Abandoned Gary, Indiana: City of the Century

Gary, Indiana, was a prosperous steel city, serving as a testing ground for the assimilation and Americanization of immigrants. Although plagued with racial strife, industrial pollution, and political corruption, the city thrived into the 1960s. The city rapidly declined over the past few decades due to the growing overseas competitiveness in the steel industry resulting in mass layoffs from the steel mills in the area. As jobs dried up, crime went up and white flight soon began. The voting in of one of the nation's first big city black mayors in an area full of racial segregation and strife sped up the process. The city is now a mere shadow of its former self, once known as the City of the Century and now regarded as the nation's murder capital, drug capital, and most miserable city. Not many people visit Gary nowadays, but those that do are usually there to view the remains. Photographer David Bulit sets out to highlight the lost architectural gems and forgotten history of Gary, Indiana.