East Chicago, Indiana

East Chicago is a city in Lake County, Indiana, United States. The population was 26,370 at the 2020 census. Centered around heavy industry, the city is home to the Indiana Harbor and Ship Canal, an artificial freshwater harbor characterized by industrial and manufacturing activity.

Situated along Lake Michigan, East Chicago is about from downtown Chicago and is just west of Gary, Indiana.

History

Founding and early settlement

The land that became East Chicago was originally swampland unsuitable for farming. The state of Indiana began selling off plots of land to railroads and speculators after 1851 to fund the local school system. Settlement of the area was very slow at first, and as late as the 1890s, the city had no proper streets or public utilities. East Chicago was incorporated as a city in 1893. The city was named from its location east of Chicago, Illinois.

thumb|The Indiana Harbor Peninsula

Industrial growth

The 1900 census gives a total population of just 3,411, but the arrival of Inland Steel in 1903 transformed the city into an industrial powerhouse. The city's population skyrocketed to over 24,000 by 1910, powered by immigration from all over Europe and the United States, and quickly became the most industrialized city in the United States, with over 80% of the city's land zoned for heavy industry. Inland Steel dominated the city's economy through the 1990s, and expanded its massive integrated mill at Indiana Harbor multiple times through the 1980s. From 60,000 tons of steel capacity in 1903, it expanded to 600,000 tons by 1914 and reached 1 million in 1917, and eventually peaked at 8.6 million tons in 1978. By 1907, East Chicago boasted a navigable waterway link to Lake Michigan and to the Grand Calumet River: the Indiana Harbor Ship Canal. Steel mills, petroleum refineries, construction firms, and chemical factories operated at Indiana Harbor and along its inner canal system.

Republic Steel, Youngstown Steel, LaSalle Steel, and U.S. Steel all eventually had steel-making operations in the city. During World War I, East Chicago was nicknamed the "Arsenal of America" (not to be confused with Detroit's label as the "Arsenal of Democracy" during WWII) and the "Workshop of America".

A rivalry developed between Indiana Harbor, the “East Side” home of Inland Steel and most working-class families, and East Chicago's “West Side,” the residential enclave of the native-born business community. Locals spoke of the “Twin City” to describe spatial, residential, and class divisions at the heart of the town's identity. The "Twin City" moniker remains to this day. Inland Steel was acquired by Ispat International in 1998. Both the Indiana Harbor mill and Youngstown Steel mill were absorbed and merged by ArcelorMittal in 2004 and subsequently sold to Cleveland-Cliffs in 2020.

The Indiana Harbor Public Library and Marktown Historic District are listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

In 2009, parts of East Chicago were discovered to have toxic lead and arsenic contamination, designated the USS Lead Superfund Site. The site is divided into three zones, with public housing and residential properties. Residents' decades-long concerns about lead contamination were confirmed in 2016 via EPA testing, especially affecting over 270 families in the West Calumet Housing Complex. As governor of Indiana, Mike Pence declined to declare the Superfund site a state emergency; his successor Governor Eric Holcomb has issued Executive Order 17-13, declaring a disaster emergency in East Chicago.

Geography

According to the 2010 census, East Chicago has a total area of , of which (or 87.22%) is land and (or 12.78%) is water.

Demographics

Racial and ethnic composition

{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center;"

|+East Chicago city, Indiana – Racial and ethnic composition

!Race / Ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic)

!Pop 2000

!Pop 2010

!style="background-color: #ffffb3;" |Pop 2020

!% 2000

!% 2010

!style="background-color: #ffffb3;" |% 2020

|White alone (NH)

|3,922

|2,140

|style='background: #ffffe6; |1,600

|12.10%

|7.21%

|style='background: #ffffe6; |6.07%

|Black or African American alone (NH)

|11,405

|12,125

|style='background: #ffffe6; |10,375

|35.19%

|40.83%

|style='background: #ffffe6; |39.34%

|Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH)

|66

|46

|style='background: #ffffe6; |39

|0.20%

|0.15%

|style='background: #ffffe6; |0.15%

|Asian alone (NH)

|52

|28

|style='background: #ffffe6; |57

|0.16%

|0.09%

|style='background: #ffffe6; |0.22%

|Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander alone (NH)

|style='background: #ffffe6; |7

|0.02%

|0.01%

|style='background: #ffffe6; |0.03%

|Other race alone (NH)

|27

|23

|style='background: #ffffe6; |73

|0.08%

|style='background: #ffffe6; |0.28%

|Mixed race or Multiracial (NH)

|206

|227

|style='background: #ffffe6; |355

|0.64%

|0.76%

|style='background: #ffffe6; |1.35%

|Hispanic or Latino (any race)

|16,728

|15,105

|style='background: #ffffe6; |13,864

|51.61%

|50.86%

|style='background: #ffffe6; |52.57%

|Total

|32,414

|29,698

|style='background: #ffffe6; |26,370

|100.00%

|style='background: #ffffe6; |100.00%

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, East Chicago had a population of 26,370. The median age was 33.1 years. 28.9% of residents were under the age of 18 and 13.0% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 89.4 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 82.9 males age 18 and over.

There were 9,859 households in East Chicago, of which 37.1% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 25.4% were married-couple households, 23.4% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 43.3% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 30.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.

