Gary, Indiana: A Centennial Celebration [Hardcover]

Kendall F. Svengalis (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: 2006

Rising from the barren sand dunes and scrub vegetation of northwest Indiana in 1906, the city of Gary rapidly emerged as the largest American city founded in the 20th century and the home of the world's largest steel mill. Born in the boardroom of financier J. P. Morgan, and named for U.S. Steel's chairman of the board, Elbert E. Gary, Gary was the largest company town ever conceived and executed by American free enterprise. This lavish full-color pictorial and narrative history tells Gary's compelling story in rich and captivating detail, utilizing over 650 rare archival photographic and postcard images, maps, aerial photographs, and illustrations, many never before appearing in print. Gary native and historian Kendall Svengalis paints a vivid and fascinating portrait of the city's birth and formative era when an enormous infusion of capital, entrepreneurial spirit, and the muscle of thousands of recent European immigrants and American blacks combined to construct both a city and a massive steel plant. This massive, 455-page, over-sized volume, tells Gary's story in twenty chapters, each detailing an aspect of Gary's rich history and its neighborhoods. The book concludes with a fascinating case study of the author's Lithuanian pioneer family whose saga led them from the Suvalkai province of western Lithuanian to Gary in 1908. About the Author Kendall F. Svengalis is the retired Rhode Island State Law Librarian, adjunct professor at the University of Rhode Island, and author of the award-winning Legal Information Buyer's Guide & Reference Manual, the nation's leading consumer guide to legal information. He has maintained a lifelong interest in the history of Gary and Northwest Indiana.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 455 pages
• Publisher: Duneland Press (2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0976786443
• ISBN-13: 978-0976786443
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,283,252 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Superb Publication - well designed and interesting, March 2, 2007

By 

Pricing Prof (USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Gary, Indiana: A Centennial Celebration (Hardcover)

Kendall F. Svengalis has put together a superb publication concerning the history of Gary, Indiana. From the city's genesis in 1906 through its 1950s heyday. This is one of the best organized regional/local history books that I've ever read; topical areas are well-defined and the visuals are clearly printed and fully described. Anyone who remembers Gary "as it was" will love this book. It's a bit pricey, but it's printed on high quality paper stock and hardbound. This will very likely be a very highly valued book when it goes out-of-print. It would be interesting to see a companion book with contemporary comparative photographs taken from the exact locations of the images shown in Svengalis' book. It would truly show the urban decay that unfortunately took place in the Great City of Gary. One of my favorite books in my personal library.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars From The Gary That Was, August 30, 2007

By 

J. G. Neagu "loving kin of Norway" (Michigan City, IN USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Gary, Indiana: A Centennial Celebration (Hardcover)

Recently, I had the pleasure of meeting Mr. Svengalis, and purchasing his book on Gary from him. I was delighted by the way the book is organized as the writing and pictures so clearly brings you the history of what was once a city brimming with vitality. Mr. Svengalis has done a comprehensive job of
attempting to capture the spirit and soul of Gary as well as providing a fascinating readable and pictorial view of its past.
I would recommend the book highly to anyone.