Glen Park (Gary)

Last updated
Glen Park
Neighborhood
Glen Park, Gary, Indiana.jpg
Intersection of 39th and Broadway
US-IN-Gary-Glen-Park.png
Location within the city of Gary
Coordinates: 41°33′11″N87°20′11″W / 41.553072°N 87.336509°W / 41.553072; -87.336509 Coordinates: 41°33′11″N87°20′11″W / 41.553072°N 87.336509°W / 41.553072; -87.336509
Country Flag of the United States.svg  United States
State Flag of Indiana.svg  Indiana
County Lake County
City Gary
First settled1894
Annexed by Gary1926
Population
 (2000) [1]
  Total25,454
Time zone UTC-6 (CST)
  Summer (DST) UTC-5 (CDT)
ZIP code
46408, 46409
Area code(s) 219

Glen Park, also sometimes called University Park, is the most populous neighborhood in Gary, Indiana. It is situated on the city's far south side, south of the Little Calumet River and Borman Expressway. The neighborhood is often divided into Glen Park East and Glen Park West, on the respective sides of Broadway. Within Gary, Glen Park borders on Black Oak to the west and Midtown and Pulaski to the north; beyond Gary, it adjoins Hobart, Merrillville, and unincorporated Calumet Township. As of 2000, the neighborhood had a population of 25,454, approximately a third of Gary's total population. In terms of race, as of 2000 Glen Park was 86% African-American, 9% white, and 5.5% Hispanic. [1]

Contents

Gleason Park Golf Course Gleason Park Gary.jpg
Gleason Park Golf Course

History

Glen Park predates the founding of Gary by two decades. It was platted in 1894 by Chicagoans William Reissig and Charles Williams, near the intersection of the Nickel Plate Railroad and Joliet and Northern Indiana Railroad ("Joliet Cutoff"). [2] A post office was established in 1898. The community was originally named "Kelly," but had come to be called "Glen Park" by 1900.

Historical population
CensusPop.
1920 2,887
1930 15,974453.3%
1940 17,94912.4%
1950 21,37319.1%
1960 27,32927.9%
1970 32,67119.5%
1980 32,399−0.8%
1990 27,705−14.5%
2000 25,454−8.1%
2010 18,875−25.8%
Source: US Census Bureau

After the city of Gary was founded in 1906, the county built a bridge across the Little Calumet to extend Broadway to Glen Park. [3] The portion of Glen Park north of 45th Avenue was annexed shortly thereafter, and the southern part followed in 1926. [3] The first school in Glen Park was built in 1909, [4] and the first church in 1911. [3] Streetcars along Broadway allowed millworkers to commute from Glen Park to the Gary Works at the northern end of Broadway. [3] The area was strictly segregated until the 1960s, with blacks not allowed to cross the Little Calumet bridge except for work. [5]

Glen Park today

Indiana University Northwest, in Glen Park. IUNorthwest Gary Indiana P1010073.jpg
Indiana University Northwest, in Glen Park.

Glen Park is home to Indiana University Northwest and the Gary campus of Ivy Tech Community College. The neighborhood is served by the Borman Expressway directly to its north, which has exits at Broadway and Grant streets, and by Interstate 65 to the east, which has an exit on Ridge Road. Public transportation is provided by the buses of the Gary Public Transportation Corporation, which run along Broadway, Grant and Ridge. Bike trails cross the northern and southern edges of the neighborhood, and there are numerous city parks including the Gleason golf course; the Little Calumet floodplain also provides significant greenspace.

The housing stock is dominated by single-family homes, of which about 50% are owner-occupied. [6] There is little industrial development, and most commercial development is clustered along the Grant and Broadway thoroughfares. [6]

Related Research Articles

Gary, Indiana city in the US state of Indiana

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. Gary was named after lawyer Elbert Henry Gary, who was the founding chairman of the United States Steel Corporation. The city is known for its large steel mills and as the birthplace of the Jackson 5 music group.

Hammond, Indiana City in the US state of Indiana

Hammond is a city in Lake County, Indiana, United States. It is part of the Chicago metropolitan area. First settled in the mid-19th century, it is one of the oldest cities of northern Lake County. As of the 2010 United States census, it is also the largest in population: the 2010 population was 80,830, replacing Gary as the most populous city in Lake County. From north to south, Hammond runs from Lake Michigan down to the Little Calumet River; from east to west along its southern border, it runs from the Illinois state line to Cline Avenue. The city is traversed by numerous railroads and expressways, including the South Shore Line, Borman Expressway, and Indiana Toll Road.

