think he bowled in the Optimist league. I remember when the Sportsmans restaurant at Tri City Bowl caught fire (grease filters). The first time my Uncle Jim McKeigan helped put the fire out. The second time it burnt to the ground. Some of you older guys may know Jim. I'm not sure if he graduated Horce Mann or Tolleston, I think he gradusted before they moved to 11th and Hanley. There were the Brannons and Rodreiguez families around that corner.

Grandfather won either the BLL or Optimist drawing for two weeks use of a 1963 Ford XL 500 convertable. We styled and profiled back an forth to school and LL. Paul, you may remember that. I think the car came from the Ford dealer next to the Anco Wiper plant...also across from Peerless Chip Company. It was hard to give that car up. That was the closest both my Dad and Grandfather got to owning new cars. It was different generation for sure.

Best regards, Jay

Charles, Your father was just one of the best men any young boy could be around. That cigar, walking through the stands to collect donations, and that dark blue shirt with the gold script lettering on the back. BLL is so far and away my best childhood memory, and I have it thanks a great deal to your dad. You know, my dad umpired a lot back then, and sometimes even my games (Community Club/VFW Post 7237). You'd think I'd catch some grief from my friends for favoritism, but never an unkind word to me or my dad. Probably cause I hit about .220. I virtually lived there from Memorial Day to Labor Day. Remember how much fun opening day was, and the parade from Edison down 5th Avenue?

Jay W.
I remember Your grandfather, Ed Linton very well. I was a life member of the Optimist Club of Glen Park for over 21 years. Ed as I recall had a tractor and did some grade work at the Optimist ball field. The bike rodeos held each year was just a part of the Optimist work. Good to see all of you bringing back the memories.

I have mixed memories of the Glen Park Bike Rodeo. Good and bad. If I only knew then what I know now! It was for the Bike Rodeo that I put an Ernie Banks Rookie Card on the front spokes of my bike!!! Who knew that it would be worth something later?? And the gum was like leather!!

Charles: We all remember your Dad and his generosity. My Dad Fred Williams (353 Hovey), Carl Yurechko and Don Knutilla all coached at one level or another. I loved my Green and Grey VFW Post 7237 (previously Community Club) hat, Mr Collins coached us in the Majors. Dad coached us at Lud's Motor Parts and Yellow Jackets.

Dad was Brunswick United Presbyterian Church Treasurer (and we cleaned the church on Saturday AM) our duties included going to get the Superior beverages company to fill the the machine in the basement, always loved the Chocalate flavored drink and an Orange Crush.

Mom brought Peerless chips home from Brunswick Bowling Alley and at one birthday took me to the Peerless plant and picked a box of the dime bags to take to school to share with everyone.

Someone asked about a record store...when I read that Comays immediately came to mind.

Grandfather Ed Linton (11th and Hanley with the huge garage, tractor, dump truck and 53 Olds 88) was an Optimist member and we had buffets at Beauty Spot. Also I helped him do a Bike Rodeo in Glen Park. Anybody remember that? We gave out reflector stickers for the back fenders after the men inspected the bikes for safety. Seven Up on Broadway donated a machine and pop. I got to pour and give out the stickers. Those were great times.
Warmest regards. Jay

Robert & Wayne: How sad that some of the homes on Lincoln are gone. I see that my grandparents' home still stands (thanks to Google Earth), but there are no street views. My hope is that the area endures for many years. If Mr. Combs' grandfather lived at 546 Lincoln, he probably lived next to my Grandparents. I will ask my Grandfather about him and report back to you.

I will always remember grabbing bottles of warm Waverly soda pop straight off the bottling line. There is nothing on this earth as incredible as freshly bottled Dad's Root Beer, Waverly Cream soda, or my all-time favorite, Waverly Strawberry. Freshly bottled soda is warm, super bubbly, and ultra-sweet. Observing the bottling process at work on television shows such as "How It's Made" presents a good view of the procedure. However, watching the process in person was an intense, ear-splitting experience. Thanks go to all of you who enjoyed Waverly over the years. My Grandfather was the one and only bottler of Waverly, so dig through your basement to see if you still have a bottle lurking in a corner!

Mr Stokes was a truly great man in the history of Brunswick. When I was playing LL at Anderson, the Babe Ruth was TE. Tolleston Edison. Games were played at THS and at EHS. Wayne, one of my teammates at Anderson was from your neighborhood, Bob Dulla. We never would have run off anyone at the minor league field, we would have tried to get as many to play as possible. 7 on 7 meant no right field out. We all learned BB by playing hour after hour. I'm sure you got broken bats from Mr Stokes also. A nail and tape and you had a bat that wouldn't sting your hands. Its amazing we didn't ruin our arms with some of the balls we used. The ones that got soaked weighed about 3 lbs and the ones we taped because of the lost covers got heavy too.

THANKS FOR THE COMMENTS ABOUT MY DAD. I DROVE AROUND BRUNSWICK LAST FRIDAY. IT BROUGHT BACK OLD MEMORIES. BOBS RESTAURANT BURGERS THAT WOULD SLIDE OFF THE PLATE. OPEN THE DOOR AN HAVE TO WAVE YOUR ARMS AROUND TO MOVE THE SMOKE.HOLLY ROSARY CHURCH ,FATHER SMITH YOU COULD HEAR HIM BREATH WHEN YOU WERE IN THE CONFESSIONAL. GOING TO THE MOONLITE DRIVE IN AN PARKING IN THE LAST ROW. GOING TO THE PALACE THEATER AN LOOKING UP AT THE CEILING. THEY HAD LIGHTS IN THE CEILING THAT LOOKED LIKE STARS,EVERY ONCE IN A WHILE A CLOUD WOULD COME BY. SOMETHINGS ARE NOT WRITTEN DOWN BUT WE ALL KNOW THAT WAS IS NO MORE. DAHM WE HAD FUN

Andy K.

My grandfather , L.I. Combs lived at 546 Lincoln for many, many years. Sadly the house has been torn down, reasons unknown to me. The neighborhood was comprised of upscale (at that time) homes, mostly brick and two story. The streets were all tree lined. There was a pharmacy called Markmans on the corner of 5th and Lincoln and the 5th Ave. theater just down the street. The owner at that time of many theaters in Gary was a man called V.U. Young who lived next door to my grandpa and he gave us tickets whenever we visited. I grew up on the east side at 733 Tennessee.

