Quick Indiana history quiz: What was the first capital of Indiana? If you said Corydon, you’re not alone. You’d also be wrong. Sort of. Founded in 1732 when the Midwest Territory was still under French rulership, Vincennes holds rank as the oldest city in Indiana, then operating as a fur trading post on the banks of the Wabash River. When Congress created the Indiana Territory in 1800, it selected Vincennes to serve as the capital, later moving it to Corydon in 1813 and then on to Indianapolis in 1825, almost a decade after Indiana achieved statehood in 1816.
To commemorate the significance of the role Vincennes played during the Revolutionary War and the capture of British-controlled Fort Sackville led by George Rogers Clark in 1779, the town hosts the annual Spirit of Vincennes Rendezvous each Memorial Day weekend. The Rendezvous launched in 1977, and now attracts 35,000 attendees for the two-day celebration.
“This event is our largest annual festival, and an educational piece of our local history,” said Frank Doughman, superintendent of the George Rogers Clark National Historical Park. “It symbolizes Vincennes and celebrates our early beginnings.”
This year’s Rendezvous takes place at Historic Downtown Vincennes’ French Commons in the shadow of the George Rogers Clark Memorial, this year honoring Vincennes founder and French Marine officer Sieur de Vincennes with a statue unveiling and dedication.
The two-day schedule of events also includes Revolutionary War battle reenactments, an 18th Century trade fair, period-authentic food, children’s activities, musical performances, storytelling, demonstrations and more.
“As in years past, the Vincennes State Historic Sites Territory Capital and Grouseland (former home of 9th U.S. President and Indiana Governor William Henry Harrison) will host candlelight tours on Saturday evening,” Doughman added. “Within the Rendezvous grounds, a camp will portray the early French of Vincennes, including French Marines who served as the military force on the frontier.”
The 42nd annual Spirit of Vincennes Rendezvous is scheduled for Saturday, May 26 from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sunday, May 27 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. with four battle reenactments throughout the weekend. Single-day passes are $10 for adults, $2 for children age 6 to 12. For more information, visit spiritofvincennes.org.
The Angel Mounds State Historic Site is a must see for all Hoosiers. Just east of Evansville, the Angel Mounds is one of Indiana’s best preserved Native American village sites, with a history stretching back about 1,000 years.
Angel Mounds
Around the year 1000 AD, a group of Native Americans, identified by archaeologists as being part of the Mississippian Culture, began building a town along what we now call the Ohio River, in southwestern Indiana. Flourishing until approximately 1450, the community built large platform mounds, a defensive palisade, and numerous dwellings, with a population of anywhere from 1,000 to 3,000 individuals.
Major Mississippian Culture Sites
While we have no idea what the Native Americans called themselves, or the Angel Mounds village site, the site is an excellent example of the Mississippian Culture. This culture was widespread across the southeastern United States from circa 800 AD to 1600 AD. Remnants of their communities are spread up and down the various river valleys in the American southeast, with the most prominent remains at Cahokia, near present day St. Louis.
Representative of a chief – from the interpretive center.
The Mississippian Culture, including the group that lived at Angel Mounds, organized themselves under a titular chief and are generally known as a chiefdom, with institutionalized inequality among the members.
Map of the site.
The Native Americans chose this area along the Ohio River, as it offered some protection with the river on one side, and a slough (marshy area) on the opposing side. This essentially made the Angel Mound village an island and easily defended from all sides.
Recreated Palisade
At one point, the inhabitants constructed a defensive palisade around their village as well. The palisade acted as a wall protecting the villagers who built dwellings on the inside. Part of the palisade has been reconstructed to give visitors an idea of the scope of what once existed here.
Mound A
The most prominent features of the site are the eleven earthwork mounds, including the central ‘Mound A,’ which is the largest. Rising over 14 feet above the ground, Mound A likely once held the chieftain’s house. Mound F, some distance away, had a temple on top. While we don’t know the exact purpose the temple for the villagers at Angel, we can deduce what probably it was probably used for based on written descriptions of observations made by colonists interacting with other Mississippian groups in the southeast. The Friends of Angel Mounds write in their 2011 Angel Mounds: A Mississippian Town on the Ohio River, that:
Temple guardians tended perpetual fires in honor of the Sun to whom fire was sacred. The chiefand elite stored tribute, war trophies, personal wealth, status symbols, and ceremonialparaphernalia in the temples. Scalps and enemy trophy heads were often displayed on poles outside.
Consistent with other Mississippian Culture townsites, Angel Mounds features a large plaza, on which villagers would gather and play a game known as chunkey. The game, played extensively throughout the Mississippian world, had players rolling a stone disc along the ground, while throwing spears as it moved down the plaza. Players won by having the closest spear to the stopped stone disc.
Recreated Dwelling
The site has been protected in large part because of the efforts of Eli Lilly and Glenn Black. Lilly fronted a great deal of financial resources to the Indiana Historical Society to acquire the property in 1938. In the following year, the archaeologist Glenn Black began a systematic exploration of the site, which has continued off and on since that time. The site is called ‘Angel’ after the Angel family who onced owned the land.
Angel Mounds
For unknown reasons, the site was abandoned in 1450 and was used variously as farmland in the American period. In 1964, the site received a National Historic Landmark designation. In 2001, a new interpretive center was built. The site is managed by the Indiana DNR – Division of Indiana State Museums and Historic Sites.
And your family adventure doesn’t end there! Just north of Indy is Conner Prairie, a Smithsonian Affiliate. Conner Prairie is a place where you can play freely and run farther, with space to explore and uncover new things. When families visit, they connect with history, science, nature, art and most importantly, one another. The historic adventure starts inside and continues with an amazing journey outdoors.
Conner Prairie
2. Experience the Culture of the Amish Put aside obligations, appointment books and yes, even laundry then grab your friends to shop, eat, explore and bond in Northern Indiana’s Amish Country. In Nappanee, Amish Acres depicts Amish family life that has been in this part of the state for generations. Tour the Amish farmstead, located on the National Register of Historic places, then walk the grounds to take in the gardens and barn areas. Hop in for a horse and buggy ride, experience a thresher’s dinner in the Round Barn Restaurant and take in a Broadway show in the Round Barn Theater.
