136-463: Miller Beach (also commonly known as Miller ) 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
272-630: A bachelor's degree or higher. Additional community education facilities include the Paul Douglas Center for Environmental Education in Miller Woods , which provides environmental education to residents and visitors. Numerous scheduled lectures, classes and workshops are held there each year. The trails around the Douglas Center additionally provide a self-guided nature tour. Gary, Indiana Gary ( / ˈ ɡ ær i / GARR -ee )
408-452: A development of 28 upscale condominium, townhome, and single-family homes, began construction in 2007 at the eastern edge of Miller Beach along County Line Road, one block south of Lake Michigan. The change in the economy and resulting loss of jobs has caused a drop in population by nearly two thirds since its peak in 1960. Gary, along with St. Louis and Detroit , have each lost near or more than two thirds of their peak populations. As of
544-428: A female householder with no husband present, 6.7% had a male householder with no wife present, and 37.2% were non-families. 32.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.54 and the average family size was 3.23. The median age in the city was 36.7 years. 28.1% of residents were under the age of 18; 8.6% were between
680-470: 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
816-652: A few isolated pockets remaining. Sand oak savanna, of which Miller Woods provides "one of the finest in the Chicago region", is both globally and state imperiled. This varied landscape of dunes and wetlands is the legacy of fluctuations in Lake Michigan and the Grand Calumet River since the last ice age . The Wisconsinan glaciation ended in the Miller Beach area around 18,000 years ago, forming Glacial Lake Chicago as
952-524: A four-lane undivided highway passing through mostly residential areas . The road heads south concurrent with SR 912 , passing through mainly industrial area between East Chicago and Gary. The two routes have an interchange at SR 312 and access to the Indiana Toll Road, via an interchange at Gary Avenue. The road has two bridges with the first passes over the Grand Calumet River and
1088-485: A high proportion of legally protected land. Miller encompasses the westernmost part of Indiana Dunes National Park , which is part of the United States National Park system, and includes both the Miller Woods and Long Lake areas. Indiana Dunes' West Beach area lies immediately to the east of Miller Beach. The entire shoreline of Miller is public beachfront. Miller's large lakefront park, Marquette Park ,
1224-420: A hundred beach cottages. With attractions including a shooting gallery, bath house, miniature railroad and "night spots", Carr's Beach was Gary's most popular summer destination in the late 1920s. With the construction and expansion of Marquette Park in the 1930s, and an influx of affluent residents from other parts of Gary in the late 1940s, the neighborhood became increasingly a resort community. It also became
1360-545: A larger territorial dispute with East Chicago. According to the 1910 census, at that time the Town of Miller had a population of 638 people. This initial annexation effort was successfully resisted. In the 1910s, the Gary city government and US Steel became increasingly aware of the need for a lakefront park for the millworkers and their families. In view of this, Miller and Gary formed a joint parks department in 1915 to administer part of
1496-623: A mark on the landscape. During the Algonquin stage , the dune-and-swale ridges of the Tolleston Beach were formed across much of the Calumet Region, including the southern part of Miller Beach. The later and lower Nipissing stage created the high dunes that mark the northern, lakeward part of Miller Beach. Around 2600 BP, the Grand Calumet River formed; prior to the 19th century, it emptied into Lake Michigan at Marquette Park in Miller Beach, where
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#17328510400661632-663: A mix of industrial and commercial areas. In downtown Michigan City, the route becomes a four-lane divided highway and passes south of the Old Michigan City Light but just north of the Lighthouse Place Premium Outlets. Before exiting Michigan City, the road narrows to a four-lane undivided highway and intersects SR 212 , an eastern bypass of Michigan City. After SR 212 the route leaves Michigan City and passes through Long Beach . The highway leaves Long Beach, traveling through woodlands with houses and
1768-406: A number of distinct neighborhoods. Miller's traditional core, The Grandlake Historic District, between Lake Street and Grand Boulevard, is home to Miller's oldest homes and civil structures, many built during the period of Miller's political independence such as Miller Town Hall and Miller School. The northern part of Miller Beach is chiefly residential and surrounded entirely by national parkland. At
1904-489: A secondary principal street, Fifth Avenue, which was lined with many commercial businesses, restaurants, theaters, tall buildings, and elegant apartment buildings. The West Side was viewed as having wealthier residents. The houses dated from about 1908 to the 1930s. Much of the West Side's housing were for executives of U.S. Steel and other prominent businessmen. Notable mansions were 413 Tyler Street and 636 Lincoln Street. Many of
2040-493: A segregated white community, with African-Americans banned from the beaches, and also from the neighborhood except for day workers. In 1967, Richard Hatcher was elected mayor of Gary, becoming the first African-American mayor of any major US city. The voting in his election was almost entirely along racial lines, with white Democrats voting en masse for the Republican candidate in the general election . A key exception to this
2176-531: A series of treaties and forced removals in the 1820s and 1830s. Indian Boundary Road in Miller Beach marks the border of a tract ceded in one such treaty, the 1826 Treaty of Mississinewas , which used the southern end of Lake Michigan as the tract's southern limit. By 1836, the Potawatomi nation had been deprived of all of its lands throughout Indiana. Some Potawatomi, however, remained in the Miller Beach area as landowners, including Simon Pokagon , second chief of
2312-692: A sort of community fair, with information booths from groups such as the Miller Historical Society. In 2011, Miller was the site of the only gay pride parade in Northwest Indiana . Called "Northwest Indiana Rainbow Days," the annual parade has been held in Gary since 2006. Miller Beach is part of the First District of the Gary Common Council ,. Residents additionally vote for three at-large council seats. The economy of Miller Beach
2448-556: Is a city in Lake County, Indiana , United States. The population was 69,093 at the 2020 census , making it Indiana's eleventh-most populous city . The city has been historically dominated by major industrial activity and is home to U.S. Steel 's Gary Works , the largest steel mill complex in North America . Gary is located along the southern shore of Lake Michigan about 25 miles (40 km) southeast of downtown Chicago . The city