Hello Charles Stokes! I will second what Al B has said..... your father was very instrumental in helping to further the lives of MANY young boys. I remember quite well all the fathers gathering on Saturdays to build (and better equip) BLL. I remember whenever Joe Eckhart (District Manager) would show up to inspect the BLL operations Mr Stokes had everything working TOP NOTCH. Yup, that cigar! Who could forget it! Mr Stokes, Mr Bush, Mr Radke, Mr Collins, Mr Grcevich, Mr Zak, Mr Hudak (dad!), and all the others who elude my memory! We were associated with BLL from about 1958-63. I remember them building the pressbox with cinderblock. I remember when they started building the Babe Ruth Field. The FIRST electronic scoreboard for a LL field was designed by my brother's best friend's father, Oscar Huycke. I do want to apologize for constantly being a pain in your father's rear end for trying to get in the press box during games! LOL Ohhhh, he would through us out in a heartbeat when he caught us! Cherished Memories Indeed! According to what i see on Google Street View, the field is still there! At least the light towers and equipment building are!

@Al B..... we too played home run derby or "Right Field Out" on the minor league field in the summers. Maybe you guys ran us off sometimes! LOL

@Andy K..... Waverly POP! wow! A friday evening after mom shopping at Edmar provided my taste buds with a huge bottle of Waverly Cream Soda and a bag of Peerless Chips! WHO COULD FORGET!? Oh, and then watch Home Run Derby at 6:30.

Last but not least..... what was the name of the record store downtown in the 60's, was on the west side of Bdwy near Busch Jewelers?

My mother grew up in Gary, IN, and my grandfather owned Superior Beverage (he just turned 100 years old!!!). He bottled Waverly soda, Crush, Vernors, Dad's Root Beer and Schweppes (to name a few). Eventually my grandparents moved to the Mansards in Griffith. I was just a little kid when my grandparents still lived on W. 6th Avenue and Lincoln, but I seem to recall that the entire neighborhood was breathtaking. I'd love to see the house forty-plus years later. You can see the inside of Superior Beverage on Flicker (do a Google search). Incredible memories.

Hi: I hung out in a bar in Gary, Indiana, in the year 1963, maybe it was 62. I was very young and stupid. The bar was extremely rough. Lots of loud music, and fights. Ladie fights, and men fights. good grief. I cannot remember the name of it. They also had good music. I can remember the Red Barn in calumet city, but not the one in gary. I was from cedar lake. Thanks if you can help me. Sue Tucker

It has to be a source of pride for you to know how many young men from Brunswick were positively affected by your father. He helped so many boys start up the road to maturity. I personally know of some guys who for whatever reason could not afford the LL fee who were allowed to play by your father out of the goodness of his heart. He was a truly great man. Who can not remember the updates and innovations he brought to BLL. I'll never the cigar and BLL officials shirts he wore. A true man of great influence.

My father George Stokes was the founder of Brunswick Little League. ITall started in back of edison high school. My dad an BILL fisher head of Gary Park Board back then leased the property for a 1$ a year. George and his friends built 3 fields.Dad was the president of Brunswick Little LEAGUE FOR 20 YEARS. I STILL REMENBER SITTING DOWN UNDER THE TREES ON A SATURDAY HAVEING A DRINK WITH ALL THE COACHS . THOSE WERE THE DAYS!

Wow, Wayne - that was some video. Way cool. I view a couple others while I was there on YouTube. Sure wish I could've gotten close enough to shoot some of my own pix. I'm still thankful the crashes didn't occur in town - the CSX tracks pass less than 1000 feet from my house.

I remember your dad and Mr Collins also. I watched you all throughout your 12 year old season. I always thought the difference between ya'll and cloverleaf was pitching. There's was a little better. I remember my coaches Mr Erdelac, Mr Freeman, Mr Burson. The 2 toned hat was a definite Babe Ruth or Senior League hat. Ours were Maroon and Blue. You are right the concession stand was awesome. The hamburgers were world class. It was a great place to hang out. Sneaking into the press box, or getting to run the scoreboard, top of the line. In the summer some of us old dudes-me, steve t., dennis s., biff, george d., john d., and my little bro. used to go to the minor league field in the early afternoon and along with others who would show up would play home run ball. This was mainly between my 8th and 9th grade year. It was a blast. After the dfrivers license th LL became less enticing. We spent a lot of summer evenings at Griffith park or Glen Park school shooting hoops. Miller Beach, and cruising anywhere became the norm.

Here is a flyover of the Valpo area train wreck. A real innovative individual had a remote control plane with a video camera on it. neat! The wreck was cleaned up when this video was shot but you can see wrecked tankers off the side plus 3 damaged locos on the rails, ready for movement. I used to take photos of trains from that old rickety bridge in the late 70's. I was amazed when i returned there some years later to see the new bridge, thinking i was lost! It's a good thing i wasn't down in that cut taking pics of trains that day!

www.youtube.com

Al.... that's interesting you remember my father, some how i do not remember you from the LL (being 4 years ahead of me). Your brother Don i knew well. We were out to crush the ball anytime we had a bat in our hands! I was in the shed the other day and located a Brunswick All Star cap and a grey cap with maroon bill, also BLL. I THINK that maroon cap is from when my brother played for Sokits Bakery in the Babe Ruth League. Community Club hats were grey with a green bill. Ahhhhhh, i can still smell those chopped onions from the concession stand waiting on a hamburger! Those were great times.

Hi, Sarah! I haven't been here for a while.

The train crash occurred on Toftes' farm. What a mess. Billy and his wife live very close to the site and had to evacuate. Laurie's son, Aaron, and his family live a few houses away as well and had to evacuate. Roads were still closed in the area on Sunday when I tried to get close enough to get some photos. I couldn't get within 2 miles of the crash site. A friend of mine from church has worked for CSX for 40 years and has been heading up the cleanup and accident reconstruction. Thank God, the crash did not happen in town and there were no serious injuries.

