Gary, Indiana, ghost town

I want to start by saying that I can not imagine growing up anywhere other than Gary, In. Gary has a lot of good people. I truly feel that is one of the misconceptions about Gary, In. Everyone is poor, on drugs or a high school drop out. Gary has a lot of history and a lot of really successful people came from Gary. I just do not understand how Gary can be surrounded by Steel Mills in the city and the surrounding areas, but poverty and lack of jobs are so prevalent. From what I have seen, Gary has had the poorest management of a city (City officials). So many of the city officials have cared for nothing but themselves and continued to rob the city blind. The public schools are TERRIBLE. How does the government think that a city is going to flourish when no one even cares about the education of the youth. In addition too, the police! The police department is as crooked as the criminals that they encounter on a daily basis. All in all, I think a firm federal investigation needs to be done in the city (city officials and the police department). Next, get competant people in these positions to help clean the city up. Once the city is clean and crime is down, the mayor needs to figure out ways to bring businesses into the community. Part of the reason why there are so few jobs is because of the crime. Business men and women opt out of putting their businesses in the city because they cannot afford the insurance (due to crime). Clean up the streets, busineeses will come, people will have jobs and you will have fewer people hanging in the streets causing havoc and bringing the city down. Last, education!!! Focus on the public schools system. Kids cannot learn with outdated books and classroom sizes of 30-35 kids. That's too much for a teacher to handle and be effective in their teaching. Also, focus on ways of getting drop outs back into school (go door to door, speak with their parents; find out what's going wrong in the house hold that a child has to drop out of school. STOP just marking them absent!!!!! Get involved!!! Go to the church for help! Church goers (true church goers) want to be involved; they want to find ways to help and make an impact in their communities. Enough said!!!

Please for the gramatical errors.
All white people did not move out of Gary.
A question for you. Are you saying a white dominated world is the answer to our problems? Do you include women as part of the solution or the problem?

Normal does not mean having whites as neighbors. Believe or not some folks don't give a dam who moved away only that what they can bring to the table is gone. You thinks that the only normal blacks walk around or live with or try to be white or something? No hate to tell you this but your not the solution or the problem and if you can't be of some use your persona non grata. Our caustic relationship over the last couple of hundred years is. The extremes of the human spirit is the problem. A lust for authority and negative self perception is the problem. If your taught and learn to be so negative and expect only negative things you tend live a self fullfiling effacy. Lower expectations are not a inherited genetic trait it's a learned one. Just like being a bigot. We are lawyers, architects, military soldiers, doctors, politicians, engineers, scientist, chefs, police, and much more. Altruistic behavior is the highest form of civilized behavior.

I had to work the katrina hurricanes down here. I can tell you from experience that when a person needs help they look for it. They don't care what color the hand that helps them is.

I was raised in Gary all my life and Yes there are some parts of Gary you wish they would continue to tear down, however I have been living in Fl for 4 yrs now and where I am reminds me of Gary. The run down buildings are everywhere you go. Someone needs to find interest and put money back into the city. It is enough(money) to go around. They cater to the people, if the people want it they should get it.

Winston---If Blacks are as capable of living normal lives as you state they are--why didnt they? After most Whites left Gary and it became a majority Black city, Blacks had the opportunity to show the world what a Black city could become. You had a Black mayor. A Black Chief of police. A Black city council. The Blacks controlled Gary and its budget. What happened? Cant blame Whitey because we werent there.

All of you that are dissing Gary, come on now. It's rough there I must admit but there is some good there also. You can't judge the city by some of the people that live and act out there. I remember so much positive. I remember being able to walk to Sunday School and Vacation Bible School without fear in my heart. I remember being able to play with my friends all day in Beckman Field until the street lights came on not having to worry about who would try to hurt me. I remember climbing trees on Pierce Street, yes across from Delaney Projects and not fearing for my life. I remember the tent revivals at Pilgrim and not being afraid. I remember every elementary school teacher I had, that wasn't afraid to put me in place if need be. Times have changed and people have changed. It's not just Gary, its every where. Life is hard now. We see if most in small towns like Gary, because of its size. I hate that the town my grandparents grew up in, the town my parents went to school in the town I was birthed in is slowly disappearing. I take my children there at least once a year to see where their mommy comes from. I am proud to be from Gary and will always be proud. Don't be ashamed of your roots. If you are then you should be ashamed of yourself. Jeffri and Eric, Pilgrim MB Church is still going strong and is still a pillar of the community. Take you fiance' home and be proud of where you are from. Gary will live again.

I lived on 21st and Washington, 21st and Jefferson, 21st and Hayes. I went to St Monica, Garnett elementary, Tolleston Junior High, and Lew Wallace. I am 50 years old and know Gary. I left because I had a sister that needed me and I needed a change. My difficulties were no different than anybody else's. I experienced racism and threats. I had dogs loosed on me going to Lew Wallace, bricks thrown at the bus in Hobart, and people accusing me damaging their property when I was there doing maintenance. I worked as a bartender in a pizza joint not 20 miles out of Gary and had the KKK leave their business cards on the bar. Some situations make it obvious to assume whom does what. Prejudice is not the sole providence of one race, gender or creed. Nor should anyone assume that all the happens is because of one race, gender or creed. That's bull. The only guarantee I've learned is that you will fail if you quit trying. I moved and never gave up. I can only hope that others find a way to keep up the struggle. By the way I still call Gary home and have relatives there! They still see hope. My path has led me elsewhere to make living and I don't blame that on anyone. It would make no sense. I determine my destiny. I go back now because I choose to. Not because of my color but because of my history and family. I respect your choice but that does not make it a decision maker for me.

I am white and live about 25 miles from Gary. I don't think you understand Gary. It is a very, very, very depressed community. If you've never been there, you would probably not understand. There are few jobs there to get. In fact, if you look around the city, your hard pressed to find a bank. I don't think I've ever seen any "chain" restaraunt aside from fast food. There are no major department stores to shop. In addition, Indiana also just went through a property tax re-assessment. The property taxes in Gary are sky high compared to other communities.
Anyway, black or white, male or female - it would be tough to make a living over there. I think commuting to another city would be the most probable way. Winston, this community is probably far worse than you have ever encountered. In any event, I'm not sure why people stay there. If I lived there and moved away, I would never go back. It is very depressing there. People must stay because of their close ties to family.

