Date of Award
2014
Document Type
Master's Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Science in Industrial Archaeology (MS)
College, School or Department Name
Department of Social Sciences
Advisor
Steven A. Walton
Abstract
Gary, Indiana is a city with indelible ties to industrial paternalism. Founded in 1906 by United States Steel Corporation to house workers of the trust’s showpiece mill, the emergence of this model company town was both the culmination of lessons learned from its predecessors’ mistakes and innovative corporate planning. U.S. Steel’s Progressive Era adaptation of welfare capitalism characterized the young city through a combination of direct community involvement and laissez-faire social control. This thesis examines the reactionary implementation of paternalist policies in Gary between 1906 and 1930 through the purviews of three elements under corporate influence: housing, education, and social welfare. Each category demonstrates how both the corporation and citizenry affected and adapted Gary’s physical and cultural landscape, public perceptions, and community identity. Parallel to the popular narrative throughout is that of Gary’s African-American community, and the controversial circumstances of this population’s segregated development.
Recommended Citation
Griskavich, Carol D., "From Mill Gates to Magic City: U.S. Steel and Welfare Capitalism in Gary, Indiana, 1906-1930", Master's Thesis, Michigan Technological University, 2014.
Included in
History of Art, Architecture, and Archaeology Commons, Labor Relations Commons, Social and Cultural Anthropology Commons