Sarah, I remember picking wild strawberries, morel mushrooms and wild asparagus in the vicinity of that old, rickety bridge. Those were the days! The bridge is long gone, replaced by a large overpass, and the intersection has been completely redesigned. You wouldn't recognize it at all if you saw it today.
_______________

Danny Joe Malone -- I am NOT a BRAT!!!! Perhaps this is a case of the pot calling the kettle black!

The original Palm Grove was on the south side of 5th avenue at 5th and Porter in Brunswick. It was kind of strange to find the new Palm Grove on Industrial Highway (4th avenue). Wayne, with my ears that flattop made look like a car with its doors open. lol I knew Mike Bajza when we small kids in Tolleston on west 10th place. I remember when they moved to Gary Heights. Hesek was a great pitcher. He hurt his arm when we were Freshmen. He was never the same after that. He served in Vietnam. Cathy Grecevich was the dream girl of our class. She married Jack May-he was from your neighborhood. He played minor league baseball with th As. George became a heart specialist. He was almost incredibly strong. I saw him body slam Eddie Torres at Edison when we were choosing up for a weekend FB game. You have brought up familiar names, but I can't place all of them. I remember your dad from BLL and the Community Club team you and Don played on. It is incredible that is almost 50 years ago. Boy time moved fast. It always seemed when I was teaching that I should have been in one of the desks instead of teaching. GO BLAZERS!!!!!!

Well hello to you too Ms. Sarah!! Just so you know. PJ IS STILL A BRAT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I grew up in Indiana Harbor and remember going to the Palm Grove Restaurant with my parents when I was very young which had moved west of downtown Gary (I think it was originally in the Gary downtown area) and close to the border of East Chicago. I remember the green and pink neon sign of a palm tree surrounded by the industrial dregs of the area. And I remember pink banquettes inside and such great dishes as Shrimp de Jonghe. Does anyone else know anything about it? For some reason the place haunts me.

Great Website by the way.

PJ been thinking about you tonight. I have nothing to add to our Glen Park discussions. After seeing the national news tonight about the 3 train collison south of Carr's, I just wanted to say HI and Happy New Year!! We spent many afternoons and evenings at this collison site and the old rickety bridge!!! Danny Malone. . . Happy New Year to you also!!!
Sarah English Lilley

Al, i borrowed my sister's 1962 Edison yearbook. That's a real neat crew cut you have! LOL You were in the same class as my sis, Susan Hudak. Others in the class of '65 that i knew were:

Mike Bajza....... he moved near us in N M'ville, i knew his kid sis, Mary, in M'ville
Christine Flynn...... she was a good friend of my sis
Karen Gergacz..... i went to school with her brother Dave and sis Peggy in Gary and M'ville
Cathy Grecevich..... she knew my sis, i played at BLL with her Bro Mark and her Bro George played with my bro Tim Hudak
David Grant..... worked at the Main Gary P.O. with me for years.
Randy Haslett..... lived down the street from me on 11th n Baker
David Henke.... hung out with my brother
Bob Hesek..... a GREAT pitcher in the Brunswick Babe Ruth League.
Linda Skager..... lived down Baker St from us, i think. There were a bunch of Skagers!
Jeff Sudroff...... bullied me and my sis when we attended Washington Elem School

Oh, by the way, i was in the class of '69.

MORE TO COME!

Thanks for the heads up on the web sites to check out Tri-Cities. I think we have stayed in Guntersville at (what was then??) a Holiday Inn. I remember it being right on a lake. We were doing the "shopping in Boaz" thing if I remember correctly. Is Boaz still a shopping "mecca?" Do not remember buying a whole lot in Boaz, but on the trip back we stopped at a shop in a place called Lacy Springs, found an unusual set for my dining area. Had to pay for it, get all the way back home, borrow a truck, go back, pick it up & then had to have the seating pieces re-upholstered!!! Still using it. AND is probably the reason I cannot get my husband back to Boaz/Guntersville! I too loved Peerless potato chips & Jay's. Tried the mailing thing but always got crumbs. Maybe the shipping is better now. For awhile we could get Jays flavored chips here, but have not seen them lately. These new Kettle chips satisfy my yen for the thick, crunchy Peerless type chip (but is still not just like a Peerless!). SO, we just eat A LOT of potato chips AND Gyrros while in Poratge visiting. (PARAGON restaurant & Pub - Portage edge of Hobart). We bought pizza from a place about a block off Broadway in Glen Park & I think it was a Flamingo... and there was another place, I cannot remember the name of. Actually there are a LOT of geographical facts, etc., that I have trouble pulling out of the old mental files. Old memories...even older brain! By the time I was old enough to get around on my own, we were in Glen Park. So we (friends & I) took the buses wherever we wanted to go outside of Glen Park & the (then) South Shore to Chicago Loop area. My favorite teenage eating spot in Glen Park was Beauty Spot & Miner-Dunn. Downtown was the Hoosier Grill (my best friend's grandmother was hostess there, so we ate chaep or free) & also a place called George's (he also had a place in Hobart). A typical Saturday with a few dollars (from babysitting or ironing) found me on a bus headed downtown to the beaty schhol (hair done by students for 50 cents!!). There was a record shop (that I cannot rememer the name of) & the Palace Theater & all sorts of stores for window shopping. My favorites were Goldblatt's, 3 Sisters (or was it 2?) and Woolworth's. Thanks for sharing! Think I'll go check out google.com & bing.com. By then it will be time to go get the grand-brat from school & do the supper thing. Later.

Hi Ms. Kerry! I'm TJ's "little" brother! So on my next fishing adventure into Bama you're going to tell me where the fish are biting at Lake Guntersville???? Right????

TJ, I almost forgot. If you go to bing.com and click on "maps" and then search for "waverly drive, gary, indiana" you will get an even better view of Tri-City Village (be sure to select "birds eye" at the top of the screen .. this gives you the satellite image).