2584-523: Is a national landmark containing architecturally significant and historic structures, two bronze sculptures and the location of early experiments in aviation which predate the Wright Brothers flights. Less than an hour from downtown Chicago by car, Miller Beach has attracted Chicagoans as tourists and residents for more than a century. The most affluent area within the municipal boundaries of Gary, Miller Beach contains multiple business districts, including
2720-639: Is about 30 miles (48 km) from the Chicago Loop . Gary contains the western portion of Indiana Dunes National Park, including Miller Woods , the western part of Long Lake , and the Paul H. Douglas Center for Environmental Education. Much of this is within Gary's Miller Beach neighborhood, although the park's western tip extends to downtown Gary. Gary is listed by the Köppen-Geiger climate classification system as humid continental (Dfa). In July and August,
2856-603: Is also home to Gary's only synagogue still in operation, Temple Israel, a Reform congregation founded in 1910. The Miller Garden Club, founded in 2000, hosts an annual garden walk and plant sale. Miller also hosts several community gardens, one of which is a joint project between Miller's Lutheran and Jewish congregations. Numerous festivals are held in Miller through the year, including the South Shore Air Show at Marquette Park. The biweekly farmer's market also functions as
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#17328510400662992-635: Is also home to several strip clubs , a source of frequent anger from community activists. During the summer months, the Miller Beach Farmers' Market provides an alternative source of fresh food. Begun in 2008 and now sponsored by the Miller Beach Arts and Creative District , the Farmers' Market seeks to promote a sustainable local economy and allow residents access to high-quality, fresh produce and gourmet foodstuffs. Public schooling in Miller Beach,
3128-461: Is clustered primarily along Lake Street and U.S. 20, in the neighborhood's southwestern corner. The Lake Street corridor is a traditional downtown area, described by the city government as having a "pedestrian-friendly, 'Main Street' character." The downtown area has the highest walkability of any part of Miller Beach. Most retail catering to neighborhood residents is concentrated along this corridor. Near
3264-409: Is dominated by retail and tourism, with no heavy industry. Because of its relatively affluent population and scenic lakefront setting, Miller Beach is also able to attract luxury high-end housing development. Many Miller homeowners commute to work in Chicago or have their primary residence in Chicago and a vacation or weekend home in Miller Beach. Home values in Miller are the highest of any area within
3400-430: Is greatly regulated by its proximity to Lake Michigan . Weather varies yearly. In the summer months Gary is humid. The city's yearly precipitation averages about 40 inches. Summer is the rainiest season. Winters vary but are predominantly snowy. Snowfall in Gary averages approximately 25 inches per year. Sometimes large blizzards hit because of " lake effect snow ", a phenomenon whereby large amounts of water evaporated from
3536-556: Is home to the Village Shopping Center. Glen Park includes the 37th Avenue corridor at Broadway. Midtown is located south of Downtown Gary, along Broadway. In the pre-1960s days of de facto segregation, this developed historically as a "black" neighborhood as African Americans came to Gary from the rural South in the Great Migration to seek jobs in the industrial economy. Aetna is located on Gary's far east side along
3672-607: Is located just south of Interstate 90 and can also be seen from the expressway. The Brunswick area includes the Tri-City Plaza shopping center on West 5th Avenue (U.S. 20). The area is south of the Gary Chicago International Airport . Downtown West is located in north-central Gary on the west side of Broadway just south of Interstate 90 . The Genesis Convention Center , the Gary Police Department ,
3808-521: Is one of Gary's oldest neighborhoods, predating much of the rest of the city. It was platted by George Tolle in 1857 when the railroads were constructed in this area. This area is west of Midtown and south of Ambridge Mann. Tarrytown is a subdivision located in Tolleston between Whitcomb Street and Clark Road. Black Oak is located on the far southwest side of Gary, in the vicinity of the Burr Street exit to
3944-581: Is provided by the Gary Community School Corporation . Public elementary schools in Miller include Marquette Elementary, near Marquette Park, and Banneker Elementary near Long Lake. The public high school for the area is West Side Leadership Academy in Gary. Charter schools in Miller Beach include KIPP: Lead College Prep Charter School and the Charter School of the Dunes , located adjacent to
4080-615: Is the western gateway to the Indiana Dunes National Park , and is within the Chicago metropolitan area . Gary was named after lawyer Elbert Henry Gary , who was the founding chairman of the United States Steel Corporation. U.S. Steel had established the city in 1906 as a company town to serve its steel mills. Like other Rust Belt cities, Gary's once thriving steel industry has been significantly affected by
4216-485: Is water. Gary is T-shaped, with its northern border on Lake Michigan . In the northwesternmost section, Gary borders Hammond and East Chicago ; 165th Street, one of several roads connecting Hammond and Gary, has been walled off from Gary since 1981, initially due to a toxic flood. Miller Beach , Gary's easternmost neighborhood, borders Lake Station and Portage . Gary's southernmost section borders Griffith , Hobart , Merrillville , and unincorporated Ross . Gary
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4352-519: The 1930 United States Census , the first census in which Gary's population exceeded 100,000, the city was the fifth largest in Indiana and comparable in size to South Bend , Fort Wayne , and Evansville . At that time, 78.7% of the population was classified as white, with 19.3% as foreign-born and another 25.9% as native-born with at least one foreign-born parent. In addition to white internal migrants, Gary had attracted numerous African-American migrants from
4488-463: The 2020 census , there were 69,093 people, 28,610 households, and 16,459 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,388.9 inhabitants per square mile (536.3/km ). There were 37,274 housing units. The racial makeup of the city was 10.6% White , 80.2% African American , 0.4% Native American , 0.2% Asian , 0.0% Pacific Islander , 3.3% from some other races and 5.2% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 7.6% of
4624-459: The Borman Expressway . It was annexed in the 1970s. Prior to that, Black Oak was an unincorporated area informally associated with Hammond , and the area has Hammond telephone numbers. After three referendums, the community voters approved annexation, having been persuaded by Mayor Hatcher that they would benefit more from services provided by the city than from those provided by the county. In