Your take that the Black citizens of Gary were and are responsible for all the evils that have occured. That is the most lopsided flagelating drivel I've heard in quite a while. White people work while blacks sleep on the job. Blacks are thieves while white peoplel try to live like"normal productive members of society". Do you honestly believe this crap. The very attitude, the hate, the victim by association, you project on us is the very accurate discription of a true @igger and that describes you. Blaming everyone else who looks different. Claiming "they" have it easier. I'll give you a blank check that know you won't cash because all you'll have to do is say your black which means you automaticaly get a easier life if you believe yourself. Put in on you job apps, your credit apps, your census, everywhere. You know as well as I do that what ever opportunities you have now will be great curtailed because of the inclusion of "black". Now what you fail to realize is that those of us who proudly do identify ourselfs as black understand the fight and have no attention of not stepping up the the challenge. You are an embarrasment to white and black alike. You are a stereotype of the worst type. Do you still stay with your mom or do you have another tit to suck on?

I came back to Gary after being away for more than 18.5 years. I expected better. Seems nothing has changed. Yes, there are parts of it that are nice. I am fortunate enough to live in one of them (the Horace Mann Neighborhood), but when you step outside of those nice neighborhoods, you should be able to a) shop in a decent store b) get some culture into your life c) go see a movie when you want to....and the list goes on and on. Finding a job here was hard...very hard. It took me 3.5 years. In retrospect, this is the last place I should have come, despite the fact that I have family here. I have travelled all over this great country of ours and Gary is the only place that I've seen that is in as bad a state as it is. Can't we do something about it?

Hell yeah, Erika. The economy is killing us. Gas is just astronomical, especially compared with it being 89 cents around 1998/99 here in Miller. Now, it's in the low to mid 4 dollar range these days. The mills have recently started hiring again, so everybody and their mother's trying to get in at Mittal and U.S. Steel again, but still it's mostly famine rather than feast for most citizens. There's still no movie theatre, decent supermarkets, no Wal-Marts, and no real business here.

The real estate market is rocketing through here. People are buying cheap here and waiting for the "boom" to happen. The taxes in Miller are, I believe, the highest in Gary, and in the state of Indiana, if I'm not mistaken, because they're essentially running out all the poor people who moved to Miller in the 70s, 80s, and 90s, knowing that most of us won't be able to pay them.

So, all the former Gary residents who moved away, BUY IN GARY. Buy the land back. The Houston Business Journal called Gary the no.1 Real Estate investment in America about 2 years ago(it's mentioned on the Wikipedia page). You don't have to live here, but I'd rather this land grab go to people who were born and raised here. They have the HUD people from Chicago, led by Ron Carter here trying to run roughshod over everybody. They are threatening people and are intimidating anybody who gets in their way. All the spoils are going to go to people who aren't even from here.

I was wondering whether or not today's economy has severely impacted Gary for worse? I'm not there so I don't really know. Thanks.

Several groups have tried to start a project to turn city meth into a "ruins garden" but it always falls flat on it's face. The biggest problem is the city, they manage to take whatever money is meant for the project and they spend it on something else, like gas for Rudy's Hummer!

Some how the Gary Methodist Church has got to be restored.
So.... who can we contact? Any hope?

I dont usually post, I just like the pics. However I found this very interesting and began to read the comments. I noticed that "D. Albert" from Northern IL posted a comment on December 17, 2007 mentioning the 1921 race riots in Tulsa OK. That was even more interesting as I have never heard of it. Anyway, his post has quite a few errors, and incorrect information.

"Do they know that the US GOV Bombed Tulsa, Oklahoma from the Air On Monday May 30, 1921"

It was white rioters and police who did this, NOT the US government.

"Dick Roland (19) at the time was Arrested for his own safety and was taken out of JAIL and Leached!!"

He was NOT lynched, the crowd tried to lynch him but failed, he was later exonerated of the charges.

"Used in the riot against the black people were machine guns"

Blacks and whites had rifles and shotguns, the white rioters attempted to storm the National Gaurd Armoury but did NOT succeed.

I grew up in Gary, Indiana and graduated in 1985. I am a strong African American Woman who values the education and culture I was showered with as I grew in Gary. I love the history and pride that was instilled in me at Roosevelt High School by Mr. Jones and Mr. Brown. Most people do not have the ability to flourish that was provided to the individuals that graduated from this historic highschool. Like many before me, we have gone on to make our names prevalent in our professions both locally, nationwide, and internationally. I love Gary and the people who live in it.

There are areas of Gary that are pretty good.. and others that need alot of work.. if you drive down Broadway there is so many abandoned bussiness.. and many can be bought for very cheap. there is many houses there that sell for dirt cheap. the house i am in cost $1,500.00 and 4,000 restoration. where else are you going to get 3 bedroom houses for under 10,000. more local ppl need to get involved with buying up propertys and renovating them.

local youth also need to be pushed to improve their imviroment and not to try and make the fast money to get away from it.. see so many kids out selling drugs bringing the area down. yeah might make cash fast but easy to loose it that way. lot more money in buying cheap houses and doing minor repairs and renting them out.

as far as the bussiness's go. that will need more work. they really need to tear down a old mill and put in a oil refinery there will bring in 100's of high paying labor jobs that would increase the local income and help improve the local stores

People who use the word ghetto in a negative or derogatory sense are so insensitive! The "ghetto" is a place where people make use of the few resources they have and make it work something I am sure the YOU know nothing about!

Gary to me is home! I am going to be apart of the solution and not the problem! I am going to bulid my new home in the neighborhood where I grew up. I have confidence in my decision. Gary is prime real estate right on the beach 20 minutes from Chicago! Gary needs for this new generation with our new ideas of what Gary can be to step up , start building and stop being bullied (myself included) and the old generation ,with their ideals of what Gary used to to be, needs to step aside and let us lead! Has anyone noticed that Gary does not encourage its youth to vote in the local elections, the position of the candidates are rarely publicized and the Mayor that we have now did not even show up to the debates! How does one win an election without letting the voters know one's position? Gary 's Politicsions and board members rely on the ignorance of its citizens( when it comes to dealings in politics) We are in the dark...... I am going to get very invovlved and bring more light to city hall, the school coorporation, and all branches of local government. I will send out fliers, bring info right to the citizens front door step thats what they do in Hammond and Hessville and it seems to get results. We pay taxes just like everyone else, and if you live in Miller way more than everyone else! WE deserve better.

