Gary ( ) is a city in
Lake County, Indiana
Lake County is a county (United States), county located in the U.S. state of Indiana. In 2020, its population was 498,700, making it Indiana's List of counties in Indiana, second-most populous county. The county seat is Crown Point, Indiana, C ...
, United States. The population was 69,093 at the
2020 census,
making it Indiana's
eleventh-most populous city. The city has been historically dominated by major industrial activity and is home to
U.S. Steel's
Gary Works
The Gary Works is a major steel mill in Gary, Indiana, on the shore of Lake Michigan. For many years, the Gary Works was the world's largest steel mill, and it remains the largest integrated mill in North America. It is operated by U.S. Steel.
...
, the largest
steel mill
A steel mill or steelworks is an industrial plant for the manufacture of steel. It may be an integrated steel works carrying out all steps of steelmaking from smelting iron ore to rolled product, but may also be a plant where steel semi-fini ...
complex in
North America
North America is a continent in the Northern Hemisphere, Northern and Western Hemisphere, Western hemispheres. North America is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South Ameri ...
. Gary is located along the southern shore of
Lake Michigan
Lake Michigan ( ) is one of the five Great Lakes of North America. It is the second-largest of the Great Lakes by volume () and depth () after Lake Superior and the third-largest by surface area (), after Lake Superior and Lake Huron. To the ...
about southeast of
downtown Chicago. The city is the western gateway to the
Indiana Dunes National Park
Indiana Dunes National Park is a List of national parks of the United States, national park of the United States located in northwestern Indiana managed by the National Park Service. It was authorized by Congress in 1966 as the Indiana Dunes Na ...
, and is within the
Chicago metropolitan area
The Chicago metropolitan area, also referred to as Chicagoland, is the largest metropolitan statistical area in the U.S. state of Illinois, and the Midwest, containing the City of Chicago along with its surrounding suburbs and satellite cities. ...
.
Gary was named after lawyer
Elbert Henry Gary
Elbert Henry Gary (October 8, 1846August 15, 1927) was an American lawyer, county judge and business executive. He was a founder of U.S. Steel in 1901 alongside J. P. Morgan, William H. Moore, Henry Clay Frick and Charles M. Schwab. The cit ...
, who was the founding chairman of the United States Steel Corporation. U.S. Steel had established the city in 1906 as a
company town
A company town is a place where all or most of the stores and housing in the town are owned by the same company that is also the main employer. Company towns are often planned with a suite of amenities such as stores, houses of worship, schoo ...
to serve its steel mills. Like other
Rust Belt
The Rust Belt, formerly the Steel Belt or Factory Belt, is an area of the United States that underwent substantial Deindustrialization, industrial decline in the late 20th century. The region is centered in the Great Lakes and Mid-Atlantic (Uni ...
cities, Gary's once thriving steel industry has been significantly affected by the disappearance of local manufacturing jobs since the 1970s. As a result of this economic shift, the city's population has decreased drastically, having lost 61% of its population since 1960.
Although initially a very diverse city, Gary currently has one of the nation's highest percentages of African-Americans. Between 1970 and 2010, Gary had the nation's highest Black population per capita. The city also has a legacy of African-American cultural and historical accomplishments. In 1945, Gary was the first city in the
Midwest
The Midwestern United States (also referred to as the Midwest, the Heartland or the American Midwest) is one of the four census regions defined by the United States Census Bureau. It occupies the northern central part of the United States. It ...
(and one of the first in the United States) to fully integrate its public school system, elected the country's first Black mayor in 1968 (see
Richard Hatcher), and hosted the first and largest
National Black Political Convention in 1972.
Gary is serviced by the
Gary/Chicago International Airport, an alternative airport to the Chicago region's two larger airports. The city's public transport is provided by the
Gary Public Transportation Corporation and the
South Shore Line
The South Shore Line is an electrically powered commuter rail line operated by the Northern Indiana Commuter Transportation District (NICTD) between Millennium Station in downtown Chicago, Illinois and the South Bend Airport station in Sout ...
passenger railway, which connects to the Chicago transit system. It is also home to a professional baseball team, the
Gary SouthShore RailCats. In addition to its large steel mills, the city is known for being the birthplace of the
Jackson family, a family of well-known entertainers whose members include singer
Michael Jackson
Michael Joseph Jackson (August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009) was an American singer, songwriter, dancer, and philanthropist. Dubbed the "King of Pop", he is regarded as Cultural impact of Michael Jackson, one of the most culturally significan ...
.
History
Founding and early years
Gary, Indiana, was founded in 1906 by the
U.S. Steel corporation as the home for its new plant,
Gary Works
The Gary Works is a major steel mill in Gary, Indiana, on the shore of Lake Michigan. For many years, the Gary Works was the world's largest steel mill, and it remains the largest integrated mill in North America. It is operated by U.S. Steel.
...
. The city was named after lawyer
Elbert Henry Gary
Elbert Henry Gary (October 8, 1846August 15, 1927) was an American lawyer, county judge and business executive. He was a founder of U.S. Steel in 1901 alongside J. P. Morgan, William H. Moore, Henry Clay Frick and Charles M. Schwab. The cit ...
, who was the founding chairman of the United States Steel Corporation.
Gary was the site of civil unrest in the
1919 General Steel Strike. On October 4, 1919, a riot broke out on
Broadway, the main north–south street through downtown Gary, between steel workers and strike breakers brought in from outside. Indiana governor
James P. Goodrich declared martial law three days later. Shortly after that, over 4,000 federal troops under the command of Major General
Leonard Wood
Leonard Wood (October 9, 1860 – August 7, 1927) was a United States Army major general, physician, and public official. He served as the Chief of Staff of the United States Army, List of colonial governors of Cuba, Military Governor of Cuba, ...
arrived to restore order.
The steel industry's jobs provided Gary with rapid growth and a diverse population within the first 26 years of its founding. According to the
1920 United States census, 29.7% of Gary's population at the time was classified as foreign-born, mostly from eastern European countries, with another 30.8% classified as native-born with at least one foreign-born parent. By the
1930 United States Census
The 1930 United States census, conducted by the Census Bureau one month from April 1, 1930, determined the resident population of the United States to be 122,775,046, an increase of 13.7 percent over the 106,021,537 persons enumerated during t ...
, the first census in which Gary's population exceeded 100,000, the city was the fifth largest in Indiana and comparable in size to
South Bend
South Bend is a city in St. Joseph County, Indiana, United States, and its county seat. It lies along the St. Joseph River (Lake Michigan), St. Joseph River near its southernmost bend, from which it derives its name. It is the List of cities in ...
,
Fort Wayne
Fort Wayne is a city in Allen County, Indiana, United States, and its county seat. Located in northeastern Indiana, the city is west of the Ohio border and south of the Michigan border. The city's population was 263,886 at the 2020 United S ...
, and
Evansville
Evansville is a city in Vanderburgh County, Indiana, United States, and its county seat. With a population of 118,414 at the 2020 census, it is Indiana's third-most populous city after Indianapolis and Fort Wayne, the most populous city in S ...
. At that time, 78.7% of the population was classified as white, with 19.3% as foreign-born and another 25.9% as native-born with at least one foreign-born parent. In addition to white internal migrants, Gary had attracted numerous African-American migrants from the South in the
Great Migration, and 17.8% of the population was classified as black. 3.5% were classified as Mexican (now likely to be identified as Hispanic, as some were likely American citizens in addition to immigrants).
Post-World War II
Gary's fortunes have risen and fallen with those of the steel industry. The growth of the steel industry brought prosperity to the community. Broadway was known as a commercial center for the region. Department stores and architecturally significant movie houses were built in the downtown and
Glen Park neighborhoods.
Gary entered a period of decline in the 1960s, like many other American urban centers reliant on one particular industry. Gary's decline was brought on by
reduced employment in the steel industry overall, which caused U.S. Steel to lay off many workers from the Gary area. The U.S. Steel Gary Works employed over 30,000 in 1970, declined to just 6,000 by 1990, and declined to 5,100 by August 2015. Attempts to shore up the city's economy with major construction projects, such as a
Holiday Inn
Holiday Inn by IHG is a chain of hotels based in Atlanta, Georgia and a brand of IHG Hotels & Resorts. The chain was founded in 1952 by Kemmons Wilson (1913–2003), who opened the first location in Memphis, Tennessee. The chain was a division ...
hotel and the
Genesis Convention Center, failed to reverse the decline.
1968 riots
In July 1968, riots broke out in Gary. 3,000
National Guard
National guard is the name used by a wide variety of current and historical uniformed organizations in different countries. The original National Guard was formed during the French Revolution around a cadre of defectors from the French Guards.
...
members came in to restore order to the city.
