Stepping back in time in Indiana!

[lostinthe50's]

I have recently taken a couple day trips here in Indiana and have found myself feeling as if I had stepped back in time. I love the little excursions where you find places where you feel as if never changed through the years.

The first one was to a part of Indianapolis in which is known as Fountain Square. They have taken an old theater and it has duckpin bowling, atomic duckpin bowling, swing dances, and a barbeque restaurant, which is amazing and decorated with old original movie posters and arcade games. There are many shops, which sell vintage clothes, art, and even a swell used furniture store, which covers many decades. If you are near Indy, I strongly suggest making your way to Fountain Square; I know I have plans to return.

The next place that I went was in the town of Chesterfield, Indiana. There is a place there called Camp Chesterfield. It is an old spiritualist camp/village.
It currently is still a Spiritualist camp but when you cross the gates you the buildings and cottages make you feel as if you had went through the twilight zone. Amazing old hotel, restaurant, and cottages where the mediums, and clairvoyants live. Lot of history and even a very pleasant place to walk and enjoy the sites.

I just wanted to share these two places with my fellow fl'ers and I will post more places when I find them. May your day be pleasant and your nights be swell.

 

[TraditionalFrog]

I live in downtown Indianapolis just north of Fountain Square. Fountain Square is definitely unique with the old hardware and antique shops, art galleries, and restaurants. I used to work briefly at a cafe almost right across from the BBQ/bowling place. Sadly, the cafe is out of business and is now an Italian restaurant and art gallery. The building the cafe was in used to be a G.C. Murphy dime store.

The BBQ place you mention is Smoke House on Shelby. Also fun is the nearby Fountain Diner. After the Fountain Sqaure Theater closed somewhere around 1960, part of the building became a Woolworth's. In the '90s a local family bought it and restored the old diner area. The food is very good, but you have to have some patience, as they can be slow at times. Worth the wait though!

Outside the main drag of Fountain Square (Virginia Ave) it isn't all that interesting, and a little ran down in spots. All in all though, some good vintage fun!!!

 

[lostinthe50's]

Thanks for the history of the area, makes it even more exciting. I'm hoping to go see Big Sandy at Radio Radio in Sept. I love the area and wish there was more places like it. Your very lucky to live so close.

 

[dhermann1]

Indianapolis is the largest city in the US that is NOT on river or lake or the ocean or some other navigable body of water. Don't know if that's relevant, but I always think of this fact when I hear the name "Indianapolis" mentioned.
All transport is by road or rail.

 

[RetroPat]

Indianapolis is the largest city in the US that is NOT on river or lake or the ocean or some other navigable body of water. Don't know if that's relevant, but I always think of this fact when I hear the name "Indianapolis" mentioned.
All transport is by road or rail.

True. In the late 1800s (I think) they dug a man made canal that went through Indy because someone had the bright idea to use canals, rather than trains for transportation in Indiana. Unfortunately, the man made canal wasn't deep enough for boats and the idea died out pretty fast. Still, it is nice to take a walk along the canal. I lived just a few blocks from it when I went to college.

In regards to the OP, Fountain Square is a great area and I find Indiana to be a pretty charming state. Then again, I'm a lifelong Hoosier so I have some bias.

 

[Doublegun]

I live just north of Detroit but I was born and raised in east-central Indiana (Winchester) and get to Indy for work every month and I always look forward to the trip. Part of it is the nostalgia of going "back home" but most of the pleasure is just enjoying what Indy and the surrounding areas have to offer.

There was actually a fair amount of canal travel in/around Indiana and I believe the canal in Indy was actually dug to service the warehouses and manufacturing companies that used to populate that area of the city, similar to a spur line on a rail road. Drive through some of the rural areas you will often see river banks elevated above the surrounding fields and if you look at them via Google Earth you can see where some of these smaller rivers were actually straightened out when they were dredged. White River, which runs from Randolph County, through Muncie and down to Indy (which the canal is a spur) is just such a river. So are the Wabash and the Mississinewa rivers http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mississinewa_River.

I'll be back in Indy before the end of August and will definitely hit Fountain Square for lunch or dinner.

 

[RetroPat]

I live just north of Detroit but I was born and raised in east-central Indiana (Winchester) and get to Indy for work every month and I always look forward to the trip. Part of it is the nostalgia of going "back home" but most of the pleasure is just enjoying what Indy and the surrounding areas have to offer.

