Tolleston facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Tolleston
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Neighborhood
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St. Augustine's Episcopal Church
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Location within the city of Gary
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| Country |  United States |
| State |  Indiana |
| County | Lake County |
| City | Gary |
| First settled | 1857 |
| Incorporated | 1906 |
| Annexed by Gary | 1910 |
| Population
(2000)
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| • Total | 14,289 |
| Time zone | UTC-6 (CST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-5 (CDT) |
| ZIP code |
46404
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| Area code(s) | 219 |
Tolleston is a neighborhood in Gary, Indiana. It used to be a separate town. This area is in west-central Gary. It has two big city parks, a very old cemetery, and the oldest church north of the Little Calumet River.
Tolleston is mostly a place where people live. There are also shopping areas along 11th and 15th Avenues. Most homes in Tolleston are single-family houses. In 2000, about 92% of these homes were lived in. The neighborhood has a post office called Tolleston Station. There are also special areas within Tolleston, like Tarrytown and Small Farms. Small Farms has some of the most expensive homes in Gary.
Contents
The Story of Tolleston
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How Tolleston Started
Tolleston was first planned in 1857 by a person named George Tolle. A post office opened there in 1860. A Lutheran church was built in 1868. By 1870, about 80 families lived in the town. Many early residents were German farmers and railroad workers.
Later, in the late 1800s, the main jobs were digging for sand and harvesting ice. Before the city of Gary was founded in 1906, Tolleston was the biggest settlement around. Officials from US Steel even used Tolleston's Gibson Hotel as their base when they were planning the new city of Gary.
Becoming Part of Gary
Tolleston officially became its own town on September 4, 1906. This was done to stop Gary from taking it over. However, Gary still annexed Tolleston in 1910. This happened because of a disagreement about land between East Chicago and Gary.
When Tolleston became part of Gary, it was a neighborhood where only white people lived. In the early 1950s, laws that separated people by race ended in Gary. By 1985, almost everyone living in Tolleston was African-American.
Famous People and Places
Tolleston is the birthplace of Frank Borman, a famous astronaut. The nearby Borman Expressway is named after him.
Tolleston is also home to St. Augustine's Episcopal Church. This church has a special design by a famous architect named Edward D. Dart in 1958. It won two awards for its design. This church is important to the history of Black people in the Episcopal faith. It was added to the National Historic Register in 2013. You can find it at Ellsworth Street and 19th Avenue.
Another important church is St. John's (Evangelical) Lutheran Church. It is located at 10th Avenue and Taft Street. This church started as a German Lutheran group. Its baptism records go back to 1863, and its church meeting notes are from 1870. It is the oldest church group in the Calumet region.
