I’m curious about places where people once gathered. That interest often leads me to schoolhouses and courthouses, but I’ve got a soft spot for movie theaters, too. They don’t even have to be particularly old to catch my eye, and case in point is the long-shuttered Holiday I and II in Elkhart. I found myself slowing down there on my last visit, camera in hand. I couldn’t resist grabbing a few photos of a place that once flickered with life.

A few days ago, Lost Muncie member Tom Stark sent me a tip about a growing mound of concrete debris and detritus near the former Sears Auto Center at Muncie Mall. Construction fencing has surrounded both Sears and JCPenney since last October, but after the three-screen cinema was recently demolished, that fresh activity suggests Sears could be next.

Have you ever spotted a giant fiberglass statue standing along the side of the road? Chances are, you found a Muffler Man. Manufactured by International Fiberglass of Venice, California¹, the icons stood between eighteen and twenty-five feet tall² and became some of the most recognizable advertising figures along roadside America. Originally designed to sell practically everything, they haven’t been manufactured in fifty years³. Still, Route 66 is still home to at least four famous Muffler Men⁴. Now, Richmond can proudly add another to the list.