TJ, I drove through "Tri-City Village" last year when I visited my Mom for Christmas. While I certainly wouldn't go there at night it wasn't too bad during the day. It was really cold outside that day so there weren't many people outside. Like I said, the apartments look just like they did when we lived there. I'm sure they have been refurbished over the years and while some areas of Gary have really deteriorated Tri-City has not. As a matter of fact it looks like all of the units are filled. Unfortunately Horace Mann High School was closed down and boarded up several years ago as well as John Vohr and Chase Elementary School. The first pizza I ever tasted in my life was when we moved to Gary and a friend of the family bought a pizza from Flamingo Pizza. We loved it and I still think it's the best pizza I've ever eaten! I also learned to love Peerless Potato Chips (which are only manufactured in Gary). Peerless is still in business and I still sometimes call them up and they ship me a box of chips here to Alabama! Oh yeah, you mentioned the Boys Club .. me and my brothers all went to the Boys Club. It was located in one of the old units at Tri-City and it was located on the end of the projects close to Chase Street. Mr. Charlie Bell ran the Boys Club and years later I would see him at Inland Steel (he was a Plant Guard). I mentioned the google website. Actually, if you go to google and then click on "maps" and then search for "Waverly Drive, Gary, Indiana" Be sure to click on "Satellite" in the upper right corner and you will see a perfect overhead picture of Tri-City Village and you can zoom in, and even rotate the picture, and see great detail. I live in Guntersville, AL (about an hour south of Huntsville). My son and his family live next door to me and my daughter and her family live about a mile away .. all the grandkids are close. I'm planning on going to Highland, maybe next week, to visit Mom. I didn't get to go during Christmas Holiday because I was under the weather. Have a great day TJ .. it's good hearing from old neighbors!

Indeed, the world is smaller! Thanks for the feedback. Don't know if I EVER knew the name of the apt. complex-much less remember it! alb - Not to worry about health issues. I deal with a couple of my own, plus those of the others in this house. So, whenever you are up to getting out just holler. No, life is not exciting in Hardeman County! You want excitement OR EVEN EXCELLENCE in a cup of coffee, we will probably have to meet in Jackson. My home is always open, not glam or magnificent, but I make a decent cup of Joe & can rustle up a snack. KERRY! I cannot remember exactly when we moved from "Tri-City Village." Was around 1958. That is when parents bought a house in Glen Park. We were probably neighbors! If even for a short while! When I think back on those 2 apts. we lived in & then consider the undeveloped area of Glen Park & the house that we moved to, I wonder what the folks were thinking. The subdivision (being developed at the time by someone by the name of Tony Montrose??) was being built on one big ocean of sand. And the house was tiny. My memories of the "Tri-City Village" apts. are equal to or better than the area & house in Glen Park. I remember them as bigger than the new house & there were playgrounds & Girls & Boys clubs. I have wanted to drive through the Tolleston area, but the family members that I visit when I return assure me that it probably would not be a good idea unless I have access to an armored vehicle!!! Kerry, you have apparently done this...was it THAT BAD?? And where in Alabama are you?? We go through Alabama whenever headed to the beaches or when we take an alternative route home from South Fla. Love the Sikes & Cohen Mall in Pine Level. Have a friend from former State service who lives in the Wetumpka area. And we go to the Florence/Shoals area some just as an alternative to the Memphis/Jackson shopping scene. One of my sisters lives in Iuka, Mississippi. We say that we can spit into Alabama from her house! So good "talking" to you folks!

You were near 5th and Chase across the street from the Budd Plant. If I remember the Chase Street Baptist Church was a large building. `Dr Duncan's office was above the Roosevelt Grill. He was my Dr also. The world gets smaller doesn't it? Danny and TJ we should get together sometime. Right now I'm not sure when. I'm still having some health issues but maybe in a week or 2. Of course I know we live much less exciting lives in Lauderdale County than Hardeman County. LOL.

TJ, I just read your comment and I wanted to let you know that I too lived in those apartments off of Waverly Drive. The complex was then known as "Tri-City Village". My Dad moved us there, from Alabama, in 1957. We lived there for a couple years and then moved just a few blocks over to a house on Taney Street which was across from the Budd Plant which was on Chase Street. I originally went to Horace Mann, then John Vohr School and then Chase Elementary School. We then moved to Highland, IN in 1963 and I graduated from Highland High School in 1968. The Chase Street Baptist Church was pastored at that time by Rev. Steele (he was a neighbor and I went to school with his twin daughters). Oh, by the way, "This Is It" is still in business! I've lived in Alabama for about 16 years now but my Mom still lives in Highland and I have two older brothers who live in NW Indiana with their families so I travel there about 2 times a year and I sometimes drive through Gary to look at some of the old sites. If you go to www.google.com and search for "Waverly Drive, Gary, Indiana" you will see a great overhead view of the apartments. I drove through there about a year ago and they look exactly like they did years ago.

We lived in that massive complex of apartments on Waverly Dr. Not exactly sure what part of Tolleston that would be. We lived in 2 aprtments during our "tenure" there. The 1st was on Waverly Dr. The 2nd apt. was in the same massive collection of apts., just on a different street. Do not remember that street name. There were railroad tracks behind us, there was a playground. Not remembering much about the geography of the area, but I do remember it was somewhat close to something called the "Budd plant." I attended church at what was then called Chase Street Baptist Church. I remember a downtownish looking area, probably the business district of Tolleston or Tarrytown. There was a building there that was a retail business of some sort on the ground floor & offices atop. The physician & dentist that my parents used were there. All I remember is that the physician was called Dr. Duncan (and that he was ancient in the middle & late 50's) & he had a nurse (??) called Alice. The dentist was a Dr. Sposeep (sp??). And he is the reason I still hate dentists! I began school at Horace Mann. The year I started school, John H. Vohr was under construction, so the elementary age kids went in the mornings & high school went in afternoons. I think 2nd grade was John H. Vohr. The parents patronized something called "This IS IT!" in Black Oak???

I spent my first 5 years on a Dyer Co farm. All my life I viewed west tn as heaven. While growing up in Gary was enjoyable, I always knew where I would end up. My first step was attending UTM. Therewere 2 transplanted Garyites besides me there for a while. One from Greenfield and one from Wayne County. I still have 4 cousins in the Gary area. All of my family that once lived in Gary have now moved back to TN. My chief regret is that my father passed away shortly before he was to move back. Where did you live in Tolleston? We lived on west 10th avenue when we were in Tolleston.

If Al B. is finished watching the paint dry over in Halls I wouldnt mind joining you 2 for coffee. Hey AL B. TJ is my wonderful big sister!

