Comments on: Abandoned Gary – A Lost Metropolis of Indiana Industry

By: colonelgirdle

colonelgirdle — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 06:12:45 +0000

I grew up and still live in another city that is a former industrial giant: Dayton, Ohio. This article is heart-breaking because I see the similarity to my home town. Thank you for preserving a record of the decay places that were once vital and prosperous.

By: courtney

courtney — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 23:35:42 +0000

Funny. I was born in Gary in 1975, lived there until 93, and visit at least once a year. My grandfather worked in the mills, as did my father. I have a love affair with entropy, I joke that it’s because of where I grew up. (a common question of mine: “how will it decay?”) Not everybody feels the same way about it, or about living there. My older brothers (10 and 14 years) have this weird mix of pride and dismay about the city, my guess is because they were teens for the bulk of the decline. By the time I came along and knew what was going on, the city was already a shell, but it was the only home I knew. By that point, you either hunt down the beauty or give up. Most of my peers (and i) were raised to run. I graduated from hs on a Monday night. My gift was a full set of luggage. By Wednesday, I was living in Iowa. It breaks my heart to know I can’t go back there, not to live. The west wing of my high school collapsed a few years back, likely from neglect. I talked with the salvage crew and took a brick from the rubble. Living there and being from there is really bittersweet. It’s also a nasty juxtaposition when you tell someone that’s where you’re from and they start to sing “Gary Indiana” from the music man at you. (note: that noise is. not. cute.)

Anyway, thanks for the piece. I like to see home through other people’s eyes, especially when they acknowledge the beauty that’s hiding there.

By: virginia madison

virginia madison — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 17:08:43 +0000

was glad to find your website. As a native of Gary, Indiana from 1941 to 1972, I too found it sad to see my hometown so badly in ruins. Does anyone remember a theatre accross the street from the Palace called THE GRAND? I seem to remember it back in the 50″s. thanks.

By: Eric Kroczek

Eric Kroczek — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 13:29:31 +0000

This is totally awesome. I grew up in Michigan City, 1/2 hour from Gary, and I never knew all this stuff was there (I was born in 1970). Ironically enough, I now live in Pittsburgh and my fiancee and I do these little archeological photoessay things about postindustrial Pittsburgh, the legacy of the steel mills, etc. It’s great that you found the same kind of thing right near my hometown. Keep up the good work–I’ve got a few albums of related stuff on my blog and on Facebook, if you’re interested.

By: Jon H

Jon H — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 20:03:07 +0000

Thanks Amy!
To be honest, I wasn’t too placed with my prose in this one, but I felt the story of Gary needed to be told; I just felt as if anything I presented in words would be inadequate in describing the feeling of actually being in Gary. Hopefully the photos supplement it in such a way!

Cheers,
J

By: Amy

Amy — Sun, 14 Jun 2009 19:50:35 +0000

Incredible piece of work Jon! Very impressive language.

By: Flyover Country, indeed

Flyover Country, indeed — Sun, 07 Jun 2009 06:22:27 +0000

[...] – Jonathan Haeber [...]