travel

BIG Candle at Warm Glow Candle Company

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When traveling on Interstate 70 (I-70) between Indianapolis and Richmond, Indiana look for Exit 145. On the south side of the road at the Centerville exit, you’ll see a huge three story tall candle. Yes, a candle.

This is in fact the World’s Largest Candle

This is the home of the Warm Glow Candle Company. According to the Company Website, “Warm Glow is a FAMILY fragrance company that values tradition while delivering some of the most unique scents from some of the best fragrances houses in the world. All of our candles are small batch and handmade in our Indiana production facility which means no two candles are ever the same.”

Entrance to the Candle store

Each one of us got a Chocolate Cake votive.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This store is certainly an attention grabber. Wonderful fragrances greet you at the door. The staff is super friendly and more than willing to help. We were there for the East Central Indiana Chocolate Trail, a series of businesses primarily marketing chocolate. How does a candle store fit in? The have a chocolate cake scented candle! Once we checked in, we all received our votive candle, each in its own glass cup.  Keep an eye out on I-70 near Mile Marker 145. A huge candle awaits you!

Connersville Indiana city cemetery contains interesting markers

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The City of Connersville’s City Cemetery contains many historic names etched in the stone of the many grave monuments. The remains in two previous city burial grounds were moved to the 14 acre location in 1851. The cemetery was dedicated in a sacred ceremony in that year.

View across the grounds. The mound is the top of a mausoleum.

The only mausoleum was empty.. The reason is still a mystery.

Lt Samuel Shipley was a member of the first graduating class of the US Naval academy. He served as a shipboard  officer in the Civil War.

The “Soldier’s Circle” honoring the Civil War Vets

There are many interesting monuments in the cemetery. Politicians, businessmen and their families and other folks have made the Connersville City Cemetery their final resting place. The grounds have been designated as a local historic district, and guided tours are offered by Historic Connersville, Inc.

Little Sheba’s Restaurant is a gem in Richmond, Indiana

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We were on another day trip, this time to Richmond, Indiana, the county seat of Wayne County on the Indiana – Ohio Border. We took US Highway 40, the National Road, stopping at several yard sales along the way. By 1:30 pm it was time to eat.

Welcoming Entrance

Comfortable well stocked bar

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

After a stop at one place on The Chocolate Trail in Richmond, the proprietor recommended Little Sheba’s Restaurant for lunch. Her quick description of the menu turned out to be spot on!

Mediterranean salad, delicious and filling

Loaded half pound burger with potato salad and pickle spear

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Little Sheba’s  Restaurant is in one of the historic districts in downtown Richmond. We were very pleased with both the service and the quality of our meals. You should definitely put Sheba on your list for potential eating places in Richmond. This is the Little Shebas’ website.

Doll House grave of Vivian May Allison 1884 – 1889

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Connersville is a small town in eastern Indiana with a long Hoosier history. Part of the interesting history includes a very unique grave in the City Cemetery. It is now known as the Doll House Grave.

The Allison Family Grave

 

Public information signage

Vivian’s beautiful doll house

Interior view

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Family Headstone

Vivian May Allison was born in 1884. She was taken with a fatal spine disease, cerebro-spinal-fever, and tragically died in 1889 at age 5. The story goes that she wanted a doll house for playtime, but she died before her father could complete it.  Finished, it now is part of the family plot, there for Vivian’s use.

Indiana Candlelight House built in 1868 now home to ghosts

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Located in Johnson County, Indiana, east of the modern I-65 interstate highway is a stately two story brick home commonly referred to by the name Candlelight House. In olden days the  many windows facing the road were said to have been often lit with candles.

Photo we took from the road, work in progress on the new porch.

Working on the new portico/porch

The owners of the house are currently working on the restoration of the house. The day we drove by a new porch was being installed. This structure was surprisingly made of structural steel, not like the original wood portico that is long gone.

Unknown date, unidentified people. Photo from Franklin Daily Journal files

Since the house was built three generations of the same family have lived in the house. The only son of the third generation, named Otho Henry Pritchard, died in the house in 1995. According to many accounts Otho still walks the rooms of the house, even writing his name with his finger on windows. There have been paranormal investigations at the house.

Historic 1901 Indiana school suffers extensive damage in 2022 fire

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While on a recent day trip to Parke County, Indiana to enjoy the many covered bridges we came across a sad sight.  A large sign explained that we were viewing the Wabash Township Graded School that was open from 1901 until 1986 in the town of Mecca.

Front face with bell tower

Main Entrance

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A devastating fire occurred in November, 2022. This fire completely destroyed the pitched roof of the 1901 main building and the flat roof of the gymnasium that was a 1923 addition.  Both roofs collapsed during the fire.

View of gym addition

Gym wall, roof gone

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The structure was listed on the  National Register of Historic Sites. Following is from the original application for this listing: The architectural style of the 190l-l9l0 main section of the building shows Richardsonian Romanesque influence, which is evident in the bell tower, rock-faced lintels and voussiot’s, arched doorways and belfry openings…

Sign placed well before the fire

Local references report that sometime after the school closed in 1986 the structure was used as a community center. The fire damage that is visible is quite extensive. Rebuilding would be very costly, if not cost prohibitive.

John Conner founded Connersville, Indiana in 1813

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John Conner founded Connersville, Indiana, when he laid out the town in March of 1813.  The town was laid out next to Connor’s  fur trading post on the Whitewater River. Conner was an important person in Indiana’s history, as he surveyed many towns and villages, including the layout of the then young city of Indianapolis.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Connersville has lots of history and historic sites to explore. We’ve just started our dive into Connersville!

The City of Connersville placed a memorial statue of Connor on a corner of the Fayette County Courthouse parking lot in 2017. Plaques listing Connersville’s history adorn the four sides of the statue’s large base.

Another Bison-tennial bison in Connersville Indiana

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In 2016 Indiana celebrated its bicentennial of the 1816 year of statehood. One very unique way to celebrate was the distribution of at least one fiberglass bison to each of the 92 counties in the state.

“Monty” lives next to the courthouse.

In our travels over the years Sher and I have seen many of these delightful bison around Indiana. All have custom paintjobs with a variety of environments for the location of each bison. Our road trip today to Connersville lead to yet another Bison-tennial Public Art discovery.

 

Recreated 1874 one room schoolhouse in Parke County Indiana

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Recently Sher, our son and I were enjoying a road trip in Parke County, Indiana to visit some of the 31 covered bridges that dot the landscape. As we approached the last bridge on the Red Route (one of five self driving road sightseeing tours) we saw a small red building.

The one room schoolhouse from 1874

Over the door

The Mecca Bridge reflected in a window

 

 

 

 

 

 

This single story frame structure was identified as a school in Wabash Township #3 with a date of 1874. It was about 30 yards from the Mecca Bridge built in 1873.

Blackboard, teacher’s desk. rocking chair and wood stove

Where the children sat and learned their three “R’s”

The school was locked, but I was able to peer through the windows and get decent photos. You can imagine the kids attending the school, with one teacher covering all of the grades.  No lights, no AC, and the only heat from a wood stove at the front of the room.