4760-672: The Dunes Highway . Aetna predates the city of Gary. This company town was founded in 1881 by the Aetna Powder Works, an explosives company. Their factory closed after the end of World War I. The Town of Aetna was annexed by Gary in 1928, around the same time that the city annexed the Town of Miller. In the late 1920s and early 1930s, Gary's prosperous industries helped generate residential and other development in Aetna, resulting in an impressive collection of art deco architecture. The rest of
4896-574: The Lake Shore and Michigan Southern Railway in 1851, a train stop first called "Miller's Station" and later "Miller's Junction" or "Miller's", and ultimately "Miller", was established in the present-day downtown area of Miller Beach. A railroad town from its inception, Miller would later also be served by the B&;O Railroad beginning in 1874 and the South Shore Line beginning in 1908. The person for whom
5032-553: The Miller Beach Arts and Creative District , a robust civil society, and numerous public and charter schools . The community is within a mile of exits on four major interstates , and is also served by South Shore Line commuter trains . Having defied regional trends toward racial polarization and environmental degradation , Miller Beach exhibits extraordinary socioeconomic, racial and bio diversity. The community has been described as "an island of integration and natural beauty". Miller Beach sits at Lake Michigan 's southern tip, and at
5168-531: The Palace Theater , and City Methodist Church . A large area of the downtown neighborhood (including City Methodist) was devastated by a major fire on October 12, 1997. Interstate 90 was constructed between downtown Gary and the United States Steel plant. Ambridge Mann is a neighborhood located on Gary's near west side along 5th Avenue. Ambridge was developed for workers at the nearby steel plant in
5304-566: The Pokagon Band . Other Potawatomi continued to visit the region in the spring and summer into the late 19th century. As white settlement spread across the Upper Midwest in the 19th century, many promoters and speculators sought to attract settlers and commercial development to the Calumet Region , but were defeated by the difficult terrain and lack of transportation. In 1833, an inn called
5440-578: 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 Hammond . The 46.258 miles (74.445 km) of US 12 that lie within Indiana serve as a major conduit. Some of the highway is listed on the National Highway System (NHS). Various sections are rural two-lane highway, urbanized four-lane undivided highway, and one-way streets. The easternmost community along
5576-454: The Wynant House (1917), which was destroyed by fire. A significant number of older structures have been demolished in recent years because of the cost of restoration. Restructuring of the steel and other heavy industry in the late 20th century resulted in a loss of jobs, adversely affecting the city. Abandoned buildings in the downtown area include historic structures such as Union Station ,
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5712-595: The fame flower , grow nowhere else in the Indiana Dunes. A wide range of species of wild mammals inhabit the natural areas of Miller Beach, including the Virginia opossum , prairie deer mouse , fox squirrel , and beaver . The coyote , which returned to the area in the 1990s, is the region's largest wild predator, and the white-tailed deer is its largest herbivore. Although no definitive survey of local bats has been conducted, several species are believed to be present in
5848-471: The six-lined racerunner and the state-endangered Blanding's turtle . In addition, the slender glass lizard inhabits the Inland Marsh area in the neighborhood's southeast. "Where else could you catch salmon or trout in the morning, be in easy access to your metropolitan office, attend a major league game in the afternoon, and still enjoy a dinner with the family in a home near the big water or nestled in
5984-418: The 1860s, and its own post office in 1879. Beginning in the 1880s, the town hosted a small commercial sturgeon and whitefish fishery, with fishermen bringing in sturgeon weighing as much as 200 pounds. The combination of proximity to Chicago and a pristine natural environment soon drew visitors from the city. Among them was aviation pioneer Octave Chanute , who staged a series of experimental flights from
6120-567: The 1910s and 1920s. It is named after the American Bridge Works, which was a subsidiary of U.S. Steel. The neighborhood is home to a huge stock of prairie-style and art deco homes. The Gary Masonic Temple was located in the neighborhood, along with the Ambassador apartment building. Located just south of Interstate 90 , the neighborhood can be seen while passing Buchanan Street. Brunswick is located on Gary's far west side. The neighborhood
6256-405: The 1950s. During this period, Miller Beach developed a sizable Jewish population. The first house in Miller Beach to be purchased by an African-American family was sold in 1964. Unlike other Gary neighborhoods that saw abrupt white flight and economic dislocation during this period, Miller Beach underwent a stable and peaceful transition through the 1970s to an integrated population with most of
6392-476: The 21st century, it is the only majority-white neighborhood in Gary. Glen Park is located on Gary's far south side and is made up mostly of mid-twentieth-century houses. Glen Park is divided from the remainder of the city by the Borman Expressway. The northern portion of Glen Park is home to Gary's Gleason Park Golf Course and the campus of Indiana University Northwest . The far western portion of Glen Park
6528-537: The 21st century, the MCC has also been active in addressing city fees and taxation issues. Other major civic organizations in the neighborhood include the Humane Society of Northwest Indiana and Crisis Center. Located in Miller Beach since 1988, Crisis Center provides crisis intervention and suicide prevention services to teens and adults nationwide. Miller Beach has had a vibrant religious life dating back to 1874, when
6664-466: The 70-foot dunes near Lake Street Beach in 1896. Around the same time, the pioneering botanist Henry Chandler Cowles conducted early studies of ecological succession in Miller Woods . In subsequent decades, the Chicago film industry used the Miller dunes and beaches as backdrops in numerous silent films set in exotic locales. Among these were films by the Selig Polyscope Company , and
6800-570: The Bennett Tavern was built at the mouth of the Grand Calumet River , serving the Detroit-Chicago stagecoaches that ran along the shoreline. It stood for only a few years. The first man to plat a town in modern-day Miller Beach was Indian trader Joseph Bailly , who in 1833 platted a "Town of Bailly" at the mouth of the Grand Calumet, in present-day Marquette Park . But nothing came of
6936-540: The Calumet Township Trustee's office. A 6,000-seat minor league baseball stadium for the Gary SouthShore RailCats , U.S. Steel Yard , was constructed in 2002, along with contiguous commercial space and minor residential development. Miller Beach , also known simply as Miller, is on Gary's far northeast side. Settled in the 1850s and incorporated as an independent town in 1907, Miller was annexed by
