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78-729: The Lake Athletic Conference began as the Tri-City Conference in 1968, changing its name to the Indiana Lake Shore Conference the next year. The conference was formed by the non- Gary schools in the Northwestern Conference at that point. The eight founding schools were: Clark, Gavit, Hammond, Morton, and Tech from Hammond , Roosevelt and Washington from East Chicago , and Whiting High School . The conference would reach its largest size four years later, as Bishop Noll joined, putting

156-465: A Bachelor of Laws with honors in criminal law in 1956 and a Juris Doctor from Valparaiso University School of Law in 1959. After moving to Gary, Indiana, Hatcher began practicing law in East Chicago, Indiana . In 1961, he began serving as a deputy prosecutor for Lake County, Indiana , until he was elected to Gary's City Council in 1963. He was the first and only freshman elected president of

234-452: 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. 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 , have each lost near or more than two thirds of their peak populations. As of

312-428: 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

390-470: 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

468-676: A law course at Cambridge University in England . In 1991, he sought to retake his former position as mayor, unsuccessfully challenging incumbent Thomas Barnes in the Democratic primary. He later served as an adjunct professor at Indiana University Northwest . His daughter, Ragen Hatcher , is a member of the Indiana House of Representatives . Hatcher died at Mercy Hospital and Medical Center in Chicago on December 13, 2019. He

546-427: A role in the rate of disinvestment from the city. In 1988, Hatcher started his own consulting firm, R. Gordon Hatcher & Associates. From 1988 to 1989, he worked as an Institute of Politics Fellow at Harvard Kennedy School . He also began teaching political science at Roosevelt University in 1989 and later became a senior research professor at Valparaiso University, in 1991. In the summer of 1996, Hatcher taught

624-494: 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

702-707: Is about 30 miles (48 km) from the Chicago Loop . 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. Gary is listed by the Köppen-Geiger climate classification system as humid continental (Dfa). In July and August,

780-430: Is greatly regulated by its proximity to Lake Michigan . 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

858-627: Is home to Bishop Noll, Calumet, Lake Station, Wheeler, and Whiting; joining these schools are Michigan City Marquette Catholic, North Newton, and River Forest; and South Central, a member of the Porter County Conference, joined in football only, as Marquette does not have a football team. The Hammond City Schools - Clark, Gavit, Hammond High, and Morton - formed the Great Lakes Athletic Conference, after failing to find acceptance in another conference. It

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936-573: 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. Aetna is located on Gary's far east side along

1014-638: 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 . The Genesis Convention Center , the Gary Police Department ,

1092-480: Is often cited as an example of industrial decline and urban decay in America. Although initially a very diverse city, Gary currently holds one of the nation's highest percentages of African-Americans. Between 1970 and 2010, Gary maintained a 40-year record of holding the nation's largest Black population per capita. The city also boasts a legacy of African-American cultural and historical feats, such as electing

1170-532: 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. Black Oak is located on the far southwest side of Gary, in the vicinity of the Burr Street exit to

1248-786: Is provided by the Gary Public Transportation Corporation and the South Shore Line 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 . Gary, Indiana,

1326-485: Is water. Gary is T-shaped, with its northern border on Lake Michigan . 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 . Gary's southernmost section borders Griffith , Hobart , Merrillville , and unincorporated Ross . Gary

1404-524: The 1930 United States Census , 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 , Fort Wayne , and Evansville . 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

1482-463: The 2020 census , there were 69,093 people, 28,610 households, and 16,459 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,388.9 inhabitants per square mile (536.3/km ). There were 37,274 housing units. The racial makeup of the city was 10.6% White , 80.2% African American , 0.4% Native American , 0.2% Asian , 0.0% Pacific Islander , 3.3% from some other races and 5.2% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 7.6% of

1560-467: 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

1638-742: The Dunes Highway . Aetna predates the city of Gary. This company town 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 architecture. The rest of