I couldn't find the e-mail address on this web site to purchase photographs. I'd love to buy some of these. Please contact me so I can order.

Gary started turning to crap when Hatcher took over as mayor, from that day on it just got more "Ghetto" and the pictures, which are so, so good, shows how it ended up...shocking to say the least. I have a friend that lives in the "subs"
of Chi-Town that told me the stories of how bad it had got but when I saw these pictures it put me in shock. RIP old Gary, it looks like the wars are over and you lost.

2001 grad---how sad that you only know the Gary of NOW! If you could have been in ANY part of Gary-Tolleston,Aetna, East and West Glen Park, Miller or even Black Oak, back in the 60's, you would realize how sad Gary really is now. But I appreciate your love for your hometown!

I've never been to Gary. However, after reading up on it, I see parallels between what's happened there, as well as in Pittsburgh. We too got screwed when the mills closed. Our entire industry consisted of either mining, glass, or steel. After the steel mills closed in the late 1970s and early 1980s, it hit us hard. Towns such as Braddock, McKeesport, Ambridge, and others, suddenly found themselves without a major employer. Nearly 30 years on, they're former shadows of themselves, and what's left of the mills have been reduced to scrap...if they've been torn down at all. The economic meltdown didn't stop there--the mill closures eventually hit the coal mines, railroads, and other industries depending on the mills. All in all, about a million people left since then--some to the 'burbs, others left the area entirely.

It's not all doom and gloom though--like Gary, some areas have started to recover. Homestead, which once had a huge mill, lay dormant and mostly abandoned. Some parts still are--but the former mill site has been redeveloped into the bustling Waterfront residential and shopping complex. Even so, it hasn't lost its industrial heritage--the large smokestacks were saved, along with some of the mill buildings and railroad cars.

I grew up in Pittsburgh. I was born here, I watched it decline, go stagnant for awhile, and now watching its slow recovery, similar to you all over in Gary. Yes, Pittsburgh has its problems, but to me, it's my home. I'm *not* going to abandon it!

Does Gary have a Sister City and is it Harare?
I drove through there a few years ago and I thought about those three white teens who hopped on a train and hopped off it in Gary and were shown Gary hospitality. They were raped, assaulted, and shot. The third world potentate who was mayor said,"they shouldn't have come to Gary". To quote Martin Sheen in 'Apocalypse Now', "Absolutely Goddamn Right". I got out of there, I didn't stop.

I understand the political corruption thing, because that's something that happens, but I just don't understand this whole "crime" thing. I've lived here the overwhelming majority of my life, and have never been robbed, shot, or stabbed. There's one thing Rudy Clay has been right about, if you're not involved in drugs or gang activity, most of the time, you're not gonna get killed. I go where I want when I want, even MLK boulevard, 5th avenue, Tarrytown, Marshalltown, and Brunswick, and nothing has ever happened to me or my family members. I think the whole "crime" thing is blown totally out of proportion. You're way more likely to be targeted by "random" crime in Indianapolis and Chicago, than you are in Gary. Most of the people who get killed or victimized, did something to put themselves in that position.

Many people who have left Gary and made good lives and careers for themselves would like to return to our beloved hometown. Myself included. We would like to help revitalze Gary and its citizens. There are 2 main reasons why we dont/wont. Political corruption and crime. Alot of organizations and private individuals have attempted to begin revitalization programs but were either run off by violence/crime happening to them and thier family or were "shaken down" by city officials who wanted a cut of allocated funds in order to allow the organization to set up shop. Since the citizens of Gary continue to elect these corrupt "leaders", they must not be too interested in recieving advice and/or assistance from individuals or organizations who really do have the best interests of the citizens of Gary at heart.

I really am trying to get the hell out of this place. I hate to say it like that, but I am. Working' these crappy lil' jobs or being unemployed sucks, but I know that growing up in Gary has made me tough enough to go out in this world and make something of myself. I think that there has to be concerted effort to make sure that this generation of youngsters in Generation Y & Z get a better education and have opportunities to make THEM want to stay in Gary. I was born in 1983, so I grew up right smack dab in the middle of the crack-epidemic and there's I have so many bad memories of that and the gang wars of the early '90s.

I plan to find opportunities elsewhere and then comeback, and help others. I think that that's the key. Too many of those of ours who have become successful didn't come back and show people that it can be done. They leave and stay gone. Go to IMDB right now and look up Gary, Indiana, and you'd be sooo surprise how many not just famous people, but people who work in different areas of Hollywood, whether it's make-up artists, cameramen, and things like that come from right here in Gary, Indiana. When I read things like that, it inspires me to want to go out and make something of myself, imagine if some of those people were speakers and involved in the community, showing the youth, that you don't have to be Will Smith or Denzel Washington, you can be the guy holding the camera or the director, making millions or be a producer or be an agent and make money every time one of them makes money.

That's our problem, we either dream too big(NBA, rappers, Hollywood) or we don't dream at all. It's okay to want to do those things, but being an agent, music engineer, or key grip are all jobs that I'm sure Blacks don't overpopulate, but we don't think about those, we get fixated on the cliche jobs and if that doesn't happen, then we don't know what to do.

I also think that we need more plumbers, electricians, roofers, welders, ironworkers, construction workers, truck drivers, and people like that. Those professions should be hammered into the minds of the youth of Gary. The people from those unions should stay in the schools of Gary and places like that, showing kids that "Hey, it's not just about being a doctor, lawyer, NBA player, rapper, and nothing else. There's plenty of jobs that will allow you to take care of yourself, buy a house, have a family and benefit the community. Kids should not leave school at 18 without having been schooled on how to become part of unions, being sponsored by unions or trade schools, and being counseled on what kind of skills they should get, but now, you just graduate and you're on your own and it's like "What do I do now?" That shouldn't happen. Apprenticeship programs should not only be prevalent, they should be mandatory for students of the Gary School District, even if it's nothing but going to a barber college.