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#17328510400667072-485: The Chicago Essanay Studios productions The Plum Tree (1914) and The Fall of Montezuma (1912), in which the Miller beach represented the coast of Mexico. Millerites rallied to incorporate their community as the Town of Miller in 1907, hoping to prevent annexation by Gary following the founding of that then booming city in 1906. Gary mayor Thomas Knotts first attempted to annex Miller in 1910 as part of
7208-471: The Chicago transit system. It is also home to a professional baseball team, the Gary SouthShore RailCats . In addition to its large steel mills, the city is known for being the birthplace of the Jackson family , a family of well-known entertainers whose members include singer Michael Jackson . Gary, Indiana, was founded in 1906 by the U.S. Steel corporation as the home for its new plant, Gary Works . The city
7344-719: The Civil War Union Army unit; it has the same designation in Michigan, Wisconsin, and Illinois. US 12 enters Indiana concurrent with US 20 and US 41 , at which point it passes under the Indiana Toll Road. The road passes both commercial and industrial areas between Wolf Lake and Horseshoe Hammond . US 12, US 20, and US 41 are concurrent until US 41 turns south on Calumet Avenue. Both US 12 and US 20 head southeast toward East Chicago , where US 12 turns east while US 20 continues south. The route heads east through East Chicago as
7480-461: The Dunes Highway as SR 43, to be 20 feet (6.1 m) wide. Narrower than anticipated, the new concrete highway was still superior to most Indiana roads, which in the mid-1920s were gravel or dirt with paved sections only between the larger towns. Dunes Highway construction began in 1922 under the guidance of Gary contractor Ingwald Moe and construction engineer Ezra Sensibar. The designation
7616-643: The Dunes", who frequented Miller Beach and nearby Ogden Dunes in the early 1900s. In the 1950s, as it gained prominence as a resort area. Miller's many new residents included author Nelson Algren , who bought a house on the East Lagoon with the proceeds from the Pulitzer Prize and The Man With the Golden Arm . Another wave of migration from Chicago began in the 1990s. The live and let live style of Miller Beach has also attracted numerous lesbian and gay families to
7752-474: The Gary Department of Redevelopment has estimated that one-third of all homes in the city are unoccupied and/or abandoned. U.S. Steel continues to be a major steel producer but with only a fraction of its former level of employment. While Gary has failed to reestablish a manufacturing base since its population peak, two casinos opened along the Gary lakeshore in the 1990s. However, this has been aggravated by
7888-511: The Grand Calumet Lagoons are today. The direction of the Grand Calumet was changed in 1862. Because the river is nearly flat, however, the direction of flow through the lagoons sometimes reverses after heavy rains. Indiana Dunes National Park , which includes large areas in and around Miller Beach, is a place of extremely high biodiversity. The neighborhood's Miller Woods area alone is home to 287 species of plants and animals, including
8024-651: The Lake Street Beach. Like all charter schools in Gary , these schools are sponsored by Ball State University . At the neighborhood's edge, a private religious school is operated by Christ Baptist Church in the Glen Ryan area; another private school is located in Aetna. The Miller Beach area is also served by the Roman Catholic schools of the Gary diocese . As of 2011, there were no Catholic schools in Miller Beach, although
8160-861: The Lake Superior Court House, and the Main Branch of the Gary Public Library are located along 5th Avenue. A new 123-unit mixed-income apartment development was built using a HUD HOPE VI grant in 2006. The Adam Benjamin Metro Center is located just north of 4th Avenue. It is operated by the Gary Public Transportation Corporation and serves as a multi-modal hub. It serves both as the Downtown Gary South Shore train station and an intercity bus stop. Tolleston
8296-499: The Midwest for observing jaegers during their autumn migration, and also lies under a spring flyway of the sandhill crane . Migrant birds stopping at Long Lake include the state-endangered least bittern and Virginia rail . Miller Woods is home to 18 species of reptiles and amphibians, giving it one of the most diverse herpetofauna in the Indiana Dunes. These include the Fowler's toad ,
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#17328510400668432-419: The South in the Great Migration , and 17.8% of the population was classified as black. 3.5% were classified as Mexican (now likely to be identified as Hispanic, as some were likely American citizens in addition to immigrants). Gary's fortunes have risen and fallen with those of the steel industry. The growth of the steel industry brought prosperity to the community. Broadway was known as a commercial center for
8568-416: The Swedish-speaking Bethel Lutheran church was organized, meeting originally in the Miller schoolhouse. The town's first English-speaking church, Chapel of the Dunes, was built in 1901. Miller is unusual among communities in the region, in that both of these early churches are still standing. The Roman Catholic parish of St. Mary of the Lake was established in 1929, under the Gary diocese . Miller Beach
8704-399: The Town of Bailly or the " Indiana City " laid out nearby in 1837. In 1837, the area that would become downtown Miller was purchased and platted by Indian traders William and George Ewing and George H. Walker . The plat bore the name of "Ewing's Subdivision", as the lots within it still do. Development in Ewing's Subdivision took off when the railroad arrived in 1851. With the coming of
8840-443: The Union. This area contained mostly wood-frame houses, some of the earliest in the city, and became known in the 20th century for its ethnic populations from Europe and large families. The single-family houses had repeating house designs that alternated from one street to another, with some streets looking very similar. Among the East Side's most notable buildings were Memorial Auditorium (a large red-brick and stone civic auditorium and
8976-407: The United States in large numbers in the 1860s as a result of the famines in Scandinavia , and some of these immigrants settled in Miller. The Swedish - and German-Americans of early Miller drew their livelihood from sand mining , ice harvesting, and railroad maintenance. Miller remained very small in this period; only twelve families were present in 1870. Miller acquired its first schoolhouse in
9112-482: The ages of 18 and 24; 21.8% were from 25 to 44; 27.1% were from 45 to 64; and 14.5% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 46.0% male and 54.0% female. As of the 2000 census , there were 102,746 people, 38,244 households, and 25,623 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,045.5 inhabitants per square mile (789.8/km ). There were 43,630 housing units at an average density of 868.6 per square mile (335.4/km ). The racial makeup of
9248-409: The area, including the endangered Indiana myotis . Miller Beach and the adjacent West Beach area of the National Park provide a stopping point for many migratory birds, thanks to their position at the southernmost tip of Lake Michigan. The Audubon Society has consequently designated both areas as Important Bird Areas . In particular, the neighborhood's beachfront is known as one of the best areas in
