Dictionary of Meaning

<<Back
Please select a letter:
A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z | 0-9

Gary, Indiana

*** Shopping-Tip: Gary, Indiana
{{Infobox City-NoFlag | official_name = City of Gary, Indiana | nickname = City of the Century | image_flag =| image_seal =| image_map = US-IN-Gary.png | map_caption = Location in the state of Indiana, United States USA | subdivision_type = List of Indiana counties County | subdivision_name = Lake County, Indiana Lake| leader_title = Mayor | leader_name = Rudy Clay | area_note =| area_magnitude = 1 E8 | area_total = 148.3 | area_land = 130.1 | area_water = 18.2 | population_as_of = 2000 | population_note =| population_total = 102,746 | population_density = 789.8 | timezone = Central Standard Time CST | utc_offset = -6 | timezone_DST = Central Daylight Time CDT | utc_offset_DST = -5 | latitude = 41°34'51" N | longitude = 87°20'44" W | website = www.gary.in.us | footnotes =| }} '''Gary''' is the largest city located in Lake County, Indiana Lake County in northwest Indiana, United States USA. It is on the southern side of the Chicagoland metropolitan area approximately 27 miles (43 kilometers) from downtown Chicago, Illinois Chicago. As of the 2000 U.S. census 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 and as the hometown of the musical The Jacksons (musical family) Jackson family. Gary is home of Indiana University Northwest, a regional campus of the Indiana University system. Gary, Indiana is also the subject of a song in the musical ''The Music Man,'' and songs and albums by The Jacksons: "Going Back to Indiana," and "2300 Jackson Street."

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 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 Caucasian 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 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 attract many major businesses 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. In the 1957 Meredith Wilson's 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
Before his recent legal troubles, singer and famous former Gary resident Michael Jackson visited the city and promised to build a performing arts center for Gary, though this has not yet come to pass. Gary has been in the news in connection with politicking over the construction of a new airport for Chicago. Because the Gary airport is closer to downtown Chicago than the other proposed site for a third Chicago airport at Peotone, Illinois Peotone, Illinois, some have argued that building a new airport at Peotone is not necessary, and that money would be better spent on improving the Gary/Chicago International Airport. This plan is backed by the mayors of Gary and Chicago, while the Illinois state government is in favor of construction at Peotone. Tax revenues from a new airport at Peotone would go to the Illinois state government, while those from an expanded Gary airport would go to a regional airport authority, and thus to the cities of Chicago and Gary. Most agree that an airport in Gary would be the best solution, not only because of its proximity to downtown Chicago, but also for the fact that thousands of acres of farmland are being seized for the Peotone airport that may or may not even be built. 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. 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.

Geography
Gary is located at 41°34'51" North, 87°20'44" West (41.580786, -87.345449){{GR|1}}. According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 148.3 square kilometre km² (57.2 square mile mi²). 130.1 km² (50.2 mi²) of it is land and 18.2 km² (7.0 mi²) of it is water. The total area is 12.25% water. Gary sits on the southern end of the former lake bed of the prehistoric Lake Chicago. Most of the city's soil is nearly pure sand. Much of the sand in the Gary area was used in the manufacturing of glass.

Neighborhoods
*Aetna *Ambridge *Black Oak *Brunswick *Downtown *Glen Park *Ivanhoe *Marshalltown *Midtown *Miller *Tarrytown *Tolleston *Westbrook

Demographics
{| class="wikitable" style="float:right; margin-left:3px;text-size:80%; text-align:right" |align=center colspan=2| '''City of Gary
Population by year [http://www.census.gov/population/www/documentation/twps0027.html]''' |- |1900 || NA |- |1910 || 16,802 |- |1920 || 55,378 |- |1930 || 100,426 |- |1940 || 111,719 |- |1950 || 133,911 |- |1960 || 178,320 |- |1970 || 175,415 |- |1980 || 151,953 |- |1990 || 116,646 |- |2000 || 102,746 |- |2004 || 99,516 |} As of the census{{GR.html">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% Black.html" title="Meaning of population density.html" title="Meaning of African American Black">African American|Black, 11.92% Race (U.S. Census) White, 0.21% Race (U.S. Census) Native American, 0.14% Race (U.S. Census) Asian, 0.02% Race (U.S. Census) Pacific Islander, 1.97% from Race (U.S. Census) other races, and 1.71% from two or more races. 4.93% of the population were Hispanic American Hispanic or Race (U.S. Census) 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 Marriage 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. 25.8% of the population and 22.2% of families were below the poverty line. 37.9% of those under the age of 18 and 14.1% of those 65 and older were living below the poverty line.