I think the biggest problem now is the opportunities. It's more about providing opportunites for the youth than anything else.

i think the rise & fall of gary lies in goverment office first than the people of gary i was not born in gary but i've been here for about 15 years and a good percent of the people i've meet wants to help gary build as long as they can get something out of it
if they can't see where they are getting something ($$$$$) out of the city growing then it gose nowhere

Hey Kids! You should sooooo come out to the Gary air show!! It is fantastic!! it is this Saturday soo see u there!!lol

This website is SO VERY interesting. I was born in Gary in 1975 at Methodist Hospital and still have most of my family there. I'm familiar with all of these places, especially the Palace Theater. It's such a sad state for the once thriving steel town (my grandfather worked in the steel mills for 40+ years, my aunt still works at Methodist Hospital, and the cathedral/school I attended growing up, Holy Angels, is a historical landmark) and I get depressed everytime I'm there. Thank you for taking your urban exploration to "G.I.", as it's affectionately called by residents.

IS THE GLASS HALF FULL OR HALF EMPTY? IT IS A MATTER OF YOUR PERSPECTIVE. UPON SOME CAREFUL ANALYSIS HISTORY WILL SHOW YOU COMMUNITIES IN UNFAVORAL LIGHTS - ECONOMICALLY CHALLENGED - PROPERTY VALUES REDUCED, HIGH CRIME, RELATIVE HIGH TAXES, HOWEVER, THEN COMES A "CLASS" OF FOLK WHO BUY, BUILD AND RENEW. THE COMMUNITY IS NOW SEEN AS THE PLACE TO LIVE, EMPLOYMENT INCREASES, HOMES SELL FOR PRICES BEYOND THE NORM, CRIME IS REDUCED, IT BECOMES A PLACE TO WALK, LIVE AND WORK. IN SOME CIRCLES THIS IS CALLED GENTRIFICATION IN OTHERS IT IS CALLED URBAN RENEWAL. WHO ARE THESE PEOPLE? THEY CERTAINLY ARE NOT FOLKS WHO FEEL COMFORTABLE JUST FEELING BAD ABOUT A GARY, INDIANA. I WOULD THINK THEY ARE PEOPLE WHO SEE AN OPPORTUNITY AND WILL DO SOMETHING ABOUT A GARY, INDIANA, FOR THEIR OWN PERSONAL BENEFIT.

WHERE DO YOU STAND? IS THE CLASS HALF FULL OR HALF EMPTY FROM YOUR PERSPECTIVE?

I was born and rasied in Gary, IN. 1960 - 1976. I will always love that place. But its down fall came when we Richard Hatcher was elected as Mayor. God Bless him, but he lacked political the support to keep the much needed programming in Gary.

Gary is a smelly crap hole. They should just raze the whole city and call it a day!

I too grew up in Gary in the 60's and 70's. It was a great place to be a kid. I went to Glen Park Elementary school on 39th and Broadway in 4th and 5th grade. For lunch you could walk to Beauty Spot, Harvey's , Coney Island, KFC and everywhere on Broadway. It was a great school. So small everyone who was in your class was in the same class year after year. I always wonder what happened to most of those kids, since crime got bad, our parents moved us away and everyone scattered. Please post a note here if you went to that school around 1972 or so. I would love to know what happened to everyone, especially my best friend back then, Jane Bracich. Thanks. P.S. I hope only for the best for Gary and wish everyone could enjoy the great freedom we had back then.

I always enjoy seeing pics of Gary, no matter that the conditions are best described as deplorable. I am also envious of "urbanexers" who undertake such exploration.

I am also very pleased to see a lot of user comment about Gary. I have compiled a whole lot, and I do mean a whole lot, of info about Gary. It covers the time period of pre-1906 through the current day.

I have made it available to all on Dave's Den. A cordial invite to all with an interest in Gary, then & now, is extended to come on by and peruse the offerings.

The comment Rena stated is very stupid. It is so easy for one to say lets branch off from Gary. What then? The problem will still exsist. But it's not your problem because you live in another city/town. Have you every heard of the White Flight. People thinking the problem will just go away if they just move away or they don't have to worry about it becuase it's not in their city/town. Just turn your back, but what about the people who are still here. People we need to stop turning our back on the problem and wake up and stand up!!! I am 25 years old from Gary and went to school in Gary. Graduated with HONORS from Roosevelt High School went on the college at Ball State University and graduated with HONORS. Then, went on to Columbia graduated with HONORS. Think about what you say before you say it. When you talk about turning your back on the city of Gary, your talkin about turning your back on the kids who are still here and want to do something better. So in 10 years when Gary turns around (and yes it will just like the person under me stand), you will move back or you will help!!! And Yes Gary has so much History! Before you start pointing fingers at why Gary is the way that it is, think of the History!!! The history that you talks some much of. The only reason Gary was established was for the US Steel Mill. Gary was named after an US Steel employee. As early as 1904, the United States Steel Corporation began a site search as to where to develop its new mill complex. After analyzing its options, the United States Steel Corporation decided to place its "new and modern" mill complex on Lake Michigan in northwest Indiana. So as a city, we only relied on the Steel Mill. The beloved US Steel had the political structure locked. Making it impossible for other companies and corporations to build in Gary. So when the US Steel Mill started to downsize and lay-off it was to late. The city turned in a downward spiral with drugs and crimes. And I have not even started on the fact that we elected one of the first black mayors. The people with the money and the power didn't like that. So what happened the moved. So when u talk about HISTORY, understand the importance of it!!!

Gary is not just some ghost town. I was born and raised here in the early 80's, the very begin of Reagan ecomonics. When I look at this picutures, I don't see the holes in the walls and ect. I see the attention to details. Look at every picuture, you will see what the designer was trying to display. I see what those buildings stand for. You can not make these buildings anymore. And soon people will realize that. People will move back to Gary for 3 reasons, the beach (the price of lakefront property across the country are priced in the millions, here a person can get a waterfront property for 100,000), this bring me to my second point, low home price and remarkable design. The median home value in the United States is 250,000 and growing. The median home value in Gary is 50,000. Meaning someone can put 100,000 in to the rehub of a house in Gary and still come out on top. The last reason Chicago distant. With gas prices reaching 4 dollars a gallon, it is making it hard for people to travel longer distances. Gary is appro. 25 miles from downtown Chicago. Plus, the south shore train line runs along Lake Michigan. Having 3 stops in Gary limits. We have 3 major expressways running through Gary. I-65, I-80/94 and I-90 (toll-road). Making Gary out of all the cities and towns in Lake County, the perfect location. So people look beyond the abandon buildings. In years to come Gary will shine bright than it ever did. It may not happen in our lifetime, but maybe we can pass on property to our children and grand-children.