There was actually a fair amount of canal travel in/around Indiana and I believe the canal in Indy was actually dug to service the warehouses and manufacturing companies that used to populate that area of the city, similar to a spur line on a rail road. Drive through some of the rural areas you will often see river banks elevated above the surrounding fields and if you look at them via Google Earth you can see where some of these smaller rivers were actually straightened out when they were dredged. White River, which runs from Randolph County, through Muncie and down to Indy (which the canal is a spur) is just such a river. So are the Wabash and the Mississinewa rivers http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mississinewa_River.

I'll be back in Indy before the end of August and will definitely hit Fountain Square for lunch or dinner.

Interesting. I didn't know the whole behind the rivers. I hope you enjoy Fountain Square.

 

[davestlouis]

I grew up in Cincinnati, and we would take day trips to small towns in Indiana...one was called Metamora, and is along one of the canals. Neat place to kill a couple of hours.

http://metamoraindiana.com/

 

[Doublegun]

The history of the State of Indiana is relatively uneventful. No major battles involving Indians or during the Civil War, never a center of high finance or industrial power but there is quite a bit of history that is interesting and for the most part overlooked because ifs been benign. Yet for those interested in small town life and how people lived in what was truly "Middletown" USA there is quite a bit to look at and learn from.

I'm proud to have been born and raised in Indiana and of my Hoosier roots and the older I get the more I appreciate the state and what it has to offer.

 

[IndianaWay]

Our Indiana...

Agreed, but to add a couple notes - as far as battles go, there was the Battle of Tippecanoe... Prophetstown State Park is near the battlefield site and has a 1920's era "working farm." I haven't been there but have heard good things about it. Maybe not a lot of huge events happened here in Hoosierland, but there are opportunities to get a glimpse/taste of what life was like for our grandparents/great-grandparents. Thanks for the Indiana posts!

 

[lostinthe50's]

How many Hoosiers are on FL?

I was just wondering how many of us Hoosiers are on FL and was wondering if we could sometime all meet up at on of Indiana's great retro area's. Would be a blast to meet like-minded people in an awesome setting. Let me know waht you think.

 

[Doublegun]

I'd down there about once a month and I'd be game. However, I am not down on the weekends so it would have to be mid-week.

Thanks,

JDG

 

[Bruce Wayne]

I would like to get together as well. I am about 20 minutes east of Gary I a place called Chesterton.

 

[Bruce Wayne]

The history of the State of Indiana is relatively uneventful...

What about Dillinger?!?!

 

[RetroPat]

I would like to get together as well. I am about 20 minutes east of Gary I a place called Chesterton.

Ahhh. I'm in Valparaiso. Would love to attend a Fedora Lounge get together.

 

[HoosierDaddy]

I live in Anderson..but my hometown is Fairmount,Indiana...also hometown of the actor James Dean. In fact the Jameas Dean Festival is the last full weekend in September at Fairmount. This year looks to be Sept 24 25 26. Quite an event.
The farm where he grewup...James Dean Museum...Fairmount Museum ...plus large car show at park...vendor eats...pork chops...tenderloins...apple dumplings and icecream,etc.
Nearby motorcycle show at Jonesboro. Another large car show across the bridge at Gas city the same weekend.
HD

 

[Kitty_Sheridan]

You inspired me to Google map it on Street view! I love the old streets, Pleasant St with the sweetie coloured wooden boards and big flags on the porches!
Love it. Travelling from my own armchair here in Yorkshire.

 

[The Ringneck]

I live just over the river in Louisville now though I was born in Vincennes and raised in Perry Co/St. Croix along the Ohio---btw I always felt that the river counties were basically more like an "Outer Kentucky" than part of Indiana---hills, very Southern culture/accents. Hell we even called the people from north of us "Flatlanders".

 

[cco23i]

I grew up near Tyner BUT now live in Arizona. Give me enough time I'd like to attend too.

Scott

 

[Effingham]

After many years of peregrination, I just returned to Franklin.

I just bought, and am now renovating, a house my father designed and built in 1953, and where he and my mother lived for nine years. My father and grandfather were big in construction -- my G'father built a lot of Franklin, including the Artcraft Theatre, the Masonic Home, the old library, and a whole bunch of Franklin College. My dad did more with houses and town planning (my house is in a subdivision my father laid out, and named after his mother's family).

For the record, this is the house (pre-renovation):