Scratching the Itch to Wander, One More Bridge!
- 56 minutes ago
- 7 min read
I have been traveling recently for business but those experiences carry a certain purposeful weight Wandering is different, something more. It's an itch and must be scratched. It doesn't have to be a magical route, a destination with an achievement at the end, or include a breathtaking view or scene. It's as much internal as it is external, maybe even more.
In another week, I am planning a trip to southern Indiana with two purposes. The first is to honor Beth's Memorial Day, the day of her passing and this year marked seven years. The second is to wander with purpose. I plan to complete visiting every cover bridge and in Indiana, and doing it with a dear friend who grew up around the vicinity of the bridge.
Today was about the itch. Started the day with a walk around the neighborhood. I always have music on and yet provides me a sense of solitude and connectedness. Set my odometer and headed west. The first order of business was to visit a covered bridge. It all depends on how you count them, but there are as many as 90 covered bridges in Indiana. Strangely enough, two of them that I had not visited were very near my home. Salem Crossing Bridge is located in the southern part of Zionsville. I am always grateful when a covered bridge is exposed in someway so it's not just the opening that you passed through on foot or in a vehicle. Additionally, it's nice when I can stop and take the pictures I want to capture. I was pleased on both counts. The bridge is located in a pasture, easily visible from the road. I was able to put my flashers on and park on the road to capture of two or three pictures of the bridge.
This was a good start. From Boone County I dipped into Marion County, and then back into Boone traveling all the way across the county on rural roads. I slowed down in the village of Herr, which only has an elevator named for Kern, Kirtley and Herr. Good memories of doing business with them during my summer job with Callahan Seeds in college. Stopped for pictures at Granville Wells Elementary School on SR 75. The former high school has been remodeled but there is an architectural element that stands out -- barrel-vaulted gymnasium which harkens back to the 1930s and '40s.
I had already crossed over or under interstate highways four times on my morning drive. All those vehicles were speeding to get from one place to another as quickly as possible. I, on the other hand, was leisurely driving through the country, crossing into Montgomery County and arriving in New Ross. I snapped a picture of an old bank building with a new nameplate. I was intrigued the New Ross United Methodist Church which was erected in 1873. But the lighting just wasn't right. I skipped the highway paralleling the original Main Street and followed the old road. I was reminded that this was part of the Dixie Beeline Highway, an early auto trail from Chicago to Danville, Illinois, then over to Indianapolis, where it joined up the preeminent Dixie Highway from Sault Sainte Marie, Michigan to Miami Beach. Once highways were numbered, this was State Road 34 and later renamed US 136. For those travelers circling Indianapolis, it is still Crawfordsville Road.
I was back on US 136 heading to Crawfordsville. In the village of Mace, there were two structures that caught my eye they were companion buildings, and at one point would have been a service station, but may have also been stops along an interurban line. I captured pictures and then spotted the former Knights of Pythias Hall across the street.
Arrived in Crawfordsville and went seeking the historic district. I had been the district before, but never approached from that direction. I circled Lew Wallace's home and study. When I was a child, I visited and toured the historic site. Wallace was "an American lawyer, Union general in the Civil War, governor of the New Mexico Territory, politician, diplomat, artist, inventor, and author. Among his novels and biographies, Wallace is best known for his historical adventure story, Ben–Hur: A Tale of the Christ (1880), a bestselling novel that has been called "the most influential Christian book of the nineteenth century." Stopped on the street near its entrance, put my flashers on, and took pictures of the historic marker, the stone gate, and stepped inside to capture a picture of the home through the foliage.
Clockwise: Lew Wallace Home, Elston Home/DAR Chapter. Lane Mansion, Ben Hur Building
Next, I photographed the recently Ben Hur Building which was recently honored by Indiana Landmarks for its outstanding restoration. I circled Holmes in the district and came across the Elston Memorial Home, which serves as the local chapter house of the Daughters of the American Revolution. Nearby. the Crawfordsville Municipal Building was right across from the home of Henry Lane, a businessmanand US Senator and who played a pivotal role in the development of the Republican Party in the 1850s. Wallace, Lane, and Elston were all related through marriage. Circled around the historic Montgomery County courthouse and happened upon a historic marker, which declared this as the Cradle of Basketball in Indiana.