I totally agree with Kristi. Gary is a place I call home. I lived in Dorie Miller projects I too went to Bethune and Drew Schools. I moved from Gary to Little Rock Arkansas in 1987, I was 9 years of age. I moved back to Gary and enrolled in Pulaski Middle Scool. Now living back in Little Rock. I say most of my best memories in my life was living in Gary. s what you make out of it. Yes Gary has crime, murders , drug pushers and users. I want you to tell me WHAT LARGE CITY doesn't. Washington DC, Baltimore MD, New York NY all have the same issues. So what makes Gary's ploblem so different.

Although I choose to raise my 3 boys in Little Rock Arkansas (also a city that has issues) I look foward to taking my babies to Gary (G.I) every year to visit a host of family we have there. Matter of fact we leave for Gary the day atfer the comment is posted. I love for my boys to visit the same project and play at the same playground in did as a child.

I just dont understand how people could write insight on something they dont know about. Gary is my home and I and PROUD to call it. If you think your home or child is not around drug in your area. You got another thought comming so spare my your negative thoughts...Thanks

Keep in mind the city is about to cut it's budget by 1/3, so you think things are bad now? It's going to manage to slip even more! There really isn't much of a future for the city unless they go in and demolish everything and start all over. East Chicago is having a similar problem, just not as big so not as many people notice it I guess.

So that makes it okay to sell dope around your kids? Out of sight- out of mind? This is a great example of the mindset of those who are raising kids in my opinion. Had you been on 39th & Louisiana or 40th & Indiana back in the 50's and 60's you would realize what a completely assinine comment that is. Gary WAS a great place back then, especially Glen Park. But hey, nothing increases property values like POLITE DRUG DEALERS right?

While I wasn't officially FROM Gary, I moved to Gary back in '95 and lived there until '04. I raised my kids there, my son and daughter went to Bethune, Riley, Pittman Square, and Thea Bowman (when it opened.) It's always home for us.

Now, just a little insite and background, since no body really knows who I am. I am a white female, born and raised in Hobart, graduated HHS way back in 1993. I moved to Gary BY CHOICE!! I lived in Marshalltown back in '95-'96, and waddled my pregnant self with my then 3 yr old son to the corner store on the corner of Central (11th) and 21st to get him some penny candy. Then I moved to Westbrook and lived there until '97 when I moved over to Glen Park on 35th and Harrison. We moved to 45th and Connecticut, where I met some of the greatest neighbors anyone could ask for. After that, I had my thrid child and we moved into a bigger house on 39th and Lousiana, where I also had fabulous neighbors. I never worried about my kids playing with their friends. Yes, we DID have drug sales and other crime on our blocks, but these guys sellin were respectful. Now, I know that sounds ridiculous, but all it took was to respectfully ask them not to sell in front of my kids. If my kids were playin out front, they sold in the neighboring alley, if my kids were in the back yard, they sold out front. My kids never once actually witnessed a "transaction".

My kids are 13, 10, and 7, and we've just recently moved from Indiana to Philadelphia. They are VERY PROUD to say they are from Gary IN and they speak about Gary with joy and happiness, not shame or sorrow. I've heard so many negative things about Gary. Yes, Gary has ALOT of CRIME. Yes, I know murders and victims. My kids know murders and victims. But, couldn't that be anywhere??

Gary has too much negative publicity. Granted there may be very limited positives, but why keep focusing on the negatives? If Gary were a person, and all someone had to say about a person was negative, that person just might eventually kill themselves.....isn't that what's happening to Gary now???

How much negativeity could YOU take??

So Riley Elem. School is empty and abandoned. What about Bailey and Lew Wallace?

I left gary in 1979, went into the military, traveled here and there and visited family and friends that are still at home. Is there some kind of way that some of the properties that have been boarded for so long be saved with our help. For the past 5 years me and a friend(currently living in virginia) would like to purchase a couple of home properties and most likely build from there. For some gut reason, this has been really buggin me for some time now. I would surely love to be a part of the "Building My Home Project" in Gary, Indiana. I would love to profit and HELP TO MAKE PROFIT to come back to Gary like it used to be. Yes, I have seen the good and the bad in gary. But please face it: ONLY WE--CAN MAKE THE CHANGE. Lots of the new generation is in gary. What do they know about gary in the 60's or 70's. The only gary that they know is what it is today. So therefore, why talk about what it used to be. Let's talk and associate with this website to get things started. We can all benefit from it , either profit from it, make profit and build for it and there is a lot of us will benefit by JUST SEEING IT GROW. COME GARY PEOPLE LET'S JUST DO IT AND QUITE PROCRASTINATING WITH COMPLAINTS. Love you all!!!!!!

I am not from gary but my story is. My sister-in-law was murdered in 1984 and her body was dropped at the Riley School in Gary. Her name was Linda Bennitt. This story can be found anywhere on the web. Her killer will be brought to justice soon. We visited the place where her body was dropped last week and while there we saw the horrible area that this city has become. While visiting the school site we came across 4 young boys about 10 years old. They asked why we were there. We told them this was the spot where her body was left. They could each tell a story about a family member that was murdered in gary. After we left it really affected us. My wife has an idea to tear down this school and make a play park for these kids in memory of her sister. These kids were playing in broken glass, high weeds and around and abandoned school. She has been in contact with various organizations and we hope this dream can come true for the people of gary. We must start somewhere. I have to admit it might never happen but we have hope.

