March/April 2019 OUR BROWN COUNTY

The Magazine of Fun and Fact FREE

Since 1995

March/April 2019

Silver Strings The Brown County Hour Tanneries of Brown County Sampler at Cornerstone Inn

Metal Artist George Goehl

The Clay Purl

Step into our warm, inviting space.

Relax, take your time, and open your mind to a world of flavor.

Repast: rē-past (noun, 14th century) the act of taking food, a meal And meals are best when shared with those you love. That’s why we started six years ago with the simple idea of bringing folks together and offering them tools to make “repast” something special. Beginning with a collection of fine olive oils and aged balsamics, we have carefully curated complimentary offerings of olives/spreads, balsamic jams, dipping oils, salts, spice blends, gift sets and accessories. And then we put it all under one, beautiful “roof.” Stop by, warm up, and see/taste for yourself!

Visit us on facebook or follow us on instagram for updates and recipes, specials, and share your own ideas with other Wild Ones just like you!

Located at 37 W Main next to Millerʼs Ice Cream.

(812) 988-WILD (9453) • www.thewildolive.com

Village Green Building Celebrating over 100 years in nashville The Nashville you came to see and love…

Where you can see the work of local artists — whether it’s ice cream, candy and fruit preserves made the old fashioned way or the artwork of local artists and craftsmen. · first floor · Homemade Ice Cream Homemade Candies Homemade Fruit Preserves · second floor · Antiques · Art and Craft Galleries Working studios of local artists

V NA S H I L L E

INDIANA

The Candy Dish

Yes, we really do make it ourselves!

Fine Homemade Chocolate Candies and Fudge Gourmet Caramels Over 50 Flavors of Salt Water Taffy

812.988.0815

812.988.7606

Homemade Ice Cream

Harvest Preserve the

Homemade Fruit Butter Gourmet Food Cookbooks · Cookie Cutters Postcards · Greeting Cards Kitchen Gadgets Galore Giftware · Tea and Teaware

812.988.7606

Functional and Fine Art Made in Indiana

812.988.6675

61 West Main street · nashville, indiana

Brown County N Carmel Ridge Rd

Nineveh Edinburgh Morgantown 31 37 135 I-65 46 Bloomington Columbus 46 NASHVILLE

Vaught Rd.

HELMSBURG

BEAN BLOSSOM

Helmsburg General Store

Cordry Lake

Sprunica Rd. Upper Bean Blossom

Monroe Music Park & Campground John Hartford Memorial Festival

Helmsburg Sawmill Pool Enterprises

Sweetwater Lake

Rosey Bolte’s Uncommon Gourd Studio

Doodles by Kara Barnard

Flower and Herb Barn Farmhouse Café

GATESVILLE

Lightspinner Studio

Gatesville Store

Helm Rd.

Artist and/or Gallery

Old SR 4

6

rove R d.

Amanda W. Mathis

A . KO n Co Rd w at o Br Creek etre all Tire y Co. kside R tique M Salt iner n w e Co. W BONE Bro Cre Co. An n w wn Bro NAW Bro Overlook G Lodge Brown Co Mt . Li Humane Dunham ber Gnaw Bone ty R Society Sugar Creek BBQ Store & Bakery d 19th Hole Sports Bar Heartland Tattoo Bear Wallow Webb & Sons Distillery Restoration

Abe Martin Lodge

Brown County State Park

135

d.

Trails End & Panhead Saloon

Monroe Reservoir

CHRISTIANSBURG

ELKINSVILLE Bob Allen Rd.

k Rd ton Cr

Christi

STORY

ove r Gr

ansbu rg Rd

STONE HEAD

PIKES PEAK la Pop

T.C. Steele State Historic Site

eXplore Brown County

Rawhide Ranch

hR

MI Mike’s Music and Dance Barn

to COLUMBUS

ran c

TO N

46

to BL OO

Yellowwood Rd

NG

BELMONT

Adventure

Hamil

lley Rd.

Sleepy Cat Studio

Craftsman

Annie Smith Rd.

46

Kelp G

Green Va

Yellowwood Lake

Cox Creek Mill

NASHVILLE

Country Club Rd

Oak Grove

Musical Entertainment

yB

Rd.