Curfew
A curfew is an order that imposes certain regulations during specified hours. Typically, curfews order all people affected by them to remain indoors during the evening and nighttime hours. Such an order is most often issued by public authorit ...
s were enforced, and a ban on
gasoline
Gasoline ( North American English) or petrol ( Commonwealth English) is a petrochemical product characterized as a transparent, yellowish, and flammable liquid normally used as a fuel for spark-ignited internal combustion engines. When for ...
and liquor sales helped calm the violence. Over 110 people were arrested, at least three stores were set on fire, and at least 15
fire-bombings were reported.
Racial changes
A rapid racial change occurred in Gary during the late 20th century. These population changes resulted in political change, which reflected Gary's racial demographics: the Black and Hispanic share of the city's population increased from 21% in 1930 to 39% in 1960, and to 53% in 1970. Black and Hispanic people primarily lived in the Midtown section just south of downtown (per the 1950 Census, 97% of Gary's black population lived in this neighborhood). Gary had one of the nation's first African-American mayors,
Richard G. Hatcher, and hosted the groundbreaking 1972
National Black Political Convention.
In the late 1990s and early 2000s, Gary had the highest percentage of African-Americans in U.S. cities with a population of 100,000 or more, 84% (as of the
2000 census). This no longer applies to Gary since the city's population has fallen well below 100,000 residents. As of 2013, the Gary Department of Redevelopment has estimated that one-third of all homes in the city are unoccupied and/or abandoned.
U.S. Steel
U.S. Steel continues to be a major steel producer but with only a small fraction of its former level of employment. While Gary has failed to reestablish a manufacturing base since its population peak, two casinos opened along the Gary lakeshore in the 1990s. However, this has been aggravated by the state closing of
Cline Avenue, an important means of access to the area. Today, Gary faces the difficulties of a
Rust Belt
The Rust Belt, formerly the Steel Belt or Factory Belt, is an area of the United States that underwent substantial Deindustrialization, industrial decline in the late 20th century. The region is centered in the Great Lakes and Mid-Atlantic (Uni ...
city, including higher than national average unemployment and decaying infrastructure.
Recent history
Gary has closed 21 public schools. While some school buildings have been reused, most remain unused since closing. As of 2014, Gary is considering closing additional schools in response to budget deficits.
Gary Chief of Police Thomas Houston was convicted of excessive force and abuse of authority in 2008; he died in 2010 while serving a three-year, five-month federal prison sentence.
In April 2011, 75-year-old mayor
Rudolph M. Clay announced that he would suspend his campaign for reelection as he was being treated for prostate cancer. He endorsed rival
Karen Freeman-Wilson, who won the Democratic mayoral primary in May 2011. Freeman-Wilson won election with 87 percent of the vote and her term began in January 2012; she is the first woman elected mayor in the city's history. She was reelected in 2015. She was defeated in her bid for a third term in the 2019 Democratic primary by Lake County Assessor
Jerome Prince. Since no challengers filed for the November 2019 general election, Prince's nomination was effectively tantamount to election. He officially succeeded Freeman-Wilson on January 1, 2020, two days after being sworn in as the city's 21st mayor on December 30, 2019.
In May 2021, a $300 million
Hard Rock Casino location opened in the city. Branded as Hard Rock Casino Northern Indiana, the location includes memorabilia from local natives
Jackson 5 and a 1,950-seat Hard Rock Live performance hall.
Geography
The city is located at the southern end of the former lake bed of the prehistoric
Lake Chicago and the current
Lake Michigan
Lake Michigan ( ) is one of the five Great Lakes of North America. It is the second-largest of the Great Lakes by volume () and depth () after Lake Superior and the third-largest by surface area (), after Lake Superior and Lake Huron. To the ...
. Most of the city's soil, nearly one foot below the surface, is pure sand. The sand beneath Gary and on its beaches is of such volume and quality that for over a century, companies have mined it, especially for the manufacture of glass.
According to the
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal statistical system, U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and American economy, econ ...
, the city has a total area of , of which is land and is water.
Gary is T-shaped, with its northern border on
Lake Michigan
Lake Michigan ( ) is one of the five Great Lakes of North America. It is the second-largest of the Great Lakes by volume () and depth () after Lake Superior and the third-largest by surface area (), after Lake Superior and Lake Huron. To the ...
. In the northwesternmost section, Gary borders
Hammond and
East Chicago; 165th Street, one of several roads connecting Hammond and Gary,
has been walled off from Gary since 1981, initially due to a toxic flood.
Miller Beach, Gary's easternmost neighborhood, borders
Lake Station and
Portage
Portage or portaging ( CA: ; ) is the practice of carrying water craft or cargo over land, either around an obstacle in a river, or between two bodies of water. A path where items are regularly carried between bodies of water is also called a '' ...
. Gary's southernmost section borders
Griffith
Griffith may refer to:
People
* Griffith (name)
* Griffith (surname)
* Griffith (given name)
Places Antarctica
* Mount Griffith, Ross Dependency
* Griffith Peak (Antarctica), Marie Byrd Land
* Griffith Glacier, Marie Byrd Land
* Griffith Ridge, ...
,
Hobart
Hobart ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the island state of Tasmania, Australia. Located in Tasmania's south-east on the estuary of the River Derwent, it is the southernmost capital city in Australia. Despite containing nearly hal ...
,
Merrillville, and unincorporated
Ross. Gary is about from the
Chicago Loop
The Loop is Chicago's central business district and one of the city's 77 municipally recognized Community areas in Chicago, community areas. Located at the center of downtown Chicago on the shores of Lake Michigan, it is the second-largest busi ...
.
Gary contains the western portion of Indiana Dunes National Park, including
Miller Woods, the western part of
Long Lake, and the Paul H. Douglas Center for Environmental Education. Much of this is within Gary's
Miller Beach neighborhood, although the park's western tip extends to downtown Gary.
Climate
Gary is listed by the
Köppen-Geiger climate classification system as
humid continental (Dfa). In July and August, the warmest months, high temperatures average 84 °F (29 °C) and peak just above 100 °F (38 °C), and low temperatures average 63 °F (17 °C). In January and February, the coldest months, high temperatures average around 29 °F (−2 °C) and low temperatures average 13 °F (−11 °C), with at least a few days of temperatures dipping below 0 °F (−18 °C).
The weather in Gary is greatly regulated by its proximity to
Lake Michigan
Lake Michigan ( ) is one of the five Great Lakes of North America. It is the second-largest of the Great Lakes by volume () and depth () after Lake Superior and the third-largest by surface area (), after Lake Superior and Lake Huron. To the ...
. Weather varies yearly. In the summer months Gary is humid. The city's yearly precipitation averages about 40 inches. Summer is the rainiest season. Winters vary but are predominantly snowy. Snowfall in Gary averages approximately 25 inches per year. Sometimes large blizzards hit because of "
lake effect snow", a phenomenon whereby large amounts of water evaporated from the lake deposit onto the shoreline areas as inordinate amounts of snow.
Neighborhoods
Downtown
Downtown Gary is separated by Broadway into two distinctive communities. Originally, the City of Gary consisted of The East Side, The West Side, The South Side (the area south of the train tracks near 9th Avenue), and Glen Park, located further South along Broadway. The East Side was demarcated by streets named after the States in order of their acceptance into the Union. This area contained mostly wood-frame houses, some of the earliest in the city, and became known in the 20th century for its ethnic populations from Europe and large families. The single-family houses had repeating house designs that alternated from one street to another, with some streets looking very similar. Among the East Side's most notable buildings were Memorial Auditorium (a large red-brick and stone civic auditorium and the site of numerous events, concerts and graduations), The Palace Theater, Emerson School, St. Luke's Church, H.C. Gordon & Sons, and Goldblatt's Department stores, in addition to the Fair Department Store. All fronted Broadway as the main street that divided Gary.
The West Side of Gary, or West of Broadway, the principal commercial street, had streets named after the presidents of the United States in order of their election. Lytton's, Hudson's ladies store, J.C. Penney, and Radigan Bros Furniture Store developed on the west side of Broadway. Developed later, this side of town was known for its masonry or brick residences, its taller and larger commercial buildings, including the Gary National Bank Building, Hotel Gary (now Genesis Towers), The Knights of Columbus Hotel & Building (now affordable housing fronting 5th Avenue), the Tivoli Theater (demolished), the U.S. Post Office, Main Library, Mercy and Methodist Hospitals and Holy Angels Cathedral and School. The West Side also had a secondary principal street, Fifth Avenue, which was lined with many commercial businesses, restaurants, theaters, tall buildings, and elegant apartment buildings. The West Side was viewed as having wealthier residents. The houses dated from about 1908 to the 1930s. Much of the West Side's housing were for executives of U.S. Steel and other prominent businessmen. Notable mansions were 413 Tyler Street and 636 Lincoln Street. Many of the houses were on larger lots. By contrast, a working-class area was made up of row houses made of poured concrete which were arranged together and known as "Mill Houses"; they were built to house steel mill workers.