Amish Acres
3. Indiana’s Heritage is Closely Tied to the Game of Basketball Hoosiers, as Indiana natives are referred to, is a term closely related to the game of basketball. The game’s inventor, James Naismith, once said, “The game of basketball was born in Massachusetts, but it grew up in Indiana.” While the passion for the game in Indiana can be experienced in gyms statewide, a visit to New Castle’s Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame paints a more complete picture. Located next to the world’s largest high school gymnasium, New Castle Fieldhouse, the museum is a collection of Indiana’s basketball history at all levels.
Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame
Just 20 minutes down the road, you can step into a gym and onto the silver screen. The Historic Hoosier Gym served as the home of the Hickory Huskers in the Academy Award-winning film, Hoosiers. Learn about more basketball history on the Hoosier Hoops Hysteria Trail.
4. A Farming Experience Unlike Any Other in the World Escape to the country with outdoor fun, food and learning where you can explore family farms and reconnect with nature animals and our planet. Fair Oaks Farms is the world’s first agricultural theme park. With immersive experiences on dairy, pig and crop farming, Fair Oaks Farms gives you an in depth look at the work that goes into feeding the world. And after you learn all of that, you can taste farm fresh ice creams, cheeses and much more!
Fair Oaks Farms
5. Native American History Located in an Urban Escape
Immerse yourself in the stories of Native Americans and the American West at the Eiteljorg Museum of American Indians and Western Art. Experience art, history and cultures through expansive exhibits & dynamic programs. And then step out onto the Indianapolis Cultural Trail where you can explore Indiana’s capital city in a gorgeous setting.
Eiteljorg Museum of American Indians and Western Art
Home to numerous museums and the world famous Indianapolis Zoo, White River State Park is Indiana’s only urban state park. Situated along the White River Canal, the park offers breathtaking views, wonderful strolls, world-class museums and attractions and gondola rides on the canal.
White River State Park
6. The Greatest Spectacle in Racing
The month of May in Indiana is a special time. The eyes of the world turn to the Indianapolis for “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing”, the Indianapolis 500. The 500-mile race takes place in the largest sporting venue in the world, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, which is capable of hosting 300,000 spectators. Thirty-three drivers, 200 laps, 500 miles. All for the right to drink one bottle of cold milk, a tradition synonymous with the event. The race has been contested since 1911 and Indianapolis hosted the 100th running in 2016.
Indianapolis 500
7. Grand Central Station of the Underground Railroad
The history of the United States of America cannot be told without sharing the story of slavery and the heroes who sought freedom and helped others in their search for freedom. The “Underground Railroad” led fugitive slaves north to freedom, and one of the most important stops on that pathway was the Levi and Catharine Coffin House in Fountain City, Indiana.
Levi and Catharine Coffin House
Known as “Grand Central Station” of the Underground Railroad, the couple harbored several thousand freedom seeking men, women and children in their travels north toward freedom. The Coffins’ home is open to public tours and sits next to a brand new state-of-the-art interpretive center, which Smithsonian Magazine named one of the most important new museums to open in 2016.
Levi & Catharine Coffin State Historic Site Interpretive Center
8. A Historic University and Urban Outdoor Adventure Make a splash with white water rafting in downtown South Bend. That’s right downtown South Bend. The East Race Waterway is the first man-made white water rafting course in North America. Since opening in 1984, the East Race Waterway has provided hundreds of thousands of residents and visitors with a fun, inexpensive recreational venue.
East Race Waterway, South Bend
South Bend is also famously home to the University of Notre Dame. The moment you step onto the Notre Dame campus, you are met with breathtaking architecture everywhere you look. Now is the perfect time to visit campus and see all the iconic landmarks that make Notre Dame such a beautiful university.
University of Notre Dame
9. Two of America’s Best Historic Hotels In One Incredible Setting Two grand hotels welcome you to the glorious days of the 1920s, completely updated for your 21st century getaway. You’ll find every sort of escape you seek, from a family overnight with horseback riding to a golf-and-spa weekend for a couples retreat.
West Baden Springs Hotel at French Lick Resort
The historic trolley takes you back and forth between French Lick Springs Hotel and West Baden Springs Hotel, letting you experience the shops, dining, gardens and sights of each beautiful hotel no matter which you choose for your stay.
French Lick Springs Hotel at French Lick Resort
10. The Small Town With Architecture to Rival Any Major City
You’ll be greeted by modern architecture as soon as you enter Columbus. It’s been called one of the best cities in the world for architecture lovers. We think it’s a great place to fall in love with architecture for the first time, too.
Columbus Architecture
Columbus is overflowing with colorful art and modern architecture, created by the world’s best. Let a tour guide show you around so you don’t miss a thing!
Looking for an easy place to explore for an afternoon? Parke County’s backroads, waterways and vistas are a wanderer’s paradise. GPS will help find Rockville or Marshall. But if you’re up for a little adventure, turn off the GPS and explore!
The area around the dam at Cecil M. Harden Lake has picnic shelters, trails, playgrounds and boat ramps.
Take in the view as you drive across the dam at Cecil M. Hardin Lake/Raccoon SRA. Picnic. Fish off the dock. Launch a kayak or boat at one of the many boat ramps. Visit historic Mansfield – even in the rain, the view of the dam and mill from the covered bridge takes a traveler back in time.
Portland Mills Covered Bridge over Little Raccoon Creek is the second oldest covered bridge in Parke County.
Discover Portland Mills Covered Bridge. Horizontal white siding and Burr arch trusses highlight the remote beauty of this 1856 structure. Discover “Under the Arch” restaurant in Marshall. Fried bologna sandwich on the menu? Wow – back to childhood!
Sugar Creek meanders southwest from High Bridge toward Turkey Run State Park.
Happen upon out-of-the-way antique shops. Drive by Amish farms. Stop at roadside markets. Drop in on Amish bulk food stores and greenhouses (not open on Sundays).
The rugged terrain of Sugar Creek Conservation Area is part of a 43,000-acre project, beginning at Shades State Park and crossing five Indiana counties.