Lodging/ Camping

Mike Nickels Log Homes

Val le

Ow l Cr eek

Dr. Lisa Baker, DDS Fireplace Center

sburg

Rd

Butler Winery

BLOOMINGTON

135

to MORGANTOWN

to BL O

Dining

Clay Lick Rd

GTON

Trafalgar 252

The Apple Works

Antiques Co-op Art Beyond Crayons Grandpa Jeff’s Trail Rides House of Clocks

FRUITDALE

45 OMIN

Martinsville

Franklin

ills

Lake Lemon

135

TRAFALGAR MORGANTOWN

Hard T ruth H

NASHVILLE MAP ON PAGE 6

Indianapolis

Homestead Weaving Studio Salem’s Good Nature Farm

JEFFERSON STREET

Hoosier Artist

Fallen Leaf Books

HONEYSUCKLE LANE

OLD HICKORY LANE

The Wild Olive

Brown Co. Art Guild

Hobnob Corner

ST SR 135 N

Village Green

Brown Co. Winery

New Harmony Soap Co

Main Street Shops

Foxfire

Foxfire...Boutique

Gold &Old

Redbud Terrace

Health For U

IHA

Brown Co Art Gallery

Masonic Lodge

SR 46 To Hard Truth Hills

Old

RE/MAX Team

Office

County Offices

Woodlands Touch of Silver Gallery

Log JJail L il Nashville Spice Co.

Weed Patch Music Company

MAIN STREET

Heritage Candy Store Ethereal Day Spa Head Over Heels

Heritage Mall

Spears Pottery Juls Etc.

Our Sandwich Place

Courthouse

open M-F8-4

LOCUST LANE

Miller’s Ice Cream The Candy Dish The Harvest Preserve

Big Woods Pizza

MOLLY’S LANE Big Woods Village

Pioneer Village Museum

GOULD STREET Iris Garden Complex

Brown Co. Rock & Fossil Shop Iris Garden Cottages & Suites Copperhead Creek Gem Mine

Brown Co Public Library

Brown Co. History Center

MOUND STREET

Hidden Valley Inn

ROBERT “BUCK” STOGSDILL WAY

TO HELMSBURG - 6 MILES

The Emerald Pencil

Big Woods

Men’s Toy Shop

Colonial Bldg.

Carmel Corn Cottage

TO BEAN BLOSSOM & MORGANTOWN

Brozinni Pizzeria

Carpenter Hills O’Brown Realty

J.B. Goods/ Life is Good

Hotel Nashville

ARTIST DR

VAN BUREN

Ironweed

The Salvation Army

JEFFERSON STREET Hoosier Buddy

Thrift Shop Community Closet

Nashville BP

PITTMAN HOUSE LANE

PAT REILLY DR

Calvin Place

Madeline’s

Schwab’s Fudge

New Leaf Amy Greely

Life is Good JB Goods Artists Colony Inn

Artists Colony

Cathy’s Corner

Cedar Creek Winery

Nashville Express

Rhonda Kay’s

Coachlight Square

Chateau Thomas Winery

Bone Appetit Bakery

Brown Co Inn Hotel, Restaurant and Bar

Brown County IGA

Brown Co Community YMCA

Bear Hardware

N

Theatre

Dining

Brown County Eye Care

Salt Creek Park

Seasons Lodge & Conference Center

Doodles by Kara Barnard

Craftsman

Artist and/or Gallery Rest Room

Lodging

Musical Entertainment Parking

COUNTY MAP ON PAGE 5

map not to scale

Nashville Indiana

Casa Del Sol

Mercantile Store

SR 46 TO COLUMBUS - 16 MILES

VISITORS CENTER

Brown Co Craft Gallery

Cornerstone Inn

WASHINGTON STREET

Brown Co T-Shirt Shop Moondance Vacation Homes

Nashville Gyros Fudge Kitchen

Papertrix Sweetwater Gallery

Possum Trot Sq

Carol’s Gifts Fawn Hill House of Jerky Yesteryear My Red Moon Old Time Photos Back to Back Wishful Simply 4 You Thinking

