The old Noble County Home is a sprawling institution that has spent decades trying to pass itself off as something more ordinary. From the road, it looks less like a relic of public welfare than a massive old house that’s seen better days. That only makes its past more intriguing.
Continue reading “Indiana’s Noble County Home”
Most of Muncie’s outdoor warning sirens are bland, modern Federal Signal 2001-SRNs. Three, however, are different: they’re yellow Federal Signal Thunderbolts that date back to 1958. I’ve finally tracked all of them down, but the last example -perched at the old Riley Elementary School- has fallen silent. Its Cold War voice is broken.
Continue reading “I clinched Muncie’s Thunderbolt trifecta with unfortunate results”
The old State Theater is a gem. In almost any small, midwestern city aside from Anderson, Indiana, it likely would have already been reborn! Instead, it sits in the long shadow of the Paramount just to the north, an astounding atmospheric palace that was fully restored three decades ago. Even so, the State’s story and significance are no less vital.
Continue reading “Anderson’s empty State Theater”
Of all of Delaware County’s pioneer burial grounds, few carry the weight of history quite like Rees Cemetery along the old Muncie–Richmond Road. At first glance, it’s easy to pass by without a second thought. Look closer, though, and the ground tells a deeper story: nearly two centuries of early settlement, loss, and survival are bound up in this modest acre. That makes Rees Cemetery not just one of the county’s oldest burial grounds, but one of its most revealing windows into the lives and deaths that shaped Delaware County from its earliest days.
Continue reading “Rees: a pioneer cemetery in Delaware County”
I was surprised and humbled yesterday to receive the National Society of the Sons of the American Revolution Bronze Good Citizenship Medal and the National Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution America250! Commendation. What an honor!
Continue reading “An honor I never saw coming”
As a post-industrial city sitting squarely in the center of the Rust Belt, Muncie was once home to a fantastic variety of smokestacks. Many no longer exist as the factories have been demolished, but one of the best that remains sits behind the old Garfield Elementary. Some version of the school has been a landmark for more than a century! Fortunately, it’ll soon become home to something new.
Continue reading “Muncie’s former Garfield School”
My family is devastated. My stepdad, Jerry, passed away on Wednesday. It doesn’t feel real. The weight of it hasn’t fully settled, but it’s coming. I still can’t believe I’m writing this- we thought Jerry would be here forever.
Continue reading “Jerry Miller, 1953-2026”
My parents found themselves unexpectedly busy not too long ago and I was drafted into dog duty. It was time to take Eliza on a walk, so off we went down the long drive behind their neighborhood. I hadn’t been back there in years! Somewhere between the first few steps and the bridge at the end, the past came rushing back.
Continue reading “A familiar path revisited”
In terms of restaurants, big names tend to crowd out the near-misses. Every once in a while, though, something surfaces that makes you stop and wonder how it ever slipped away. That’s exactly what happened when my friend Dylan stumbled across Golden Dome, a short-lived fried chicken concept from MCL. It seemed poised to be its next big thing! Spoiler alert: it wasn’t.
Continue reading “The Golden Dome of MCL”
Some buildings demand your attention even when you don’t know their story. For years, one of those places has stood along U.S. 27 just south of Winchester. It’s the old Randolph County Infirmary.
Continue reading “Indiana’s Randolph County Home”