Lost East Chicago & The Indiana Harbor

Explore the city of yesteryear.

East Chicago, Indiana, was a melting pot of several neighborhoods.

The Indiana Harbor neighborhood drew comparisons to Ellis Island as immigrants flocked from all over to work at its steel mills. Once home to more than a hundred nationalities, the “Workshop of America” excelled in metal and many other products. Despite the issues of pollution and political corruption, it earned the nickname “City of Champions,” winning state titles, cultivating high school rivalries, and producing greats like Gregg Popovich and Junior Bridgeman. Join a ward-winning journalist and author Joseph S. Pete  as he revisits bygone landmarks like Washington and Roosevelt High Schools. Re-live memories of the local zoo, Inland Steel Christmas parties, Taco Joe’s, the Mademoiselle Shoppe, movie palaces, the iconic gym where Michael Jordan played his first Bulls game, and more. All of Joseph’s books available for sale and signing.