Interstate 294 (I-294) is a tolled auxiliary Interstate Highway in northeastern Illinois. It forms the southern portion of the Tri-State Tollway in Illinois. I-294 runs from South Holland at I-80/I-94, and Illinois Route 394 (IL 394) to Northbrook at I-94. I-294 is 53.42 miles (85.97 km) long; 5.32 miles (8.56 km) are shared with I-80. It serves as a bypass around the city of Chicago. I-294 is also the longest auxiliary route of I-94, at 10 miles (16 km) longer than I-494 in Minneapolis–Saint Paul. In addition the tollway is the longest auxiliary Interstate Highway in Illinois, and it intersects the most primary interstate highways at six.

Indiana State Road 53

State Road 53 (SR 53) is a part of the Indiana State Road that runs between Crown Point and Gary in the US state of Indiana. The 14.07 miles (22.64 km) of SR 53 that lie within Indiana is also known as Broadway. None of the highway is listed on the National Highway System. Most of the road is an urban four-lane undivided highway, passing through residential and commercial properties.

U.S. Route 12 (US 12) is a part of the United States Numbered Highway System that runs from Aberdeen, Washington, to Detroit, Michigan. In the U.S. state of Indiana, it is part of the state road system. US 12 enters the state concurrent with US 20 and US 41 in Whiting. The 45.16 miles (72.68 km) of US 12 that lie within Indiana serve as a major conduit. Some of the highway is listed on the National Highway System. Various sections are rural two-lane highway, urbanized four-lane undivided highway and one-way streets. The easternmost community along the highway is Michiana Shores at the Michigan state line.

The Gary Public Transportation Corporation (GPTC) is a commuter bus system in Gary, Indiana that offers service to numerous stops throughout the city and neighboring suburbs. GPTC is a public corporation owned but not directly controlled by the city.

Interstate 94 (I-94) is a part of the Interstate Highway System that runs from Billings, Montana, to Port Huron, Michigan. I-94 enters Indiana from Illinois in the west, in Munster and runs generally eastward through Hammond, Gary and Portage, before entering Michigan northeast of Michigan City. The interstate runs for approximately 45.75 miles (73.63 km) through the state. The landscape traversed by I-94 includes urban areas of Northwest Indiana, wooded areas, and farmland. The section of I-94 between the Illinois state line and Lake Station is named the Borman Expressway.

Miller Beach Neighborhood in Lake County, Indiana, United States

Miller Beach is a neighborhood of Gary, Indiana on the southernmost shore of Lake Michigan. First settled in 1851, Miller Beach was originally an independent town. However, the "Town of Miller" was eventually annexed by the then flourishing city of Gary in 1918. Located in the northeastern corner of Lake County, Indiana, the former town is now known as "The Miller Beach Community." Miller Beach borders Lake Michigan to the north, Porter County to the east, and is largely surrounded by protected lands, including Indiana Dunes National Park. Miller Beach is also the closest beach/resort community to Chicago, and has been a popular vacation spot since the early 20th century. As of the 2000 US census, it had a population of 9,900.

Carlson Oxbow Park

Carlson Oxbow Park is an 89-acre nature park located in the Hessville neighborhood of Hammond, Indiana, along the north bank of the Little Calumet River and immediately south of the Borman Expressway. It takes its name from a sharp bend in the Little Calumet that was left behind when the river was straightened in the 20th century, forming an oxbow lake.

The Great Lakes Circle Tour is a designated scenic road system connecting all of the Great Lakes and the St. Lawrence River. It consists of routes for circumnavigating the lakes, either individually or collectively.

Tolleston Neighborhood in Lake County, Indiana, United States

Tolleston is a neighborhood and former town in west-central Gary, Indiana. It is situated south of Ambridge, west of Midtown, east of Westside and north of Black Oak. Tolleston is the site of two large city parks, a historic cemetery, and the oldest church north of the Little Calumet River. The neighborhood's borders are defined by the Norfolk Southern tracks on the north, Grant Street on the east, 25th Avenue on the south, and Clark Road on the west. As of 2000, Tolleston had a population of 14,289, and was 97.5% African-American.

Aetna (Gary) Neighborhood in Lake County, Indiana, United States

Aetna is a neighborhood in northeastern Gary, Indiana, south of Miller Beach and east of Interstate 65. As of 2000, the neighborhood had a population of 4,942, which was 83% black and 11% white.

