The Vidette-Messenger of Porter County published an article on October 12, 1933, stating that the Magic City Ice Cream Co. was established in 1908 by Charles Atkins. It’s listed in the 1909 Gary phone book.

The 1911 Gary city directory shows the business at 471 Washington Street. It is listed at 457 Washington Street in 1935. By 1937, it appears as the Atkins Ice Cream Co. at 457 Washington Street.

Gary was called the “Magic City” because it seemed to rise out of nowhere after U.S. Steel arrived in 1906. In just a few years, dunes and open land turned into a booming, company-built city. Gary was incorporated on July 14, 1906.

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