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The city was founded in [[1906]] by the [[United States Steel Corporation]] as the home for its new plant. The city was named after the chairman of U.S. Steel, [[Elbert Henry Gary|Elbert H. Gary]].
The city was founded in [[1906]] by the [[United States Steel Corporation]] as the home for its new plant. The city was named after the chairman of U.S. Steel, [[Elbert Henry Gary|Elbert H. Gary]].


Among U.S. cities of 100,000 or more, Gary has the highest percentage of [[African-American]] residents (as of the 2000 U.S. census). Gary had one of the nation's first African-American mayors, [[Richard G. Hatcher]], and hosted the ground-breaking 1972 National Black Political Convention. At the same time, Gary suffered the urban phenomenon of "[[white flight]]" as many affluent and middle-class residents left Gary and relocated to the surrounding towns and cities.
Among U.S. cities of 100,000 or more, Gary has the highest percentage of [[African-American]] residents (as of the 2000 U.S. census). Gary had one of the nation's first African-American mayors, [[Richard G. Hatcher]], and hosted the ground-breaking 1972 National Black Political Convention. At the same time, Gary suffered the urban phenomenon of "[[white flight]] also known as the KKK who fly around killing black people with dildos" as many affluent and middle-class residents left Gary and relocated to the surrounding towns and cities.


Gary's fortunes have risen and fallen with those of the steel industry. In the [[1960s]], like many other American urban centers, Gary entered a downward spiral of decline. Gary's decline was brought on by drugs, crime, and layoffs at the steel plants. [[US Steel]] continues to be a major steel producer, but with only a fraction of its former level of employment. While Gary has failed to re-establish its manufacturing base since its population peak, two casinos opened along the Gary lakeshore in the [[1990]]s. Today, Gary faces numerous difficulties, including unemployment, major economic problems, and a high rate of [[crime]], though the city has made some progress in addressing these issues since the 1990s.
Gary's fortunes have risen and fallen with those of the steel industry. In the [[1960s]], like many other American urban centers, Gary entered a downward spiral of decline. Gary's decline was brought on by drugs, crime, and layoffs at the steel plants. [[US Steel]] continues to be a major steel producer, but with only a fraction of its former level of employment. While Gary has failed to re-establish its manufacturing base since its population peak, two casinos opened along the Gary lakeshore in the [[1990]]s. Today, Gary faces numerous difficulties, including unemployment, major economic problems, and a high rate of [[crime]], though the city has made some progress in addressing these issues since the 1990s.

Revision as of 11:56, 14 March 2007

This article is about the city in Indiana, for other uses of "Gary", see Gary (disambiguation).

This page is about the city Gary, Indiana. For the person, see Gary Indiana.
City of Gary, Indiana
File:Gary city hall.jpg
Flag of City of Gary, Indiana
Flag
Official seal of City of Gary, Indiana
Seal
Nickname(s): 
City in Motion, City of the Century, GI, Magic city of Steel, The Steel City
Location in the state of Indiana, USA
Location in the state of Indiana, USA
CountyLake
Government
 • MayorRudolph Clay
Elevation
Formatting error: invalid input when rounding m (577 ft – 600+ ft)
Population
 (2000)
 • Total102,746
Time zoneUTC-6 (CST)
 • Summer (DST)UTC-5 (CDT)
Websitewww.gary.in.us

Gary is the largest city in Lake County, Indiana, USA. The city is located in the southeastern portion of Chicagoland and is approximately 25 miles from downtown Chicago. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 102,746 and is the largest Indiana city that is not a county seat. It borders Lake Michigan and is known for its large steel mills.

History

The city was founded in 1906 by the United States Steel Corporation as the home for its new plant. The city was named after the chairman of U.S. Steel, Elbert H. Gary.

Among U.S. cities of 100,000 or more, Gary has the highest percentage of African-American residents (as of the 2000 U.S. census). Gary had one of the nation's first African-American mayors, Richard G. Hatcher, and hosted the ground-breaking 1972 National Black Political Convention. At the same time, Gary suffered the urban phenomenon of "white flight also known as the KKK who fly around killing black people with dildos" as many affluent and middle-class residents left Gary and relocated to the surrounding towns and cities.

