Posted in Indiana History May 14, 2023 by

This City In Indiana Was One Of The Most Dangerous Places In The Nation In The 1990s

The ’90s fashions may be back in style now, but not everything from that decade is coming back around. That’s fortunate for residents of the Hoosier State because back in the 1990s, Indiana was home to one of the most dangerous places in the nation. In 1994-1995, Gary, Indiana’s crime ranked as the most dangerous place in the entire United States. Why is Gary, Indiana so dangerous? Read on to find out more.

Gary, Indiana became notorious in the mid-1990s as an incredibly dangerous city.
Samuel A. Love/Flickr
In fact, by 1994, it was known as the murder capital of the world.
In the 1950s, Gary was a bustling city that over 200,000 Hoosiers called home.
Ken Lund/Flickr
Over the next few decades, as the country's manufacturing industry declined, Gary's population and popularity began to decline.
This caused Gary's once-thriving businesses to close, one-by-one, leaving a wake of abandoned churches, storefronts, auditoriums, and train stations.
greglaskiewicz/Wikimedia Commons
Sadly, Gary's urban decay continued. Many residents in the area fell well beneath the poverty line, causing Gary, Indiana crime to rise exponentially.
Paul Sableman/Wikimedia Commons
In 1995, Gary had a population of 115,269 and over 3,000 reported crimes.
*Hajee/Flickr
That year there were 129 murders, bringing Gary to the top of violent cities in the US. The high number of murders per capita made Gary a place no one wanted to be.
While Gary has improved since the '90s, it's still considered a dangerous city, and it's nowhere near the bustling city it once was.
Marc Tarlock/Flickr

Did you know Gary was one of the most dangerous places in the country? It does get a pretty bad rap these days, but now at least we understand why. Besides, did you know that there are more than 13,000 abandoned Indiana structures in the town of Gary alone? Here, YouTuber Art We There Yet explores some of them:

There are a number of other dangerous places in Indiana – stay safe out there, Hoosiers!

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Most Dangerous Places in Indiana

December 22, 2021
Tori Jane

What are the most dangerous towns in Indiana?  

Sadly, there are some notoriously dangerous places in Indiana:

 

Indiana is a great place to live, but unfortunately, much like everywhere, it’s got its bad places. Some towns in Indiana are more dangerous than others, and we made a handy list of them here. Obviously, given its large population, Indianapolis is one of those dangerous towns. It has a murder rate of about 18 residents per 100,000, and as a result, statistically speaking it’s pretty dangerous. There are also the towns of Gary (which was once known as the murder capital of the US), and the tiny town of Clarksville somehow has the highest odds of being the victim of some kind of crime (with a staggering 78 out of every 1,000 residents experiencing SOMETHING). South Bend is another town that can be considered among the most dangerous, and so is Lafayette. Of course, the crime rates don’t necessarily define a place, especially in Indiana. Most of our towns are wonderful in spite of higher-than-average crime rates, and we encourage you to explore the beautiful Hoosier State as much as you are able to.  

What makes Schooner Trace Trail in Indiana so dangerous?  

There are several factors that make Schooner Trace Trail more dangerous than the average Indiana trail. For once, it’s long – it's the combination of two mountain trails and is more than six miles long. Much of the hike is along a narrow, hilly area where there’s a pretty steep drop straight down should someone mess up. It’s also quite rocky and not well-maintained, despite its popularity as a notoriously tough hike that only the most experienced usually conquer. Parts of the trail are wet and cold as well, as they require a trek through a stream or two. This is especially risky during the cooler months when one risks extreme cold and has to get their pant legs wet to boot.