Our Mill,

Our Home

For more than a century, Northwest Indiana’s mills drew families from across the country and around the world. Those union jobs helped families buy homes, anchored neighborhoods, and shaped the American labor movement.

In Our Mill, Our Home, twenty steelworkers, neighbors, faith leaders, and longtime residents share their stories and hopes for the region and its steel industry's future.

Explore the stories

Twenty portraits, one shared home

Hear from steelworkers, neighbors, faith leaders, and longtime regional residents on what steel has meant to their families and what comes next.

Hear their stories
A woman with light brown hair smiling outdoors, wearing a black top and a silver necklace.
An man with gray hair and a serious expression standing outdoors in front of a sign that reads 'NORTHWEST' with a university logo above it, on a sunny day with a blue sky, trees, and part of a parking lot in the background.
A man with glasses and a beard standing outside near a wooden structure with a decorative emblem.
Close-up of an African American woman with dreadlocks wearing a pink sweater and smiling, standing outdoors against a gray siding background.
A smiling woman with short hair styled in braids, wearing a vibrant red top, and accessorized with colorful beaded earrings and necklace, standing outdoors near a brick and metal fence.
A man wearing glasses, a dark blue cap with a logo, and a gray Puma jacket, standing against a green wall.
A woman with dark hair, wearing gold hoop earrings, a gold necklace with a small pendant, and a black sleeveless top, smiling outdoors.
Portrait of a middle-aged Black man with glasses, a white shirt, and a patterned scarf, standing indoors with blurred windows in the background.
An woman with reddish hair, wearing sunglasses, a light gray hoodie, a red patterned scarf, and earrings, standing on a beach with a cloudy sky and a bridge in the background.
A man with glasses, a black cap, and a striped shirt standing in front of a colorful mural featuring portraits.
A woman sitting against a reddish-orange wall, wearing a white cardigan with black trim over a red blouse. She has long braided hair and is looking at the camera with a slight smile.
Black and white close-up portrait of a man wearing a hat, looking directly at the camera.
A man with a beard and short curly hair smiling, wearing a black turtleneck and maroon blazer, standing in front of a white wall.
Close-up of a smiling woman with short, light brown hair and wearing gold earrings and a black top with gold stripes, sitting on a gray couch.
A man with beard, wearing a yellow reflective safety vest, holding a megaphone in his right hand, taking a photo outdoors on a street with greenery and cars in the background.
A woman with braided hair and a black T-shirt sitting on a brown leather sofa, smiling at the camera, with a decorative pillow on the left side.
A woman with short blonde hair wearing purple eyeshadow, purple jewelry, a purple top, sitting on a black couch, with a black framed picture on a white wall behind her.
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A black and white illustration of a trident with a cracked, distressed appearance, with the words "décay devils" in red text beneath it.
Sunflower with people holding hands in front of it, and the words 'Just Transition' in curved text above.
Logo with the word GARD and curved, wavy lines in green, brown, and blue, with the text Gary Advocates for Responsible Development.
Logo for Indiana Conservative Voters featuring the outline of Indiana, a red check mark, and the text 'ICV Indiana Conservation Voters'.
Graphic with a tree and the words "faith in place"
Mighty Earth logo featuring stylized mountain peaks inside a circle and the words "Mighty Earth" next to it.
Logo of Industrious Labs with a stylized lab flask and the company name.