First I read all the comments and see that most of you are middle aged ( no disrespect ) I lived in gary from birth to 11, then moving to north carolina, and finally moving back when I was 16 which was in 1992. Then is when I went to my first funeral. From 1992 to 1996. I constantly went to funerals of people that I went to school with, or friends of friends. There was a time in 1995 where the neighborhood guys were in a fued I guess with some other neighborhood guys. I would see the guys in my neighborhood walking in broad daylight with shotguns and automatic weapons, donning bullet proof vests. I thought nothing of it at the time because that was my environment. I guess to a point I felt safe because these were all guys I knew and went to school with. Even with all that I think Gary has potential I don't know what it will take to make Gary a productive self-sufficient city. I personally though Mayor Scott King was doing some good. Although I wasn't into the politics of the politics. I could see that there was change, from the Fourth of July festivals that I attended every year from beginning to end, to the Halloween parties at the Genesis center, to building the baseball stadium ( I have no clue as to why we have a baseball stadium lol). As a former citizen I saw change but didn't see anything that would provide constant revenue or something that would provide constant employment. That was the reason I left in 2002. I have since moved to Indiananpolis. Here I have the potential to be very successful whether it the jobs, better schools for my son, or safety. I knew if I stayed in Gary in the shape it was in, I would be a negative statistic. Don't get me wrong, there are people doing positive things in Gary and raising successful families. I just could not see myself having to drive to another city just to go to the movies or shopping. I love Gary and I find myself constantly having to explain the city. I am tired of that. I want to be able one day to say I just bought a nice home in a nice neighborhood and I have great neighbors. I work at a great company that employs hundreds of people great wages all in Gary. It's almost a stigma in some situations to tell people I am from Gary. I have gotten side-eye looks, and I know they are thinking is she dangerous, is she gonna steal, does she have a knife or gun on her. I am just like you I want the better than the american dream. On the other hand I get a lot of respect just by saying I am from Gary. So I still think Gary can be a great place I think it should start with the schools. Once you teach a generation of students that there is no limit to the success they can have that will resonate and start to change the mentality for future generations. Also the parents have to take pride in the childrens education and push to achieve. I welcome any question or comments.

Sure Gary has a rich history, but that's exactly what it is...HISTORY. I honestly do not believe that there is any chance of Gary being 'reformed' or 'renewed'. The best chance that Miller stands is annexing itself from this city of horrors! Almost every day another child dies a senseless death. No neighborhood is safe. They're building million dollar homes next to the projects for crying out loud!

I grew up in Gary and this will always be home. There was and is so much pride in our town. Hopefully, it will one day prosper again.

I live in Chicago and had the great priviledge of volunteering for Sen. Obama for almost 2 weeks in Gary, IN before the elections on May 6. I knew nothing about Gary and was surprised at how close it is to Chicago. I met so many great people in Gary. Maybe it was just because of who I represented, but walking through some of the neighborhoods and apartment buildings, I was shocked at how pleasant everyone was. Many residents were willing to talk about their views and ask questions about the campaign. Sometimes I was nervous-or unsure of what people's response would be. I was trully amazed to see a city so shattered, and yet optimistic to meet so many great people in Gary who still have a glimmer of hope.
The purpose of this comment isn't meant to be political or pro-Obama.....but it's a movement like his that will get people talking again about how all of us can positively impact what our neighborhoods look like and who we put into office to lead our cities with a plan to improve.
My first day in town, I was partnered with a wonderful woman who was a retired school teacher. On our way to go canvassing, she took me on a detour (lasted 1 hour!) and gave me a tour of the Dunes and a few other areas of interested. Throughout my stay in Gary, I met a lot of great people that wanted to share their stories about what it was like living in Gary. Many of them have lived in Gary for over 30years.
The potholes alone are difficult to accept, let alone all the abandoned and torn down buildings. I met a man who owned a building near the county courthouse-I got treated to a mini-tour and the best jambalaya I've ever tasted ('Eat Your Heart Out' on Broadway) as a thanks from him for volunteering. I was transported to the 70's when I walked down the dark and deserted hallways as I peered through the shop-windows.
Many cities in this nation are going through some of the same issues as Gary. I know there will be a better day for this city soon-citizens of Gary need to take back their city and work together to see lasting change.
I plan on volunteering there this summer to help with voter registration. I'll report back any interesting findings!

My dad was in Gary for some of the riots in 1968. He had just gotten back from Vietnam and been put into the guard and got called up for it since he lived in Hammond. He never really talks about it, although there was a guy on the Gary FD that recently retired that had some pretty good stories, getting shot at, stuff thrown at the rigs etc. Today some of that still goes on, there's a couple bullet holes in Squad 2's rig.

Hi, I was in the National Guard stationed at 11th & madison in the late 60's=70's. I was called up several times for civil unrest (riots). Anybody remember the details about them?

I was born and raised in Gary, graduated from Lew Wallace in 1967. Gary may be a ghost town, and basically demolished
but no matter how bad it is there and all the negative press that comes from there, it is still my home and no one can take
away the wonderful memories I have of growing up in Junedale, and being part of what America is about. Gary was a culmination of many ethnic groups that resulted in a large community, but still had the small town warmth and closeness.
I am sad to see what it has become, but in my minds eye, when I think of Gary, I remember the Gary of the 50's and 60's

I was born in Gary and raised in West Glen Park. I graduated from Lew Wallace in 1984. Glen Park was such a beautiful place to live when I left in 1984. I am not sure what happened and why--I assume it was the closing of the steel mills. Call me an optimist, but I can't help but to hope that Gary can be saved. IIt hurts to hear my hometown being talked about and portrayed in this way.

Does anyone know what happened during the Democratic primary election? Why were the results in Gary turned in so late?

I FEEL LIKE RIGHT NOW GARY IS NOT A GOOD PLACE TO LIVE IF U DON'T WANT TO WORK IN THE MILL OR AT THE HOSPITAL CUZ TRUTHFULLY THAT IS ABOUT ALL THAT IS AVAILABLE RIGHT NOW, BUT IN THE FUTURE WHEN JOBS ARE AVAILABLE IN MY FIELD I WILL GLADLY MOVE BACK BECAUSE DESPITE WHAT OTHERS MAY SAY I WAS RAISED THERE AND IT WILL FOREVER BE HOME TO ME!!!

Hello fellow/former Garry Folks,
Went to the Air Show in Tampa on saturday. Had a Great time. I don't understand after seeing all that U.S. power why we can't find and destroy one tall stinking terrorist. Anyway, good to hear from you Danny. Marc I grew up on 40th and Louisiana, and played at EGP from...oh about 1964 thru 1967. A little ahead of you.
I was stolling through GOOGLE Earth and noticed it was just....gone. What a shame. Small things like that , churches schools, and the corner store make a town your home town. I feel like a person without a hometown. We used to frequent Scarsdale Pharmacy, the IGA and JOES on 39th and Georgia before it became a small sportings good store. ( Mikes???).
JUst like our current USA mess we're in gas, jobs etc. I don't see it getting any better, and at this point I don't think it matters who becomes the next US Pres.
sorry for the rant....But it's just my opinion... I could be wrong.