VAN BUREN ST SR 135 N

SR 46 TO BLOOMINGTON - 16 MILES

McGinley Insurance

The Cheeky Owl

Bird’s Nest Café

The Totem Post

Jack & Jill Nut Shop

Brown Co Playhouse

FRANKLIN STREET

HONEYSUCKLE LANE

Franklin Sq

Brown Co Pottery

K. Bellum Leather Ferguson House

Antique Alley

Old McDurbin Gold & Gifts Clay Purl

58 South Apparel

OLD SCHOOL WAY

8 Our Brown County • March/April 2019

ADVERTISER

ANTIQUES Antiques Co-op................................. 50 Brown Co Antique Mall.................... 26 Cathy’s Corner................................... 14 The Emerald Pencil........................... 19 My Red Moon.................................... 27 Plum Creek Antiques....................... 60 ART, ART SUPPLIES, ART INSTRUCTION Antiques Co-op................................. 50 Art Beyond Crayons......................... 50 Bear Hardware.................................. 46 Brown Co Antique Mall.................... 26 Brown Co Art Gallery....................... 18 Brown Co Art Guild........................... 19 Brown Co Craft Gallery.................... 20 Cathy’s Corner................................... 14 The Emerald Pencil........................... 19 Hoosier Artist.................................... 19 Amanda W. Mathis............................ 18 Papertrix............................................. 15 Rhoden Art at eXplore Brown Co.... 4 Lightspinner StudioMartha Sechler.................................. 12 Sleepy Cat Studio............................. 19 Spears Pottery................................... 18 Rosey Bolte-Uncommon Gourd..... 18 BOOKS Fallen Leaf Books.............................. 12 CLOTHING 58 South Apparel.............................. 40 Bear Hardware.................................. 46 Brown Co T-Shirt Shop..................... 49 The Cheeky Owl Gifts/Apparel....... 41 Community Closet Thrift Shop....... 57 Foxfire Boutique............................... 43 Head Over Heels............................... 57 J.B. Goods/ Life is Good................... 24 Men’s Toy Shop.................................. 28

The Totem Post.................................. 12 Rosey Bolte-Uncommon Gourd..... 18 Wishful Thinking............................... 27 Woodlands Gallery........................... 20 ENTERTAINMENT/MUSIC Brown County Playhouse................ 53 Copperhead Creek Gem Mine........ 47 eXplore Brown Co............................... 4 John Hartford Memorial Festival... 32 Rawhide Ranch................................. 29 FOOD & BEVERAGE Abe Martin Lodge............................. 28 Artists Colony Inn............................. 15 Bear Wallow Distillery...................... 41 Brown Co IGA.................................... 25 Brown Co Inn..................................... 21 Brown Co Winery.............................. 25 Brozinni Pizzeria............................... 29 Butler Winery..................................... 29 The Candy Dish................................... 3 Carmel Corn Cottage....................... 56 Casa del Sol........................................ 56 Cedar Creek Winery.......................... 26 Chateau Thomas Winery................. 51 Darlene’s at Hotel Nashville............ 59 Farmhouse Cafe................................ 14 Gatesville Store................................. 48 Gnaw Bone Country Store & Bakery............................................. 26 Gyros Food is Art.............................. 51 The Harvest Preserve......................... 3 Helmsburg General Store............... 48 Heritage Candy Store....................... 52 Hobnob Corner Restaurant............ 40 Hoosier Buddy Liquors.................... 41 Hotel Nashville.................................. 59 House of Jerky................................... 56 Jack and Jill Nut Shop...................... 51 Miller’s Ice Cream................................ 3

Mercantile Store............................... 48 My Red Moon.................................... 27 CRAFTS, POTTERY, GIFTS Antiques Co-op................................. 50 Bone Appetit Bakery........................ 26 Brown Co Art Guild........................... 19 Brown Co Craft Gallery.................... 20 Brown Co Rock & Fossil Shop......... 47 Cathy’s Corner................................... 14 Carol’s Gifts........................................ 15 The Cheeky Owl Gifts/Apparel....... 41 Clay Purl............................................. 29 The Emerald Pencil........................... 19 Fawn Hill............................................. 26 The Ferguson House........................ 43 Foxfire................................................. 43 Gnaw Bone Country Store & Bakery............................................. 26 Head Over Heels............................... 57 Homestead Weaving Studio........... 18 Hoosier Artist.................................... 19 House of Clocks................................. 50 Ironweed............................................ 20 K. Bellum Leather............................. 20 Lightspinner StudioMartha Sechler.................................. 12 Madeline’s.......................................... 57 Men’s Toy Shop.................................. 28 Mercantile Store............................... 48 My Red Moon.................................... 27 New Harmony Soap Co.................... 55 New Leaf............................................. 19 Papertrix............................................. 15 Rhonda Kay’s..................................... 40 Simply 4 You...................................... 27 Sleepy Cat Studio............................. 19 Spears Pottery................................... 18 Cindy Steele’s Mosaics..................... 26 Sweetwater Gallery.......................... 47