Historic Marker near entrance of Wallace Home, Montgomery County Courthouse
There was probably more to explore, but I was hungry and I headed north to a Sunoco station on US 231 near the I-74 interchange. I had been here once before, but it was worth a return visit. I ordered their breaded tenderloin, fried mushroom mushrooms, and a drink. When I placed my order at the counter. There were 12 freshly made fruit pies arranged on a large table. I inquired and she told me all about them. I asked which of these was the best, and she shared the black raspberry. But there were rows of cobbler's and cakes, even sugar cream pie containers. She highlighted one in particular, a chocolate cherry cobbler that was brand new. I worked on my computer while waiting for my meal to arrive. The tenderloin is as good as any I've ever had. I visited to the manager of the deli counter and learned that she was returning to teaching as a substitute after today. The current owners are selling the fuel station with the diner inside and so I hope that it can be sustained. I purchased a container of black cherry cobbler for later and she gave me an "expiring" Reese's Chocolate Cake brownie!
Wandering again, I had my sights set on finding the outlet for Little Potato Creek where it joins Lye Creek before dumping into the Sugar Creek, a few miles away. Sugar Creek is known for traversing the ShadeS State Park and Turkey Run State Park and is a favorite stream for canoers. I was able to sit on the bridge and look East to where the two streams met, but the foliage limited by views. I was specifically wanting to follow Little Potato Creek, as that is the stream that flows through our farm near the very headwaters. I traced it, stopping to see the stream on bridges along the way. I drove through Bowers Station where many of my ancestors lived and farmed.
I drove to the nearby town of Colfax and at that point I had traversed the stream many many many times. This is a community where my family has deep roots and my father graduated from Colfax High School in 1940. I photographed the Colfax-Perry Township Public Library with the town's water tower behind it.
Colfax Library, Manson Congregational Christian Church, Remains of Manson Elevator
I continued east on the Manson-Colfax Road heading toward my boyhood home. I made one quick detour to visit the church of my childhood and where my family is still involved. I am pleased with pictures of the Manson Congregational Christian Church. I am now a practicing Catholic, but I was raised in this church and it still feels like home. Before I left town, I stopped to photograph the towering silo of the old grain elevator and the silos are all that remain.
Pulled into my family's farmstead and there were some cars from people visiting the flower farm. I met Ashley who is a student Ivy Tech studying software development. She works for\my brother Stan and his wife Lois. They live on the farmstead, operate the family grain farm, including the flower farm. It is a beautiful setting on the 12 Mile Prairie to see the flowers near the creek and the expansive prairie. There were people who finished and there were there was a large group of people that arrived while I was there. I was not able to connect with them as they were running errands away from the farm.
My other brother and his wife were returning from a trip in Wisconsin and would arrive around dinner time. I went to their house and waited for them. Which gave me a chance to catch up on journaling. We split the two desserts with vanilla ice cream and that was a treat. We agreed that the Chocolate Cherry Cobbler was the star.
My brother and I had a very interesting conversation about the future of Life Off The Highway, the impending book, potential marketing ideas, and ways to wrap it with cultural heritage tourism that I teach at IU-Indy. I have had numerous inquiries by people wanting to know if they could somehow take a course on cultural heritage tourism. My new semester starts this month but a similar course outside of the university is intriguing.
I wanted to scratch this wandering itch. Long the day was not too long, it wasn't expensive, I didn't travel miles and miles. Explored new assets and revisited new places. Enjoyed a delicious meal. Had new conversations and spent time with family. It was peaceful, fulfilling, and I enjoyed the solitude of the back roads with Beth's spirit by my side.
Got an itch to wander? Scratch it!
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