Skirt by the Narrows Covered Bridge at Turkey Run State Park. Up the hill, the Lusk Home and its kitchen garden offer a glimpse into a bygone era along Sugar Creek.
Mature white oak trees line the edge of a ravine along Sugar Creek Conservation Area.
The expansive views from High Bridge lead into the richness of the 1,300-acre Sugar Creek Conservation Area. Wander into hillsides covered with white oak and hemlock trees. Explore canyons and cliffs. Hunt mushrooms in the spring and squirrel, turkey and deer in season. Fish along the shoreline of Sugar Creek. A variety of birds, waterfowl, river otters, beavers and other mammals offer glimpses into the wild side of Indiana.
Under the Arch restaurant in downtown Marshall is open six days a week for lunch, dinner, coffee and a buffet on weekends. The old hardware-store-turned-restaurant is locally owned.
Easy views await at every turn in Parke County. Whether from the car window or a quick step outside, this gorgeous landscape carved out by glaciers, creeks and humans is worth wandering. Right or left – there are no dead ends! Happy trails!
Fields of cabbage and other crops line Parke County backroads.
Asparagas, vegetables and herbs replicate the period kitchen garden of the Lusk Family Home.
Parke County’s peaceful backroads welcome wanderers willing to get off the beaten path.
Make your way to Nappanee, Indiana to visit Amish Acres, a historic Amish farm that serves up a relaxing day of shopping, theater, Amish traditions and plenty of culinary delights. There’s no way you’ll leave hungry from a visit to Amish Acres so bring your A-game for eating and a sense of adventure.
Amish Acres is located right off of US 6 and is an easy drive from many northeast destinations (about an hour northwest of Fort Wayne, 50 minutes west of Shipshewana or 30 minutes north of Warsaw) which makes it perfect for a day trip or as part of a weekend stay in the area.
The minute you pull into Amish Acres, you will not only be transported back in time to this 1840’s Amish Farm, but you will notice how well the property has been maintained. It’s a gorgeous location and on the day of our visit it was the setting for an afternoon wedding reception. The 80-acre farm was the home of Indiana’s first Amish pioneers and is the only Old Order Amish Farm listed in the National Register of Historic Places. Amish Acres as it is now called, is filled with various buildings and plenty of activities including the farm house, school, Round Barn Theater, Greeting Barn for shopping and purchasing tour tickets, the Restaurant Barn, the Fudge/Soda Shop, Bakery and the Meat/Cheese shop.
This corn chowder was thick and delicious and the accompanying corn bread was fresh from the oven and heavenly.
On our first visit to Amish Acres, my kids and I decided to do more of an exploratory day and headed right to the restaurant for lunch. They are known for their threshers dinner which includes family style favorites like fried chicken, roast beef, corn, mashed potatoes, noodles and all the fixings. Our bellies weren’t quite up for the challenge, but no worries, we ordered off the lunch menu and rejoiced at the home style favorites like fried chicken, corn chowder and ham and bean soup. We also finished off the meal with freshly made peanut butter and apple pie slices. Fantastic!
Make sure you take home favorites like cookies, pies and jams from the bakery located just inside the doors of the Barn Restaurant.
The resident peacock loves to show off to guests.
Needing some time to digest our lunch, we headed out to the main area where we were greeted with pet rabbits and a resident peacock showing off his beautiful plumage. We hopped aboard one of the wagons for a relaxing ride around the property. It was one of the highlights of our visit. Additional tours included a guided tour of the farmhouse, which provides an up close view into Amish life.
We loved the wagon ride through the property. Our guide pointed out the many attractions along the way.You’ll have a hard time selecting from all the goodies that includes fudge, chocolates, candies, ice cream and sodas.
The day was warm so we decided to cool off and headed to the Soda Fountain/Fudgery for old fashioned sodas. The shop is rustic with a soda shop charm. We had a great time visiting with the staff and would highly recommend that you stop in and have one of their ice cream sodas – which are hard to find places that still make them these days. FYI they were kid-approved.
Shop for antiques, crafts, furniture, used books, vintage and primitives at the Cow Shed.
More shopping included a stop in the Meat/Cheese Shop and a visit to the Greeting Barn. Just to the west of the property is a large antique mall called the Cow Shed and it’s filled with a lovely mix of antiques, vintage and primitive items, used books and crafts.
The Round Barn Theater at Amish Acres is a must-do part of any visit. Productions are fun for all ages and this summer’s schedule includes Mamma-Mia, Barry Manilow’s Copacabana, Annie and many other favorites. They offer packages that include threshers dinners and overnight stays at their inn which make the experience an overnight hit for the family.
You must see a production in this historic round barn.
Amish Acres is a great Indiana destination for all ages and visitors come from across the country to enjoy it’s old world charm. It’s also a popular field trip location for students with plenty of hands on learning opportunities. We can’t wait to get back for another visit to the area. For information on Amish Acres, visit their website or Facebook page. They are also one of the attractions along the Heritage Trail in Elkhart County. Amish Acres is a seasonal attraction so check dates to avoid disappointment.
Indiana’s oldest city is lush with history. Dating back to the 1700s, the city features the largest national monument outside of Washington, DC, a presidential home, a state historic site and the city’s newest monument to it’s namesake.
François-Marie Bissot was born in Montreal in 1700 to Jean Baptiste Bissot, Sieur de Vincennes and Marguerite Forestier. Jean Baptiste was a second generation French-Canadian colonist who served as liaison between New France and the Miami Nation in what is now northern and central Indiana. Jean Baptiste operated out of several French outposts/forts and trading centers in the French North America colonies. When his son François-Marie Bissot came of age in 1717, he moved to be with his father at Kekionga, the Miami Native American village at what is today Fort Wayne.