Hey Dave K,

I Played East Glenn Park and Jundale L.L. 70s and 80s. I lived on 39th and Carolina just a couple blocks away. When did you playe there?

Hey Dave and Rick!!!!!!!!WHATS UP??????? Yea Dave you know I played!! And pretty darn good to if I may say so!!!!!!!!!!

Dave K, I'll be at the show on Friday. The show is on Sat and Sun but for those of us who work on the base, they always give us a sneak preview the day before. I spent a lot of time at that ball park, but I never played baseball.

Rick

Rick V. I'll be heading to The air show on Saturday.
Anybody out there ever play little league at East Glen Park?

I find your photos fascinating! Great photography. Gary definetly looks like this. However... like your disclaimer says... this is not a 100% accurate depiction. Miller Beach is an amazing place. There is a lot of money and nice places. There's a lot happening on Broadway. One building you don't have pictures of is the train station all the way at the north end of Broadway. An amazing structure that may look similar to some of the other pics you have. Also Marquette Park is beautiful. I included pictures that I took with my band Emitter at these sites to add to this fine board.

i was born in chi and moved here wit mom and sis when i was 8. i'm now 29 and still here. i can't believe some of the comments i have read. what is so scary about gary? i don't see it. i feel like if u mind ur business ppl won't bother u. i am lookin at some of these pics and the photographr took pic of allies and so forth. he makes broadway shoppin mall seen abandoned. not at all. i guess it would if u take a pic of the back door! hell i was in there the other day SHOPPING! how come he didn't take pic of the beautiful sites in gary? i wprk in a nursing home and i sometimes listen to some of the older residents fr gary and to me it seems gary has alot of history GOOD AND BAD. mostly good. it's ppl like these commentors that make gary a bad and scarry place to live.

I WOULD CALL GARY AND ABONDONED CITY JUST FOR THE SIMPLE FACT OF I SEEN THE POPULATION GROWTH ON WIKIPEDIA AND IT REALLY DROPPED AND MOST OF IT WAS BECAUSE OF MURDERS AND PPL MOVING OUT OF GARY BUT GARY WILL STILL BE IN MY HEART........I WAS BORN IN METHODIST NORTH LAKE RIGHT BY HORACE MANN HIGH SCHOOL ME AND MY FREINDS WOULD ALL WAYS GO UP THERE AND JUST CHILL

I wouldn't call Gary a ghost town, that's ridiculous.

I agree, who would ever pump money into a city that looks like a "war-Zone" ? Come on people, quit dreaming and make the best out of what's left, because it could get worse. R.I.P. old City, you did your best.

Gary's problems prevent it from ever coming back. Our mayor, Rudy Clay, has an honorary GED. He has no education and does not know how to run/administer anything. He believes that anyone can do anything, so he hires and appoints people without qualification, experience, or ability (which makes it all worse). We do not have a Human Relations program that advertises and posts job descriptions (none are needed). The administration has borrowed $12,500,000 from the Gary Sanitary District (which they cannot pay back) and the GSD has raised sewer taxes 87% this month! A tax on sewers that eventually fund City Hall, not the GSD. In spite of all of these financial problems, Clay has managed to contract with his son, Rudy Clay, Jr., to take pictures of his dad for $100,000 a year. The GSD added another contract to Rudy Jr for $30,000 a year to video tape monthly meetings of the GSD (even though the local cable channel was doing it for free...???)
Clay has his own police force (auxiliary police) who are not trained but carry guns, stop traffic and issue citations... there is conflict between t he real police and these untrained cops...(Clay doesn't realize that the City is responsible and can be sued if his private police force are taken to court)
Inside "no bid" contracts to those politically connected are sucking the city dry... The pictures on this site tell the story... there is no hope, no future, no leadership...

It's nice to know that one of our american actors who went to Emerson High School (at the time) has left us a message. Karl Malden from The Streets of San Francisco.

I was born in Gary at Methodist Hospital, a few days before Michael Jackson. We lived in Miller, where I graduated from Wirt in '76. My parents resisted "white flight" and lived there until they died, my mother in 1996. The decline of the city is tragic and was traumatic to live through. What few people have mentioned is how gorgeous the surroundings are: the lake, the dunes, the National Lakeshore. Miller is one of the few high-crime gorgeous rural areas in the country. The decline of the city is a tragic failure with so many causes; but I love the city anyway.

I remember that my stepfather (who is still living) walked from his job in Hammond all the way to our house in 5th and Jefferson. I have fond memmories of Gary. I went to Emerson High School (lived right accross the street from it) and to Horace Mann High School. I moved there in 1966 and left in 1971. I now live in Orlando with my family but Gary will always be in my heart.

I lived in Gary, IN from the age 2-18. When I was 18 I went off to college and never look back. I don't even go back to visit relatives! I hate Gary, every facet of the city sucks!

I was born in Mercy Hospital in 1951 and left Gary in early '70s. I have not been back. This site presents some heart rending images of the ruins of places that were once architectural jewels that were once part of my life. The photographer was a sensitive interpreter of the ruins and a good technician too. Too bad he passed away so young.

I used to go to movies on Saturdays at the Palace Theater, and walked past City Methodist on my way to school. I lived on Madison Street and looked at the block using Google Earth a bit ago. I was amazed to see that almost all of the beautiful old houses are now gone. The one we lived in had fire places on both floors and the kind of light switches with two buttons that were used when electricity was new. The materials were excellent and would have lasted another two hundred years with proper care. I went to kindergarten in the beautiful candy cane striped masonry building that was Jefferson Elementary. Elementary at the old Holy Angles building. I graduated from Horace Mann high school at Memorial Hall. To see all of these places in ruins or simply obliterated as if a thousand bombers had passed that way is deeply saddening. The current population levels have not been seen since the 1930's.

My parents were part of the "white flight". They had set their minds on staying but the house was burglarized, and garage was burglarized and my grandfather's tools stolen. In the end it was fear for their safety based on experience that sent them fleeing, not their very real racism.

There are a lot of comments about how it got that way, and those are sad too. But a lot of beautiful people who care deeply seem to be trying to contribute:

Cricket, who God blessed with a path to salvation up out of the ruins.

Vincent who does not need to be ashamed of his home but lost so many there.

