Froebel School - Gary, IN - Donated Engraved Bricks and Pavers on Waymarking.com

Some backstory from the Indiana historical marker here:
Side One

Froebel opened here, 1912, as many European immigrants and southern blacks moved to Gary for jobs in steel mills. An experiment in progressive education, it served students of diverse backgrounds and the local community. Despite early status as integrated school, black students were excluded from many extracurricular activities and facilities into 1940s. Closed 1977.

Side Two

After WWII, Froebel made national headlines when hundreds of white students walked out protesting "integration experiment" there. "Hate strikes" lasted several weeks in 1945 and reflected growing racial tension in North. In 1946, Gary school board adopted desegregation policy, but discrimination continued. Indiana state law desegregating public schools passed 1949.

The bricks at the site form a large rectangle leading up to an architectural remain of the school built in 1912. The bricks are a light red with white speckles and black lettering. They commemorate different names of students who graduated from the historic school throughout its history. The land is now called Froebel Park and is used each year as a reunion for the surviving students.

Setting of your bricks:: Park Name of Display: Froebel School Approximate number of bricks in display: 600 Name on One Brick: Geneva Bennett Class of 1966

Visit Instructions:
Please choose a name and provide a close-up of it. Maybe it's one of your relatives or someone with the same name or just the closest one you see. Your choice.

Recent Visits/Logs:

There are no logs for this waymark yet.