New Addition Explained

New Addition
Settlement Type:Neighborhood
Coordinates:41.6408°N -87.4639°W
Subdivision Type:Country
Subdivision Type1:State
Subdivision Type2:County
Subdivision Type3:City
Subdivision Name2:Lake County
Subdivision Name3:East Chicago
Unit Pref:Metric
Population Total:263
Population As Of:2013
Population Density Km2:auto
Timezone1:CST
Utc Offset1:-6
Timezone1 Dst:CDT
Utc Offset1 Dst:-5
Postal Code Type:ZIP code
Postal Code:46312
Area Code:219

New Addition, also called West Harbor, is a small triangular neighborhood in the Indiana Harbor section of East Chicago, Indiana, west of Kennedy Avenue, east of the Indiana Harbor and Ship Canal, and north of United States Route 12.[1] As of 2013, it was home to approximately 263 people.[2]

Like several other East Chicago neighborhoods including Marktown and Roxana, New Addition is wholly surrounded by industrial land,.[2] It is home to a small park, a community center, and a branch campus of Ivy Tech Community College.[2]

Built in the early 20th century, the neighborhood originally provided housing for steelworkers in the nearby mills,[3] particularly American Steel Foundries. In the 1920s, it was one of the few neighborhoods available to African American residents in East Chicago.[4] As a result, it was targeted in 1959 for demolition in the name of urban renewal.[4] The neighborhood was saved from demolition by local activists including Rev. Vincent L. McCutcheon.[5]

The view from much of the neighborhood is dominated by petroleum storage tanks associated with the Whiting Refinery.[6]

Notes and References

  1. Book: Local Community Fact Book: Chicago Metropolitan Area . 300. 0914091603. Chicago Fact Book Consortiuṃ. 1984.
  2. Web site: Northwest Indiana Regional Planning Commission. 2017-11-11. 71–72. Creating Livable Communities. 2013.
  3. Book: Chicago Made: Factory Networks in the Industrial Metropolis. 281. 0226477045. Robert Lewis. 2009.
  4. News: Times of Northwest Indiana. TIMELINE: A look at East Chicago's early days, development. 2016-12-11. Sarah Reese.
  5. News: Times of Northwest Indiana. E.C. to dedicate streets in honor of three men. 2010-07-30.
  6. News: Post-Tribune. Protesters seek switch to renewable energy sources. 2016-05-17. Vincent Nance Lazerus.