François-Marie Bissot, Sieur de Vincennes
After his father’s death, François-Marie Bissot became the commander at Fort Ouiatenon near what is now Lafayette, Indiana and took his father’s title, Sieur de Vincennes. By 1730, he was in charge of what is now the entirety of southern Indiana. At this time, New France was divided into five administrative districts including Canada, Hudson’s Bay, Acadie, Plaisance, and Louisiane the latter of which was further split into Lower Louisiane (Basse-Louisiane) and Upper Louisiane (Haute-Louisiane, but also known as Illinois Country). Although the border varied over the years, the district of Canada stretched down at this time to the Wabash River in Miami Territory and included Fort Ouiatenon, Fort Miamis (at Kekionga), and Fort Chécagou. Louisiane stretched northward to the Wabash River as well, but it’s northernmost outpost was a fort/trading center, which later was named Fort Vincennes. By 1745, the official border between Louisiane and Canada was fixed on the Wabash River halfway between Fort Ouiatenon (Lafayette) and Fort Vincennes, approximately near present day Terre Haute.
New France
This northernmost Louisiane fort/trading post was first created by François-Marie Bissot in 1732 as a French outpost which served primarily as a fur trading center between the French Empire and the Native Americans in the area. François-Marie Bissot selected this spot, long inhabited by Native Americans, as it was near the confluence of the White and Wabash rivers, while also being the location of the termination point of an old Buffalo Trace. It might also have been at, or near a site of a previous French fort and outpost. In an attempt to make the settlement prosper, François-Marie Bissot invited several bands of Wea and Piankashaw Native Americans along with French-Canadian colonists to move to his new settlement. The site was known generally as Post Vincennes.
fleur de lis
A year later, he married Marie Phillippe de Longpre (1729-1801) and the couple had two children, Marie Therese and Catherine – all four of whom lived at Vincennes’ new trading outpost.
François-Marie Bissot, Sieur de Vincennes
Three years later, François-Marie Bissot was part of the French war with the Chickasaw Native Americans along the Mississippi River further south. In 1736, he was captured and killed near the Chickasaw town of Ogoula Tchetoka (near present day Tupelo, Mississippi) during the Battle of Ogoula Tchetoka.
François-Marie Bissot, Sieur de Vincennes
Within a few years of his death, his trading post on the Wabash River was renamed Fort Vincennes in François-Marie Bissot honor.
Car lovers come from all over the world to pilgrimage to Auburn, the “Home of the Classics,” in Northeast Indiana. This well-known gearhead city has deep roots in the automobile industry as the original home of the Auburn Automobile Company who produced the famous Auburns, Cords and Duesenbergs in the 1920’s and 30’s. The love of classic cars continues today with four museums that pay homage to antique and collector vehicles as well as an all-star lineup of events to show them off.
Auburn Cord Duesenberg Automobile Museum
The start to any trip to Auburn should first and foremost be theAuburn Cord Duesenberg Automobile Museum. The museum is located in the original art deco show room and offices of the Auburn Automobile Company and it is a national historic landmark. I can spend hours alone just in the main show room on the first floor so plan to spend several hours in the museum. I highly recommend taking advantage of the docents who are there to answer questions and help tell the amazing story of how the company proceeded to develop and build some of the most prestigious cars in the world.
Some of my favorite highlights are the Duesenbergs, which were each custom built to it’s original owner’s specifications. The Duesenberg brothers were actively involved in the racing industry, having built race cars that competed in the Grand Prix in France and the Indianapolis 500. You’ll find the racing gallery to be quite fascinating as the cars were used extensively in racing competitions around the world. The collection also includes a gallery that showcases the importance of Indiana in the automobile industry with cars built around the state and many that were manufactured in Auburn, including the Imp. The museum is impressive and a testament to the beautiful cars that were built by this legendary company.
Head upstairs to see even more amazing vehicles like this breathtaking 1932 L-29 Speedster.
National Auto and Truck Museum
This museum is located in another of the original Auburn Automobile Company’s buildings and sit just behind the other museum.The National Auto and Truck Museum sits just behind the Auburn Cord Duesenberg Automobile Museum and is another Auburn must-do. The museum is located in another one of the original buildings of the Auburn Automobile Company. This building was constructed by E.L. Cord to assemble the L-29 Cord and the lower level was used by designers for development of experimental vehicles. Enjoy two floors of amazing one of a kind vehicles, prototypes and classic cars and trucks. The pride and joy of the collection is the General Motors Futurliner #10, which was used by the company to tour the country and promote the technology of the future. This gem is valued between $4M – $5M today and still makes occasional appearances across the country at shows and parades.
The GM Futurliner #10 is definitely one of the highlights of the visit.
This L-29 Cord was manufactured in this very facility and it greets you as you step into the main first floor gallery.
During your visit, make sure you check out the extensive collection of collector toy and model cars and a breathtaking collection of pedal cars. There is also the largest collection of antique gas pumps in the state of Indiana. Plan to spend several hours in this museum as well and feel free to ask questions as each vehicle has a unique story to tell.
What kid wouldn’t want to play on one of these pedal cars? Sorry they are not for sale…trust me, we asked!
Kruse Automobile and Carriage Museum
The museum features a number of famous Hollywood vehicles including the van from the A-Team. Love it!
The Kruse Automobile and Carriage Museum sits just off of I-69 just one stop south of Auburn’s main exit. This museum features the collections of Carl Casper, a famous Hollywood movie car designer, and it showcases many of the cars you know including K.I.T.T. from Knight Rider, the van from the A-Team, one of Fonzi’s motorcycles as well as two Batmobiles and plenty more. Casper also designed legendary custom hot rods and several are on display.
Casper collected a number of historic carriages including this coach from out west. Imagine traveling large distances in this open air coach.
The museum also holds Casper’s extensive carriage collection that includes an early Wells Fargo stagecoach as well as royal carriages. I was captivated by the collection and it definitely gives you an appreciation for modern travel. Make sure you head to the back of the museum for the Northeast Indiana Racing Museum gallery that features an ever-changing display of race cars and memorabilia that includes vehicles from the area as well as the Indianapolis 500. It’s a fascinating display of how cars have evolved over the years and the love of racing that shines through.
Racing fans will want to head to the back of the museum to get a close up look to Indiana racing heritage.
Early Ford V-8 Foundation Museum
This front facade is actually under construction at present. Visitors will soon be greeted by a replica of the famous Ford Rotunda that fell prey to a fire years ago.
