Quiet countryside corners are full of history if you know where to look. Just north of Jones Cemetery in rural Delaware County, the sorry remains of the old Pleasant Run Church sit amidst the weeds and bramble. They beg for a second glance.
Continue reading “Little remains of the Pleasant Run Church”
Most of us have probably heard of the Masons, the Moose, the Elks, and the Eagles- fraternal organizations mostly named after animals whose lodges dot our local landscape. Some may have even heard of more obscure groups like the Odd Fellows or the Knights of Pythias! I’d only ever known Modern Woodmen of America through the distinctive grave markers left by some of its members, and it wasn’t until I stumbled across an old lodge hall in Eaton that the organization suddenly took on more of a physical presence.
Continue reading “A Modern Woodsmen hall in Eaton”
Yesterday, Jim Grey compared finding work to riding a roller coaster: all you can do is hang on and trust that it will eventually end. Jim’s post hit pretty close to home for two reasons: on one hand, I’m deep into a frustrating and fruitless job search. On the other, I just unearthed a treasure trove of photos I took of the roller coasters at Indiana Beach. Somehow, it all felt fitting.
Continue reading “A hundred years of Indiana Beach”
Some buildings blend quietly into their surroundings. Others insist on being remembered. Sparta Christian Church does both! It’s thanks to the structure’s monumental architecture and bizarre neon sign.
Continue reading “The incongruous neon of Sparta Christian Church”
Downtown Hartford City punches far above its weight from an architectural standpoint. Much of that impact comes from the 160-foot-tall Blackford County Courthouse, which dominates the skyline and announces the town long before you reach the square. Fortunately, it isn’t standing alone: among Hartford City’s most prominent structures is the old Ingram Hotel. It’s impressive in its own right.
Continue reading “Hartford City’s Hotel Ingram”
Back when my dad lived up north, we made the Fort Wayne-to-Goshen run on U.S. Route 33 like clockwork every other weekend. We’d roll through little towns like Kimmell without a second though, but what changed the day Dad caught wind of something you don’t see every day: the intersection of Lincoln and Hitler Streets. For a guy wired for history, the intersection was irresistible! Next thing we knew, we followed his curiosity and saw it for ourselves.
Continue reading “At the corner of Lincoln and Hitler”
I’ve started to notice a pattern here: I keep showing up just in time. Not at the height of things, and not long after they’re gone, but in that narrow window when a place is still standing, still recognizable, and just beginning to slip away. Indiana’s old county homes seem especially prone to that timing, and that’s exactly how I found the old DeKalb County Home.
Continue reading “Indiana’s DeKalb County Home”
I had never heard of the Indiana community of Weaver before an acquaintance of mine brought it up a few months ago. As soon as he did, I knew I had to visit: about all that remains of the place is the acre-wide Weaver Cemetery, but it’s full of history.
Continue reading “Grant County’s Weaver settlement cemetery”
Delaware County boasts basketball cathedrals like the Muncie Fieldhouse and Ball Gymnasium, but its history thins out fast after a step outside the city. In fact, only one true survivor from Indiana’s golden age of hoops remains- the home of the Gaston Bulldogs. After years of trying to find someone to let us in, My friend Brett and I visited yesterday. We might have made it just in time. Here’s how it all unfolded, with some history to boot.
Continue reading “A glimpse inside the Gaston gym”
Just east of Irvington’s carefully preserved core, a sprawling, worn-down shopping center sits quietly along Washington Street. Irvington Plaza doesn’t fit the story its neighborhood tells today, but it once did. Long before the vacancies and the slow decline, the center was one of Indianapolis’s most ambitious retail destinations.
Continue reading “Indy’s Irvington Plaza”