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1716-785: The Lake Suburban Conference to form the Lake 10 Conference . The Lake 10 was initially split into two enrollment divisions in football only. However, this would only last for five years before the conference would expand to 13 schools and rebrand itself as the LAC. The league added two schools from the Northwest Hoosier Conference and Andrean , who had been independent since leaving the Northwestern in 1975. Three more schools would join in 2003, giving

1794-547: 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 was constructed between downtown Gary and the United States Steel plant. 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

1872-460: 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 ,

1950-516: The "ethnic purity" of their neighborhoods, a comment which was roundly condemned by other Democrats and resulted in a public apology, Mayor Hatcher characterized Carter as a "Frankenstein monster with a Southern drawl." From 1980 until 1981, Hatcher served as president of the United States Conference of Mayors . In the 1984 U.S. presidential election , Mayor Hatcher served as the chairman for Jackson's campaign . He served as

2028-582: 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 , the neighborhood can be seen while passing Buchanan Street. Brunswick is located on Gary's far west side. The neighborhood

2106-466: The 1970s, making downtown Gary into a ghost town. Tens of thousands of white residents followed, and Gary lost valuable jobs, residents, and tax revenues. Hatcher was instrumental in getting the 1972 National Black Political Convention to come to Gary when the convention organizers struggled to find a city willing to host the event. After Democratic presidential nomination candidate Jimmy Carter in 1976 expressed sympathy with whites wishing to preserve

2184-484: 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

2262-484: The Calumet Township Trustee's office. A 6,000-seat minor league baseball stadium for the Gary SouthShore RailCats , U.S. Steel Yard , 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

2340-546: The City Council in Gary's history. Hatcher launched a primary challenge against incumbent mayor A. Martin Katz in the Democratic primary election, and won by just 2,300 votes. The Lake County Democratic Party's central organization, led by Chairman John Krupa, demanded that Hatcher allow them to select the city's police chief and city attorney, among other important city administrative offices, in exchange for their support for

2418-473: The Democratic machine than to Hatcher. Three of the remaining five white city council members were consistently hostile to Hatcher and his proposals. The reasons for an uncooperative city council ranged from racial animosity to corruption over the patronage system and organized crime, to the personal political ambitions of some council members. However, Hatcher was successful in eliminating a red light district and reducing illegal gambling nearly to zero. However, as

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2496-481: The Gary Department of Redevelopment has estimated that one-third of all homes in the city are unoccupied and/or abandoned. U.S. Steel continues to be a major steel producer but with only a 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

2574-415: The LAC 16 teams for its final four seasons. In 2006 it was announced the LAC would disband following the 2006-'07 school year. The schools would split into three conferences. The Northwest Crossroads Conference comprises Andrean, Griffith, Highland, Hobart, Kankakee Valley, Lowell, and Munster, which were the larger of the schools in the conference in terms of enrollment. The Greater South Shore Conference

2652-824: 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

2730-471: 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). 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

2808-552: 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

2886-669: The Vice-Chairman of the Democratic National Committee from 1981 to 1985. Projects Hatcher pursued in hopes of reversing the city's economic decline included an expansion of the city's airport to handle commercial traffic, the construction of the Genesis Convention Center , and the construction and opening of a Holiday Inn hotel in 1971. Over the course of his tenure, Hatcher was able to secure hundreds of million of dollars from

2964-482: 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. 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 2,045.5 inhabitants per square mile (789.8/km ). There were 43,630 housing units at an average density of 868.6 per square mile (335.4/km ). The racial makeup of

3042-434: The city in 1906 as a company town to serve its steel mills. Like other Rust Belt 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. Because of its large losses in population and deteriorating economy, Gary

3120-600: 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 . 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,

3198-409: 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. Hispanic 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

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3276-458: The city was 84.8% African American , 10.7% White , 0.3% Native American , 0.2% Asian , 1.8% from other races , and 2.1% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino people of any race were 5.1% of the population. Non-Hispanic Whites 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

