Gary is a city in Lake County, Indiana, United States, 25 miles (40 km) from downtown Chicago, Illinois. Gary is adjacent to the Indiana Dunes National Park and borders southern Lake Michigan in the Chicago metropolitan area. Gary was named after lawyer Elbert Henry Gary, who was the founding chairman of the United States Steel Corporation. Although initially a very diverse city, after white flight in the 1970s, the city of Gary held the nation’s highest percentage of African Americans for several decades.[1] Parts of the city was abandoned when the city population declined after the decline of US Steel. Among the abandoned buildings featured in the segment are the Gary Union Station, the Gary Methodist Church, and the Palace Theater.
Coverage[]
Famous for being the hometown of the Jackson family of international fame, Gary is still alive and well, but several large portions of the city have underwent extensive levels of urban decay. Gary used to had a thriving population of nearly 200,000 people. Bill Latoza guide and explain the history of the city. Gary was founded in 1906 by the well company known as U.S. Steel and was created as a company town for the industry, but a slow unfolding tragedy hit the city.
The Decline[]
Bill Latoza continues that the economy of U.S. Steel starts to slide downward dramatically, causing the majority of the city decided to vacate and become abandoned, turning the city to be known as the Pompeii of the Midwest. Gary is known to helped link the Great Lakes to the Transcontinental railroad system. Bill Latoza explains the temperature they experience in the city stating that since it was closed to Lake Michigan, it brings in lot of humidity in the summer and in the winter. He continues that it brings freezing rain and snow and tremendous amount of freeze thaw cycles with 30 to 40 cycles a day. With Lake Michigan, Gary is being demise and it wreaks havoc on the structures. This extreme temperature fluctuation in the city fracture many walls, causing buildings to be in a bad condition, like the Gary Union Station.
Exploration[]
Gary Union Station[]
The Gary Union Station was built in 1910 and was a vital Midwestern hub for transporting steel freight and thousands of passengers, it used to move hundreds of rail cars each day. But with the decline of the city population, the station was abandoned and 30 years of untamed nature have taken their toll. When the skylight shattered, the interior is open for water, causing moisture to rust the structure steel supports, which weakened the masonry. It also caused parts of the roof to collapse, and without people to maintained. Bill Latoza explains that the Gary Union Station would have been able to be in usable condition if someone simply renovate it, without it the building continues to ravage.
Methodist Church[]
Not far from the Gary Union Station, the Methodist Church is once a palace for grand weddings ceremonies and funerals. Bill Latoza explains the history of the Methodist Church, it was constructed in 1925 for the population of about 3,000 parishioners who lives in Gary, but with the decline of Gary, it was dwindled to less than 200 people, causing the church to ceased in 1975. Without people to do routine maintenance, paintings, carpeting, and plastering came to a standstill and water has already began collection on the roof which rots into a hole. Bill Latoza explains the hole got larger enough to allow more water to enter the church, and as more freeze thaw cycle have occurred, all of the roof beams and roof rafters are deteriorated, including the plasters. Without it, the exposed bricks are now attracts moisture and develops moss. When it was weakened, it breaks off and rains down on the main floor. Just only 3 decades after it was abandoned and battering from high winds and freezing snow, the church is already close to complete collapse.
Palace Theater[]
The Palace Theater is located in the heart of the city with 3000 seats and one of the old legendary show-halls of the West. Bill Latoza explains the condition with wood and large prairie have been deteriorate and already spread to the floors. Small rodents, animals, and dog packs continued to walk through the building. Only the cheap seats remain in the theater. Even in just 30 years without people, the Palace Theater is already a ruined state, but its interior is still recognizable, even the roof haven't collapse after years of abandoned.
Exploration Conclusion[]
The episode ended the exploration stating that the ruins of Gary provide a glimpse of life just 30 years after people, a harsh oracle for lakefront cities from Cleveland to Detroit.
Gallery[]