The areas known as Emerson and Downtown West combine to form Downtown Gary. It was developed in the 1920s and houses several pieces of impressive architecture, including the Moe House, designed by
Frank Lloyd Wright
Frank Lloyd Wright Sr. (June 8, 1867 – April 9, 1959) was an American architect, designer, writer, and educator. He designed List of Frank Lloyd Wright works, more than 1,000 structures over a creative period of 70 years. Wright played a key ...
, and another, the
Wynant House (1917), which was destroyed by fire. A significant number of older structures have been demolished in recent years because of the cost of restoration. Restructuring of the steel and other heavy industry in the late 20th century resulted in a loss of jobs, adversely affecting the city.
Abandoned buildings in the downtown area include historic structures such as
Union Station
A union station, union terminal, joint station, or joint-use station is a railway station at which the tracks and facilities are shared by two or more separate railway company, railway companies, allowing passengers to connect conveniently bet ...
, the
Palace Theater, and
City Methodist Church. A large area of the downtown neighborhood (including City Methodist) was devastated by a major fire on October 12, 1997.
Interstate 90
Interstate 90 (I-90) is an east–west transcontinental freeway and the longest Interstate Highway in the United States at . It begins in Seattle, Washington, and travels through the Pacific Northwest, Mountain states, Mountain West, Great Pla ...
was constructed between downtown Gary and the United States Steel plant.
West
Ambridge Mann is a neighborhood located on Gary's near west side along 5th Avenue. Ambridge was developed for workers at the nearby steel plant in the 1910s and 1920s. It is named after the American Bridge Works, which was a subsidiary of U.S. Steel. The neighborhood is home to a huge stock of prairie-style and art deco homes. The Gary Masonic Temple was located in the neighborhood, along with the Ambassador apartment building. Located just south of
Interstate 90
Interstate 90 (I-90) is an east–west transcontinental freeway and the longest Interstate Highway in the United States at . It begins in Seattle, Washington, and travels through the Pacific Northwest, Mountain states, Mountain West, Great Pla ...
, the neighborhood can be seen while passing Buchanan Street.
Brunswick is located on Gary's far west side. The neighborhood is located just south of Interstate 90 and can also be seen from the expressway. The Brunswick area includes the Tri-City Plaza shopping center on West 5th Avenue (U.S. 20). The area is south of the
Gary Chicago International Airport.
Downtown West is located in north-central Gary on the west side of Broadway just south of
Interstate 90
Interstate 90 (I-90) is an east–west transcontinental freeway and the longest Interstate Highway in the United States at . It begins in Seattle, Washington, and travels through the Pacific Northwest, Mountain states, Mountain West, Great Pla ...
. The
Genesis Convention Center, the
Gary Police Department, the Lake Superior Court House, and the Main Branch of the Gary Public Library are located along 5th Avenue. A new 123-unit mixed-income apartment development was built using a
HUD HOPE VI grant in 2006. The
Adam Benjamin Metro Center is located just north of 4th Avenue. It is operated by the
Gary Public Transportation Corporation and serves as a multi-modal hub. It serves both as the Downtown Gary South Shore train station and an intercity bus stop.
Tolleston is one of Gary's oldest neighborhoods, predating much of the rest of the city. It was platted by George Tolle in 1857 when the railroads were constructed in this area. This area is west of Midtown and south of Ambridge Mann. Tarrytown is a subdivision located in Tolleston between Whitcomb Street and Clark Road.
South
Black Oak is located on the far southwest side of Gary, in the vicinity of the Burr Street exit to the
Borman Expressway. It was annexed in the 1970s. Prior to that, Black Oak was an unincorporated area informally associated with
Hammond, and the area has Hammond telephone numbers. After three referendums, the community voters approved annexation, having been persuaded by Mayor Hatcher that they would benefit more from services provided by the city than from those provided by the county. In the 21st century, it is the only majority-white neighborhood in Gary.
Glen Park is located on Gary's far south side and is made up mostly of mid-twentieth-century houses. Glen Park is divided from the remainder of the city by the Borman Expressway. The northern portion of Glen Park is home to Gary's Gleason Park Golf Course and the campus of
Indiana University Northwest. The far western portion of Glen Park is home to the Village Shopping Center. Glen Park includes the 37th Avenue corridor at Broadway.
Midtown is located south of Downtown Gary, along Broadway. In the pre-1960s days of ''de facto'' segregation, this developed historically as a "black" neighborhood as African Americans came to Gary from the rural South in the
Great Migration to seek jobs in the industrial economy.
North and East
Aetna
Aetna Inc. ( ) is an American managed health care company that sells traditional and consumer directed health care insurance and related services, such as medical, pharmaceutical, dental, behavioral health, long-term care, and disability plans, ...
is located on Gary's far east side along the
Dunes Highway. Aetna predates the city of Gary. This
company town
A company town is a place where all or most of the stores and housing in the town are owned by the same company that is also the main employer. Company towns are often planned with a suite of amenities such as stores, houses of worship, schoo ...
was founded in 1881 by the Aetna Powder Works, an explosives company. Their factory closed after the end of World War I.
The Town of Aetna was annexed by Gary in 1928, around the same time that the city annexed the Town of Miller. In the late 1920s and early 1930s, Gary's prosperous industries helped generate residential and other development in Aetna, resulting in an impressive collection of
art deco
Art Deco, short for the French (), is a style of visual arts, architecture, and product design that first Art Deco in Paris, appeared in Paris in the 1910s just before World War I and flourished in the United States and Europe during the 1920 ...
architecture. The rest of the community was built after World War II and the Korean War in the 1950s, in a series of phases. On its south and east, Aetna borders the undeveloped floodplain of the
Little Calumet River
The Calumet River is a system of industrialized rivers and canals in the region between the South Side, Chicago, south side of Chicago, Illinois, and the city of Gary, Indiana. Historically, the Little Calumet River and the Grand Calumet River ...
.
Emerson is located in north-central Gary on the east side of Broadway. Located just south of
Interstate 90
Interstate 90 (I-90) is an east–west transcontinental freeway and the longest Interstate Highway in the United States at . It begins in Seattle, Washington, and travels through the Pacific Northwest, Mountain states, Mountain West, Great Pla ...
, Gary City Hall is located in Emerson, along with the Indiana Department of Social Services building and the Calumet Township Trustee's office. A 6,000-seat minor league baseball stadium for the
Gary SouthShore RailCats,
U.S. Steel Yard
U.S. Steel Yard is an open-air baseball park, baseball stadium located in Gary, Indiana, next to I-90 in the city's Emerson (Gary), Emerson neighborhood. It is home to the Gary SouthShore RailCats, a professional baseball team and member of the ...
, was constructed in 2002, along with contiguous commercial space and minor residential development.
Miller Beach, also known simply as Miller, is on Gary's far northeast side. Settled in the 1850s and incorporated as an independent town in 1907, Miller was annexed by the city of Gary in 1918. Miller developed around the old stagecoach stop and train station known by the 1850s as Miller's Junction and/or Miller's Station. Miller Beach is racially and economically diverse. It attracts investor interest due to the many year-round and summer homes within walking distance of
Marquette Park and
Lake Michigan
Lake Michigan ( ) is one of the five Great Lakes of North America. It is the second-largest of the Great Lakes by volume () and depth () after Lake Superior and the third-largest by surface area (), after Lake Superior and Lake Huron. To the ...
. Prices for lakefront property are affordable compared to those in Illinois suburban communities. Lake Street provides shopping and dining options for Miller Beach visitors and residents. East Edge, a development of 28 upscale condominium, townhome, and single-family homes, began construction in 2007 at the eastern edge of Miller Beach along County Line Road, one block south of Lake Michigan.
Demographics
The change in the economy and resulting loss of jobs has caused a drop in population by nearly two thirds since its peak in 1960. Gary, along with
St. Louis and
Detroit
Detroit ( , ) is the List of municipalities in Michigan, most populous city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is situated on the bank of the Detroit River across from Windsor, Ontario. It had a population of 639,111 at the 2020 United State ...
, have each lost near or more than two thirds of their peak populations.
2020 census
As of the
2020 census, there were 69,093 people, 28,610 households, and 16,459 families residing in the city. The
population density
Population density (in agriculture: Standing stock (disambiguation), standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geog ...
was . There were 37,274 housing units. The racial makeup of the city was 10.6%
White
White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...
, 80.2%
African American
African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...
, 0.4%
Native American, 0.2%
Asian, 0.0%
Pacific Islander
Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, Pacificans, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the list of islands in the Pacific Ocean, Pacific Islands. As an ethnic group, ethnic/race (human categorization), racial term, it is used to describe th ...
, 3.3% from some other races and 5.2% from two or more races.