9384-544: The city of Gary in 1918. Miller developed around the old stagecoach stop and train station known by the 1850s as Miller's Junction and/or Miller's Station. Miller Beach is racially and economically diverse. It attracts investor interest due to the many year-round and summer homes within walking distance of Marquette Park and Lake Michigan . Prices for lakefront property are affordable compared to those in Illinois suburban communities. Lake Street provides shopping and dining options for Miller Beach visitors and residents. East Edge,
9520-409: The city was 84.03% African American , 11.92% White , 0.21% Native American , 0.14% Asian , 0.02% Pacific Islander , 1.97% from other races , and 1.71% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino people of any race were 4.93% of the population. There were 38,244 households, out of which 31.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 30.2% were married couples living together, 30.9% had
9656-458: The city was 84.8% African American , 10.7% White , 0.3% Native American , 0.2% Asian , 1.8% from other races , and 2.1% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino people of any race were 5.1% of the population. Non-Hispanic Whites were 8.9% of the population in 2010, down from 39.1% in 1970. There were 31,380 households, of which 33.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 25.2% were married couples living together, 30.9% had
9792-425: The city's 21st mayor on December 30, 2019. In May 2021, a $ 300 million Hard Rock Casino location opened in the city. Branded as Hard Rock Casino Northern Indiana, the location includes memorabilia from local natives Jackson 5 and a 1,950-seat Hard Rock Live performance hall. The city is located at the southern end of the former lake bed of the prehistoric Lake Chicago and the current Lake Michigan . Most of
9928-588: The city's economy with major construction projects, such as a Holiday Inn hotel and the Genesis Convention Center , failed to reverse the decline. In July 1968, riots broke out in Gary. 3,000 National Guard members came in to restore order to the city. Curfews were enforced, and a ban on gasoline and liquor sales helped calm the violence. Over 110 people were arrested, at least three stores were set on fire, and at least 15 fire-bombings were reported. A rapid racial change occurred in Gary during
10064-509: The city's soil, nearly one foot below the surface, is pure sand. The sand beneath Gary and on its beaches is of such volume and quality that for over a century, companies have mined it, especially for the manufacture of glass. According to the United States Census Bureau , the city has a total area of 50.663 square miles (131.22 km ), of which 49.932 square miles (129.32 km ) is land and 0.731 square miles (1.89 km )
10200-438: The city, the goal of the MCC was not to prevent integration, but to slow the process so that events did not spiral out of control. The MCC worked to stem flight from the community with techniques including positive publicity about Miller's advantages, and banning "For Sale" signs. As part of this effort, the organization also took on environmental issues, including banning sand mining in residential areas. The National Lakeshore
10336-442: The command of Major General Leonard Wood arrived to restore order. The steel industry's jobs provided Gary with rapid growth and a diverse population within the first 26 years of its founding. According to the 1920 United States Census , 29.7% of Gary's population at the time was classified as foreign-born, mostly from eastern European countries, with another 30.8% classified as native-born with at least one foreign-born parent. By
10472-522: The community over the years- both as part-time and full-time residents. The natural landscape of Miller Beach includes "some of the most pristine habitats that remain in Northwest Indiana". The freshwater panne habitat, found at Miller Woods and West Beach, is considered globally imperiled by the Nature Conservancy . The dune and swale complex is unique to the southern Great Lakes , with only
10608-637: The community was built after World War II and the Korean War in the 1950s, in a series of phases. On its south and east, Aetna borders the undeveloped floodplain of the Little Calumet River . Emerson is located in north-central Gary on the east side of Broadway. Located just south of Interstate 90 , Gary City Hall is located in Emerson, along with the Indiana Department of Social Services building and
10744-472: The disappearance of local manufacturing jobs since the 1970s. As a result of this economic shift, the city's population has decreased drastically, having lost 61% of its population since 1960. Because of its large losses in population and deteriorating economy, Gary is often cited as an example of industrial decline and urban decay in America. Although initially a very diverse city, Gary currently holds one of
10880-565: The east of downtown on the Dunes Highway , the isolated Inland Manor subdivision lies in the midst of Indiana Dunes National Park . All property in Inland Manor has been acquired by the US government to become part of the National Park, however many residents remain in their homes under reservation of use and occupancy agreements. When Lake Michigan first entered recorded history in the early 1600s,
11016-409: The economy, mobility, and defense of the nation. The highway is maintained by INDOT like all other U.S. Highways in the state. The department tracks the traffic volumes along all state highways as a part of its maintenance responsibilities using a metric called annual average daily traffic (AADT). This measurement is a calculation of the traffic level along a segment of roadway for any average day of
11152-463: The far northeast corner, along County Line Road, Miller's most expensive development, East Edge, rubs shoulders with the Miller Village apartment complex. West of Miller's downtown is another multi-block apartment complex, Duneland Village, containing a small baseball park, the 3.47-acre Gibson Fields, home field of Miller Little League for generations. In the opposite direction, more than a mile to
11288-636: The federally endangered Karner Blue butterfly and the federally threatened Pitcher's thistle . At 1,445 plant species, the Park has more species per unit of area than any other national park in the United States. Among these, numerous species of orchids are found in the neighborhood's Miller Woods area, including the Northern fringed orchid and snake-mouth orchid . Some plant species found in Miller Woods, such as
11424-530: The first city in the Midwest (and one of the first in the entire nation) to fully integrate its public school system. Gary is serviced by the Gary/Chicago International Airport , an alternative airport to the Chicago region's two larger airports. The city's public transport is provided by the Gary Public Transportation Corporation and the South Shore Line passenger railway, which connects to
11560-472: The formation of the Indiana state road system. SR 43 ran from the Illinois state line through Gary to Michigan City and ended at the Michigan state line. In the early 1920s, it was the most important route between Chicago and Detroit and in 1922 the first sections started being paved. The Indiana State Highway Commission, later renamed Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT), removed US 20 from
