Last summer, while on a roadtrip westward I finally made a pass through Gary, Indiana. The city, once home to the Jackson Five, was founded in 1906 by the United States Steel Corporation as the home for its new plant. In the 1960′s competitiveness in the steel industry caused numerous layoff’s from US Steel and the city of 200,000 began its decline. Residents moved out in search of employment, and the businesses followed.

Today, Gary is littered with the remains of a city that once was (if you’re still waiting for the Jackson Five Show as seen above you might be there a while). Just 25 miles from Chicago, Gary is an amazing place where time appears to have stopped altogether. If you like ruins, old signage (mixed with drugs and crime), Gary is a must see piece of Americana. Or something.