Hispanic
The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...
or
Latino of any race were 7.6% of the population. 27.6% of residents were under the age of 18, 7.0% were under 5 years of age, and 18.5% were 65 and older.
2010 census
As of the
2010 census, there were 80,294 people, 31,380 households, and 19,691 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 39,531 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 84.8%
African American
African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...
, 10.7%
White
White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...
, 0.3%
Native American, 0.2%
Asian, 1.8% from
other races, and 2.1% from two or more races.
Hispanic
The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...
or
Latino people of any race were 5.1% of the population.
Non-Hispanic Whites
Non-Hispanic Whites, also referred to as White Anglo Americans or Non-Latino Whites, are White Americans who are classified by the United States census as "White" and not of Hispanic or Latino origin. According to annual estimates from the Unit ...
were 8.9% of the population in 2010, down from 39.1% in 1970.
There were 31,380 households, of which 33.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 25.2% were married couples living together, 30.9% had a female householder with no husband present, 6.7% had a male householder with no wife present, and 37.2% were non-families. 32.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.54 and the average family size was 3.23.
The median age in the city was 36.7 years. 28.1% of residents were under the age of 18; 8.6% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 21.8% were from 25 to 44; 27.1% were from 45 to 64; and 14.5% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 46.0% male and 54.0% female.
2000 census
As of the
2000 census, there were 102,746 people, 38,244 households, and 25,623 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 43,630 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 84.03%
African American
African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...
, 11.92%
White
White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...
, 0.21%
Native American, 0.14%
Asian, 0.02%
Pacific Islander
Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, Pacificans, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the list of islands in the Pacific Ocean, Pacific Islands. As an ethnic group, ethnic/race (human categorization), racial term, it is used to describe th ...
, 1.97% from
other races, and 1.71% from two or more races.
Hispanic
The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...
or
Latino people of any race were 4.93% of the population.
There were 38,244 households, out of which 31.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 30.2% were married couples living together, 30.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.0% were non-families. 28.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.66 and the average family size was 3.28.
In the city, the population was spread out, with 29.9% under the age of 18, 10.1% from 18 to 24, 25.1% from 25 to 44, 22.2% from 45 to 64, and 12.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females, there were 84.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 78.0 males.
The
median income
The median income is the income amount that divides a population into two groups, half having an income above that amount, and half having an income below that amount. It may differ from the mean (or average) income. Both of these are ways of unde ...
for a household in the city was $27,195, and the median income for a family was $32,205. Males had a median income of $34,992 versus $24,432 for females. The per capita income for the city was $14,383. About 22.2% of families and 25.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 37.9% of those under age 18 and 14.1% of those age 65 or over.
Arts and culture
Arts and film
Meredith Willson's 1957 Broadway musical ''
The Music Man
''The Music Man'' is a musical theatre, musical with book, music, and lyrics by Meredith Willson, based on a story by Willson and Franklin Lacey. The plot concerns a confidence trick, con man Harold Hill, who poses as a boys' band organizer and ...
'' featured the song "
Gary, Indiana
Gary ( ) is a city in Lake County, Indiana, United States. The population was 69,093 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, making it Indiana's List of municipalities in Indiana, eleventh-most populous city. The city has been historical ...
", in which lead character (and
con man) Professor Harold Hill wistfully recalls his purported hometown, then prosperous. Hill claims to be an alumnus of "Gary Conservatory of Music, Class of '05", but this is later revealed to be another of his lies. The City of Gary was not founded until 1906. Willson's musical, set in 1912, was adapted both as a
film of the same name released in 1962, and as a
television film
A television film, alternatively known as a television movie, made-for-TV film/movie, telefilm, telemovie or TV film/movie, is a film with a running time similar to a feature film that is produced and originally distributed by or to a Terrestr ...
, produced in 2003.
The 1996 urban film ''
Original Gangstas'' was filmed in the city. It starred Gary native
Fred Williamson,
Pam Grier
Pamela Suzette Grier (born May 26, 1949) is an American actress, singer, and martial artist. Described by Quentin Tarantino as cinema's first female action star, she achieved fame for her starring roles in a string of 1970s action, blaxploitati ...
,
Jim Brown
James Nathaniel Brown (February 17, 1936 – May 18, 2023) was an American professional American football, football player, civil rights activist, and actor. He played as a Fullback (gridiron football), fullback for the Cleveland Browns of the ...
,
Richard Roundtree, and
Isabel Sanford
Isabel Sanford (born Eloise Gwendolyn Sanford; August 29, 1917 – July 9, 2004) was an American stage, film, and television actress and comedian best known for her role as Louise "Weezy" Mills Jefferson on the CBS sitcoms ''All in the Fam ...
, among others. Since the early 2000s, Gary has been the setting for numerous films made by Hollywood filmmakers. In 2009, scenes for the remake of ''
A Nightmare on Elm Street
''A Nightmare on Elm Street'' is a 1984 American Supernatural horror film, supernatural slasher film written and directed by Wes Craven and produced by Robert Shaye. It is the first installment in the A Nightmare on Elm Street (franchise), ''A ...
'' were filmed in Gary. Scenes from ''
Transformers: Dark of the Moon'' wrapped up filming on August 16, 2010.
The
History Channel
History (formerly and commonly known as the History Channel) is an American pay television television broadcaster, network and the flagship channel of A&E Networks, a joint venture between Hearst Communications and the Disney General Entertainme ...
documentary ''
Life After People
''Life After People'' is a television series on which scientists, mechanical engineers, and other experts speculate about what might become of planet Earth if humanity suddenly disappeared. The featured experts also talk about the impact of h ...
'' was filmed in Gary, exploring areas that have deteriorated or been abandoned because of the loss of jobs and residents.
In
John Mellencamp
John J. Mellencamp (born October 7, 1951), previously known as Johnny Cougar, John Cougar, and John Cougar Mellencamp, is an American singer-songwriter. He is known for his brand of heartland rock, which emphasizes traditional instrumentation ...
's 1985 song, "Minutes to Memories", an old man on a bus, recalling his humble life, tells the young man beside him, "I worked my whole life in the steel mills of Gary."
On
Beyoncé’s 2024 Grammy Winning Album of the Year, Cowboy Carter, song “YA YA”, Gary is mentioned as the intermediary stop on a 3 city tour along the
Chitlin’ Circuit.
Historic places on the National Register
The following single properties and national
historic district
A historic district or heritage district is a section of a city which contains historic building, older buildings considered valuable for historical or architectural reasons. In some countries or jurisdictions, historic districts receive legal p ...
s are listed on the
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government's official United States National Register of Historic Places listings, list of sites, buildings, structures, Hist ...
:
*
American Sheet and Tin Mill Apartment Building
*
Louis J. Bailey Branch Library-Gary International Institute
*
Combs Addition Historic District
*
Ralph Waldo Emerson School
*
Eskilson Historic District
*
Gary Bathing Beach Aquatorium
*
Gary City Center Historic District
*
Gary Land Company Building
*
Gary Public Schools Memorial Auditorium
*
Jackson-Monroe Terraces Historic District
*
Jefferson Street Historic District
*
Knights of Columbus Building
*
Lincoln Street Historic District
*
Horace Mann Historic District
*
Miller Town Hall
*
Monroe Terrace Historic District
*
Morningside Historic District
*
Polk Street Concrete Cottage Historic District
*
Polk Street Terraces Historic District
*
Theodore Roosevelt High School
*
Barney Sablotney House
*
St. Augustine's Episcopal Church
*
Van Buren Terrace Historic District
*
West Fifth Avenue Apartments Historic District
*
St. John's Evangelical Lutheran Church and School
Public libraries
The Gary Public Library System consists of the main library at 220 West 5th Avenue and several branches: Brunswick Branch, W. E. B. DuBois Branch, J. F. Kennedy Branch, Tolleston Branch, and Woodson Branch. In March 2011, the Gary Library Board voted to close the main library on 5th Avenue and the Tolleston branch in what officials said was their best economic option. The main library closed at the end of 2011. The building now houses a museum.
Lake County Public Library operates the Black Oak Branch at 5921 West 25th Avenue in the Gary city limits. In addition,
Indiana University Northwest operates the John W. Anderson Library on its campus.
Sports

The following sports franchises are based in Gary:
*The
Gary SouthShore RailCats are an
American Association,
professional baseball
Professional baseball is organized baseball in which players are selected for their talents and are paid to play for a specific team or club system. It is played in baseball league, leagues and associated farm teams throughout the world.
Moder ...
team. The team plays in Gary's
U.S. Steel Yard
U.S. Steel Yard is an open-air baseball park, baseball stadium located in Gary, Indiana, next to I-90 in the city's Emerson (Gary), Emerson neighborhood. It is home to the Gary SouthShore RailCats, a professional baseball team and member of the ...
baseball stadium. The RailCats played in the
Northern League from 2002 until 2010. They now play in the modern
American Association. The team won league championships in 2005, 2007, and 2013.