Features

Sports Franchises
Image:Gary Steelyard.jpg thumb|left|100py|U.S. Steel Yard, Gary The following sports teams are based in Gary: *The Gary Steelheads, a minor league basketball team, part of the Continental Basketball Association. Their home arena is Gary's Genesis Convention Center. * The Gary SouthShore Railcats, a minor league baseball team, part of the Northern League (baseball) Northern League. The team plays in Gary's U.S. Steel Yard baseball park. Gary is also a major stop along the South Shore Line South Shore railroad, a commuter rail system (and the United States' last operating Interurban streetcar interurban train system), running between Chicago and South Bend, Indiana South Bend, Indiana.

Local media
*Newspapers **Gary is served by two newspapers with offices outside the city, the ''Post-Tribune'', which was originally located in Gary, and ''The Times of Northwest Indiana The Times,'' previously known as the ''Hammond Times''. Offices and facilites for ''The Times'' are in nearby Munster, Indiana Munster, while the ''Post-Tribune'' is based in Merrillville. *Broadcast **WPWR-TV (Channel 50) is the Chicago UPN affiliate, but is licensed to Gary. Studios and transmitters are co-located with WFLD-TV WFLD-TV'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. **WWCA (AM 1270) is presently a Relevant Radio owned-and-operated radio station, carrying programming from the Catholic-oriented Relevant Radio network. **WLTH (AM 1370) carries syndicated talk programming, and is owned by Pluria Marshall Jr. **WGVE (FM 88.7) is owned by the Gary Community School Corporation, and is used as a teaching facility. Programming is maintained by students in the broadcast program at the Gary Career Center. WGVE also carries limited NPR programming. Gary is also served by nearby Chicago radio and TV stations, and by other nearby stations in Illinois and Indiana.

Notable people from Gary, Indiana
*Dick Barnett *Brian Blair *Frank Borman *Avery Brooks *Vic Bubas *Joseph E. Finerty *Richard G. Hatcher *Tom Harmon *LaTroy Hawkins *Walter Hellman *The children in the musical '''Jackson family''': **Michael Jackson **Janet Jackson **Jermaine Jackson **LaToya Jackson **Tito Jackson **Marlon Jackson **Randy Jackson (musician) Randy Jackson **Jackie Jackson **Rebbie Jackson **The Jackson 5 *Alex Karras *Ron Kittle *Myron W. Krueger *Karl Malden *Angel Manfredy *William H. Marshall *Kym Mazelle *Lloyd McClendon *James McCracken *Karen McDougal *Ralph McQuarrie *Christopher Peterson *Dan Plesac *Jesse Powell *Ronnie Rancifer *Jimmy Reed *Glenn Robinson *Paul Samuelson *Herschel Sparber *Joseph Stiglitz *Jevetta Steele *Hank Stram *Sharmell Sullivan *Johnathan Thomas *Ernest Thomas *Pete Visclosky *Deniece Williams *Fred Williamson *Tony Zale

External links

- City of Gary, Indiana Official Page
- Gary/Chicago International Airport - GYY
- WWCA Radio
- ''The Post-Tribune''
- ''The Times''
- WPWR-TV Gary - UPN Chicago
- WYIN Gary - PBS 56
- Gary Community School Corporation {{Mapit-US-cityscale|41.580786|-87.345449}} {{Chicagoland}} {{Indiana}} Category:Cities in Indiana Category:Lake County, Indiana de:Gary (Indiana) eo:Gary (Indianao) fr:Gary (Indiana) io:Gary, Indiana nl:Gary ja:ゲーリー (インディアナ州) no:Gary pl:Gary (Indiana) sv:Gary Articles related to the city of Gary, Indiana Gary in the U.S. state of Indiana. Category:Cities in Indiana

*** Shopping-Tip: Gary, Indiana