sentences:  While the steel industry reigned supreme, other industries also found the county to be an ideal location for cheap land and well-developed transportation networks, such as automobiles, oil, chemicals, consumer goods, food processing, and construction supply companies.The Great Depression was devastating to Lake County, as it was to any other area that relied on heavy industry.The Depression, combined with industrial strife, changing demographics, and unionization, caused Lake County to become a stronghold of the Democratic Party; Lake County has supported the Democratic nominee for President in every election since 1932 (exceptions occurred in 1956 and 1972), and Indiana's 1st Congressional District has remained in the Democratic column in every election since 1930.