The Early Ford V-8 Foundation Museum is the newest automobile museum to settle in Auburn. The national group selected Auburn due to it’s central location and it’s currently undergoing an expansion that will triple it’s exhibit space. The museum features early Ford v-8’s from the 30’s to the 50’s. The building will also boast a replication of the famous Ford Rotunda that will greet visitors as they approach the building. The museum is open during construction but plans are to hold it’s grand opening celebrations in 2019.
This 1941 Ford bus was one of my favorites and one of the more unique pieces on the floor. The museum will triple it’s exhibit space when the expansion is complete.
Experience a Community of Car Lovers
When driving through Auburn you will notice that classic cars are commonplace on the streets on any given day. There are plenty of ways to show off your classic car in the City of Auburn. The Auburn Cord Duesenberg Automobile Museumhosts monthly “Cars and Coffee” events in their Education and Exhibit Plaza during warmer months. The Chamber of Commerce hosts a monthly cruise-in on the square surrounding the county’s historic courthouse and the local Shifters Club hosts annual events including the Kavalcade of Kooland cruise-ins for charity. Details can be found on the events calendar of the DeKalb County Visitor’s Bureau or by calling their office for upcoming events 260-927-1499.
RM Auctions Auburn Fall and Auburn Cord Duesenberg Festival
Finally, Auburn is also home to the RM Auction Park which hosts two large annual car auctions (Auburn Spring and Auburn Fall). The Auburn Fall coincides with the Annual Auburn Cord Duesenberg Classic Car Show and Festivalwhich together attracts thousands of area and international visitors during Labor Day Weekend. The weekend features parades, galas, car shows, concerts and plenty of activities to satisfy any car lover.
Members of the Auburn Cord Duesenberg Club lining up before the festival parade. It’s not hard to fall in love with these gorgeous cars and seeing them on parade is a delight to car lovers.
Fast and Furious Car Show, part of the Auburn Cord Duesenberg Festival celebrations. Photo courtesy of the Auburn Cord Duesenberg Festival.
Any car enthusiast will be satisfied greatly with a visit to the area. When planning your trip, you may want to considering rounding out your itinerary with plenty of additional stops. The area has a total of 9 museums, three wineries, antique and boutique shopping as well as Sechler’s Pickle Factory that offers free tours Monday through Thursday each week seasonally so it has plenty to keep you occupied for several days of fun. If planning your visit during the Labor Day Weekend, it’s advised to book hotel rooms well in advance as many rooms sell out early. For additional details on the area, check with the DeKalb County Visitors Bureau.
Statue of E.L. Cord, business executive who took over operations of the Auburn Automobile Company in 1924. During his subsequent ownership they became the 13th largest seller of automobiles in the country.
Summer is the perfect time to visit an Indiana prairie, as they are lush with wildflowers, grasses and butterflies, and Vermillion County in western Indiana has a beautiful remnant of bygone days!
The Smith Cemetery Prairie is lush with prairie plants in summer months.
One-acre Smith Cemetery Prairie, two miles southwest of Perrysville, is easy to miss, but once you know it’s there, the beauty is not easily forgotten. A visit in the early 1980s left me wanting to return, so off I went across the Wabash River with my friend Joanna, our cameras and time for adventures.
Smith Cemetery is located on the west side SR 63 in Vermillion County.
Remnant prairie plants were spotted in the fencerows of the Smith Cemetery by botanists from DNR’s Division of Nature Preserves in the 1970s. By 1981, mowing had stopped and the property began to be managed as a prairie. Controlled fires now keep the prairie in its natural condition. Dedicated as a state nature preserve in 1997, over 30 species of prairie plants grow on the property.
Gravestones dating back to the early 1820’s rest among remnant prairie plants such as wild quinine, yellow coneflower, royal catchfly and big and little bluestem.
Summer heat means color on the prairie, and this day was no exception. Bright red Royal catchfly, yellow coneflower, purple wild bergamot, stiff white wild quinine and glowing-green giant prairie dock leaves along with prairie grasses give us a great show of what wild Indiana was once like. Other DNR prairie nature preserves in Indiana can be found here.
Royal Catchfly (Silene regia)
Leaving the prairie, we wandered along the river. We see a “garage sale” sign in Lodi and meet Vicky and Sam Dilby. After a few great antique purchases, we ask Vicky and Sam for a lunch suggestion. Covered Bridge Restaurant in Eugene they say, so back across the river we go. We shouldn’t have been surprised to see a covered bridge when we pulled into the restaurant parking lot! The restaurant is open 8-8, seven days a week. After a break and delicious home cooking, we head to the bridge. Built in 1873, the Eugene Covered Bridge sits in a serene area along the Vermillion River on the north edge of Eugene.
Wild petunia (Ruellia humilis)Yellow coneflower (Ratibida pinnata) and Prairie dock (Silphium terebinthinaceum)
Vicky and Sam had told us about a melon farm south of Lodi, so back across the Wabash we go. We visit with the owner, a few other customers and load up watermelons and cantaloupes for our trip back to Putnam County. But a few more covered bridges await!
Pearson’s Melon Farm in Kingman sells a variety of GMO Free seasonal produce.
Heading south, we crossed the top of a hill and spread out across the river below is the beautiful, long West Union Covered Bridge. A few fishermen are packing up as we saunter through the two-span 1876 West Union Covered Bridge over Sugar Creek – the longest remaining covered bridge in Parke County.
The 180-foot Eugene Covered Bridge spans the Vermillion River, and is a J. J. Daniels Burr truss design bridge.
The next stop as the day’s adventure continues to unfold: State Sanatorium Covered Bridge, a Burr arch, single-span Joseph A. Britton bridge across Little Raccoon Creek. The sanatorium opened in 1910 as a tuberculosis hospital. In later years the facility provided general medical care for local residents, closing its doors in 2012. The 1918 bridge is the only bridge in Indiana with lightning rods.
A tiger swallowtail butterfly on wild bergamot near West Union Covered Bridge in Parke County.
After a day of laughter and adventure, we stop to wade in Raccoon Creek before heading to dinner. New places, new people sharing history and stories and places to eat. Left or right, it doesn’t matter! Another great no-plan adventure living into Indiana history found us around every turn and over every hill!
