Photos

Historic Miller Cemetery

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Just a few miles west of Shelbyville in central Indiana, on a road aptly named Cemetery Road, you’ll come across a well-kept and decent sized rural cemetery. Miller Cemetery has roots back in the early 1800’s.

Proud flag and pure white lettering

Corn and soybean fields beyond the graves

Equipment shed, and yes, an outhouse

Civil War Veteran of CO.K, 42nd IND. INF

 

 

 

Sad record of the death of a very young wife

A member of the Odd Fellows, symbolized in the 3 chain links

According to the Cemetery Facebook page farm neighbors formed a loosely knit organization in 1926 for the purpose of upkeep and administration of the grounds. The volunteers still perform their loving tasks. This is one of the best manicured country graveyards you will find.

Bond Cemetery Road Bridge, abandoned

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Bond Cemetery Road Bridge, aka Brown County Bridge #36, is a very interesting bridge that has been abandoned and is, frankly, degrading at a fairly rapid pace. The HistoricBridges.org website states: “The bridge is severely deteriorated and the bridge is at an increasing risk for collapse. One of the plates that is part of the floorbeam and hanger system is cracked so badly it is split nearly in half. (see photo below) Many diagonal and vertical members have extremely severe section loss at the heads. Restoration of this bridge would likely need to include disassembly and restoration of these parts in a shop setting.”

Abandonment is, ah, obvious

This historic bridge was constructed in 1908 by the Pan-American Bridge Company of New Castle, Indiana, who were very prolific iron bridge constructors in Indiana. The technical design name of this bridge is a single-span, pin-connected Pratt through truss with an “I” beam approach to the south. The bridge rests on metal abutments, wingwalls and round caisson piers.

The concrete filled metal caisson foundation

The cracked plate referenced above

Looking through the decorative lattice guardrail at North Fork of Salt Creek

Bridge behind camera looking down old Bond Cemetery Road

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This bridge spans the North Fork of Salt Creek and is a couple of hundred yards south of Green Valley Road on what is left of Bond Cemetery Road. The old road bed continues towards Highway 46 past the cemetery of that name. There was discussion in the early 2000’s about building some type of trail along the road, including refurbishing the bridge as part of the trail. Too bad nothing ever came of that plan.

Note the “interlaced” I beam verticals, and the moss growing on the deck boards.

This is one of those stories that apparently will not have a happy ending. The private owner of the bridge does not seem to care if the bridge collapses. According to the experts at HistoricBridges.org it is not a matter of if, but when this classic 1908 bridge goes down. What a shame.

 

The reconstructed 1885 Cedar Ford Covered Bridge

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This beautiful Kennedy Brothers bridge started its life in 1885 by spanning Little Blue River northeast of Shelbyville, Indiana. In 1975, instead of demolishing the bridge to make way for a modern bridge, Cedar Ford was relocated to the Shelby County Fairgrounds.

Beautiful white reconstructed bridge

 

 

 

The bridge remained at the fairgrounds for several years and was a great addition to the historic fairgrounds. However, someone raised a liability issue, and unfortunately the fair had the bridge dismantled, sold it to a private individual and then it was stored unprotected for years. So much for “historic” Shelby County Fairgrounds.

One of the abutments

Kennedy Bros trademark scroll work

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A Monroe County, Indiana engineer named Jim Barker got ahold of the useable parts and incorporated them into the design of the fully authentic covered bridge. According to Bridge Hunter website the bridge was reconstructed at “the site of the Millikan/Milligan/McMillan/Williams Covered Bridge that was destroyed by an arson fire in 1976. Remnants of the original abutments of that bridge can be seen just West of the current bridge. Although that bridge wasn’t a Kennedy built span, there were at least two of them that once existed in Monroe County.”

Typical notched connection joint

The Burr-Arch truss

 

 

 

 

 

This reconstruction took place in 2019 with as many of the original members as were structurally sound. New materials were faithfully reproduced when required to finish the structure. This bridge is a Kennedy Brothers Burr-arch truss design typical of Kennedy bridges in Indiana. It spans Bean Blossom Creek on Old Maple Grove Road north of Bloomington.

Looks, sounds and smells like it did in 1885

The smell of freshly sawn lumber is perhaps the most remarkable feature of this marvelous rebuild. That’s right, when we walked across the deck of the 127 foot long span, you could clearly smell the clean scent of newly sawn lumber. You can’t help but realize that that fragrance is what the first users of the bridges encountered as they crossed the first time.

 

Indiana’s “Grave in the middle of the road”

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A history and legend filled roadside oddity can be found on CR 400S outside of Amity, Indiana  which is south of Indianapolis in Johnson County. The story begins in 1808 when 14 year old Nancy Kerlin married William Barnett. The couple had 11 kids.

