It is a nice warm and sunny day. The bird bath was appealing to this grackle.
An 1890 hardware store turned restaurant
The three story brick building was built in 1890 and housed a hardware store for decades. The locally owned J.G. DePrez Co. was a prominent feature in downtown Shelbyville, Indiana. The building now houses a unique restaurant on the first floor .
Pudder’s storefront
Looking out on the town square
Pudder’s opened in 2019 and was able to survive the pandemic. It has maintained its local patron base, and is beginning to gain a reputation in surrounding areas. The restaurant is spacious, has two bars and interesting interior decor.
Full service bar
Interesting rustic decor
Sher and I went to Pudder’s for a late lunch. We were seated immediately, there were a couple of other tables occupied. The service staff is very attentive and meets your needs without delay. Sher started with one of the signature cocktails and really enjoyed it.
“Fancy” cocktail menu
Sher’s Pink Drink
Their menu offers an assortment of burgers, wraps, salads, wings and tons of appetizers. Sher ordered the veggie wrap, which was absolutely filled to overflowing with good stuff. I wanted to go with the Fish and Chips. The two pieces of cod were served piping hot, and each piece was very thick and filling!
We had a great lunch
Pudder’s has live music each weekend and a regular schedule of trivia nights. The drinks, food and service is good. Hard to beat that combination, plus for us Pudder’s is close by.
World War I Model T Ford Ambulances
My grandfather was an ambulance driver in Section 625 of the United States Army Ambulance Corps (USAAC) during World War I. His unit was attached to the French Army.
Note the Indian Head design on the back panel. The wrapped package on the top holds two spare tires.
This framed canvas Indian Head came from Granddaddy’s ambulance. The “SSU-1” stands for Sanitary Service Unit 1.
Granddaddy learned to drive the Ford Model T ambulances at the fairgrounds race track at Allentown, Pennsylvania. His unit shipped overseas via troopship from New York Harbor. The ambulances performed well, and were remarkably effective driving across the war torn battlefields of France.
My grandfather’s heroism in 1918 France
The actual Croix de Guerre he received
My grandfather, Rex R. Forsyth, was in France during WWI (The Great War) serving in Section 625 of U.S.A.A.C. (United States Army Ambulance Corps). He had volunteered, learned to drive the Ford Model T ambulance in the Allentown, Pennsylvania fairgrounds. Once his training was done, Rex was shipped overseas. His unit was attached to, and served the French Army.
My grandfather was a true hero. On May 2, 1918 members of U.S.A.A.C. Section 625 were awarded the Croix de Guerre for bravery in action on April 17, 1918, having crossed a “zone violently bombarded by the enemies artillery” to continue to remove wounded from the battlefield.
Shown is Colonel Bertrand, 162nd French Infantry, pinning the Croix de Guerre on the coat of Rex Forsyth. Note in the right background that you can see the front end of one of the Model T Ford Ambulances.
Detail of certificate
Compare to photo of medal
Certificate that Granddaddy received in 1926 from the French Ministry of War
Because his unit was attached to the French, not the American Forces, photography was allowed. We are very fortunate to have photo albums and his diary among other “memorabilia”. Section 625 was part of the post war Army of Occupation. His unit was stationed at Kaiser Wilhelm’s castle in the Black Forest.
Impressive monument
Sher
While Sher and I were driving around Vincennes looking for interesting things, we spotted the steeple of a large church. We parked, got out and went up to one of the historical information signs. Then we looked to the right and wow, there was a huge structure that looked like a monument you’d see in Washington, D.C.
What we were seeing was the George Rogers Clark Memorial. The monument honors the 1779 victory of General George Rogers Clark over the British at Fort Sackville, on the Wabash River in what is now Vincennes. This was a hugely successful campaign during the Revolutionary War and led to the United States claiming the Northwest Territory from Britain.
Detail of the monument inscription
Francis Vigo, with the Wabash River behind
The State of Indiana built the monument in 1933 and President Franklin D. Roosevelt dedicated it in 1936. The site was turned…
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The Lincoln Memorial Bridge over the Wabash River
One of two pylons on Indiana side of the bridge.
This bridge carries U.S. 50 Business across the Wabash River from Vincennes, Indiana to Lawrence County, Illinois. The east end of the bridge is in the George Rogers Clark National Historic Park. At this entrance to the bridge you will find two large pylons made of granite, each with a raised sculpture depicting a Native American Chief.
The bridge is what is called a deck arch design, and has two traffic lanes and wide pedestrian walks on each side of the roadway. It was opened to traffic in September, 1933, the same year that the George Rogers Clark Memorial was completed. President Franklin D. Roosevelt dedicated the monument in 1936.
View from the George Rogers Clark Monument
Wabash River walk, Illinois is on the other side of the river
Parked after crossing the bridge
This was one of the attractions…
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War Memorial cannons in Sullivan Ohio
We were on the way from Columbus to outside Cleveland for a family gathering when Sher reached across me with her phone in hand. I rolled down the window, and the below picture is the result. This is at the intersection of US 224 and Ohio 28.
This is one of the many displays that are part of the National War Memorial Registry. These cannons honor the Revolutionary War, War of 1812, Mexican-American War, Civil War and the Spanish American War. Too bad we didn’t have time to stop.
Tarzan and Jane final resting place
Original 1927 movie poster
Several actors and actresses played the parts of Tarzan and Jane while bringing Edgar Rice Burroughs’ many novels to the big screen. One of those actors was a man named James H. Pierce. He was discovered by Burroughs himself at a party at the Tarzana Ranch and was hired to play the jungle hero in the 1927 film Tarzan and the Golden Lion.
The next year Jim Pierce married Edgar Rice Burroughs’ daughter Joan. The happy couple starred as the voices of Tarzan and Jane for the Tarzan radio show from 1932 to 1936.
“Tarzan”
“Jane”
Jim pierce was originally from Shelbyville, Indiana. He and wife Joan and other relatives are buried in Forest Hill Cemetery in Shelbyville. Their family plot is similar to many in the cemetery. However, only on Jim and Joan’s gravestones will you find the names “Tarzan” and “Jane”.
May they…
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Starbucks logo peeks out of Headquarters Tower
The clock tower on Starbucks Headquarters in Seattle
Credit: https://www.rd.com/article/hidden-detail-starbucks-logo/
Seattle is home to the Headquarters of the famed coffee company Starbucks. Having one of the most recognized logos in the world is a great part of the company’s success. The logo is a stylized Siren, not a Mermaid. Like many company logos, the Starbucks logo has also changed looks over the years. The head of the Siren is also found peeking out from the top of the clock tower of the headquarters building. Check out this Reader’s Digest article for some fascinating history of the logo and the company.
Helicopters, whirligigs, twisters and samaras
These are all names for those wonderfully spinning things that come off of some maple trees each spring or early summer. (The name samaras is the technical nomenclature for this.) Yes, they become the seeds of the trees. The aerodynamic design allows the seeds to spin as they fall, and they will travel over long distances from the tree.
“Whirligigs” on the tree getting ready to fly
Seed positioned ready to germinate
Hundreds of these spinners will come from each tree, and they will be responsible for many seedling trees as well as clogging gutters and downspouts. In addition, many like to consume the seeds. Try them, they are tasty!
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