The many whites of my generation from the Gary diaspora, a few of whom left because of racism, but many of whom fled from violence and threats.

me chelle washington who speaks a simple truth that the community must find its best to take hold of the city and nurse it back to health.

MC whose life was changed by tragic violence against a sunday school teacher, but who grew in the city.

glb's comments on the failures of leadership. The corruption of the Democratic Machine in the early Sixties before Hatcher. Mayor Chacaris (sp?) who used to give out money to trick or treaters on Halloween, and then went to jail for corruption as the city declined exemplified the maxim that crime causes poverty.

No matter what the cause of the decline, or the past wrongs and there is enough blame to go around, the renaissance will come from the people of the city when it comes. If Federal assistance to build Soviet style construction projects would help, the situation would have turned around a couple of decades ago.

Looking to the future, it seems that Gary has to work on becoming a safe and tolerant city for blacks and whites both. Getting crime under control is the first step to a business recovery in the city. People have to be safe to set up shop.

The fellow who talked about the electric trains being upgraded to serve an expanded Gary Airport and possibly a bedroom community for Chicago had good points too.

I do hope that City Methodist will be salvaged and become a thriving church again. Time alone will tell.

Good luck to all of you.

born and raiesed in gary raised on 5th street right by horace mann miss it there than moved to tiberoon trails

I JUST WANT TO SAY EVEN THOUGH GARY IS A ROUGH PLACE TO LIVE, IT'S A PRETTY DOWN TO EARTH PLACE, IT'S JUST MOST OF THE TIME PEOPLE CANT GET ALONG BECAUSE THEY REALLY ALL KNOW EACH OTHER! IM 16 IVE LIVED IN GARY SINCE I WAS 7, AND IVE GOT IN TROUBLE THERE ALOT, AND IVE SEEN PEOPLE SHOT DOWN DEAD IN FRONT OF MY APARTMENT BUILDING IT'S JUST SICK. BUT THATS STILL MY HOME TOWN! BIG UPS TO GARY INDIANA!

yea its still standing..i use to go to that church because my dad sung there..i had alotta friends there and i think they still go there...i use to live in TIBBERON TRAILS but we moved to houston texas...man..indiana was the shit when i lived in tibberon..i might visit there for summer vaca.

I grew up in Gary and dealt with many interesting things. I left there when i was 14 and went back when i was 18- Man the difference!!!!!! I felt ashamed of the site. House burned to the ground, or shot up or even better not even there. Does anyone know if Pilgrim Missionary Baptist Church is still standing? I miss it there, I want to take my fiancee so she can see where i grew up, but damn there probably wont be anything left- Any way to all my Gary neighbors who Know about GNS, The Village and the Panthers stay strong. If you still live there stay real-

yeah, technically the church is still there- now has a fence around it as if someones going to do something with it... but we will see. whereas i belive that there are some GREAT exagerations on this website concerning this city- some of the opinons are pretty accuate... like the politics here. so the fence around it may be a political attempt to shut some of us residents up who REFUSE to accept a LACK of changes. i was recently part of a movie shhot the used that church and the ally behind it, and i know that it could be restored. I will keep my fingers crossed, and will try to send you pics of my beautiful firebird! lol
Gary is not for everyone, who really wants to live in a challanged area. i'm not trying to change anyones mind who may have found a better life anywhere else. (not directed at you, mike) just remeber that because YOU left and did well wherever you went, dosent mean that this place is HOPELESS. i can be difficult, no lie- but it does, and can work for some of us crime free- non-dopehead folks who make a decent living.

Geo, That's moving in the right direction, I think many of us that saw the changing for the bad would like to see some coverage of the changing for the good, SHOW ME SOME PICTURES GEO, I want to see that sports car sitting outside your place, with no razor wire or pitt bulls guarding it ! Thanks for the repley/comment, and maybe you can answer the question about the church, still standing or not ?

Take care and watch out for those pick-pockets, and try the West Coast of Florida next time.

Mike- i have been back here for almost a year now, and i DO NOT have any bars on my windows. My sports car sits right out in front of the house. My wife and i go and come as we please, and we have no problems at all. However, my business in indianaoplis was robbed at gunpoint once, and someone stole my wallet in South Beach Fl awhile ago, so would you drive through any on those places for a million $$$?
Crime is everywhere my brother. There are good neighborhoods and bad ones EVERYWHERE you go. Dont feel sorry for us, my father retired a few years ago and enjoys his house on the west side of Gary without bars on his windows.
i am eventually goin to move to Miller Beach, but only because there are building restrictions on what i can do with this house, not only do i feel safe, but i AM safe. I know my neighbors. i took out the time when i first got here to get to know them- the little old ladies, and the thugs that used to hang out on the corner. Turns out that they are all pretty decent people, even though they may have a slightly different value system than us.

Yeah, i feel pretty safe indeed here in the emerson area- cause i gave this neighborhood the benifit of the doubt rather that being driven and biased by FEAR

Hi there,

I'm new to this website and I was just wondering if someone could tell me if the Methodist Church in Gary is still standing? I keep hearing that it's going to be demolished, and I don't know what to believe. I hope they leave it alone, it's such an exquisite building, I wish it would be renovated.

Interesting Site, and was shocked when I saw the pictures, I had heard about how bad it was but seeing shocking !Interesting comments to read. I was born and raised on Gary's East Side, graduated from Emerson in "62, joined the US Airforce and spent 4 years out of Indiana, came "home" in '66, saw iron bars on windows and doors, freaked out ! Did some service in Gary and ajoining areas, in the areas that were mainly housed by black folks had more iron bars on their windows and doors, very scarey. Bought my first house in Aetna (couldn't afford Miller) Richard Hatcher got elected Mayor, fired all the white city employee's, Gary started it's trip down the sewer, and "that's all folks.."we're movin" on out.." I personally moved out of lake county, to Portage and it was a different world..so that's the routine when any city turns into a Ghetto...So the folks that are saying that Whitey did Gary in, better wake up and smell the stink..and look at the facts. I moved to Florida in "73, and raised a family and wouldn't move back up north for a Million dollars, and wouldn't drive thru Gary for a Billion $$$$ I feel for anyone that is honest and hard working or worked hard to retire that have to live in Gary for whatever reason, and live with the iron bars and multi door locks..and fear.