travel

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.

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!

 

Greenwood Indiana Civil War vets cemetery section

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It was sunny and cold today, but still a nice day for a short trip. we found ourselves t a large city cemetery in Greenwood, Indiana. We saw short wall, behind which were a couple of cannons.

Old Glory in the breeze

Great ID Plaque

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It became obvious that this was the location of the Civil War Veteran’s cemetery, complete with a prominent flagpole.

A beautiful, serene setting

An interesting touch for this section

Rest in Peace

Know that Veteran’s Sections in cemeteries should always be considered sacred ground.

Music in the park in Rushville

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A couple of blocks south and west of the Rush County Courthouse is a delightful, decent sized city park. Rolling terrain compliments picnic tables, swing sets and public art.

History of a river

Interesting water fountain

Music theme art works

A clean design and wonderful facilities make a park that I’m sure gets a lot of use.

Wendall Willkie, Rushville’s pride and joy

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Rushville, Indiana is a typical Midwestern small town. It became home for one of the Hoosier state’s accomplished politician, Wendall Willkie. Willkie, born in 1892, was a successful lawyer, businessman and ran for President of the United States against Franklin Roosevelt in 1940.

Willkie changed his party registration to Republican in 1939, however he did lose to FDR in the election. After the election, as Roosevelt’s informal envoy, he made two foreign trips during the height of WWII. Willkie died in 1944 while he was considering forming a new political party with Roosevelt.

Willkie Family Plot

A nice remembrance plaque

Rush County Courthouse

Wendell Willkie was loved by many, and his Presidential run in 1940 was organized and executed in Rushville in what was then the Durbin Hotel and Restaurant. He and his family are buried in the large Rushville cemetery.

Same brewery, same craft beer, different location

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We were in Indianapolis a couple of days ago and went to a craft brewery to fill a growler with one of our favorite craft beers. A growler is a 64 ounce brown glass jug utilized by most craft beer breweries to allow patrons to have a carry-out on tap beer. Typically the brewery name/logo is on the bottle, and they will fill growlers other than their own. We brought our own with us.

The entrance

Seating, bar in back right

Craft beer taps and menu board

Anyway, we had recently visited the Bier Brewery establishment in Carmel, Indiana, about a half hour north of where we were. There Sher found a beer that we both really enjoyed. We had looked up other Indy Craft Pass members, and found another Bier Brewery location nearby.

Poster with our beer!

The 64 oz growler we got in Texas

The Bier Brewery was on the end of a strip mall, and was not very large at all. The small cozy space looked and felt like a great neighborhood bar. There were a handful of folks enjoying he place when we went in. The bartender was super, and even gave Sher a free Bier Brewing glass with the purchase of the growler fill. A short, but fun, beer buying stop.

 

Craft beer at Big Lug Canteen on Indy’s north side

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The Big Lug Canteen is located on 86th Street, a very busy area of Indianapolis. We were in the area picking up items from an online auction and decided to try a couple of local craft beer breweries. Big Lug is a unique place offering both great beer and good food.

Helles Lager

Brew Menu Board

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Busy Bar

Our tasty bar food

 

 

 

 

 

We were seated quickly, but the place was very busy, and more patrons came in while we were there. The beer menu, as expected, was quite extensive, and Sher and I both decided on the Helles Lager, ABV 5.3%, and IBU 18. (Our server recommended this selection.) A most delightful brew that tastes good and “goes down easy”.

Outside the Big Lug Canteen

Not wanting to drink on an empty stomach, we also picked some items from the food menus. Our son and Sher went with different versions of French Fries. I had the creamy potato soup. All were very tasty. It was easy to see why this establishment was so busy on a Saturday afternoon. Big Lug Canteen is part of the Indy Craft Pass, a group of over 50 breweries and wineries in (mostly) central Indiana.