Gary, Indiana, Turns 100 And Hopes For Better Times

Once a thriving manufacturing town nicknamed Magic City -- because it literally came out of the ground overnight along with the explosive growth of U.S. Steel -- Gary, Indiana, has seen its fortunes plunge just as quickly, along with the declining local employment of Big Steel. Add to the mix racial tensions in the 1960s, suburban flight in the 70s and rampant drug crime in the 80s and 90s, and the result is a current population total just over half of Gary's 200,000 peak.

City boosters are using Gary's 100th anniversary to celebrate the area's past and provide hope for its future. The Gary Centennial Celebration will feature festivals, an air show, and a climactic outdoor July 4th concert with native son Tito Jackson. The centennial dovetails with attempts to revitalize Gary's airport and lakefront, and the construction of a new downtown minor-league baseball stadium.

And in a curious twist of fate, Indiana's republican governor, Mitch Daniels, has taken an interest in revitalizing Gary and its lakefront. Despite Gary being "genetically, impossibly, forever Democratic," Daniels feels a reborn Gary would contribute to overall statewide growth.

Thanks to Alex Pearlstein