State Sanatorium Covered Bridge was originally built to take coal to the State Sanatorium, which opened in 1910.
Slab Road crosses Little Raccoon Creek northwest of Rockville.
Wilbur Wright, one-half of the famous Wright brothers, was born in a small farm house in eastern Henry County. Halfway between Millville and Mooreland, the Wilbur Wright Birthplace and Museum commemorates one of the greatest early pioneers of flight. With his brother Orville, Wilbur designed, tested, and eventually accomplished the first sustained flight with a powered, heavier than air aircraft.
The Wilbur Wright Birthplace and Museum honors his life’s work and provides a great way for visitors to learn more about one of the greatest achievements in early 20th century.
Wilbur Wright in 1876
Wilbur was born in 1867 to Milton Wright and Catherine (Koerner) Wright in a small farmhouse in rural Henry County. Wilbur was the third child born to the couple (his other siblings at the time were Reuchlin and Lorin). Within two years years, the Wrights moved to nearby Dayton. In Ohio, Wilbur’s brother Orville was born in 1871 and his sister Katharine arrived in 1874 (two other brothers died in infancy).
The Wright’s farmhouse near Millville, where Wilbur was born.
The family moved back to Indiana in 1881 and briefly lived in Richmond, but by 1884, they returned to Dayton to stay. Although an athletic child, Wilbur became withdrawn in the mid-1880s after a hockey accident left him without several front teeth. He eventually pulled out of his depression and began a printing business with his brother Orville in 1889. Around this time, the brothers also began a bicycle repair shop, the Wright Cycle Exchange. At the shop, the brothers began modifying existing bicycle designs, which ultimately resulted in the brothers’ own models.
The Wright Brothers
The Wright brothers’ tinkering eventually led to experimentation with kites, including large gliders that could hold a grown human aloft in the air. In the early 1900s, the brothers traveled to Kitty Hawk, North Carolina and began testing their models, taking advantage of wind and open spaces. After years of continued tinkering, Wilbur and Orville modified their aircraft to include controls, wing-warping, and eventually an engine to power the new invention.
First successful flight – Orville at the controls and Wilbur to the right.
On December 17, 1903 Orville made the first successful powered flight in an aircraft at approximately 10:35 AM, he traveled 120 feet. Wilbur made the next flight, going 175 feet and Orville made a third flight covering 200 feet later in the day. Over the next several years, the brothers made new models and tested more advanced systems, often facing substantial skepticism from the public. In 1909, the brothers began the Wright Company, which capitalized on their designs and experiments.
Wilbur in 1905
After traveling extensively in Europe and the Eastern seaboard to defend his company’s patents, Wilbur returned home to Dayton 1912 extremely ill, eventually dying of typhoid fever in on May 30. He was 45 years old.
Birthplace of Wilbur Wright
The Wilbur Wright Birthplace and Museum commemorates his legacy, while allowing visitors to explore the early decades of aviation and late 19th century Henry County. Along with the extensive museum, the site also offers visitors a chance to explore the original home, barn, and grounds. A community center is available for private events and a gift shop offers a great selection of books, biographies, and games for kids.
Replica of the Wright Flyer
For me, the most exciting part of the museum is the full-size replica of the Wright Flyer (Flyer 1), which offers visitors a great way to really appreciate the complexity of the design.
Wilbur Wright slept here!
Visitors can explore the site on their own, or schedule a tour. The cost is $8 per person ($2 for children). The museum is open Tuesdays through Saturdays, from 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM and Sundays from 1:00-5:00 PM.
If you need a reason to wander the rural backroads of Indiana, try “road farming” … driving around looking at fields lush with corn, soybeans and more. Grab your sunglasses, roll down the car windows or hop on a registered four-wheeler and explore the roads between the fields. No destination. No plan. No schedule. Only breathing the fresh country air and slowing down to enjoy life.
Cornfields line the winding roads of Parke County, where corn and soybeans are the top agricultural crops.
Heading into Parke County on a random backroad, pinkish-brown and golden brown sorghum heads stretch out across the horizon. At harvest time, the thick stalks are crushed and cooked down into a rich syrup, a sweetener still a celebrated throughout Indiana. There is nothing better for breakfast than a warm buttermilk biscuit dripping with sorghum! Sorghum was a major crop in Indiana until sugar and honey production replaced this widely-produced sweetener.
Sorghum is harvested in the fall. The cane is crushed into juice and cooked down into a thick molasses-like sweetener.
Riding between lush green corn and soybean fields, we cross the covered bridge into Mansfield. We wade in the stream before checking out Our Back Porch restaurant in the middle of Mansfield (open Saturdays and Sundays June through August and during the Covered Bridge Festival). A throw-back to your grandmother’s kitchen, this little gem is filled with antiques and chrome tables and chairs. “Come on in – I’ll feed you!” We order cheeseburgers and grab a drink for the Coca-Cola cooler. “Don’t worry about your wet shoes – this place has been here since the 1800s!”
Winding through woods and more corn and soybean fields, the Bridgeton Mill is open. Visitors are enjoying fishing and wading in the stream below the covered bridge.
Wandering Parke County, iron bridges from a bygone era dot the landscape. Fallen Rock Road winds south from Rocky Fork Creek along sandstone bluffs and a massive limestone rock that broke away years ago.
The slow pace of road farming allows time to wave to folks, watch fox, wild turkey or deer and explore old cemeteries. Traveling on the four-wheeler, the wind in your face almost breathes for you! Stop for a brief greeting along the road and get invited to a friend’s high tunnel for organic tomatoes and cucumbers.
Indiana backroads change every day. They welcome “road farmers” as crops emerge, corn stalks reach “knee-high by the 4th of July,” and harvest approaches. Even in winter, the fields yield a beauty all their own. Take your time – it’s hard to get lost when beauty awaits in around every turn!
The 1880s Mansfield Roller Mill is open during festivals and special events, welcoming visitors to experience the mill’s original equipment being used to grind wheat and corn.Stop by Our Back Porch in Mansfield for biscuits and apple butter during Parke County’s Covered Bridge Festival.
