Decay Devils: Exploring and Preserving Gary, Indiana’s Forgotten Spaces
Tyrell Anderson, President of Decay Devils, says, “Tours for me are kind of twofold. I love to not just highlight the history, but invite people to step outside of the space that they might have a preconceived notion about. Some people come on the tours [saying], ‘hey, I heard things about Gary, not-so-nice things, can we go with you all?’ When people come out and they meet local citizens, they tend to get a different vibe.”
“It's fascinating to see how it's just kind of a snapshot in time. When you see a stuffed animal on the ground or one random shoe, you kind of invent stories in your head about the people who lived there, or the lives passing through there,” Deb Armstrong, a visitor, states.
Before their tour guiding days, the Decay Devils were a group of urban explorers. Bound by their love of photography, the group scoured the region's forgotten spaces. Tyrell Anderson is one of the group's founders.
“When we first started traveling and taking pictures, everyone would just say, ‘you guys are crazy, you're daredevils. Why would you go into these buildings?’ And we're trying to pick a name—Decay Devils stuck,” Anderson recalls. “At our core, we’re all artists, we're all photographers. That's how we came together. We all got together taking pictures, traveling, trading photography tips. Honestly, it was just a group of people who wanted to learn how to be better at this hobby.”
Explains Anderson, “I used to want to go to those spaces, abandoned spaces, not just to see what's around each corner and document [it], but I used to want to be an architect. You get to see some of the roots and the bones.”
Preserving History While Planning What’s Next
These days, the group is less concerned with exploration and more concerned with conservation. In 2015, the Decay Devils became a nonprofit. Their goals were simple: advance preservation efforts and beautify Gary.
“We went to 11 different sites downtown, and we put these [QR codes] on the ground and try to use that to encourage people to learn a little bit more about the history and about us as an organization. The goal was that Gary can be spruced up in certain areas, and we think we can help in these areas,” Anderson says.
The group began volunteering. They cleaned up sites downtown and sponsored numerous art projects. The tours were a way to show off their work and promote Gary. And the abandoned buildings? Including them on the tour was just a natural extension of the Devil's origins.
However, they're careful not to encourage anyone to break the law or endanger themselves.
“There are dozens and dozens of people and corporations who help get us to this level and this point. We want to make sure that everything that we do is respectful and tasteful,” states Anderson.
Safety isn't the only concern.
“For individuals who might look at our group and say, ‘hey, why do you guys celebrate abandoned spaces? Why take people to abandoned spaces?’ For Decay Devils, that's not really our M.O.. You're not just going to come on a tour with us and just see all abandonment. That's not what we do. We highlight the good, the bad, and the ugly, and that's life. Nothing's super perfect. Why do you act like it is?” Anderson explains. “Our vision is to talk about the history and celebrate the history and talk about what's next. And a part of what's next is dealing with what may be abandoned.”
Gary Union Station and the Future of Downtown
Dealing with what may be abandoned is exactly what the Decay Devils are planning next. In 2018, the city gave the group ownership of the long abandoned Gary Union Station, where Tyrell is sitting now. He dreams of a mixed use hub for businesses and creatives, right here at the Gateway to Gary.
“I want to restructure downtown. I want to bring more attraction, more business. This could be a hub to get that conversation started as a small scale example of what we can do as we expand,” Anderson says.
That dream may be a long way off. But Tyrell understands that embracing the past can sometimes help you move forward.
Anderson concludes, “Each city has its own hurdles and its own obstacles, but at the end of the day, these spaces allow us to not just learn, but put together a solid game plan on how to ensure that whatever this is moving forward, we don't end back in the same spot.”
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The above video is a clip from Journey Indiana from WTIU. You can watch more segments and full episodes at pbs.org/show/journey-indiana/
