Tag history

West Virginia’s Monongalia County Courthouse in Morgantown (1891-)

Ted Shideler 4 Comments
Read time: 4 min.

When I first started taking pictures of Indiana’s county courthouses, I never imagined the hobby would take me all the way to a chain of them in West Virginia. Hoosier borders felt plenty wide enough, but life had a funny way of expanding my map: seven years ago, a cousin’s wedding gave me the perfect excuse to cross several state lines and see what lay beyond. As I wound through the hills, I couldn’t resist pulling over for a few shots. One of the buildings I found was the Monongalia County Courthouse in Morgantown. 

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Delaware County Patriots: Alexander McCallister

Ted Shideler Leave a comment
Read time: 6 min.

There’s something cruel and ironic about the way history leaves breadcrumbs. In the case of Revolutionary War Patriot Alexander McCallister, we can point to a yellowed receipt noting the exact cost of his coffin, but we can’t say with confidence where in Salem Township’s Saunders Cemetery his body rests! Still, half-details like receipts invite us to look closer to imagine the missing piece and honor a Patriot’s life, even when his final resting place remains mostly a mystery. 

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Delaware County Patriots: an introduction

Ted Shideler 10 Comments
Read time: 5 min.

The United States is gearing up for a milestone birthday next year- our 250th! To mark the occasion, the Daughters of the American Revolution has joined forces with America250, the nationwide commemoration of our country’s semiquincentennial, to pay tribute to Revolutionary War Patriots. As part of the celebration, I’ll be sharing the stories of veterans laid to rest in Delaware County for the next twenty Fridays or so.

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The Lustrons of Richmond

Ted Shideler 13 Comments
Read time: 7 min.

The United States entered a remarkable era of prosperity after World War II ended. Returning soldiers set their eyes on the suburbs, and the Lustron Corporation was established to meet their demand for housing. Nearly eighty years have passed since it was founded, but the company’s old homes maintain a fanatic following! I’ve written about Lustron homes in Muncie and Anderson, but a recent trip to Richmond revealed five in the Rose City. 

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The LaPorte County, Indiana Courthouse (1894-)

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Read time: 6 min.

People like to assign human traits and characteristics to animals and inanimate objects. There are myriad psychological, social, and cultural reasons we do it. I tend to anthropomorphize courthouses. To me, LaPorte County’s looks like a Cyclops belting out his favorite tune! Its open-arched clock tower was designed to let natural light flood through a 273-piece skylight1.

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LaGrange County’s Oak Grove schoolhouse sits in the shadow of a Long Line tower

Ted Shideler 3 Comments
Read time: 3 min.

My mom and I had eyes on the old Long Line tower near LaGrange when we noticed an old schoolhouse in unusually-tidy repair. I tend to be single-minded on research trips, but Mom insisted I take a photo. I did, and here’s all I’ve been able to uncover about Bloomfield Township’s Oak Grove Schoolhouse in LaGrange County.

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The Ohio County Courthouse in Indiana (1845-)

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Read time: 6 min.

Here in Indiana, a typical county measures just over 389 square miles. Somehow, Ohio County only checks in at a measly eighty-six1. It’s not only the state’s smallest county, but it’s the tiniest in the entire nation! There, in Rising Sun, the oldest operating courthouse in the state administers justice to about 6,000 residents. 

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