3354-425: 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. The city is located at the southern end of the former lake bed of the prehistoric Lake Chicago and the current Lake Michigan . Most of

3432-409: The city's control caused Gary to spiral into severe decline. In his first term, Hatcher expanded the city's police force by 40%. Although Hatcher won the 1967 election, the white-dominated Democratic machine was not about to give up; instead, they changed tactics and supported a middle-class black primary challenger who they felt was a racial moderate and (most importantly) was more cooperative with

3510-521: The city's economy with major construction projects, such as a Holiday Inn hotel and the Genesis Convention Center , failed to reverse the decline. In July 1968, riots broke out in Gary. 3,000 National Guard members came in to restore order to the city. Curfews were enforced, and a ban on gasoline 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. A rapid racial change occurred in Gary during

3588-520: 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 city has a total area of 50.663 square miles (131.22 km ), of which 49.932 square miles (129.32 km ) is land and 0.731 square miles (1.89 km )

3666-491: The city's steel industry began to collapse as part of the steel crisis of the 1970s and 1980s, unemployment and crime began to rise, and white flight and population decline began to intensify. Governing became easier after 1971, when a number of allies were elected to the city council and took positions in city administration. Hatcher's good government initiatives did help clean up the police department of corruption and reduced patronage, but macroeconomic and societal forces beyond

3744-452: The civil rights movement. On April 5, 1968, he addressed President Lyndon B. Johnson , along with a collection of politicians and civil rights leaders, on the topic of the King assassination the night before and pending civil unrest . Hatcher's tenure in office was difficult from the start. Although 4 of the 9 city council members were also black, two of these members appeared more loyal to

3822-442: The command of Major General Leonard Wood 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

3900-665: 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 . Emerson is located in north-central Gary on the east side of Broadway. Located just south of Interstate 90 , Gary City Hall is located in Emerson, along with the Indiana Department of Social Services building and

3978-452: The conference at eight football schools and nine total schools (Whiting would compete as an independent in football until 1993). The conference would lose schools in the 1980s, eventually ending up with six members (five in football). Hammond Tech would close in 1981, and Roosevelt and Washington would combine to form East Chicago Central in 1986. ECC would leave after that year. These remaining schools would band together with four schools from

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4056-501: The federal government for subsidized housing and job-training programs. Despite Hatcher's efforts to stymie the city's decline, which was driven largely by a decrease in steel production jobs, the city continued to lose population during his mayoralty and face economic plight. When Hatcher assumed office, Gary had a roughly 15% poverty rate. When he left office in 1987, the city had a 25% poverty rate and an unemployment in excess of 20%. Hatcher and his supporters have argued that racism played

4134-564: The general election. When Hatcher refused, Krupa directed the machine to work in favor of the Republican nominee, Joseph Radigan. In an intensely fought election marked by corruption, racial violence, voter purges and intimidation, and blatant vote rigging, Hatcher was able to cobble together a coalition of black voters and liberal white voters to overcome the odds and win the November election by just 2,200 votes. Elected in 1967 , Hatcher

4212-502: The houses were on larger lots. By contrast, a working-class area was made up of row houses made of poured concrete 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 , and another,

4290-544: The lake deposit onto the shoreline areas as inordinate amounts of snow. 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

4368-669: The largest steel mill complex in North America . Gary is located along the southern shore of Lake Michigan about 25 miles (40 km) southeast of downtown Chicago . The city is the western gateway to the Indiana Dunes National Park , and is within the Chicago metropolitan area . Gary was named after lawyer Elbert Henry Gary , who was the founding chairman of the United States Steel Corporation. U.S. Steel had established

4446-526: 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, 39% in 1960, and 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

4524-450: The machine: Dr. Alexander Williams, a prominent black physician who was elected Lake County coroner with the machine's backing, and who represented Gary's black middle class and criticized Hatcher's tactics and policies. Specifically, Williams criticized the ongoing crime wave and Hatcher's urban renewal policies that saw the demolition of thousands of housing units while only 300 replacement units were built. However, Williams won only 37.5% of