Ambridge Mann Neighborhood in Lake County, Indiana, United States

Ambridge Mann, sometimes called Ambridge-Horace Mann or Horace Mann-Ambridge, is a neighborhood in northwestern Gary, Indiana. It is bounded by the Grand Calumet River on the north, by Grant Street on the east, by Chase Street on the west, and by the Norfolk Southern railroad on the south. Adjacent areas include an industrial district to the north, Downtown West to the east, Tolleston to the south, and Brunswick to the west. As of 2000, Ambridge Mann had a population of 6,236, which was 96.3% African-American. Located just south of Interstate 90, the neighborhood can be seen while passing Buchanan Street.

Black Oak (Gary) Neighborhood in Lake County, Indiana, United States

Black Oak is a neighborhood located on the far southwest side of Gary, Indiana. As of 2000, Black Oak had a population of 4,216, which was 84.7% white. It is Gary's only majority-white neighborhood, and the most recent neighborhood added to the city. Black Oak was annexed in 1976, under the administration of mayor Richard Hatcher. Prior to that, Black Oak had been an unincorporated area informally associated with nearby Hammond, and the area has Hammond telephone numbers.

Brunswick (Gary) Neighborhood in Lake County, Indiana, United States

Brunswick is a neighborhood in northwestern Gary, Indiana, just south of Gary Chicago Airport. It borders Hammond and East Chicago to the west, and the Gary neighborhoods of Ambridge Mann to the east and Westside to the south. The borders are defined by the Indiana Toll Road on the north, Chase Street on the east, the Norfolk Southern railway on the south and Cline Avenue on the west. As of 2000, Brunswick had a population of 4,442 people, which was 84.6% African-American and 7.7% white. Like many Gary neighborhoods, Brunswick was a segregated white community until the early 1970s, when massive white flight occurred.

Westside (Gary) Neighborhood in Lake County, Indiana, United States

Westside is a neighborhood in west-central Gary, Indiana, USA, bounded by the Cline Avenue expressway on the west, the Norfolk Southern railroad on the north, Clark Road on the east and 25th Avenue on the south. It lies directly east of the Hessville neighborhood of Hammond. Within Gary, it adjoins the neighborhoods of Brunswick, Tolleston and Black Oak. In 2000, Westside had a population of 6,153, which was 63.3% African-American and 31.9% white, with 10.1% Hispanic ethnicity.

Pulaski (Gary) Neighborhood in Lake County, Indiana, United States

Pulaski is a neighborhood in eastern Gary, Indiana. It is roughly triangular in shape, bounded on the south by the Borman Expressway, on the west by Maryland Street, and on the northeast by the Norfolk Southern railway. It is separated by an industrial corridor from Aetna to its east and Emerson to its north; it directly adjoins the neighborhoods of Midtown and Glen Park. As of 2000, Pulaski's population was 6,777, which was 96.7% African-American, 1.4% white, and 1.3% of Hispanic ethnicity.

Emerson (Gary) Neighborhood in Lake County, Indiana, United States

Emerson, also called Downtown East, is a neighborhood in north-central Gary, Indiana. Emerson and Downtown West combine to form what is known as Downtown Gary. It was part of the original plat built by the United States Steel Corporation. Emerson is located east of Broadway, south of the Grand Calumet River, north of Ninth Avenue and west of Interstate 65. As of 2000, it had a population of 3,358. Emerson borders directly on Downtown West to the west but is separated from the Aetna and Pulaski neighborhoods to the east and south by an industrial corridor.

Downtown West (Gary) Neighborhood in Lake County, Indiana, United States

Downtown West, is a neighborhood in north-central Gary, Indiana. Emerson and Downtown West combine to form what is known as Downtown Gary. It was part of the original plat built by the United States Steel Corporation. It is located East of Grant Street, south of the Grand Calumet River, north of 9th Avenue and west of Broadway. As of 2000, Downtown West had a population of 4,684. Downtown West borders Emerson to the east, Ambridge Mann to the west, and Midtown to the south.

Downtown Gary Neighborhood in Lake County, Indiana, United States

Downtown Gary is split by Broadway into two separate neighborhoods in north-central Gary, Indiana. Emerson and Downtown West combine to form what is known as Downtown Gary. It was part of the original plat built by the United States Steel Corporation. It is located east of Grant Street, south of the Grand Calumet River, north of 9th Avenue and west of Interstate 65. Downtown West borders Ambridge Mann to the west and Midtown to the south, but it is separated from the Aetna and Pulaski neighborhoods to the east and south by an industrial corridor.

References

  1. 1 2 City of Gary 2008, p. 162.
  2. Schoon 2003, p. 153.
  3. 1 2 3 4 Schoon 2003, p. 154.
  4. Schoon 2003, p. 156.
  5. Millender, Dharathula (2003). Gary's Central Business Community. p. 41. ISBN   0-7385-2347-X.
  6. 1 2 City of Gary 2008, p. 163.