Gary's Central Business Community

Book excerpt: America's famous steel mill town, Gary, Indiana, was created by U.S. Steel Corporation in 1906. The city quickly developed as a diverse labor pool was drawn to the area by the promise of steady work and greater opportunities. This diversity created distinct neighborhoods and cultural centers, but also brought about a conspicuously segregated Gary. Wealthy steel mill executives plotted the north side of Gary, while newly arriving laborers were relegated to an area south of Ninth Avenue known as the "Patch." Soon, however, African-American leaders organized the "Central District," a city within a city for themselves with desirable housing, good schools, and active clubs and community organizations.