11696-476: The glaciers melted. Some boreal species remained in hospitable habitats after the climate had warmed, while more heat-tolerant species such as the six-lined racerunner and prickly pear cactus moved in during the Holocene climatic optimum to inhabit the mesic uplands. After the glaciers retreated, factors including isostatic rebound of the earth's crust led to a series of different lake levels, each of which left
11832-685: The highway is Michiana Shores at the Michigan state line. US 12 passes through urban areas and wood lands, parallel to the Lake Michigan shoreline. The highway is included in the Lake Michigan Circle Tour and passes through Indiana Dunes National Park . Historical landmarks along the highway include the Miller Town Hall , Beverly Shores station , and the Old Michigan City Light . A memorial highway designations have been applied to
11968-420: The highway narrows to a two-lane highway again. The highway is near, but not on or within sight of, the shoreline of Lake Michigan . The route reenters Indiana Dunes National Park at a traffic light for the eastern entrance of Mittal Steel Company . After the traffic light the road passes south of Dune Acres and enters Indiana Dunes State Park . The road has an intersection with SR 49 , with access to
12104-465: The historical Miller Town Hall , in the community of Miller Beach . After the community of Miller Beach, the highway enters Indiana Dunes National Park. The road passes through woodland and parallel to the South Shore tracks, before leaving the national park west of Ogden Dunes . In Ogden Dunes, the highway becomes a four-lane divided highway, passing through woodland with some houses. After Ogden Dunes,
12240-497: The houses were on larger lots. By contrast, a working-class area was made up of row houses made of poured concrete were arranged together and known as "Mill Houses"; they were built to house steel mill workers. The areas known as Emerson and Downtown West combine to form Downtown Gary. It was developed in the 1920s and houses several pieces of impressive architecture, including the Moe House, designed by Frank Lloyd Wright , and another,
12376-536: The lake deposit onto the shoreline areas as inordinate amounts of snow. Downtown Gary is separated by Broadway into two distinctive communities. Originally, the City of Gary consisted of The East Side, The West Side, The South Side (the area south of the train tracks near 9th Avenue), and Glen Park, located further South along Broadway. The East Side was demarcated by streets named after the States in order of their acceptance into
12512-443: The lake front. After the intersection, the road passes under the access road to the lake front. The highway leaves the dunes and enters Beverly Shores . In Beverly Shores at the intersection of US 12 and Broadway is Beverly Shores station . After leaving Beverly Shores, the route enters Town of Pines and has an all-way stop at the northern terminus of SR 520 . SR 520 is the final connecting route to US 20 before
12648-479: The land along the Little Calumet is largely protected from development by flood-control easements . In addition, a strip of National Park property separates Miller's northern and southern halves, making the northern half of Miller Beach one of four beachfront communities entirely surrounded by the National Park. As a legacy of the cycles of expansion it has undergone since the 19th century, Miller Beach contains
12784-683: The land at the lake's southern end was populated by the Miami people . By 1640, the Miami had been driven from the region by the Beaver Wars . The Potawatomi moved in from the north to replace them. The Potawatomi frequently came into the areas now within the Indiana Dunes National lakeshore to hunt, fish and gather food including wild rice . The Odawa people also hunted deer there in the winter. French missionary Father Jacques Marquette passed along
12920-459: The land that is now Marquette Park . Encountering difficulties purchasing this land, however, Gary sought to annex Miller so that it could seize the property by eminent domain . In 1918, the town board voted to accept annexation, ending Miller's political independence. After its annexation, the community continued to grow. So did its tourist industry: Drusilla Carr , proprietress of Carr's Beach (now Lake Street Beach), collected rent on more than
13056-517: The late 20th century. These population changes resulted in political change, which reflected Gary's racial demographics: the Black and Hispanic share of the city's population increased from 21% in 1930, 39% in 1960, and 53% in 1970. Black and Hispanic people primarily lived in the Midtown section just south of downtown (per the 1950 Census, 97% of Gary's black population lived in this neighborhood). Gary had one of
13192-568: The local parish did operate a K-8 institution, Saint Mary of The Lake School, from 1949 to 1993. Nearby institutions of higher learning include Indiana University Northwest in Gary's Glen Park neighborhood, Purdue University Calumet in Hammond, and Valparaiso University in Valparaiso. There are no colleges or universities within Miller Beach itself. The 2005-2009 American Community Survey found that approximately 28% of Miller Beach residents had
13328-425: The municipal boundaries of Gary. In 2006, a home on Miller's lakefront sold for more than US$ 1 million for the first time. As of 2008, the "East Edge" development in northeastern Miller Beach was the city's most expensive, with single-family home prices in excess of $ 500,000. As of 2000, Miller's 4,773 housing units had an owner-occupancy rate of 47.4% and a vacancy rate of 10.3%. Commercial activity in Miller Beach
13464-426: The nation's first African-American mayors, Richard G. Hatcher , and hosted the groundbreaking 1972 National Black Political Convention . In the late 1990s and early 2000s, Gary had the highest percentage of African-Americans in U.S. cities with a population of 100,000 or more, 84% (as of the 2000 census ). This no longer applies to Gary since the city's population has fallen well below 100,000 residents. As of 2013,
13600-419: The nation's highest percentages of African-Americans. Between 1970 and 2010, Gary maintained a 40-year record of holding the nation's largest Black population per capita. The city also boasts a legacy of African-American cultural and historical feats, such as electing the nation's first Black mayor (see Richard Hatcher ), hosting the first and largest National Black Political Convention , and, in 1945, becoming
13736-446: The new African-American residents being "upwardly mobile" black professionals. Miller Beach and the previously little-developed Westside neighborhood were the only areas in Gary to experience population growth during the 1970s. Since early in the community's history, many people have moved to Miller Beach from nearby Chicago, "seeking a getaway from the city". Early examples included nonconformist Alice Mabel Gray , known as "Diana of
13872-428: The next 20 miles (32 km), sometimes coming within 0.2 miles (0.32 km). US 20 follows a slightly more southerly route to Michigan City (via Portage and Porter ), while US 12 passes through Indiana Dunes National Park and retains the name "Dunes Highway". After splitting from US 20, US 12 becomes a mostly rural two-lane highway, passing through the woodland. The road passes just south of