My memories of Indiana aren't all THAT bad, just not as many good ones as some of the others on here. Maybe I just didn't "apply" myself! I too have wonderful memories of our neighbors in Tolleston & Glen Park. But I was in a terrible big hurry to get back South. I was born here in Hardeman County & lived here, in the loving care of my maternal grandparents for most of my first 5-6 yrs. I believe those are referred to as "formative" years. So, in my heart & mind, I was already a SOUTHERNER by the time I wound up in Indiana at age 6. Weird that you are in Halls. About a year and a half ago, I was contacted by a gentleman that was born & raised in Gary and in fact, graduated from Lew Wallace the same year I did! (1968) While in Glen Park & in school,we NEVER knew each other. But after one thing & another, he left Gary & is living in the same town as I am and has been for over 20 years!! He & I are living proof that all people in small towns DO NOT necessarily know every one & everything that is going on! He is also loving life in the South . I agree with you...I too have been blessed to live & retire in the South, with my Southern family & our Southern ways. I only get backto the Gary area about once a year. But it never fails to occur to me before I ever get back that, even with the good memories I have, I am glad NOT to have to live there! Some of us "transplants" need to get together over coffee & compare notes. {I am retired from the State of Tennessee- Pharmacy Technician. Retired about 3-1/2 yrs. ago. Spent 24 years at Western Mental Health (formerly Western Stae Psychiatric Hosp) & 10 years at Arlington Developmental Center}

TJ, I too left Gary after graduation from Edison in 1965. I went to college in the South, returning each summer to work at Wonder Bread in Tolleston. I always knew I would return to Tn, but as much as I love the South, I still enjoyed my time in Gary. The times in Tolleston and Brunswick were great. Beveridge and Edison were good schools. We had phenomenal neighbors. One thing about Gary, you got away with nothing. My friends mothers would correct you for wrongdoing and depending on the seriousness woul either inform your parents or deal with it themselves. I lived, laughed and played my young years away in Gary. I treasure the memories. Upon graduation from college, I started a teaching career at Halls High School in Lauderdale County, TN. I am now retired after 35 yrs at HHS. Rural life in the South- it doesn't get any better. I have had truly been blessed.

Terri,
You brought back a memory that had left this old 82 year old mind, about the sock dolls. What was you last name when you lived in Gary? And where did you live? What was your great grand-fathers name? And a Merry Christmas to you, Terri.

Merry Christmas to everyone. I have gone through and read everyone's post WOW.

All I know is the people of Gary came from all over; my great-grandparents came from Czechoslovakia to provide a better life for their children. They worked very hard at any job they had and were very proud of ther work.

People like my great-grandparents made Gary what it was, unfortunatly people no longer sit on their front stoops. Now they're in their fenced in back yards.

Speaking of people Mr. Combs my aunt remembers the argyle sock dolls your mother made for her. She had them for many years and cheriished them. She told the story of the lady who made sock dolls for many years. I thought you might want to know that.

There still is a Lure on 20 in Portage and it is very good.

Once again Merry Christmas to all.

I remember NOTHING about country & western at Washington High (unless Washington was in Hammond?). I remember folks going someplace in Hammond for C & W "Caravan of Stars" shows. Lake Eliza is the only venue (if that's what it could be called!) having C & W shows, and they weren't all that big a deal. Merry CHRISTmas to all you INLAND Steel descendants, Tolleston & Glen Park baby-boomers & all you other walkers down this "memory lane" of the Gary/Glen Park area. Having been back in the south since 1969 & subsequent trips being to the Hobart/Portage/Duneland/Chicago Loop area, I now have MORE memories of THESE places...maybe some of you others can relate?? Apparently, I wasn't as enamored of the Gary area as some, so, I returned to Tennessee as soon after graduation (Lew Wallace '68) as was fiscally & physically possible. But still try to return 1 or 2 times a year to visit a sister who has yet to make the reverse migration.

I remember Shoppers Fair very well. It opened around 1962. It had a section of pinball machines. Everyone to play Tropic Isle. It was a hangout place. We took a shortcut through Clark Woods to get there. Shortly after Shoppers Fair was built Clark Woods was cleared. That messed up Clark Pond, a favorite ice skating place.The Lure had great Burgers and Fries. Their shakes were really good too. We always thought Lure Burgers were better than MacDonalds. Dog n Suds was on one side of the Lure and Chuck Wheeler's KFC was on the other. TRI City Plaza was across 5th from them. 5th and Clark had the service stations. Falcone's was one of them. First Federal Savings and Loan was on the north side of 5th and Porter with a Cleaners on the other side of Porter. Club O and the old abandoned Palm Grove Restuarant were on the south side of 5th. There was a little white block building that had a barber shop. Between Hovey and Mount there was a small market and Paul's Barber Shop. Ther was also a contracting business. Anybody remember Dr Senics the
dentist. The only way he could have been more painful waa if he didn't use novacaine at all. Sokits, the storefront library, Smiley's, Dairy Castle, Bob's, and Brunswick Drugs all 5th avenue businesses. Grillo's Toy Town was the greatest toy store ever. I knew Mr Frank Grillo from his Tolleston toy store before he moved to Tri City. The Tri City Lanes Bowling Alley was tremendously popular. Jewel and National Super Markets were big in east Brunswick just as Edmar was to west. There was a Drive In called the Starlight west of Edison on 5th and of course the Moonlight Drive In Theater at 5th and Cline. Going down Clark toward the Little League there was the Community Club, Holy Rosary Church and School, and of course Lud's. Brunswick was great place.