An old Coca-Cola cooler welcomes visitors to Our Back Porch in Mansfield.
The Bridgeton Covered Bridge can be seen from the mill, which has been in continuous operation for over 180 years.Able Mitchell Bridge spans Big Raccoon Creek on Mansfield Road northeast of Bridgeton. The bridge was bypassed in 1991.
Fallen Rock Road, lined with sandstone cliffs, skirts by Fallen Rock RV Parke & Campground.
Organic vegetables grow ladder-tall in a high tunnel in rural Parke County.
At the end of the day we were gifted with this bounty from an organic high tunnel in Parke County.
The beauty of sunset over a soybean field brings an exciting day of “road farming” to a peaceful close.
Almost everyone in central Indiana knows of Conner Prairie – a perennial favorite place to visit for adults and children alike. Throughout the year, Conner Prairie offers a diverse array of programs for visitors of all ages. In fall, however, the Conner Prairie offers my favorite event Headless Horseman. Offered on the latter three weekends in October, Headless Horsemenoffers visitors a corn maze, hayride, games (including pumpkin bowling), and more! Beginning this year, Conner Prairie has teamed up with Sun King Brewing to offer a special seasonal brew for the event, Ichabrewed Crane!
The Headless Horseman! Photo courtesy of Conner Prairie.
The Headless Horseman event is actually several attractions each year, the first of which is an 11-acre corn maze. The maze, which is open to anyone that has paid general museum admission or who is an annual member. Visitors can explore three different mazes, a shorter maze designed to take 30 minutes to navigate, a longer maze that takes an hour to complete, and new this year, the Headless Hallow haunted corn maze. “Headless Hallow” is recommended for ages 11+ and only open at sundown on Headless Horseman nights.
Photo courtesy of Conner Prairie.
The centerpiece of the event is, of course, the Headless Horseman haunted hayride. Taking the infamous character directly out of Washington Irving’s classic The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, visitors will encounter the ghoulish rider on their haunted journey.
Games and a lot more! Photo courtesy of Conner Prairie.
Other parts of the event include a Haunted Horseman marionette show, magic shows, storytelling, and fortune telling! Several games are also available including midway games, mini golf, pumpkin plinko, pumpkin bowling, and a live performance of Iriving’s The Legend of Sleepy Hollow.
Photo courtesy of Sun King Brewing Company.
Working with Sun King Brewing Company, Conner Prairie also is offering a special holiday brew only available in October, the aptly named Ichabrewed Crane. The copper ale is described as having an “aroma of ginger, nutmeg, and apple” with “earthy hints” in the background – pretty much what I would expect to drink in Sleepy Hollow. Ichabrewed will be tapped at Sun King’s small-batch taproom (7848 E. 96th Street) in Fishers on Wednesday, October 10 from 5-8PM and special growlers are available at the Conner Prairie Store.RSVP to the event here.
Photo courtesy of Conner Prairie.
The Headless Horseman event at Conner Prairie is limited to three weekends this October: Thursday, October 11 – Sunday, October 14; Thursday, October 18 – Sunday, October 21; and Thursday, October 25 – Sunday, October 28. Gates are open from 6-9 PM, although hayrides run until about 10 PM.
Photo courtesy of Conner Prairie.
Advance Presale tickets are available through October 10 (online here). Tickets range from $13 for non-member basic (Thursday and Sunday) to $17 for non-member premium (Friday and Saturday). From October 11-28, tickets are $17 for non-member basic (Thursday and Sunday) and $21 for non-member premium (Friday and Saturday). As always, members get in free (annual memberships start at $90). Whatever plans you might have this October, make sure they include a spooky detour through Conner Prairie’s Headless Horseman!
Whether you’re a history buff, or just an avid fan of Hoosier heritage, the Dunham House an hour north of Indianapolis is worth the trip. Home to early Hoosier farmers and politicians, the House has a special connection to the 44th President of the United States, Barack Obama.
The town of Kempton is a small community of 335, about an hour north of Indy, approximately half-way between Tipton and Frankfort. A little south of the town sits the Dunham House, a 19th century home built on land that was once part of Indiana’s Miami Native American Reservation. The Dunham House is, of course, unique in that it’s an historic structure still standing ~140 years after being built. However, it’s particularly significant because it was built by relatives of former President Barack Obama on land owned by his ancestors.
Jacob Mackey and Louisa Stroup. Image courtesy of Shawn Clements.
The land the house sits on was settled by Jacob Dunham in the late 1840s. Jacob was the fourth great grandfather (great-great-great-great grandfather) of former President Obama. Jacob’s son, Jacob Mackey and his wife Louise Stroup, occupied the Dunham land in the ensuing decades. The couple had a son named Jacob William Dunham. This third Jacob, President Obama’s great-great grandfather moved west to Kansas and married Mary Ann Kearney.
Official White House Photo by Pete Souza
Together, they had a son named Ralph Waldo Emerson Dunham, who later had a son named Stanley Armour Dunham – the grandfather of the former president. Stanley’s daughter Ann Dunham married Barack Obama Sr. and the rest, as they say, is history.
Back in Indiana, Jacob Mackey passed the Kempton property to his sister-in-law, Eliza (Reese) Dunham when he moved to Oklahoma. She in turn passed it to her son, William Riley Dunham. William Riley was a member of the Indiana General Assembly and at the time, represented the good people of Hamilton and Tipton counties. William built the house in the 1880s. He is Barack Obama’s great-great-great uncle.
Dunham House rendering. Image courtesy of Shawn Clements.
When William Riley Dunham died in 1921, the house passed to his son, Grover Cleveland Dunham and daughter-in-law, Hazel. In the ensuing decades, the family sold away the original Dunham homestead and by the early 1960s, the house became the McMullan Funeral Home. The funeral home operated until 2000, when the house then sat empty and fell into disrepair.
In 2004, Shawn Clements purchased the home and began restoration work. In 2007 when he was conducting research on the house, he learned of the family connection to the former president. When President Obama was in Indiana during his 2008 campaign, he and his family made a visit to the Dunham House.
The video below was recorded by Mr. Clements in May of 2008.