14008-401: 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. Home to some of the world's most threatened ecosystems, Miller Beach contains
14144-453: The northeastern tip of Lake County . The majority of Gary's lakefront is occupied by heavy industry, Miller Beach is the only residential area within Gary's municipal boundaries with unspoiled lake frontage. The shoreline of Miller is publicly owned either by the municipal or federal governments, and beachfront homes are separated from the lake by "an apron of dunes". Protected lands separate Miller Beach from most of its neighbors, except for
14280-553: The other passing over the Indiana Toll Road and the South Shore Line . After passing the rail line, the road has an interchange with US 20, this interchange is the southern end of the SR ;912 concurrency. US 12 follows US 20 east toward Downtown Gary , as a four-lane divided highway. The two highways pass through residential areas and crosses the Lake Shore and Michigan Southern Railway owned by Norfolk Southern Railway , before Downtown Gary. At Bridge Street in Gary,
14416-425: The population. 27.6% of residents were under the age of 18, 7.0% were under 5 years of age, and 18.5% were 65 and older. As of the 2010 census , there were 80,294 people, 31,380 households, and 19,691 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,610.2 inhabitants per square mile (621.7/km ). There were 39,531 housing units at an average density of 792.7 per square mile (306.1/km ). The racial makeup of
14552-459: The poverty line, including 37.9% of those under age 18 and 14.1% of those age 65 or over. Meredith Willson 's 1957 Broadway musical The Music Man featured the song " Gary, Indiana ", in which lead character (and con man ) Professor Harold Hill wistfully recalls his purported hometown, then prosperous. Hill claims to be an alumnus of "Gary Conservatory of Music, Class of '05", but this is later revealed to be another of his lies. The City of Gary
14688-603: The region. Department stores and architecturally significant movie houses were built in the downtown and Glen Park neighborhoods. Gary entered a period of decline in the 1960s, like many other American urban centers reliant on one particular industry. Gary's decline was brought on by reduced employment in the steel industry overall, which caused U.S. Steel to lay off many workers from the Gary area. The U.S. Steel Gary Works employed over 30,000 in 1970, declined to just 6,000 by 1990, and declined to 5,100 in August 2015. Attempts to shore up
14824-458: The road becomes a six-lane divided highway, known as Dunes Highway. The Dunes Highway passes between the South Shore commuter rail line and residential houses. East of Gary the route has a signalized intersection with the northern terminus of I-65 . After I-65, the road has a trumpet interchange with I-90 . In the far eastern portion of Gary, US 12 and US 20 split for the final time, although US 20 closely parallels US 12 for
14960-480: The road becomes one-way streets, with westbound on Fourth Avenue and eastbound on Fifth Avenue. In Downtown Gary it has an intersection with SR 53 , locally known as Broadway. The streets also pass by the historical Knights of Columbus Building and the old Ralph Waldo Emerson School building. East of Downtown Gary, the road passes by U.S. Steel Yard , the home of the Gary SouthShore RailCats , an independent professional baseball team. The one-way streets end and
15096-418: The road has a folded diamond interchange with the north terminus of SR 249 and George Nalson Drive, which heads into the industrial complex at Burns Harbor . The industrial complex at Burns Harbor includes a NIPSCO powerplant and a steel mill. After SR 249, the route has an intersection with SR 149 and a folded diamond interchange at an access road into Burns Harbor. After this interchange,
15232-470: The route since 1917, named for the Civil War Union Army unit. US 12 was first designated as a U.S. Highway in 1926, concurrent with US 20 west of Michigan City. A section of the highway originally served as part of the Dunes Highway , a connection between Gary and Michigan . US 12 replaced the original State Road 43 (SR 43) designation of the highway which dated back to
15368-579: The section east of Gary in the early 1930s. Most of the route has since been supplanted by Interstate 94 (I-94) and the Indiana Toll Road . Only one segment of US 12 is included in the NHS . That is the segment that is concurrent with US 20 from the Illinois state line to the split with US 20 in East Chicago . The NHS is a network of highways that are identified as being most important for
15504-545: The setting for numerous films made by Hollywood filmmakers. In 2009, scenes for the remake of A Nightmare on Elm Street were filmed in Gary. Scenes from Transformers: Dark of the Moon wrapped up filming on August 16, 2010. Dunes Highway 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
15640-593: The site of numerous events, concerts and graduations), The Palace Theater, Emerson School, St. Luke's Church, H.C. Gordon & Sons, and Goldblatt's Department stores, in addition to the Fair Department Store. All fronted Broadway as the main street that divided Gary. The West Side of Gary, or West of Broadway, the principal commercial street, had streets named after the presidents of the United States in order of their election. Lytton's, Hudson's ladies store, J.C. Penney, and Radigan Bros Furniture Store developed on
15776-413: The smaller Gary neighborhood of Aetna to the southwest. To the west, the Miller Woods area of Indiana Dunes National Park lies between Miller and U.S. Steel's Gary Works . To the east, Miller borders on the Park's West Beach area. To the southeast and south, the Little Calumet River corridor largely separates Miller from the cities of Portage and Lake Station . Although mostly in private hands,
15912-468: The south shore of Lake Michigan in 1675, attempting to return to Canada after he had fallen gravely ill on the Mississippi River. According to local tradition, Marquette camped for a night at the mouth of the Grand Calumet River in present-day Marquette Park , shortly before his death. As the United States expanded westward in the early 19th century, the Potawatomi were removed from Indiana through
16048-555: The southern end of downtown, the historic Miller Train Station was relocated just a few yards from its original location and is now the main dining room for Miller Pizza Station, a popular restaurant in the downtown area. The U.S. 20 corridor, running along Miller's southern end and partially shared with the Aetna neighborhood, is another commercial center. Businesses along U.S. 20 cater primarily to highway and interstate travelers. This corridor
16184-488: The state closing of Cline Avenue , an important access to the area. Today, Gary faces the difficulties of a Rust Belt city, including higher than national average unemployment and decaying infrastructure. Gary has closed several of its schools within the last ten years. While some school buildings have been reused, most remain unused since closing. As of 2014, Gary is considering closing additional schools in response to budget deficits. Gary Chief of Police Thomas Houston