! Race !! Number !! Percent

| White || 4,342 || 16.5%

| Black or African American || 10,839 || 41.1%

| American Indian and Alaska Native || 297 || 1.1%

| Asian || 75 || 0.3%

| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander || 17 || 0.1%

| Some other race || 6,922 || 26.2%

| Two or more races || 3,878 || 14.7%

| Hispanic or Latino (of any race) || 13,864 || 52.6%

2010 census

As of the census of 2010, there were 29,698 people, 10,724 households, and 7,197 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 12,958 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 42.9% African American, 35.5% White, 0.6% Native American, 0.1% Asian, 18.1% from other races, and 2.8% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 50.9% of the population.

There were 10,724 households, of which 40.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 27.9% were married couples living together, 31.4% had a female householder with no husband present, 7.7% had a male householder with no wife present, and 32.9% were non-families. 29.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.75 and the average family size was 3.42.

The median age in the city was 30.9 years. 31.4% of residents were under the age of 18; 9.7% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 25.4% were from 25 to 44; 22.2% were from 45 to 64; and 11.3% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 46.8% male and 53.2% female.

2000 census

As of the census

GPRT Route R1 stops in East Chicago en route from Hammond to Gary. PACE operates Route 892, a special work shuttle between Gary, East Chicago and UPS' Hodgkins facility. Its schedule coincides with UPS workers' shifts. The route is operated in cooperation with UPS, which partially funds its operations.

Neighborhoods

Indiana Harbor (East Chicago)
North Harbor
Sunnyside
New Addition
Washington Park
Prairie Park
Marktown
East Chicago
Northside
Southside
Roxana
Calumet

Education

School City of East Chicago serves all of the city. All residents are zoned to East Chicago Central High School.
Ivy Tech community college

East Chicago Public Library System operates a main library at 2401 East Columbus Drive and the Robert A. Pastrick Branch Library at 1008 West Chicago Avenue at Baring Avenue.

East Chicago also has two charter school options, East Chicago Urban Enterprise (K-8), and East Chicago Lighthouse Charter School (K-7).

Industry

East Chicago is home to the following business and industry:

Cleveland-Cliffs' Indiana Harbor Works, the largest steel mill in the USA. Indiana Harbor Works comprises East mill, originally Inland Steel, and West mill, owned for most of its life by Youngstown Sheet and Tube, both acquired and merged by ArcelorMittal.
U.S. Steel’s East Chicago Tin, a steel finishing faculty part of Gary Works.
The Indiana Harbor and Ship Canal complex.

For 105 years, East Chicago was home to the Inland Steel Company (1893–1998).

The Showboat Casino opened in 1997 with about 900 employees. Other large employers include Amoco Oil Co., Union Tank Car, American Steel Foundries, USG Corp. and St. Catherine Hospital.

Notable people

;Government

Gonzalo P. Curiel - US District Court judge
Earl Harris - Indiana state legislator
William C. Kavanaugh - Wisconsin State Assemblyman
Vincent Mroz - Secret Service agent
Lonnie Randolph - Member of Indiana Senate
Jerome Reppa - Indiana lawyer and politician
Theodore L. Sendak - 36th Indiana Attorney General
Richard Williams - diplomat, author, first US ambassador to Mongolia

; Military

Emilio A. De La Garza, Jr. - U.S. Marine Corps, Medal of Honor recipient, Vietnam War
Alexander Vraciu - U.S. Navy, Navy Cross, leading flying ace during World War II

; Movies - TV

Leslie Edgley - novelist, playwright, radio dramatist and screenwriter
John Hubbard - actor
Betsy Palmer - actress and television personality
Frank Reynolds - ABC television news anchorman
Steve Tesich - Academy Award-winning screenwriter

; Music

Yungeen Ace - rapper
Catfish Keith - blues singer, songwriter and slide guitarist
Mighty Mo Rodgers - blues musician, songwriter and record producer

;Sports

Bob Anderson - Major League Baseball player
Jim Bradley - professional basketball player
Junior Bridgeman - NBA player for Milwaukee Bucks and businessman; jersey number retired by Bucks
Larry Fritz - Major League Baseball player
Jim Hicks - Major League Baseball player
Danny Lazar - Major League Baseball pitcher
Kenny Lofton - Major League Baseball player, 6-time All-Star, 4-time Gold Glove winner
Angel Manfredy - professional boxer/title holder
Monica Maxwell - professional basketball player
E'Twaun Moore - professional basketball player
Ilie Oană - football player and manager who represented and coached Romania national football team
Frank Patrick - professional football player
Stan Perzanowski - MLB pitcher
Bridget Pettis - professional basketball player and coach
Gregg Popovich - coach of San Antonio Spurs, 5-time NBA champion, 3-time NBA Coach of the Year
Jason Repko - Major League Baseball outfielder for Boston Red Sox and Los Angeles Dodgers
Kawann Short - Carolina Panthers professional football player
Matt Smith - sports radio personality
Ron Smith - NFL player
Tim Stoddard - Major League Baseball pitcher and college basketball player, forward for NC State's 1974 NCAA basketball champions, and relief pitcher for the 1983 World Series Champion Baltimore Orioles
Pete Trgovich—played on 1971 Washington HS Indiana state championship team with Junior Bridgeman and Tim Stoddard, went on to play for legendary coach John Wooden at UCLA, winning 3 NCAA Championship rings
Ray Wietecha - assistant coach to Vince Lombardi and NFL champion Green Bay Packers

; Other

Eric Flint - Speculative Fiction Author
Andrew Majda - Mathematician
Cliff Raven - tattoo artist
David Albin Zywiec Sidor - American-Nicaraguan Roman Catholic bishop
Miguel Torres - mixed martial artist
Warren W. Wiersbe - theologian

References

External links

Official website