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Subject: I remember Shoppers Fair very well. It opened around 1962. It had a section of pinball machines. Everyone wanted to play Tropic Isle. It was a hangout place. We took a shortcut through Clark Woods to get there. Shortly Shoppers Fair was built Clark Woods was cleared. That messed up Clark Pond, a favorite ice skating place.The Lure had great Burgers and Fries. Their shakes were really good too. We always thought Lure Burgers were better than MacDonalds. Dog n Suds was on one side of the Lure and Chuck Wheeler's KFC was on the other. TRI City Plaza was across 5th from them. 5th and Clark had the service stations. Falcone's was one of them. First Federal Savings and Loan was on the north side of 5th and Porter with a Cleaners on the other side of Porter. Club O and the old abandoned Palm Grove Restuarant were on the south side of 5th. There was a little white block building that had a barber shop. Between Hovey and Mount there was a small market and Paul's Barber Shop. Ther was also a contracting business. Anybody remember Dr Senics the
dentist. The only he could have been more painful waa if he didn't use novacaine at all. Sokits, the storefront library, Smiley's, Dairy Castle, Bob's, and Brunswick Drugs all 5th avenue businesses. Grillo's Toy Town was the greatest toy store ever. I knew Mr Frank Grillo from his Tolleston toy store before he moved to Tri City. The Tri City Lanes Bowling Alley was tremendously popular. Jewel and National Super Markets were big in east Brunswick just as Edmar was to west. There was a Drive In called the Starlight west of Edison on 5th and of course the Moonlight at 5th and Cline. Going down Clark toward the Little League there was the Community Club, Holy Rosary Church and School, and of course Lud's. Brunswick was great place.

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Does anyone out there remember Shoppers Fair on 5th ave across from Tri City? And what about the Lure? I can't remember if the food at the Lure was good or not I just remember going there alot. There was also a White Castle on 5th ave but it closed when I was still very young.

I think I remember Inland sponsoring a few country western shows at Washington High School too. It's where I developed a crush on SkeeterDavis! TJ------HI SIS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

My dad gave me a pair of "real" toy wood skis for xmas one year. He had a '47 desoto with snow tires on the back. He tied a rope to the back bumper and would pull me 20 feet behind him up and down Souers Ave. When he put on the brakes I would have to head for the drift on either side of the road in order to stop. I was covered in snow by the end of the day.

The first time I ever had tacos was my friend, Joe Garcia's, house. His mom made tortillas by hand and The meat filling made your nose burn. I was all of ten years old. His dad worked at Inland, too.

Next to friend's food at Christmas, Smiley's Taco Ranch gave us great Mexican in early 60s Brunswick. The hard Tacos were good, but the soft tacos were incredible. Smiley's was a great postgame hangout.

And thank you Bobj. Last time I had good Mexican food was last year in Hammond. I now live in Tampa which is a beautiful place but the Mexican food I can get out here is better than any I can get in Tampa. Tampa is big on Spanish, Cuban or Italian foods, but Mexican, not so much. Unless you include Taco Bell. Taco Bell is to Mexican food what Cracker Barrel is to southern home cooking. By the way, Taco Bell is big on this side of the planet, second only to KFC. But I don't believe that even these people believe that Taco Bell's soft tortilla, in a taco shell all wrapped up in a pita bread is actually "another authentic Mexican dish" like it says in the commercials.

Rick,
I just realized I haven't thanked you for your service to this country. If you ever get to The east coast when you get back I'll take you to some great Mexican food places to eat. I used to stop at a little joint on the way in to work at the 14" billet mill at Inland almost fifty years ago. They would wrap three or four tacos in aluminum foil to take in for lunch. Al Rupp, the plant superintendent, asked me one day what I was going to do with my life. I told him I was only working temporarily there until I could get back to college. He pointed to all the guys around us and said, "See all these guys? They are only working here temporarily, too! I retire in five years and I want you to come to my retirement party because you are still going to be here in five years just like all these guys." Three months later I joined the Navy. (Side note: six years later I would regularly go into to Inland and Gary works both as a Customer Engineer for IBM Corp.)

Rick, Bob and all others,
You seem to be very proud of your fathers. With good reason. They were the hard working men who made Gary what it was. I don't have statistics about the number of fathers, brothers, uncles, etc who worked in the mills, Inland, Gary Works, Screw and Bolt, Bridge Works to name a few but there are many other sons, like yourself that can stand tall and say MY dad worked in the mills.
Some of your fathers might be of thw first generation of people who passed through Ellis Island or they might be the ones who did. The point I would like to make is the word "immigrant" was not even in our vocabulary. We were all one big gigantic ethnic group working and playing together. That is what Gary was all about. All of the things that these posts bring up, hot dogs, Christmas time, Village Shopping Center, down town Gary were just bonuses to us, at the time maybe we didn't realize it but it seems as though, reading all of the posts, that we enjoyed them as children.
Merry Christmas to all of my Gary friends.

Bob my father worked at Inland for 34 years and was very proud of the fact that in all of that time he only took one unscheduled day off and that was because one his kids ended up in the ER; I think it was time I nearly cut my nose off. I bet there aren't many people who take pride in something like that. There is still this place called Zel's on Chicago Ave that sells the best roast beef sandwiches and they'd lay the sandwich on a bed of French fries. There was also a hot dog or maybe a chicken joint on Main Street in the Harbor that sold the most delicious greasy French fries. I thought about that the other day when I was eating what I think was camel intestines. It didn't taste bad but it's a long cry from the hot dogs from the Village on Grant Street in Gary. I actually ran into a guy last night who is also from Gary and I told him about this site and we got to talking about things. He was from the Aetna area but he said his mom would drag them all to Glen Park to grocery shop. I often tell the story of the time my father bought us kids a monkey from somewhere downtown, maybe it was Montgomery Wards or Goldblatts and they think that I making it up. Does anyone else remember being able to buy those organ grinder monkey's downtown?

T.J. & Rick
My dad put in thirty-two years at Inland; my uncle Walter forty-three or four. My Dad was out of work for several years during the depression of '29 to '33 (not the current depression). My uncle Walter, who was somewhat younger and didn't have two small children, gave my dad the ticket from the union that he used to get the job that he retired from years later. A few months later uncle Walter got a job at Inland. They were always proud of the fact that they worked at Inland, also. They used to talk about Gary works wouldn't give you the time of day unless you bought so many tons of steel. Inland would sell you steel no matter how small the order was. You may have to wait longer until they could schedule you in, but you could always get it. They seemed to really care about the little guy.

I used to listen to them talk about work in the mills when they were visiting my grandmother who lived on Grand Boulevard in E. Chicago. That was when I first heard the quote supposedly given by the CEO of U.S. Steel, "Most people think we make steel, what we really make is money."