16320-559: The state constitution in 2010. Miller Beach began as a working-class town with a primarily Swedish-American and German-American population. The neighborhood's demographic makeup became wealthier and more diverse beginning in the late 1940s as it attracted affluent residents from elsewhere. In 1950, Miller supplanted the Horace Mann neighborhood as Gary's wealthiest area, a distinction it has retained ever since. Along with other areas on Gary's periphery, Miller saw strong 70% growth during
16456-412: The town of Michiana Shores , before entering Michigan. The Old Chicago Road was an important road from 1900 to 1910; it was later renamed the Dunes Highway. The Dunes Highway Association engineers envisioned the Dunes Highway a "state of the art" 40-foot-wide (12 m) concrete highway with a 100-foot (30 m) right-of-way. In August 1919, commission director H.L. Wright tentatively designated
16592-404: The town was named is unknown. An early railroad agent recalled the name as coming from a construction engineer named John Miller who lived in the area, and at whose home the early trains would stop for water and wood between LaPorte and Chicago. Other possible namesakes include an innkeeper for whom train crews dropped off milk, and a foreman who buried his son nearby. Swedes began to migrate to
16728-579: The two separate regionally. After Town of Pines, the road curves due north back into the dunes and crossing the South Shore Line tracks. The route curves northeast and becomes a four-lane undivided highway, before leaving the dunes. After the dunes the route crosses the Michigan Line , owned by Amtrak . The Michigan Line is used by Amtrak's Wolverine train. The route makes a few more curves before entering downtown Michigan City and passing through
16864-570: The vote and her term began in January 2012; she is the first woman elected mayor in the city's history. She was reelected in 2015. She was defeated in her bid for a third term in the 2019 Democratic primary by Lake County Assessor Jerome Prince . Since no challengers filed for the November 2019 general election, Prince's nomination was effectively tantamount to election. He officially succeeded Freeman-Wilson on January 1, 2020, two days after being sworn in as
17000-428: The warmest months, high temperatures average 84 °F (29 °C) and peak just above 100 °F (38 °C), and low temperatures average 63 °F (17 °C). In January and February, the coldest months, high temperatures average around 29 °F (−2 °C) and low temperatures average 13 °F (−11 °C), with at least a few days of temperatures dipping below 0 °F (−18 °C). The weather in Gary
17136-657: The west side of Broadway. Developed later, this side of town was known for its masonry or brick residences, its taller and larger commercial buildings, including the Gary National Bank Building, Hotel Gary (now Genesis Towers), The Knights of Columbus Hotel & Building (now affordable housing fronting 5th Avenue), the Tivoli Theater (demolished), the U.S. Post Office, Main Library, Mercy and Methodist Hospitals and Holy Angels Cathedral and School. The West Side also had
17272-432: The wooded dunes?" Fred Grady, "Message of Miller", 1973 The Miller Citizens Corporation (MCC) has played a key role in Miller Beach politics and society since its foundation in 1971. Founded to help prevent white flight and disruption during the sudden changes of the 1970s, the MCC quickly expanded into other ways of promoting community stability, including through environmental preservation and zoning ordinances. In
17408-499: The year. In 2010, INDOT figured that the lowest traffic levels were 3,120 vehicles and 350 commercial vehicles used the highway daily near Ogden Dunes . The peak traffic volumes were 30,510 vehicles and 2,430 commercial vehicles AADT along the section of US 12 at the Illinois state line, concurrent with US 20 and US 41. The highway has been designated as the Iron Brigade Memorial Highway to honor
17544-408: 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. About 22.2% of families and 25.8% of the population were below
17680-453: Was changed to US 12 and US 20 in 1926 when the U.S. Numbered Highway System was created. The two routes were concurrent from Illinois to Michigan City, with the rest in Indiana as only being US 12. In 1930, US 20 was moved to a new alignment south of US 12. This left US 12 on its current alignment without US 20. The route did not change between 1931 and 2002, with only work being maintenance. Then in 2003,
17816-545: Was convicted of excessive force and abuse of authority in 2008; he died in 2010 while serving a three-year, five-month federal prison sentence. In April 2011, 75-year-old mayor Rudolph M. Clay announced that he would suspend his campaign for reelection as he was being treated for prostate cancer. He endorsed rival Karen Freeman-Wilson , who won the Democratic mayoral primary in May 2011. Freeman-Wilson won election with 87 percent of
17952-531: Was expanded by 4,300 acres, including Miller Woods and Long Lake. In 2002, faced with plummeting property tax revenue due to a state-imposed change in assessments of industrial property, the city of Gary nearly doubled tax rates, leading to widespread outcry. Together with other organizations around the state, the Miller Citizens Corporation lobbied successive state governments to impose tax caps . The tax caps became law in 2008, and became part of
18088-505: Was founded in 1966 through the efforts of Senator Paul Douglas , ending a struggle that had begun in the 1890s. The Lakeshore's initial boundaries, however, did not include the Miller Woods and Long Lake areas in Miller Beach. After the death of Senator Douglas in 1976, a Lakeshore expansion bill gained bipartisan support in Congress, as a memorial to him. With the bill's passage, the Lakeshore
18224-560: Was in Miller Beach, where Hatcher obtained decisive support from a group of primarily Jewish Millerites who had opposed the Wallace presidential campaign in 1968 and had subsequently supported Hatcher in his bid for the Gary Common Council. Fearing that the white flight occurring elsewhere in Gary would be replicated in Miller Beach, local residents formed the Miller Citizens Corporation (MCC) in 1971. Unlike similar groups elsewhere in
18360-484: Was named after lawyer Elbert Henry Gary , who was the founding chairman of the United States Steel Corporation. Gary was the site of civil unrest in the 1919 General Steel Strike . On October 4, 1919, a riot broke out on Broadway , the main north–south street through downtown Gary, between steel workers and strike breakers brought in from outside. Indiana governor James P. Goodrich declared martial law three days later. Shortly after that, over 4,000 federal troops under
18496-399: Was not founded until 1906. Willson's musical, set in 1912, was adapted both as a film of the same name released in 1962, and as a television film , produced in 2003. The 1996 urban film Original Gangstas was filmed in the city. It starred Gary native Fred Williamson , Pam Grier , Jim Brown , Richard Roundtree , and Isabel Sanford , among others. Since the early 2000s, Gary has been
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