*Gary has hosted two
professional basketball
In professional sports, as opposed to amateur sports, participants receive payment for their performance. Professionalism in sport has come to the fore through a combination of developments. Mass media and increased leisure have brought larger a ...
franchises. The Gary Splash played in the
International Basketball League
The International Basketball League (IBL) was a semi-professional men's basketball league featuring teams from the West Coast of the United States. In 2010 the Albany Legends became the first team in the Northeastern United States to join. The ...
from 2010 to 2013, at the
Genesis Convention Center. Previously, the
Gary Steelheads played in the
Genesis Convention Center as part of the
IBL (1999–2001),
CBA,
USBL, and
IBL.
Education
Three school districts serve the city, and multiple charter schools are located within the city.
Public schools
Most areas of Gary are within the
Gary Community School Corporation
Gary Community School Corporation is a school district headquartered in Gary, Indiana.
The school district includes the majority of Gary.
History
In 2017, Gary Community Corp became the first school system in Indiana involved in a state tak ...
. Other areas within the city are administered by
Lake Ridge Schools Corporation,
which is the school system for the Black Oak neighborhood and unincorporated Calumet Township. Due to annexation law, Black Oak residents retained their original school system and were not required to attend Gary public schools. In 1927, it was mandated that Black students attend a separate high school. A few parts of Gary to the southeast are in the
River Forest Community School Corporation.
[
]
Charter schools
Charter schools in Indiana, including those in Gary, are granted charters by one of a small number of chartering institutions. Indiana charter schools are generally managed in cooperation between the chartering institution, a local board of parents and community members, salaried school administrators, and a management company. Charter schools in Gary as of 2011 include Thea Bowman Leadership Academy, Charter School of the Dunes, Gary Lighthouse Charter School (formerly Blessed Sacrament Parish and Grade School), and 21st Century Charter.
Higher education
Gary is home to two regional state college campuses:
* Indiana University Northwest
* Ivy Tech Community College Northwest
Media
Newspapers
Gary is served by two major newspapers based outside the city, and by a Gary-based, largely African-American interest paper. These papers provide regional topics, and cover events in Gary.
*''The Post-Tribune'', originally the ''Gary Post-Tribune'', is now based in the nearby town of Merrillville.
*''The Times
''The Times'' is a British Newspaper#Daily, daily Newspaper#National, national newspaper based in London. It began in 1785 under the title ''The Daily Universal Register'', adopting its modern name on 1 January 1788. ''The Times'' and its si ...
'', previously known as the ''Hammond Times''. Offices and facilities for ''The Times'' are in nearby Munster
Munster ( or ) is the largest of the four provinces of Ireland, located in the south west of the island. In early Ireland, the Kingdom of Munster was one of the kingdoms of Gaelic Ireland ruled by a "king of over-kings" (). Following the Nor ...
.
*''The Gary Crusader'', based in Gary and largely focused on African-American interests and readership
*''The INFO Newspaper'', based in Gary and largely focused on African-American interests and readership
*The ''Chicago Tribune
The ''Chicago Tribune'' is an American daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Founded in 1847, it was formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper", a slogan from which its once integrated WGN (AM), WGN radio and ...
'' and the ''Chicago Sun-Times
The ''Chicago Sun-Times'' is a daily nonprofit newspaper published in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Since 2022, it is the flagship paper of Chicago Public Media, and has long held the second largest circulation among Chicago newspaper ...
'', based in Chicago, are also distributed in Gary.
Television and radio
Gary is served by five local broadcasters plus government access and numerous Chicago area radio
Radio is the technology of communicating using radio waves. Radio waves are electromagnetic waves of frequency between 3 hertz (Hz) and 300 gigahertz (GHz). They are generated by an electronic device called a transmitter connec ...
and TV stations, and by other nearby stations in Illinois and Indiana.
* WPWR-TV (Channel 50) is the Chicago MyNetworkTV
MyNetworkTV (stylized as mynetworkTV; unofficially abbreviated MNT or MNTV) is an American commercial broadcast television syndication service and former television network owned by Fox Corporation, operated by its Fox Television Stations ...
affiliate but is licensed to Gary. Studios and transmitters are co-located with WFLD
WFLD (channel 32) is a television station in Chicago, Illinois, United States. It is owned and operated by the Fox Broadcasting Company, Fox network through its Fox Television Stations division alongside Gary, Indiana–licensed WPWR-TV (channe ...
's in Chicago, and are also owned by Fox Television Stations
Fox Television Stations, LLC (stylized as FOX TV STATIONS; also known as FTS) is a group of television stations in the United States owned-and-operated by Fox Corporation. It owns LiveNOW from Fox, Fox Local, and Fox Soul. It also oversees ...
.
* WYIN
WYIN (channel 56), branded on-air as Lakeshore PBS, is a secondary PBS member television station licensed to Gary, Indiana, United States, serving the Chicago area. It is owned by Northwest Indiana Public Broadcasting, Inc., as a sister station ...
(Channel 56) is a PBS affiliate licensed to Gary. Their studios are in Merrillville.
* WGVE ( FM 88.7) is owned by the Gary Community School Corporation
Gary Community School Corporation is a school district headquartered in Gary, Indiana.
The school district includes the majority of Gary.
History
In 2017, Gary Community Corp became the first school system in Indiana involved in a state tak ...
, and is used primarily as a teaching facility. Programming is maintained by students in the broadcast program at the Gary Career Center. WGVE also carries limited NPR programming.
* WLTH ( AM 1370) primarily carries talk programming, as well as other local programs.
* WWCA ( AM 1270) is a Relevant Radio
Relevant Radio (corporate name Relevant Radio, Inc.) is a radio network in the United States, mainly broadcasting talk radio and religious programming involving the Catholic Church. Relevant Radio broadcasts "talk radio for Catholic life" over a ...
owned-and-operated radio station, carrying programming from the Catholic-oriented Relevant Radio network.
Infrastructure
Medical facilities
*Gary Community Health Center
*Methodist Hospital
Gary Police Department
Gary is served by the Gary Police Department and the Lake County Sheriff.
According to ODMP, 16 officers and 1 K9 of the Gary Police Department have been killed in the line of duty.
Fire department
The Gary Fire Department (GFD) provides fire protection and emergency medical services to the city of Gary.
Transportation
* Gary Public Transportation Corporation (GPTC) is a public transit system that offers service to numerous stops throughout the city and neighboring suburbs. GPTC also has express service, such as the '' Broadway Metro Express'' to locations outside the city, including connections to Chicago transit. Front-door pickup is available for disabled citizens at no extra cost.
* Gary/Chicago International Airport is operating as the "third airport" for the Chicago area. With a runway that was inaugurated in 2015, it previously underwent a federally funded expansion, and the administration has been courting airlines aggressively. The National Guard
National guard is the name used by a wide variety of current and historical uniformed organizations in different countries. The original National Guard was formed during the French Revolution around a cadre of defectors from the French Guards.
...
has based its Chicago area air operation there as well.
* Interstate 90
Interstate 90 (I-90) is an east–west transcontinental freeway and the longest Interstate Highway in the United States at . It begins in Seattle, Washington, and travels through the Pacific Northwest, Mountain states, Mountain West, Great Pla ...
(I-90, Indiana Toll Road
The Indiana Toll Road, officially the Indiana East–West Toll Road, is a controlled-access toll road that runs for east–west across northern Indiana from the Illinois state line to the Ohio state line. It has been advertised as the "Main ...
), I-80
Interstate 80 (I-80) is an east–west transcontinental freeway that crosses the United States from San Francisco, California, to Teaneck, New Jersey, in the New York metropolitan area. The highway was designated in 1956 as one of the ori ...
, I-94, and I-65 run through Gary, as well as U.S. Highway 6 (US 6), US 12
U.S. Route 12 or U.S. Highway 12 (US 12) is an east–west United States Numbered Highway, running from Aberdeen, Washington, to Detroit, Michigan, for almost . The highway has mostly been superseded by Interstate 90 (I-90) ...
and US 20
U.S. Route 20 or U.S. Highway 20 (US 20) is an east–west United States Highway, United States Numbered Highway that stretches from the Pacific Northwest east to New England. The "0" in its route number indicates that US 20 is a major ...
, and State Road 912 (SR 912, Cline Avenue). A former stretch of SR 312 has been decommissioned.
* Northern Indiana Commuter Transportation District (NICTD) operates the South Shore Line
The South Shore Line is an electrically powered commuter rail line operated by the Northern Indiana Commuter Transportation District (NICTD) between Millennium Station in downtown Chicago, Illinois and the South Bend Airport station in Sout ...
