New Corydon is Jay County’s oldest community. Platted in 1844 but settled much earlier1, the town eventually grew to feature two mills, a tannery, groceries and general stores, and doctors2. Today, it consists of five blocks of homes, the New Corydon Bible Church, and a landmark two-room schoolhouse.
Continue reading “Wabash Township’s New Corydon schoolhouse in Jay County”
AT&T built thousands of microwave relay towers in the 1950s and 60s as part of its long-distance telecommunications system called the Long Lines network. It’s been decades since they were used for in that capacity, but many still stand. Here’s one near Point Isabel, Indiana.
Continue reading “Point Isabel’s old Long Line tower”
The Union Literary Institute was founded in 1846 by Quakers and free African-Americans during a time where only white students were privileged to go to public schools. Despite the Quaker influence, the school was non-religious. Later, the institute became a regular schoolhouse.
Continue reading “Greensfork Township’s Union Literary Institute in Randolph County”
The village of Salamonia sits about seven miles southeast of Portland, Indiana. Laid out as Lancaster in 1839, the community got its current name after postal officials realized Lancasters existed elsewhere in Indiana1. The town’s first schoolhouse was built in 18772.
Continue reading “Madison Township’s Salamonia schoolhouse in Jay County”
Washington Township’s first purpose-built schoolhouse was constructed in 1839. Another near what later became the community of Wheeling followed the next year. A primitive affair, the building featured notched logs slathered with mud above simple, puncheon floors. Wheeling’s Methodist congregation met there until about 18711.
Continue reading “Washington Township’s Wheeling schoolhouse in Delaware County”
Randolph County’s District 9 school was built in 18611. More than a hundred and sixty years later, it still stands on North Main Street in Winchester, just north of West 3rd Street.
Continue reading “White River Township’s District 9 schoolhouse in Randolph County”
During the 1950s and 60s, AT&T erected numerous microwave relay towers throughout the United States. They were part of the Long Lines network, a transcontinental telecommunications system. Though these structures have long ceased serving their initial function, their imposing presence persists. One such tower stands tall in the rural landscape just south of Mt. Carmel, Indiana.
Continue reading “Mt. Carmel’s old Long Line tower”
Elderly barns are emblematic of the rural Midwest. In every shade from classic red to weathered brown, barns of various shapes and sizes tell a tale of an enduring agricultural tradition. South of Muncie, the legacy of a tiny barn on US-35 relates a different story: it has to do with ice cream.
Continue reading “Welcome to Pat’s Dairy Bar-n”
Washington Township’s District 12 schoolhouse was located in Bloomingport, a small community between Lynn and Carlos alternatively known as Bloomingsport or Blooming Port1. It was built in 1879.
Continue reading “Washington Township’s Bloomingport schoolhouse in Randolph County”
AT&T built scads of microwave relay towers in the 1950s and 60s to create a long-distance telecommunications system called the Long Lines network. It’s been decades since they were last used for that purpose, but many towers still stand. One is near Glenwood, Indiana.
Continue reading “Glenwood’s old Long Line tower”