4602-426: 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,

4680-573: The nation's first Black mayor (see Richard Hatcher ), hosting the first and largest National Black Political Convention , and, in 1945, becoming the first city in the Midwest (and one of the first in the entire nation) to fully integrate its public school system. 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

4758-514: The population that had left Gary. However, the white suburban state representatives passed a special exemption to Indiana's incorporation laws (which prohibited incorporation within a five mile radius of an incorporated city) which allowed Merrillville to incorporate itself into a town. Following this, virtually all major retailers, banks, and other business establishments closed their location and fled to Merrillville. Over 100 major businesses moved from downtown Gary and Broadway Avenue to Merrillville in

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4836-425: 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. 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 1,610.2 inhabitants per square mile (621.7/km ). There were 39,531 housing units at an average density of 792.7 per square mile (306.1/km ). The racial makeup of

4914-459: The poverty line, including 37.9% of those under age 18 and 14.1% of those age 65 or over. Meredith Willson 's 1957 Broadway musical The Music Man featured the song " Gary, Indiana ", 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

4992-607: 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 in August 2015. Attempts to shore up

5070-521: The setting for numerous films made by Hollywood filmmakers. In 2009, scenes for the remake of A Nightmare on Elm Street were filmed in Gary. Scenes from Transformers: Dark of the Moon wrapped up filming on August 16, 2010. Richard G. Hatcher Richard Gordon Hatcher (July 10, 1933 – December 13, 2019) was an American attorney and politician who served as the first African-American mayor of Gary, Indiana , for 20 years, from 1968 to 1988. At

5148-665: 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

5226-488: The state closing of Cline Avenue , an important access to the area. Today, Gary faces the difficulties of a Rust Belt city, including higher than national average unemployment and decaying infrastructure. Gary has closed several of its schools within the last ten years. 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

5304-478: The time of his first election on November 7, 1967, he and Carl Stokes were the first African Americans to be elected mayors of a U.S. city with more than 100,000 people. Hatcher also served as Vice-Chairman of the Democratic National Committee in the early 1980s. Hatcher was born in Michigan City, Indiana . He received a Bachelor of Science degree in business and government from Indiana University and

5382-524: 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

5460-519: The vote in the primary, as black voters remained overwhelmingly loyal to Hatcher. Hatcher then went on to crush the Republican nominee in the November general election by more than 50,000 votes, marking the end to any serious challenges from the Republicans or the Democratic machine. In 1971, Hatcher targeted the neighboring unincorporated area of Merrillville, Indiana , for annexation to gain more land for suburban expansion and to recapture some of

5538-428: 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

5616-680: 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

5694-408: 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

5772-495: 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

5850-590: Was founded in 1906 by the U.S. Steel corporation as the home for its new plant, Gary Works . The city was named after lawyer Elbert Henry Gary , who was the founding chairman of the United States Steel Corporation. Gary 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

5928-558: Was inaugurated mayor of Gary in 1968 and served until 1987. During his tenure as mayor, he became internationally known as a fervent and prolific civil rights spokesman. Hatcher was known for developing innovative approaches to urban problems and for being a national and international spokesman for civil rights, minorities, the poor and America's cities. He often delivered speeches alongside Martin Luther King Jr. , Robert F. Kennedy , Jesse Jackson , and other historic proponents of

6006-399: 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 , produced in 2003. The 1996 urban film Original Gangstas was filmed in the city. It starred Gary native Fred Williamson , Pam Grier , Jim Brown , Richard Roundtree , and Isabel Sanford , among others. Since the early 2000s, Gary has been

6084-528: Was reported that Hammond Morton was invited to join the NCC but declined. Gary, Indiana Gary ( / ˈ ɡ ær i / GARR -ee ) is a city in Lake County, Indiana , 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 ,

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