Clements, the owner of the home and president of The Dunham House Educational Foundation, is currently working to restore the interior and exterior of the home. You can schedule private tours with Clements, email him at DHEFoundation@gmail.com, or call 317-344-9839.
2018 marks the bicentennial anniversary of both Winchester and Randolph County, Indiana. To mark this special year, a new Bicentennial Plaza was dedicated on the south end of the courthouse square in the city of Winchester. The plaza is a great reason to take the trip to east-central Indiana and visit this charming town square.
One of Indiana’s oldest communities.
Randolph County is one of Indiana’s oldest counties. Two years after Indiana achieved statehood in 1816, Randolph County was formed from a much larger Wayne County, with Winchester as the county seat. In the first few years, the county was massive, extending north to what is now the Indiana-Michigan border. This nascent Randolph County even included Fort Wayne!
The new Bicentennial Plaza
The entire courthouse square, more formally known as the Winchester Courthouse Square Historic District, is home to several historic structures, government offices, shops, a movie theatre, and restaurants. Like many other Indiana counties, the Randolph County Courthouse Square has maintained the original character with most of the historic buildings intact. In 2001 the district was added to the National Register of Historic Places.
Looking at Governor Gray
The new plaza was dedicated in September of 2018 and features two seals honor the anniversary and short walls that also serve as public benches for visitors. Two busts rest on the east and west end of the plaza, representing two governors of Indiana, both of whom were from Randolph County – Isaac Gray (serving from 1885-1889) and the more famous, James P. Goodrich (in office 1917-1921).
Looking at Governor Goodrich
Today, Randolph County is pretty rural and has a population of about 26,000 residents. As one of Indiana’s oldest communities, Winchester has continually played a central role in the state’s history and development.
The restored courthouse!
The courthouse, just north of the plaza, was at the center of some controversy a few years ago, when it was slated to be torn down and replaced with a modern structure. As a response to this, several elderly residents (aged 77-94) of Farmland posed nude in a tasteful calendar to raise awareness (and money) to preserve the historic structure.
The Courthouse Girls of Farmland managed to save the building and it was ultimately renovated with a new tower.
Visiting the Bicentennial Plaza is worth the trip any time of year. The courthouse is open Monday through Friday from 8AM to 4PM. You can also catch a movie at the Towne Square Cinema – a great way to experience the movies in one of the few remaining old-school cinemas in Indiana!
Indiana has a strong and lasting tradition of architecturally significant historic courthouses, surrounded by vibrant town squares. Of Indiana’s 92 counties, most county seats in our state retain an historic courthouse as a central feature of their downtown districts. My favorite is the Orange County Courthouse in Paoli. This courthouse is the third oldest in Indiana still standing and housing government offices, rests at the ceremonial marker of the Second Meridian Initial Point (see below), has a cave system immediately below the structure (along with an underground river), and has a spectacular view from a second floor balcony. The courthouse itself is worth the trip to Paoli, but the surrounding square has several restaurants and shops to visit, plus West Baden Springs Hotel and French Lick Springs Hotel are just down the road.
The Orange County Courthouse (northwest corner).
History The Orange County Courthouse was built in 1847 (completed in 1850), making it the third oldest courthouse still standing and serving as a county government center. The oldest is the Ohio County Courthouse in Rising Sun (completed in 1845) and the Fayette County in Connersville (completed in 1849). The Orange County Courthouse was built in the Greek Revival architectural style. Indiana Landmarkswrote that “plan used for the courthouse was probably borrowed from a pattern book, the building is specifically designed to fit the courthouse square’s topography. By incorporating the square’s incline, the southern facing entrance includes an exposed lower story and requires visitors to climb a whole set of stair to reach the main floor. The back, northern entrance, however, only has three steps leading up to the door.”
The view south.
Views and Location The courthouse, therefore, sits in the middle of a sharp incline, giving the impression that the whole square slopes downhill to the south. Looking down from the balcony provides a visitor with a commanding view of the southern part of the square, but also of Paoli and the Hoosier National Forest beyond.
The north entrance.
Most of Indiana’s historic courthouses sit at the center of a square commonly referred to as a ‘Shelbyville’ square (after Shelbyville, TN), with four streets forming a square around the courthouse with intersections at the corners. In Orange County, the courthouse square is referred to as a ‘Lancaster’ or ‘Philadelphia’ style because the roads coming into the square meet at the center of the streets surrounding the courthouse. In short, the Paoli town square is basically a giant roundabout with the courthouse in the center. Most of Indiana’s historic courthouses sit at the center of a square commonly referred to as a ‘Shelbyville’ square (after Shelbyville, TN), with four streets forming a square around the courthouse with intersections at the corners. In Orange County, the courthouse square is referred to as a ‘Lancaster’ or ‘Philadelphia’ style because the roads coming into the square meet at the center of the streets surrounding the courthouse. In short, the Paoli town square is basically a giant roundabout with the courthouse in the center. The square sits at the middle of state roads 37 and 56 and U.S. Route 150.
The square.
The Square The square is quite active with several restaurants, including Pinky’s Court Street Pub, the El Compadre Mexican Restaurant, and China Wok. The square also has a barber shop, antique stores, and several other shops.
The Orange County Courthouse
Second Meridian Initial Point The Orange County Courthouse is also the ceremonial center of the Second Meridian Initial Point. This point is the intersection of the 1805 Baseline (runs east-west) and the Second Principal Meridian, also known as the Paoli Meridian (runs north-south). These two lines were drawn to survey the entire state of Indiana and parts of the Old Northwest Territory. The actual point is in a woods near Paoli, but because of accessibility issues and vandalism, the marker was moved to the courthouse square.
A cave…somewhere deep under this floor!
The Cave The courthouse also sits on top of a cave, or rather a large cave complex that extends beneath part of Paoli. Like most southern Indiana caverns, the cave is made of limestone with a floor about 80 feet below the courthouse. The larger cave system has part of the Lost River (and its tributaries) flowing through it, although to what extent is not fully understood.
The Orange County Courthouse
If your travel plans take you to Paoli, French Lick/West Baden, or just through the general area, make a trip to stop by the square…beautiful any time of year.