Did anybody ever turn a coal scoop backwards and sit on the waxed steel scoop to slide down the viaduct hill all the way to and across the frozen Clark pond?

Thank you T.J. Now that you mention it, it might have been a union thing. They would do it at Washington High School, which I understand was torn down a while back. Going into the Harbor was always such a big deal for me when I was a kid. It was like two worlds, actually three worlds, East Chicago Harbor was like little Mexico, and then a couple of blocks west was the other East Chicago which I think was predominantly Russians and then back home to Brunswick which was a pretty good mix of everyone. I remember those yearly Inland picnics very well. My father who will be 94 years old in a few weeks stopped going to the picnics about 5 years ago. I went with my brother in law who still works at Inland, and I was so proud to be around so many people who worked at the mill.

How good were the dipped cones at the Dairy Queen? I think Ace's garage was the greasiest place I have ever seen. I guess they had all wrecker business for the city of Gary. They had the biggest wreckers. Wintertime walking to school the 8 blocks from Porter St to Edison in ear muffs and watch cap left chilled cheeks and nose. 4th avenue was a solid line of kids trekking to school. If you wet your hair before you combed it it was frozen by the time you reached Edison. Entered through the Gym doors. The candy machines in the Gym lobby had totally unknown candy bars. Remember the Edison book covers we put on our textbooks. Carl Hellman or David Hoskings playing the trumpet for the flag raising after the 1st bell. oh the memories.

Bob,
That gigantic Great Dane was named Thunder. He was great and I could get him to follow me home on 7th and Porter Street with a cone from Dairy Queen. He was the greatest dog ever. They would come pick him up in the wrecker truck from my house, right before they'd close for the night.

Thanks for your reply & remarks. First, let me THANK YOU, Rick, for your service to our country. As to the INLAND thing, I also remember butt loads of toys being given away at CHRISTmas, but could not remember if it was INLAND proper or if it was a union thing, so did not mention it. That tree was SO big there were individual vignettes arranged all around it with music playing. This was all done in such a way that one scene did not interfere with the other (but then MY memories are old & maybe all this was not as grand as I remember??). Dad took us to see it most years. He was proud to work for INLAND Steel. I also remember huge Labor Day bashes, and there again, I seem to associate this with the union Dad was in. Incorrect memories?? Or old brain??

TJ. I remember the Inland Steel Christmas tree very well and every year Inland Steel would give away a ton of toys. Bob I remember the Normandy Cafe very well, not long after it burned down, my uncle purchased the property and started his own truckkng company there and lived in Mr. Filipowicz's house. I met him when he was very old, I remember him wearing a cowboy hat and was wearing overalls. That entire property has been flattened out and is now part of the Gary Airport. My family attended Holy Rosary Church for many years until we moved up to Glen Park. The Redina was turned into an autoparts store in the 80's but I have no idea if the building is even still there today. The Redina is now on Cleveland in Merriville if I'm not mistaken. Down were the casino boats are now, as you approach them, you go under some railroad tracks and to the right there is a very impressive stone building, very ornate, I was wondering if anyone knows what it is.

Rick,
Did you know the family on the corner of 11th and Ralston? There was an empty lot and then a two story house on the north west corner.

Bob

Does anyone remember the HUGE Christmas tree that INLAND Steel would erect each year? I lived in the area (first, Waverly Drive/Tolleston area then to Glen Park) the entirety of my school years (1955-1968). Left & went back south in 1969. I have a few GOOD memeories of the area. The lake, the Dunes, etc., but, the Christmas decorations downtown Gary, the Loop in Chicago and the INLAND Steel tree remain with me.

On 5th and Durbin there was a Mom & Pop liquor store. Right next to it was the 5 Star Super Mart until EdMar Super Market opened across 5th Avenue from Edison High School. Down from 5 Star was the Dairy Castle. Marylou, my wife to be, worked as a carhop there. Henry was the older man who worked there. Gene and Erika were the couple that usually worked there in the evening. Gene made this great Italian sausage sandwich with hot banana peppers. Across the street from the Dairy Castle was Bob's Drive-in. Many an order of french fries with ketchup eaten there.

In the other direction on 5th Avenue from Durbin Street was the Dairy Queen. Further down the street on the North side was an IGA store; little one family enterprise. Across the street on the south side was Windmiller's 5 and 10. Further East yet was the Palm Grove restaurant. On the North side of the street--the Texaco station with the great Dane the size of a Clydesdale was owned by the Negrelli family. I believe Jeep Negrelli played fullback for Edison.

Hope everyone has a wonderful Christmas

Wayne, I did not know Dottie. My wife of 46 years, Marylou Zaparucha, lived on 11th and Ralston. One of my old friends (that I just talked to last week) was Charles (Duke) Kalina who lived on 13th and Porter or Hanley. We often rode our bikes to his house for lunch of grilled cheese sandiches and tomato soupand rode our bikes back.

The bar north of the Calumet River and on Industrial Highway (Rt. 12 and 20) was called the Normandy Cafe. Old man Filipowicz with a mop of snow white hair would attempt to play the violin for all the truck drivers drinking there. His son, Tommy, stood up for my wedding.

I was baptized and married in Holy Rosary Church. My father and mother were buried from Rendina Funeral home across the street from Holy Rosary where the services were held.

When I went to Boot Camp at Great Lakes in '63 I kept waking up at 2:30 in the morning whether I was tired or not. I wondered about that until it occurred to me that I was missing the 2:30 freight train that went by my house. We were a block from the South Shore.

As a kid, there were gravel pits on north Clark Road (north of Industrial Highway). You had to cross I don't know how many railroad tracks to get there. It was almost to old Buffington pier where the cement plant used to be (still there???). We would take an old wash tub and try to jump into the water with the tub upside down to see if we could breathe under the tub. We also took cherry bombs, taped them to a rock, lit them, and threw them into the water to see an underwater explosion.

More to follow.....

Thank you Mr. Combs, and I too live in Florida these days, in Tampa. I'm assigned to the Special Operations Command at MacDill AFB and have lived in Florida for many years now. The majority of my family are still in Gary and unless I'm on this side of the planet, I am in Gary each year for either Thanksgiving or Christmas. I grew up in the yellow house right on the corner of 11th and Burr where my family lived from roughly 1954 to 1976 when we moved to 44th and Madison in Glen Park. My oldest brother and sister graduated from Edison in 68 and 69 and the rest of from Lew Wallace from 76 to 81.