Gary's fortunes have risen and fallen with those of the steel industry. In the 1960s, like many other American urban centers, Gary entered a downward spiral of decline. Gary's decline was brought on by drugs, crime, and layoffs at the steel plants. US Steel continues to be a major steel producer, but with only a fraction of its former level of employment. While Gary has failed to re-establish its manufacturing base since its population peak, two casinos opened along the Gary lakeshore in the 1990s. Today, Gary faces numerous difficulties, including unemployment, major economic problems, and a high rate of crime, though the city has made some progress in addressing these issues since the 1990s.

Meredith Willson's 1957 Broadway musical The Music Man featured the song, "Gary, Indiana," describing the alleged alma mater of lead character Professor Harold Hill ("Gary Conservatory, Class of '05!"). The joke in Hill's claim, of course, is that the city of Gary wasn't founded until '06. Wilson's musical, set in 1912, was later made into two movies.

Recent events

File:Gary centennial.gif
Gary is celebrating its centennial year

Three-term Democratic mayor Scott King resigned from office in March, 2006, citing a desire to return to private law practice, and the financial rewards involved therein.[1] Then-deputy mayor and former Calumet Township Trustee Dozier T. Allen Jr. became acting mayor, pending a formal election by local Democratic party officials. On April 4, 2006, local officials chose former Lake County Commissioner and King rival Rudolph Clay to fill the remaining 21 months of King's term.

Celebrating its 100th year in 2006, the city of Gary finally shows evidence of rebound from years of economic depression. Many buildings that have been left vacant for years are now finally planned for demolition and development.[2] Many new homes have been built through a the HOPE VI grant from HUD. [3]

The Gary/Chicago International Airport has recently secured nearly 100 million dollars in grants and private donations. The FAA approved GYY's master plan which includes the expansion of runways, land acquistition for a larger terminal, an integrated transportation center, and provision for a third runway. The first part of the plan requires that the EJ&E line, which runs at the end of the runway, be relocated.

After many years at the top of the list, Gary was rated the tenth most dangerous city in the United States according to Morgan Quitno's 2006 analysis of crime rates. While hardly enviable, this is indicative of the progress Gary has made in reducing crime since the 1990s.[4] The city recorded 51 homicides in 2006, a 13.5% decrease from the previous year.[5]

Dallas based HomeVestors of America released their "Top 10 Markets for Real Estate Investing" list on 9 December, 2006. Gary earned the number one position on this list, which represents activity of investors who purchase homes below market and then sell. [6]

Geography

Gary is located at 41°34′51″N 87°20′44″W / 41.58083°N 87.34556°W / 41.58083; -87.34556Invalid arguments have been passed to the {{#coordinates:}} function (41.580786, -87.345449)Template:GR. According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 148.3 km² (57.2 mi²). 130.1 km² (50.2 mi²) of it is land and 18.2 km² (7.0 mi²) of it (12.25%) is water. The city sits on the southern end of the former lake bed of the prehistoric Lake Chicago, and the current Lake Michigan. 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 high quality that in years past it was mined for the manufacture of glass.

Gary is more or less "T" shaped, with its northern border on Lake Michigan, one of the United States's five "Great Lakes." At the Northwesternmost section Gary borders Hammond and East Chicago. As one moves from West to East across the top of Gary's aforementioned "T" shape, the city changes from being decidedly urban to being a bit more suburban, culminating in what is called the city's "Miller" or "Miller Beach" section, at its Northeastermost point, which borders Lake Station and Portage. Finally to the Southernmost section of Gary which borders Hobart and Merrillville.

Weather

The weather of Gary is greatly regulated by the lake, as Gary is at the Southernmost point. Weather varies yearly. Tornadoes strike annually, though are minimally destructive. Earthquakes have occurred in the past, as Gary sits on a geologic fault.

Climate

Gary, like Chicago, has variable weather. In July and August, the warmest months, high temperatures average 84°F and peak around 105°F and low temperatures averaging 63°F. In January and February, the coldest months, high temperatures average 29°F with low temperatures averaging 13°F and at least a few days of temperatures dipping well below 0°F.

