Yesterday, my friend David sent me a few photos of a building at the northwest corner of Willard and Hoyt near downtown Muncie. I’ve driven past the place countless times over the years and never given it much thought. This time, though, was different: large sections of an exterior skin had been stripped away, revealing something few passersby have seen in years: intricate brickwork hidden underneath! Beneath all that siding sits part of the old former Muncie Brewing Company. Thanks to the recent work, a long-obscured piece of the city’s heritage is finally peeking back into view.

With apologies to Oakville, Cowan has a strong case for being the Queen City of Delaware County’s Monroe Township. The schools are there. The fire department is there. The Lions Club is there. The township trustee’s office is there. There’s even a scissor-lift factory that anchors the modern economy! Just as importantly, though, Cowan still holds onto a tangible piece of its busier past- an old Odd Fellows’ lodge.

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.