The only marker on the grave

Fast forward to 1831, the year of Nancy’s passing. She had a favorite spot on a rise overlooking nearby Sugar Creek. This became her final resting place. Stories say that others began to be buried there as well, creating a small country cemetery. A road was discussed through the cemetery, but Nancy’s son refused to move his mother, so the road went around her.

The road still splits around the graves

In the early 1900’s CR 400 was plotted out, again right through Nancy’s grave site. This is when her grandson Daniel Doty showed up with his shotgun refusing to allow any such activity. Don’t mess with Grandma’s grave! Thus the county said fine, they would run the road on either side of the grave.

The old raised grave mound, photo by Rick Hinton

Over the years vehicle traffic, including large farm machinery, took its toll on both the protection barriers and the grave mound itself. Then in 2016 it was decided that the grave should be lowered and covered with a low profile concrete structure. Archaeology students from the University of Indianapolis excavated the grave and were surprised by the discovery of not just Nancy’s body but remains of six others.

New (2016) historical plaque

The bodies of two women, a man and four children were reburied in individual coffins. The low profile concrete structure now protects Nancy and other early Indiana pioneers. Today flowers and hundreds of coins adorn the surface of the grave in the middle of the road.

An 1871 Methodist Church

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According to Shelby County Indiana history, following is part of the backstory  of Jollity United Methodist Church: “Back in the gray and misty dawn of the history of Jackson Township, Shelby County, there came two men who settled in what is now known as the Jollity Neighborhood.  These men, William Shipp  and  Burgess Waggoner, brought their families from Kentucky and settled near the Brockman Cemetery.”

The first church was a wooden frame building about a mile from the existing church. The cost of this was around $300.00. It was replaced in 1871 with a new brick church edifice on a new corner of land. The church is on the Shelby/Johnson County line, closer to Franklin than to Shelbyville.

Church Marquee with Holy statue in background

Memorial Flowering Dogwood, planted in April, 1989

 

 

 

 

 

Unfortunately a tornado hit the church in 1877. It was repaired, and over the years renovations and building additions were constructed, one with several small Sunday School rooms, a fellowship hall and a kitchen.

Mr. Reasner must have loved horses

Research has determined that the name of the church, Jollity, is most likely named after Frederick Jollity, the man who originally surveyed Johnson County between 1820 and 1830. The church started as a small group of neighbors who came to Indiana in the 1820’s. The National Methodist website lists the current congregation as 18 members, probably close to the original size of the group.

 

 

Nashville Fudge Kitchen

/ Roadtirementvintage / 17 Comments

Nashville, Indiana is in the center of Brown County, about 40 miles south of Indianapolis.. The town was established in 1836 as Jacksonburg, however a year later the name was changed to Nashville after Nashville, Tennessee. It was on our itinerary of our recent day trip.

The inviting store front

We were able to find a great street parking spot, as the crowds were not huge like they can be. Off to the Nashville Fudge Kitchen we went, as Sher had already spotted this during her trip preparation. What a marvelous inventory this place had for sale! As soon as you walk in your nose is flooded with delicious scents.

Popcorn in all flavors

Gelato and ice creams, yum!


The video shows the fudge craftsperson working with a roll of fudge ready for sale. This was in fact peanut butter fudge, and we purchased a slice from this roll.

We bought two different types of fudge. We continued on and visited a few more stores. The weather was really nice, with partly coudy skies , a slight breeze, and temperatures in the low 70’s. A great day for a day trip!

 

The Bean Blossom covered bridge

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The Bean Blossom covered bridge is located near the village of Bean Blossom on Covered Bridge Road and it spans, you guessed it, Bean Blossom Creek. This is one of the favorite photo op sites in Brown County, Indiana.

Approaching the bridge

This bridge was constructed in 1880 by a Capt. Joseph Balsey for the sum of $1200. The covered bridge design is that of a Howe-single through truss. The supported approach deck is unique due to the topography as the road approaches the stream bank.

Too bad about the graffiti

Supports for the approach

Overlooking Bean Blossom Creek

Detail of the deck lumber

Interesting story here?

We had to chuckle a bit when we noticed the graffiti just inside of the bridge. Seems that Molly likes to bring her boyfriends here. Have to wonder, was Molly dating Roman and Steve at the same time?

 

Day trip big birds

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While on our recent day trip we ended up on a well graded gravel road in Brown County, Indiana. We were on our way to another historic bridge and looking for any other neat things to see.

Up ahead we spotted a large black shape next to a yellow striped warning sign. Yep, that’s a turkey vulture, actually two of them. The second one is behind the yellow sign.

Why did the turkey cross the road?

To frustrate that human with the camera!

As soon as we started moving again we were surrounded by what seemed like a large rafter of wild turkeys running across the road. Dang they were fast! Out of the eight or so individuals we only got a couple of photos, neither of which that good. It’s always fun seeing wildlife during a drive in the country.