, a commuter rail system between Chicago and South Bend
South Bend is a city in St. Joseph County, Indiana, United States, and its county seat. It lies along the St. Joseph River (Lake Michigan), St. Joseph River near its southernmost bend, from which it derives its name. It is the List of cities in ...
. It is one of the last original operating interurban
The interurban (or radial railway in Canada) is a type of electric railway, with tram-like electric self-propelled railcars which run within and between cities or towns. The term "interurban" is usually used in North America, with other terms u ...
railway systems in the US.
Notable people
The Jacksons
Gary is the hometown of the Jackson family, a family of musicians who influenced the sound of modern popular music
Popular music is music with wide appeal that is typically distributed to large audiences through the music industry. These forms and styles can be enjoyed and performed by people with little or no musical training.Popular Music. (2015). ''Fun ...
. In 1950, Joseph
Joseph is a common male name, derived from the Hebrew (). "Joseph" is used, along with " Josef", mostly in English, French and partially German languages. This spelling is also found as a variant in the languages of the modern-day Nordic count ...
and Katherine Jackson moved from East Chicago, Indiana
East Chicago is a city in Lake County, Indiana, United States. The population was 26,370 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. Centered around heavy industry, the city is home to the Indiana Harbor and Ship Canal, an artificial freshwa ...
into their two-bedroom house at 2300 Jackson Street. They had married on November 5, 1949. Their entertainer children later recorded a song entitled " 2300 Jackson Street" (1989). The Jackson children include:
*Rebbie Jackson
Maureen Reillette "Rebbie" Jackson-Brown (; born May 29, 1950) is an American singer and the eldest child of the Jackson family of musicians. She first performed on stage with her siblings during shows in Las Vegas Valley, Las Vegas, Nevada, a ...
* Jackie Jackson
* Tito Jackson
*Jermaine Jackson
Jermaine LaJuane Jacksun (né Jackson; born December 11, 1954) is an American singer, songwriter and bassist. He is known for being a member of the Jackson family. From 1964 to 1975, Jermaine was second vocalist after his brother Michael of the ...
*La Toya Jackson
La Toya Yvonne Jackson (born May 29, 1956) is an American singer and television personality. The fifth child and middle daughter of the Jackson family, Jackson first gained recognition on the family's variety television series, ''The Jacksons (TV ...
*Marlon Jackson
Marlon David Jackson (born March 12, 1957) is an American singer and dancer best known as a member of the Jackson 5. He is the sixth child of the Jackson family. Marlon now runs Study Peace Foundation to promote peace and unity worldwide.
Earl ...
*Michael Jackson
Michael Joseph Jackson (August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009) was an American singer, songwriter, dancer, and philanthropist. Dubbed the "King of Pop", he is regarded as Cultural impact of Michael Jackson, one of the most culturally significan ...
*Randy Jackson
Randall Darius Jackson (born June 23, 1956) is an American record executive, television presenter and musician, best known as a judge on ''American Idol'' from 2002 to 2013.
Jackson began his career in the 1980s as a session musician playing b ...
*Janet Jackson
Janet Damita Jo Jackson (born May 16, 1966) is an American singer, songwriter, actress and dancer. She is noted for her innovative, socially conscious and sexually provocative records, as well as elaborate stage shows. Her sound and choreogr ...
Other notable people
*Freddie Gibbs
Fredrick Jamel Tipton (born June 14, 1982), better known by his stage name Freddie Gibbs, is an American rapper and songwriter. He signed with Interscope Records in 2006 and recorded his debut album for the label; however, its release was cance ...
(born 1982), rapper
* Charles Adkins, Olympic boxer
* Forddy Anderson, NCAA basketball coach
* Dan Barreiro, sports radio
Sports radio (or sports talk radio) is a radio format devoted entirely to discussion and broadcasting of sport, sporting events. A widespread programming genre that has a narrow audience appeal, sports radio is characterized by an often-low comed ...
talk show host
* Adam Benjamin Jr. was an American politician of Armenian descent and a United States Representative from Indiana's 1st congressional district
* Bob Benoit, horse racing executive
* Albert M. Bielawski, early 20th century Michigan
Michigan ( ) is a peninsular U.S. state, state in the Great Lakes region, Great Lakes region of the Upper Midwest, Upper Midwestern United States. It shares water and land boundaries with Minnesota to the northwest, Wisconsin to the west, ...
politician
* Karen McDougal, Playboy
''Playboy'' (stylized in all caps) is an American men's Lifestyle journalism, lifestyle and entertainment magazine, available both online and in print. It was founded in Chicago in 1953 by Hugh Hefner and his associates, funded in part by a $ ...
model who was Playmate of the Month in December 1997 and Playmate of the Year in 1998.
*Frank Borman
Frank Frederick Borman II (March 14, 1928 – November 7, 2023) was an American United States Air Force (USAF) colonel (United States), colonel, aeronautical engineer, NASA astronaut, test pilot, and businessman. He was the commander of Apollo ...
, crew member of Apollo 8
Apollo 8 (December 21–27, 1968) was the first crewed spacecraft to leave Sphere of influence (astrodynamics), Earth's gravitational sphere of influence, and the first human spaceflight to reach the Moon. The crew orbited the Moon ten times ...
* Lyman Bostock, Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball league composed of 30 teams, divided equally between the National League (baseball), National League (NL) and the American League (AL), with 29 in the United States and 1 in Canada. MLB i ...
(MLB) player
* John Brim, bluesman
* Donna Britt, journalist and author
* Eugene Britt, serial killer
* Avery Brooks, actor, director
* Vic Bubas, NCAA basketball coach
* John A. Bushemi, WWII photographer killed in action
* Vivian Carter, music producer
* John Chickerneo, National Football League
The National Football League (NFL) is a Professional gridiron football, professional American football league in the United States. Composed of 32 teams, it is divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National ...
(NFL) player
* Rudolph M. Clay, Mayor of Gary 2006–12
* William Coyne, DuPont Company executive
* Branden Dawson (born 1993), basketball player
* Tony DeSantis (1914–2007), founder of Drury Lane
Drury Lane is a street on the boundary between the Covent Garden and Holborn areas of London, running between Aldwych and High Holborn. The northern part is in the borough of London Borough of Camden, Camden and the southern part in the City o ...
theaters
*Polly Draper
Polly Carey Draper (born June 15, 1955) is an American actress, writer, producer, and director. Draper has received several awards, including a Writers Guild of America Award (WGA), and is noted for speaking in a "trademark throaty voice." She ga ...
(born 1955), actress, '' Thirtysomething''
* Dianne Durham (1967–2021), first Black national gymnastics champion
* Clarissa Pinkola Estés, writer and psychoanalyst
* Bianca Ferguson (born 1955), actress, ''General Hospital
''General Hospital'' (often abbreviated as ''GH'') is an American daytime television soap opera created by Frank and Doris Hursley which has been broadcast on American Broadcasting Company, ABC since April 1, 1963. Originally a half-hour seria ...
''
* Harry Flournoy (1943–2016), basketball player
* Tellis Frank (born 1965), basketball player
* Karen Freeman-Wilson (born 1960), Mayor of Gary 2012–19, former Indiana Attorney General
The Indiana Attorney General is the chief legal officer of the U.S. state, State of Indiana in the United States. Attorneys General are chosen by a statewide general election to serve for a four-year term. The forty-fourth and Attorney General is ...
*Maurice Friedman
Maurice Harold Friedman (October 27, 1903 – March 8, 1991) was an American physician and reproductive-physiology researcher. He is known for the development of the rabbit test, a pregnancy test developed in 1931 while he was teaching at the Pere ...
(1903–1991), reproductive-physiology researcher
* Winston Garland (born 1964), basketball player
* Darius Garland (born 2000), basketball player
* Joe Gates (1954–2010), baseball player
* A. J. Hammons (born 1992), basketball player
* Tom Harmon (1919–1990), 1940 Heisman Trophy
The Heisman Memorial Trophy ( ; also known simply as the Heisman) is awarded annually since 1935 to the top player in college football. It is considered the most prestigious award in the sport and is presented by the Heisman Trophy Trust followin ...
winner for Michigan
Michigan ( ) is a peninsular U.S. state, state in the Great Lakes region, Great Lakes region of the Upper Midwest, Upper Midwestern United States. It shares water and land boundaries with Minnesota to the northwest, Wisconsin to the west, ...
, sportscaster, father of actor Mark Harmon
Thomas Mark Harmon (born September 2, 1951) is an American actor, writer, producer, television director and former American football, football player. He is best known for playing the lead role of Leroy Jethro Gibbs on ''NCIS (TV series), NCIS'' ...