Precipitation

In summer months Gary is quite humid, and fog is not uncommon. The city's yearly precipitation averages about 40 inches which is a combination of both rain and snow. Summer is the rainiest season but its bark is bigger than its bite, with short-lived rainfall and very loud drawn-out thunderstorms. Winters vary but they are predominantly snow and blizzards are somewhat regular. Snowfall in Gary can average 24 to 36 inches per winter, but sometimes large blizzards hit because of what's known as "lake effect snow," a phenomenon wherein large amounts of evaporate from the lake deposits onto the shoreline areas inordinate amounts of snow during the winter.

Culture

Demographics

City of Gary
Population by year [7]
1900 NA
1910 15,802
1920 55,378
1930 100,666
1940 111,719
1950 133,911
1960 178,320
1970 175,415
1980 144,953
1990 116,646
2000 102,746
2005 99,246

As of the censusTemplate:GR of 2000, there were 102,746 people, 38,244 households, and 25,623 families residing in the city. The population density was 789.8/km² (2,045.5/mi²). There were 43,630 housing units at an average density of 335.4/km² (868.6/mi²). The racial makeup of the city was 84.03% African American, 11.92% White, 0.21% Native American, 0.14% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 1.97% from other races, and 1.71% from two or more races. 4.93% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

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 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.

Neighborhoods

  • Aetna
  • Ambridge
  • Black Oak
  • Brunswick
  • Downtown
  • Glen Park
  • Ivanhoe
  • Marshalltown
  • Midtown
  • Miller Beach
  • Tarrytown
  • Tolleston
  • Westbrook

Education

The city of Gary has had a checkered history when it comes to education. As a result, test scores have fallen well below the national average of late. In response, multiple charter schools have been founded throughout the city as an alternative to the public schools. Since that time student performance has improved and the Gary Community School Corporation has built new elementary schools.

Further information: [[:List of Schools in Gary]]

Primary/Secondary Education

There are three school districts serving the city as well as multiple charter schools located within the city.

Most public schools in Gary are administered by the Gary Community School Corporation. The other public schools within the city are administered by Lake Ridge Schools Corporation. Some Gary residents in the outskirts attend schools administered by the River Forest Community School Corporation.

Charters:

Continuing Education

Gary is home to two regional state college campuses:

Media

  • Newspapers -- Gary is served by two newspapers which are based outside the city. These papers provide regional topics including city-specific and Chicagoland news.
    • Post-Tribune, which was originally located in Gary. Offices and facilities for the Post-Tribune are based in Merrillville.
    • The Times, previously known as the Hammond Times. Offices and facilities for The Times are in nearby Munster.
  • Broadcast -- Gary is served by five local broadcasters plus gov access and numerous Chicagoland radio and TV stations, and by other nearby stations in Illinois and Indiana.
    • W18AT (Channel 18) a Chicagoland repeater of WHME of South Bend. Which is currently a LeSEA affiliate.
    • WPWR (Channel 50) is the Chicago My Network TV affiliate, but is licensed to Gary. Studios and transmitters are co-located with WFLD's in Chicago, and like WFLD, WPWR is owned by Fox Television Stations.
    • WYIN (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, 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) carries syndicated talk programming, and is owned by Pluria Marshall Jr.
    • WWCA (AM 1270) is presently a Relevant Radio owned-and-operated radio station, carrying programming from the Catholic-oriented Relevant Radio network.

Transportation

  • GPTC (Gary Public Transportation Corporation) a commuter bus system that offers service to numerous stops throughout the city and neighboring suburbs. GPTC also has express service to locations outside of the city including connections to Chicago transit. Front door pickup is available for disabled citizens at no extra cost.
  • GYY (Gary/Chicago International Airport) is operating as the "third airport" for the Chicago area. It is currently undergoing much federally funded expansion, and the administration is courting airlines aggressively. Boeing already bases their corporate fleets here. The National Guard is intending to base their Chicagoland air operation there as well, which would add much needed security to the Airport, taking away some of the stigma of an airport in Gary. Flight are now being offered by SkyValue (a low cost airline).

Sports

The following sports teams are based in Gary:

Baseball

U.S. Steel Yard, Gary








Basketball

Genesis Convention Center, Gary








Notable people from Gary, Indiana

Entertainment

Sports

Academic, science and technology

Politics and law

Other fields

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