Downtown Hammond in the 1960s....
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 JCPenny moved out of their leased space and across Hohman to the East side of the street. They occupied the site that had originally
been the German Bank on the northeast corner of Hohman and Sibley.  An Army-Navy Surplus Store took over. If the Canadian ever
invaded northwest Indiana, the residents would be found ready and well armed.

Looking west on State Street from Hohman Avenue, the condition of the Indiana Hotel has deteriorated and is in disrepair.
The Army Navy Surplus Store is seen on the extreme left.

The Indiana Hotel is getting ready to come down as seen in this final picture. More Hammond history is gone.
Corner of State Street and Hohman Avenue, looking northeast.

Penny's has moved to the east side of Hohman at Sibley. "Cast a Giant Shadow" is playing at the Parthenon. It is 1966.
Another sign of the retail decline is the arrival of the Jupiter Discount Store, catering to another clientele.

Too little, too late to save itself by moving across the street, JCPenny stands in the final months of survival.

This 1963 photo, courtesy of the Chicago Sun-Times, is one of the last pictures of the
Lake County Supreme Courthouse, the focal point and center of downtown Hammond.

Located at "Broken Corner", a term used by early settlers to refer to the bend in Hohman Avenue,
the courthouse faced East and is an early referent when navigating photographs of Hammond.

The clock tower was a favorite destination for photographers who would provide aerial
shots for their audience. The lot now sits empty, symbolic of Hammond's destiny.

The Lake County Superior Courthouse that used to occupy the corner on the far left, has been taken down. Goldblatts is getting ready
to close and soon it will be razed. the building to the left of Goldblatts was home to the Bell Telephone Company but it, too, sits empty.

Pedestrians walk past empty store windows on Hohman Avenue.
No one can be seen carrying shopping bags because no one is shopping.

 South on Hohman Avenue you can see the old NIPSCO building just to right center. But more jobs are scheduled to leave...
 

Too late for an encore...
The Parthenon closed in 1981 and was later removed from its 60 year old location on Hohman Avenue.
You can still see an old movie trailer if you visit the web site and click on the movie poster.
Enjoy one last movie when you visit Hammond's Theater District!

These images and the web pages are maintained by Richard Barnes, HHS'59.

Visit us for more pictures and history of Hammond, Indiana at
www.hhs59.com
email us at:
hhs59@yahoo.com