photography

Otter Creek covered bridge

/ Roadtirementvintage / 22 Comments

In what some may say is an area “out in the middle of nowhere” in Ripley County, Indiana, travelers will stumble upon a unique and historic covered bridge. Built in 1884 by Thomas A. Hardman, this bridge has a unique history as well.

Closed to road traffic in 1996, it is now open only to foot traffic.

The Otter Creek Bridge, also known locally as the Holton Bridge, is constructed with the Howe truss system. This design was invented by a William Howe, an American architect born in 1803. The Howe truss design, patented in 1840, became one of the most popular structural designs and continued to see use in later metal bridge designs.

View of the 113 foot bridge over Otter Creek

Maj examining the deck timber supports

A good view of the Howe truss system, and the roof supports as well

Nice information signage!

The bridge is in excellent condition

The bridge in 1943 (courtesy bridgehunter.com)

The bridge roof was partially ripped off during a straight line wind storm just months after it was placed on the National Register of Historic Places. Repairs were completed quickly and the structure again opened to pedestrian traffic. This piece of American history is located in a peaceful and beautiful setting and worth the drive to see.

 

A variety of scenes we saw today

/ Roadtirementvintage / 18 Comments

Today we decided to brave the heat and head out for an adventure, mainly to seek out some more covered bridges. We came across some different sights during the day!

The “Tipsy Trolley” was in a barn yard. Perhaps a mobile beer party bus?

This old store front likes B&W treatment

You can’t get away from politics…

Someone likes old ad signs. So does the barn.

Sun and shadows on a narrow country road

Water reflections, clouds and trees

One thing for sure, you never know what you’ll see in the Indiana countryside.

 

Honky Tonk Angels is at Beef & Boards Dinner Theatre

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Take three different women from three different backgrounds, each with, however, a love of music and a desire to better themselves, and you have the makings of a rousing romp through the annals of classic Country Music. Three veterans of Beef and Boards’  shows bring incredible singing talent to the stage in the form of the new singing group The Honky Tonk Angels.

Darlene (Shelbi Berry), left, plays guitar and sings “It Wasn’t God Who Made Honky Tonk Angels” with Sue Ellen (Kaylee Verble), center, and Angela (Bridgette Ludlow)

Angela Bodine, played by Bridgette Ludlow, hails from Texas. Darlene Purvis, played by Shelbi Berry, leaves the poverty of Mississippi for her dreams of stardom. And finally we meet Sue Ellen Smith Barney Fife, played by Kaylee Verble. She’s a former secretary who has a jerk of a boss. When these gals get together hold onto your Stetson ’cause here comes a toe tapping good time!

On stage before the show. The band will be behind the horseshoe partition, which also serves as stage center actor’s entrance/exit

Get ready, as Honky Tonk Angels includes more than 30 classic country tunes from such artists as Dolly Parton, Loretta Lynn, and Tanya Tucker.. Among these favorites are  “I Will Always Love You,” “Coal Miner’s Daughter,” “Stand By Your Man,” “These Boots Are Made for Walking,” “Delta Dawn,” “Your Good Girl’s Gonna Go Bad,” and “It Wasn’t God Who Made Honky Tonk Angels.” If you like classic country, you will love the Honky Tonk Angels. We certainly enjoyed the show!

Angela (Bridgette Ludlow) sings “Harper Valley PTA”

To purchase tickets online go to the Beef and Boards website. Tickets are also available by calling the Beef & Boards Dinner Theatre Box Office at 317.872.9664 anytime between 10 a.m. and 7 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday and from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesdays. Honky Tonk Angels will play through Aug. 14th.

Dolphin public art fountain in Columbus, Indiana

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Columbus, Indiana is known for its very large numbers of public art display pieces. One beautiful piece is the centerpiece of a pretty fountain in the Northwest quadrant of the Bartholomew County Courthouse Square.

The veterans memorial is visible in the left rear

The limestone dolphin in the center of the fountain was sculpted by Indiana artist C.R. Schiefer. It was placed in 1978, a replacement for the original statue that was vandalized in 1976. Schiefer also has animal sculptures displayed in Martinsville, Bloomington and Terre Haute. His works are listed in the Smithsonian Art Inventories Catalog.

The Bartholomew County Memorial for Veterans

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A most remarkable scene will greet you when you observe the south lawn of the Bartholomew County Courthouse in Columbus, Indiana. From the sidewalk you will see a series of tall stone columns. This is the Bartholomew County Memorial for Veterans. There are 25 columns, each 40 feet tall and positioned in a 5X5 foot grid. Recessed lights are positioned between the columns. Each column is rock cut Indiana limestone set on black granite.

The memorial is designed to be a tribute to those living and dead who answered our nation’s call during the twentieth century conflicts. It was dedicated in 1997. There are 156 names of local veterans engraved on the smooth sides of the columns. In addition to the names, there are inscriptions of letters sent home from veterans from their places overseas during the wars. Many of these were the last letters written home. Below the letters the date and places where they lost their lives are also recorded.

This memorial is really eye catching and remarkable to see. Allow for enough time to read the names engraved on the columns. Allow even more time to read the letters. So many of them are the last letters that the servicemen wrote home before they perished in combat. This is a most emotional memorial that brings home the gratitude you must express for our servicemen and women. Prepare to shed some tears.

The historic Bartholomew County Courthouse in Columbus, Indiana

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Bartholomew County, Indiana is south of Indianapolis and is known for its architecture, public art and well known and long running industry. Columbus is the county seat, and thus is home to the County Courthouse. This striking edifice was designed by noted Indiana architect Isaac Hodgson. The building was constructed from 1871–1874 at the cost of (then)$250,000. The courthouse was put on the National Register of Historic Places in 1979.

A panorama view

The following Court House description is from Wikipedia: It is a three-story, Second Empire style red-brick building trimmed in limestone. It features a mansard roof, corner pavilions, Corinthian-order portico, and a six-level clock tower.  The clock tower is 154 feet tall. A six-inch thick, 10-ten clock bell was installed in 1875. The clock’s weighted mechanism were replaced with an electric motor in 1940 and a 900-pound weight fell.

We visited on a Saturday, so the building was closed. It would be interesting to see inside this county government building.

Springer Cemetery , Elizabethtown, Indiana

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Elizabethtown is a tiny berg with a little over 500 residents near Columbus, Indiana. The Springer Cemetery is about a mile and a half from town. The first burial was of George Springer in 1857.

The pretty chapel in the cemetery

Civil War veteran and wife

An Indiana Civil War veteran with military headstone


Springer Cemetery is filled with Civil War vets among the other civilians resting here in this small country cemetery. The chapel lends a feeling of spiritual calm and memory of those resting here.

 

Gonna have some “maters” in a bit

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We have Red Beefeater and Big Boy tomato plants this year

Red Beefeater

Big Boy

Big Boy twins

Just in the past couple of days our tomato plants have really started putting on fruit. I guess that patience has paid off. It looks like we might have a good crop this season after all, as we had good plant growth but no tomatoes to speak of.  Now if those rascally squirrels will only behave…

 

The Canada goose is common but stately

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They hold their head high, walk slowly, and you can see them just about everywhere. These large birds flock in very high numbers, and are known to make large poopy messes on the paved areas they walk across.

Next to the drainage pond near a large grocery store

He spotted me!

This goose and his buddies were lounging next to the pond. When he got up and walked away he turned, stretched his neck and gave me the stink eye for bothering their rest. Glad he didn’t rush me! They can be mean…