Gary Abandoned Screw and Bolt Factory.

This area once told a different story

This area once told a different story than the one it tells now. Opened in 1912, this was once a thriving Screw and Bolt Factory, that helped serve The Second World War. After a fire and some more time the factory closed in 1986 when the economy was struggling. Later the “Gary Urban Enterprise Association”, or “GUEA.” formed.

This association bought the land and structures, and planned on using the space to put local people back to work and store donated clothing that would be cut up and turned into rags and sent to other countries that needed it. But as we all have seen in the past corruption ensued, and the clothes were never sent.

Many of the men involved in the scandal were convicted and sentenced to prison, but there was never an effort to clean up the mess they had made. Now all of the donated clothes sit in this forgotten warehouse, not even suitable to be burned. If you can imagine exploring an area like this and finding a warehouse full of rotten clothes. It’s a strange feeling. A feeling of forgotten work, people, and corruption all frozen in time.

Gary, Indiana was once a thriving manufacturing city, with other recognizable landmarks including The Jackson Five Theatre, that much like many of the other structures were left to die, and sits abandoned and dilapidated like the rest. In one way it always makes for an exciting adventure when you head down into the area. In another way you are quickly reminded how powerful money can be, and its influence on an area like this. Money makes the world go around is what I am told. With this kinda finding I think I am starting to believe it.