retirement activity

Central Ohio’s historic Sunbury town square

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Sunbury is located near the actual geographic center of the State of Ohio. Founded in 1816, the then “village” was laid out in the classic New England town square design, with businesses  surrounding the square.

Town Hall, built 1848

A brief use history of the Hall

Different definition of pothead

American favorite of many

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

From its founding in 1816, Sunbury was designed to be a stagecoach town. Lawrence Myers, the town’s founder, built an inn at the intersection of two major stagecoach routes. The first stagecoach arrived in Sunbury from Mt. Vernon in 1820.

Civil War General

Detail of the statue

 

 

 

 

 

Horseman story

In 1848 the impressive brick Town Hall was constructed in the center of the square. It was first built two stories tall. Masons constructed the 3rd floor and occupied it for over 90 years. Multiple Ohio Historical Markers are placed around the  square providing information gems for the public.

 

 

 

Unique metal 1890’s tombstone appears new

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Usually a tombstone from the 1890’s shows a fair amount of weathering, often to the point making it hard to read. We spotted a family plot at the Rushville, Indiana East City Cemetery with a marker date of 1896 that looked nearly new.





These monuments were all custom made from 1876 to 1914. Sold as “White Bronze” they were actually made of a zinc-tin alloy. Cast in Bridgeport, Connecticut, the parts were shipped to the cemetery for assembly.  Click here for our post detailing the history of these unique monuments.

Beef and Boards takes a new look at “The King and I”

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Opening on April 4th Beef & Boards Dinner Theatre will present The King and I by Rodgers and Hammerstein on its stage for the first time in over 20 years. This Tony Award-winner for Best Musical is based on the novel Anna and the King of Siam by Margaret Landon. In 1862 a British widow and her son are retained by the king of Siam to provide tutoring for his many wives and children. Two  distinct cultures meet and struggle for understanding.

From a March 2024 B&B Press Release: Brian Jose, director, is prioritizing authentic details in the Beef & Boards production – including acknowledging that the real Anna Leonowens was of Anglo-Indian descent. “That slight shift makes all the difference,” Jose pointed out. “Instead of a story that can easily be seen as a white savior/colonialism story, we get a more complex story about a woman who has had to suppress her culture in order to advance in society to provide for her children as a single mother.” Jose added, “In a time when political wars have eliminated a middle ground and religious wars have fueled so much destruction and hatred, a show about exploring our differences and attempts to understand each other seems like just what we need.”

The King and I is filled with powerful emotions, beautiful costumes, and unforgettable Rodgers and Hammerstein songs including “Getting To Know You,” “Something Wonderful,” “I Whistle A Happy Tune,” and the iconic “Shall We Dance.”
The King and I is on stage for 50 performances through May 19 in the intimate space of Beef & Boards Dinner Theatre. To see the complete performance schedule and to purchase tickets online, visit beefandboards.com. Tickets are also available by calling the Beef & Boards Dinner Theatre Box Office at 317.872.9664.

Maple tree whirligigs

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Maple seeds beginning to develop

It won’t be long until there will be hundreds (if not thousands) of those twirling, spinning  maple tree seeds flying to Earth. The technical term for this winged seed is samara, but you probably refer to them as helicopters or whirligigs.

 

 

Batesville’s Bison-tennial statue

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Indiana’s Bicentennial was celebrated in 2016. As part of the celebration, fiberglass statues of bison were made available to each of Indiana’s counties. Local artists decorated them with themes and scenes of the local area and features. We have seen several of these during our travels around the state, and our trip to Batesville today was no different.

We found the familiar shape of one of 92 Indiana county’s bison statues in front of the Batesville City Admin and Police Department Building. “Braun” sure makes a striking appearance on this admin office lawn!