Wayne Hudak

We heard from another part of the "City of the Century" Let's keep it rolling. Astrip to Jack Spratts's was worth the .35 per gollon trip.

A Very Merry Christmas To All. Welcome newcomers Richard and Bob. Bob, did you know Dottie Skager? She lived in the 1000 block of Baker St and according to family, she graduated in '59 from Tolleston. Everyone who lived on Baker St went to Edison, well sadly she passed away a month ago. Ironically, about 2 weeks ago Dotties next door neighbor Mrs. Kankowski passed at age 92. Many of us posting here wish to remember (and share) our GREAT childhood memories of the city we grew up in. I myself seem to be the only lonely Gary Heights poster (West Tolleston), even though our family was just as well associated with Brunswick. We lived on West 11th Ave and Baker St from 1950-1963. My cousins Marilyn and Steve Hudak lived in what i considered Brunswick, 1160 Durbin. From Brunswick LL to ping pong balls dropped from a helicopter at Tri-City, the baby chicks sold at Grants that were dyed colors for Easter, to the FABULOUS train layouts in the Downtown store windows at Christmas. The smell of roasted peanuts at Goldblatts (and that ringing "boong-boong" sound from the elevators?) Walgreens Stawberry Pies! Mom buying my school clothes from Lyttons, with the monkeys and birds at the back door! TOYTOWN! Oh Frank Grillo had EVERY model train made in the world and i wanted them! All of the Brunswick people i knew were from Brunswick LL, (my parents knowing many from Holy Rosary Church) many others i knew from Tolleston as i attended Washington Grade School on 13th and Wright St. Interestingly, i went through my Merrillville High yearbook and counted as many as 31 students who lived in Brunswick or Tolleston that eventually moved to M'ville. 33 counting my brother n sister! I have a list of names i will post later. Some one asked about the Wysocki's, that's where they went...M'ville! I never went to Edison as we moved away the year i would have attended there. We were also "outcasts" in M'ville! We moved to N M'ville on 54th and Lincoln with a Glen Park (Gary 46408) ZipCode, Gary telephone # and had to play LL baseball at Junedale!

Now, does anyone remember the Tastee Freeze on 11th and Chase? They had the first mobile Ice Cream truck that i knew of, it was a large step van painted a light pastel green. They served Custard Cones! ......and who could forget Jack Spratts in Miller????? NO ONE! Anderson Little League, Cloverleaf Dairy, Phillips Ice Cream, Peerless Potato Chips, 4U Truck Stop, and of course, The Lure! Dog n Suds on 5th, A&W on 15th and Wright. White Owl Tap on about 15th and Durbin for their great Friday Fish Dinners.

Am I rambling? YES! Like Robert Combs said, lets hear from other neighborhoods or our own and rattle our memories!

Wayne Hudak

Hello all,
I was born in Gary on Sowers Avenue between Mount and Mathews Streets one block North of the South Shore tracks and one block South of the Calumet River in 1941. I graduated from Gary Edison High School in '59. Some of the teachers I had:

Mrs. Anderson, Kindergarten
Mrs. Jenkins, Third Grade
Mr. Poropat Mechanical Drawing
Coach Sparks Gym (lived on the corner of 4th and Durbin)
Coach Braesmle Gym
Miss Scheddel Band & Orchestra
Miss Long Art
Miss Connor Biology
Miss Myer Spanish
Miss Briley Geometry
Miss Leskow Algebra

I went to IUNW off and on until the US Navy in '63. I was sitting in a dentist's chair at Bainbridge Naval Station when the Bay of Tonkin incident happened. I had a number of jobs until the Navy; including stockboy at Jarabak's drug store on 5th and Burr katty corner from Edison; stockboy at EdMar Super Market down the street; laaborer at Calumet Flexicore in Cudahy on old Cline Venue; heat chaser in Inland Steel; and once in a while I worked for Tommy Filipowicz at his bar on Industrial Highway about a block North of the Calumet River.

It has been interesting reading some of the entries in this web site. Merry Christmas to everybody!

Richard from the middle east

You have offended no one. Your comments are yours to be expressed in any way you see fit. Christmas in Gary, was a trip to Broadway to see all of the store fronts decorated in their (and His glory). When you return from the middle east will you again reside in Gary? I lived there for 40 years, from 1930, the year of my birth, until we relocated to Fl. A bitter sweet move. I loved Gary and the east side is dear to my heart. So many fond child hood memories and the best school ever, Emerson. Come on now you Brunswick, Tolleston, Ambridge, Miller, etc folks, let's hear from you. Toot your horn. And a very Merry Christmas (I will say that til I die) to all and Richard, stay out of harms' way.

You are right, I do have a tendency ramble so. If I hurt anyone's feelings or offended anyone, it was not my intention and I do apologize from the bottom of my heart.

And to answer al b's question; No, there was never a better time in Gary than Christmas. Just my opinion, but no Christmas anywhere has ever been better than the ones I spent in Gary. GOD willing, next year in Gary.

Merry Christmas everyone and GOD bless each and everyone of you and your families.

Richard, I admire and thank you for your service and committment to our nation. Now to change the subject to Christmas. Does anyone else remember the film we were shown each Christmas at school in the 50's. It had the Christmas Story and Twas the Night Before Christmas on it? Can you you remember the Steel City Carolers? Tri City Plaza decorations, the awesome downtown Gary. The sounds, the store windows, everyone you met wishing you a merry christmas. Porter street kids even got together and went caroling. Pre PC Christmases were great. Last thoughts was there a better time in Gary than Christmas.

Richard,
My how you do ramble. I read your post a couple of times and still come out. What did he say? By the way who are "those" people you talk about. I don't believe there were too many displaced people on the shores of Lake Michigan where the greatest little city sprang up in 1905 the year my grandfather came to Gary. I admire you for being in uniform for over 30 years,which puts you at what 50 years plus or minus. You don't and will never know what Gary was in its infamacy. I can't figure out who you are being hard on. "those" people or others????????