* Richard G. Hatcher (1933–2019), Mayor of Gary 1968–87
* LaTroy Hawkins (born 1972), MLB pitcher for 21 years
* Chuck Higgins, saxophonist, best known for the song "Pachuko Hop"
* Eric Hillman (1966–2021), MLB and Japan pitcher
* Gerald Irons (born 1947), NFL linebacker for Oakland Raiders
The Oakland Raiders were a professional American football team based in Oakland, California, from its founding in 1960 to 1981, and again from 1995 to 2019 before Oakland Raiders relocation to Las Vegas, relocating to the Las Vegas metropolitan ...
and Cleveland Browns
The Cleveland Browns are a professional American football team based in Cleveland. The Browns compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC North, North division. The team is named after ...
1970–1979
* Johnny Jackson (1955–2006), drummer for Jackson 5; murdered in Gary in 2006
* Tim Jankovich, basketball head coach, SMU
* Elijah Johnson (born 1990), basketball player in the Israeli Basketball Premier League
Ligat HaAl (, lit., ''Supreme League or Premier League''), or the Israeli Basketball Premier League, is a professional basketball league in Israel and the highest level of basketball in the country. The league's name is abbreviated as either BSL ...
* Jason Johnson (born 1965), NFL player
* Tank Johnson (born 1981), NFL player
*Alex Karras
Alexander George Karras (July 15, 1935October 10, 2012) was an American professional American football, football player, professional wrestler, sportscaster, and actor. He was a four-time Pro Bowl selection playing defensive tackle for the Detro ...
(1935–2012), winner of Outland Trophy
The Outland Trophy is awarded to the best college football
College football is gridiron football that is played by teams of amateur Student athlete, student-athletes at universities and colleges. It was through collegiate competition that g ...
, member of College Football Hall of Fame
The College Football Hall of Fame is a hall of fame and interactive Tourist attraction, attraction devoted to college football, college American football. The National Football Foundation (NFF) founded the Hall in 1951 to immortalize the players ...
and Pro Football Hall of Fame
The Pro Football Hall of Fame is the hall of fame for professional football (gridiron), professional American football, located in Canton, Ohio. Opened on September 7, 1963, the Hall of Fame enshrines exceptional figures in the sport of profes ...
, NFL player and actor ('' Blazing Saddles'', '' Webster'')
* Lou Karras (1927–2018), NFL player 1950–1952
* Ted Karras Jr. (born 1964), football player and coach
* Ted Karras Sr. (1934–2016), NFL player 1958–1966
* Robert Kearns (1927–2005), inventor
An invention is a unique or novel device, method, composition, idea, or process. An invention may be an improvement upon a machine, product, or process for increasing efficiency or lowering cost. It may also be an entirely new concept. If an ...
of intermittent windshield wiper systems, subject of ''Flash of Genius
In United States patent law, the flash of genius doctrine was a test for patentability used by the United States Federal Courts for just over a decade, beginning circa 1940.
Origin
The doctrine was formalized by the Supreme Court's opinion in '' ...
''
*Big Daddy Kinsey
Lester J. Kinsey Jr., (March 18, 1927 – April 3, 2001) known as Big Daddy Kinsey, was an American Chicago blues singer, guitarist and harmonica player.
Biography
He was born near Pleasant Grove, Mississippi. He grew up playing gospel mus ...
(1927–2002) Blues
Blues is a music genre and musical form that originated among African Americans in the Deep South of the United States around the 1860s. Blues has incorporated spiritual (music), spirituals, work songs, field hollers, Ring shout, shouts, cha ...
singer, guitarist, harmonica player and bandleader of The Kinsey Report with his sons
*Ron Kittle
Ronald Dale Kittle (born January 5, 1958) is an American former left fielder and designated hitter in Major League Baseball (MLB). He was known for his home run hitting power, and was named the 1983 Major League Baseball Rookie of the Year Award ...
(born 1958), Chicago White Sox
The Chicago White Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The White Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League Central, Central Division. The club plays its ...
outfielder and 1983 American League Rookie of the Year
* Milo Komenich (1920–1977), basketball player for 1943 national champion Wyoming
* Bob Kuechenberg (1947–2019), NFL lineman, two-time Super Bowl champion with Miami Dolphins
The Miami Dolphins are a professional American football team based in the Miami metropolitan area. The Dolphins compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East division. The team ...
* Barney Liddell (1921–2003), trombonist in the Lawrence Welk Orchestra, 1948–1982
* Kevin Magee (1959–2003), basketball player
* R. Ellen Magenis (1925–2014), scientist
*Karl Malden
Karl Malden (born Mladen George Sekulovich; March 22, 1912 – July 1, 2009) was an American stage, movie and television actor who first achieved acclaim in the original Broadway productions of Arthur Miller's '' All My Sons'' and Tennessee Will ...
(1912–2009), Academy Award-winning actor; born in Chicago
Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...
, raised in Gary
* William Marshall (1924–2003), stage and film actor
* Milt May (born 1950), professional baseball player
* Kym Mazelle (born 1960), singer
* Willie McCarter (born 1946–2023), NBA player, Los Angeles Lakers
The Los Angeles Lakers are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles. The Lakers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Pacific Division (NBA), Pacific Division of the Western Conference (NBA ...
* Lloyd McClendon (born 1959), professional baseball player, manager of Pittsburgh Pirates
The Pittsburgh Pirates are an American professional baseball team based in Pittsburgh. The Pirates compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Central ...
, Seattle Mariners
The Seattle Mariners are an American professional baseball team based in Seattle. The Mariners compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League West, West Division. The team joined the American ...
*Matt McConnell
Matt McConnell is an American sports broadcaster and is currently the play-by-play announcer for Utah Mammoth.
Announcing career NHL
McConnell got his start in the NHL as the radio play-by-play announcer for the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim, a position ...
(born 1963), television broadcaster for the Utah Mammoth, National Hockey League
The National Hockey League (NHL; , ''LNH'') is a professional ice hockey league in North America composed of 32 teams25 in the United States and 7 in Canada. The NHL is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United States and Cana ...
* James McCracken, opera singer
* Robert A. McDonald (born 1953), CEO of Procter & Gamble
The Procter & Gamble Company (P&G) is an American multinational consumer goods corporation headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio. It was founded in 1837 by William Procter and James Gamble. It specializes in a wide range of personal health/con ...
, Secretary of Veterans Affairs
The United States secretary of veterans affairs is the head of the United States Department of Veterans Affairs, the department concerned with veterans' benefits, health care, and national veterans' memorials and cemeteries. The secretary is a m ...
under Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II (born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who was the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, he was the first African American president in American history. O ...
* Ralph McQuarrie (1929–2012), conceptual designer and illustrator for ''Star Wars
''Star Wars'' is an American epic film, epic space opera media franchise created by George Lucas, which began with the Star Wars (film), eponymous 1977 film and Cultural impact of Star Wars, quickly became a worldwide popular culture, pop cu ...
''
* Eddie Melton, Indiana state senator, Mayor of Gary (2024–present)
* Larry Moffett (1954–2011), basketball player
* Brandon Moore (born 1980), NFL player
* Sista Monica Parker (1956–2014), electric blues, gospel and soul singer, songwriter, producer
* Jerilynn Patton, known as Jlin, electronic musician
* Jon Petrovich (1947–2011), television executive, CNN
Cable News Network (CNN) is a multinational news organization operating, most notably, a website and a TV channel headquartered in Atlanta. Founded in 1980 by American media proprietor Ted Turner and Reese Schonfeld as a 24-hour cable ne ...
* Dan Plesac (born 1962), MLB
Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball league composed of 30 teams, divided equally between the National League (baseball), National League (NL) and the American League (AL), with 29 in the United States and 1 in Canada. MLB i ...
pitcher with 18-year career, MLB Network
MLB Network is an American television sports channel dedicated to baseball. It is primarily owned by Major League Baseball, with TNT Sports (United States), TNT Sports, Comcast's NBC Sports Group, Charter Communications, and Cox Communications h ...
analyst
* Jesse Powell (1971–2022), recording artist
* Elizabeth Brown Pryor (1951–2015), author and diplomat
*Jimmy Reed
Mathis James Reed (September 6, 1925 – August 29, 1976) was an American blues musician and songwriter. His particular style of electric blues was popular with a wide variety of audiences. Reed's songs such as "Honest I Do" (1957), "Baby Wha ...
(1925–1976), musician, Blues Hall of Fame
The Blues Hall of Fame is a music museum operated by the Blues Foundation at 421 S. Main Street in Memphis, Tennessee. Initially, the "Blues Hall of Fame" was not a physical building, but a listing of people who have significantly contributed to b ...
* Glenn Robinson (born 1973), NBA player and league's No. 1 draft pick, father of Glenn Robinson III
* Glenn Robinson III (born 1994), NBA player
*Paul Samuelson
Paul Anthony Samuelson (May 15, 1915 – December 13, 2009) was an American economist who was the first American to win the Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences. When awarding the prize in 1970, the Swedish Royal Academies stated that he "h ...
(1915–2009), economist, recipient of John Bates Clark Medal
The John Bates Clark Medal is awarded by the American Economic Association to "that American economist under the age of forty who is adjudged to have made a significant contribution to economic thought and knowledge." The award is named after the ...
(1947) and Nobel Prize
The Nobel Prizes ( ; ; ) are awards administered by the Nobel Foundation and granted in accordance with the principle of "for the greatest benefit to humankind". The prizes were first awarded in 1901, marking the fifth anniversary of Alfred N ...
(1970)
* Sharmell (born 1970), WWE wrestler and valet
* Jerry Shay (born 1944), NFL player 1966–1971
* Helene Stanley (1929–1990), film actress
*Joseph Stiglitz
Joseph Eugene Stiglitz (; born February 9, 1943) is an American New Keynesian economist, a public policy analyst, political activist, and a professor at Columbia University. He is a recipient of the Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences (2 ...
(born 1943), economist, recipient of John Bates Clark Medal
The John Bates Clark Medal is awarded by the American Economic Association to "that American economist under the age of forty who is adjudged to have made a significant contribution to economic thought and knowledge." The award is named after the ...
(1979) and Nobel Prize
The Nobel Prizes ( ; ; ) are awards administered by the Nobel Foundation and granted in accordance with the principle of "for the greatest benefit to humankind". The prizes were first awarded in 1901, marking the fifth anniversary of Alfred N ...
(2001)
* Hank Stram (1923–2005), NFL head coach 1960–1977, member of Pro Football Hall of Fame
The Pro Football Hall of Fame is the hall of fame for professional football (gridiron), professional American football, located in Canton, Ohio. Opened on September 7, 1963, the Hall of Fame enshrines exceptional figures in the sport of profes ...
* Jeanne Stunyo (born 1936), diver, Olympic silver medalist
* George Taliaferro (1927–2018), First Black NFL Player and quarterback in College Football Hall of Fame
The College Football Hall of Fame is a hall of fame and interactive Tourist attraction, attraction devoted to college football, college American football. The National Football Foundation (NFF) founded the Hall in 1951 to immortalize the players ...
* Crystal Taliefero (born 1963), singer
* Ernest Lee Thomas (born 1949), actor ('' What's Happening!!'')
*Todd Wagner
Todd R. Wagner (born August 2, 1960) is an American entrepreneur, co-founder of Broadcast.com and founder and CEO of a company called Charity Network which organizes regular Fundraising, fund raisings. He also co-owns 2929 Entertainment with Mar ...
(born 1960), entrepreneur
*Deniece Williams
June Deniece Williams (née Chandler; born June 3, 1950) is an American singer. She has been described as "one of the great Soul music, soul voices" by the BBC.
She is best known for the songs "Free (Deniece Williams song), Free", "Silly (song ...
(born 1950), Grammy Award
The Grammy Awards, stylized as GRAMMY, and often referred to as The Grammys, are awards presented by The Recording Academy of the United States to recognize outstanding achievements in music. They are regarded by many as the most prestigious ...
-winning R&B artist
* Fred Williamson (born 1938), NFL player, linebacker for Kansas City Chiefs
The Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Chiefs compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) West division.
Established in 1959 ...
in Super Bowl I
The first AFL–NFL World Championship Game (known retroactively as Super BowlI and referred to in contemporaneous reports, including the game's radio broadcast, as the Super Bowl) was an American football game played on January 15, 1967, at th ...
, three-time AFL All-Star, actor, director, producer
* Tony Zale (1913–1997), twice middleweight
Middleweight is a weight class in combat sports.
Boxing Professional
In professional boxing, the middleweight division is contested above and up to .
Early boxing history is less than exact, but the middleweight designation seems to have beg ...
champion, member of International Boxing Hall of Fame
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Sister cities
* Fuxin, Liaoning
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, ...
, China
* Lagos
Lagos ( ; ), or Lagos City, is a large metropolitan city in southwestern Nigeria. With an upper population estimated above 21 million dwellers, it is the largest city in Nigeria, the most populous urban area on the African continent, and on ...
, Nigeria
See also
*Northwest Indiana
Northwest Indiana, nicknamed "The Region" after the Calumet Region, is an unofficial region of Northern Indiana, northern Indiana, United States that is located at the northwestern corner of the state. Though there is no official definition of th ...
* Neighborhoods in Gary, Indiana
* :Magnitogorsk, a city in Russia
Russia, or the Russian Federation, is a country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia. It is the list of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the world, and extends across Time in Russia, eleven time zones, sharing Borders ...
modeled after Gary
*King assassination riots
The King assassination riots, also known as the Holy Week Uprising, were a wave of civil disturbance which swept across the United States following the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. on April 4, 1968. Some of the biggest riots took p ...
*1968 Chicago riots
The 1968 Chicago riots, in the United States, were sparked in part by the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. Rioting and looting followed, with people flooding out onto the streets of major cities, primarily in black urban areas. Over ...
References
Further reading
* Barnes, Sandra L. ''The cost of being poor: A comparative study of life in poor urban neighborhoods in Gary, Indiana'' (State University of New York Press, 2012).
* Betten, Neil, and Raymond A. Mohl.
From discrimination to repatriation: Mexican Life in Gary, Indiana, during the great depression
. ''Pacific Historical Review'' 42.3 (1973): 370–388.
* Brook, Anthony. "Gary, Indiana: steeltown extraordinary". ''Journal of American Studies'' 9.1 (1975): 35–53.
* Catlin, Robert A. ''Racial politics and urban planning: Gary, Indiana, 1980–1989'' (University Press of Kentucky, 1993).
* Cohen, Ronald D. ''Children of the mill: Schooling and society in Gary, Indiana, 1906–1960'' (Routledge, 2014)
online
* Cohen, Ronald D. and Raymond Mohl. ''The Paradox of Progressive Education: The Gary Plan and Urban Schooling'' (Kennikat Press, 1979).
* Davich, Jerry. ''Lost Gary, Indiana'' (Arcadia Publishing, 2015)
online
*
* Greer, Edward.
The 'Liberation' of Gary, Indiana
. ''Ghetto Revolts'' (Routledge, 2019). 263–291.
* Hurley, Andrew. "The social biases of environmental change in Gary, Indiana, 1945–1980". ''Environmental Review'' 12.4 (1988): 1–20.
* Hurley, Andrew. ''Environmental inequalities: Class, race, and industrial pollution in Gary, Indiana, 1945–1980'' (Univ of North Carolina Press, 1995).
* , a major scholarly history
*
*
* Lane, James B.
'THE OLD PROPHET': Reverend L. K. Jackson of Gary, Indiana
. ''Traces of Indiana and Midwestern History'', vol. 29, no. 4, fall 2017, pp. 28+; a leading Black minister of 1940s.
* Lane, James B.
THE CHAMP: Boxer Joe Louis and Race Relations in Gary, Indiana
. ''Traces of Indiana and Midwestern History'', vol. 31, no. 2, spring 2019, pp. 24+.
* Mohl, Raymond A., and Neil Betten. "The failure of industrial city planning: Gary, Indiana, 1906–1910". ''Journal of the American Institute of Planners'' 38.4 (1972): 203–214.
*
* Moralez, Felicia. "From Immigrants to Citizens: Mexicans and Settlement Houses in Gary, Indiana, 1919-1965" (PhD. Diss. University Of Notre Dame, 2018) doi:10.7274/w6634171g3k
** Moralez, Felicia.
Mexican Immigrants, the Gary-Alerding Settlement House, and the Limits of Catholic Americanization in Gary, Indiana, 1919–1928
. ''US Catholic Historian'' 37.3 (2019): 19–41.
** Moralez, Felicia.
Mexican Immigrants and the International Institute of Northwest Indiana During the Mexican Repatriation Crisis in Gary, Indiana, 1929–1937
. ''Indiana Magazine of History'' 115.4 (2019): 237–259.
* O'Hara, S. Paul. " 'The Very Model of Modern Urban Decay': Outsiders' Narratives of Industry and Urban Decline in Gary, Indiana". ''Journal of Urban History'' 37.2 (2011): 135–154..
*
* Rich, Wilbur C. ''Black mayors and school politics: The failure of reform in Detroit, Gary and Newark'' (Garland Science, 2021
online
* Trafny, John. ''Gary's West Side. Charleston SC, Chicago, IL, Portsmouth HN and San Francisco, CA.'' (Arcadia, 2006)
External links
City of Gary – Official Website
{{authority control
Chicago metropolitan area
Cities in Indiana
Company towns in Indiana
Northwest Indiana
Populated places established in 1906
Cities in Lake County, Indiana
Indiana populated places on Lake Michigan
Inland port cities and towns in Indiana
Urban decay in the United States
U.S. Steel
1906 establishments in Indiana