DIRECTORY Nashville BP....................................... 15 Nashville Fudge Kitchen.................. 64 Nashville Spice Co............................. 63 Our Sandwich Place......................... 49 Schwab’s Fudge................................. 49 Seasons............................................... 14 Sugar Creek BBQ............................... 12 The Wild Olive..................................... 2 FURNITURE Antiques Co-op................................. 50 The Ferguson House........................ 43 HARDWARE Bear Hardware.................................. 60 HATS Head Over Heels............................... 57 K. Bellum Leather............................. 20 JEWELRY Brown Co Antique Mall.................... 26 Brown Co Craft Gallery.................... 20 Cathy’s Corner................................... 14 Ferguson House................................ 43 Foxfire................................................. 43 Hoosier Artist.................................... 19 Juls Etc................................................ 24 New Leaf............................................. 19 Old McDurbin Gold & Gifts............. 51 Rhonda Kay’s..................................... 40 Spears Pottery................................... 18 The Totem Post.................................. 12 Touch of Silver Gold & Old.............. 24 LODGING/CAMPGROUNDS Abe Martin Lodge............................. 28 Artists Colony Inn............................. 15 Brown Co Inn..................................... 21 Brown Co KOA................................... 48 Cornerstone Inn................................ 12 Creekside Retreat............................. 51 eXplore Brown Co............................... 4 Hidden Valley Inn............................. 24

March/April 2019 • Our Brown County 9

Hotel Nashville.................................. 59 Iris Garden Cottages & Suites......... 47 Moondance Vacation Homes......... 46 Rawhide Ranch................................. 29 Seasons............................................... 14 PET PRODUCTS Bone Appetit Bakery........................ 26 PHOTOS Hoosier Artist.................................... 19 Spears Pottery................................... 18 Yesteryear Old Tim Photos.............. 27 REAL ESTATE Carpenter Hills o’ Brown Realty..... 57 RE/MAX-Marg & Brenda.................. 61 RECREATION eXplore Brown Co............................... 4 Grandpa Jeff’s Trail Rides................ 51 Rawhide Ranch................................. 29 SERVICES (see also SERVICES DIRECTORY) Brown Co Humane Society............. 47 Brown Co Visitors Center................. 33 Dr. Lisa Baker, DDS........................... 40 Dunham Plumbing........................... 61 Helmsburg Sawmill Inc/ Pool Enterprises Inc.......................... 56 Keyed IN Property Mgt.................... 61 Nashville BP....................................... 15 Voils..................................................... 49 SERVICES DIRECTORY 60-61 Bear Hardware Bagged Trash Brown Co Community YMCA Brown Co Eye Care Brown Co Tire & Auto Dunham Plumbing Farmers Insurance—McGinley Flower and Herb Barn Health For U Helmsburg Sawmill

IN Seamless Guttering Keyed IN Property Mgt. Plum Creek Antiques Rambling Dog Design - SIGNS RE/MAX Team Marg & Brenda Waltman Construction Co. Webb & Sons Auto Restoration SHOES Head Over Heels............................... 57 K. Bellum Leather............................. 20 The Totem Post.................................. 12 SPECIALTY SHOPS Bone Appetit Bakery........................ 26 Brown Co Rock & Fossil Shop......... 47 Clay Purl............................................. 29 Fallen Leaf Books.............................. 12 Fireplace Center................................ 56 Head Over Heels............................... 57 House of Clocks................................. 50 House of Jerky................................... 56 K. Bellum Leather............................. 20 Men’s Toy Shop.................................. 28 Nashville Spice Co............................. 63 Papertrix............................................. 15 Weed Patch Music Company.......... 48 Wishful Thinking............................... 27 STAINED GLASS Hoosier Artist.................................... 19 Sweetwater Gallery.......................... 47 WEDDINGS Artists Colony Inn............................. 15 Hotel Nashville.................................. 59 OTHER Brown Co Humane Society............. 47 Helmsburg Sawmill Inc/ Pool Enterprises Inc.......................... 56 Mike Nickels Log Homes................. 20

Contents 16 Kara’s Silver Strings ~by Ryan Stacy 22 The Clay Purl ~by Chrissy Alspaugh 30 Metal Artist George Goehl

~by Bob Gustin

34-35 Photos ~by Sara Monnett* 36-37 Calendar of Events 38 Field Guide to the Art of Looking

~by Mark Blackwell

44 Brown County Radio Hour

~by Jeff Tryon

52 Lookout for Pigs! ~by Jim Eagleman 54 Sampler: Cornerstone Inn’s Emma’s Loaves & Dishes 58 Tanneries of Brown County ~by Julia Pearson 60-61 Services Directory

62 Tall Tail Tale

Bob Gustin worked as a reporter, photographer, managing editor, and editor for daily newspapers in Colorado, Nebraska, and Indiana before retiring in 2011. He and his wife, Chris, operate Homestead Weaving Studio. She does the weaving while he gives studio tours, builds small looms, and expands his book and record collections.

Ryan Stacy is a content writer at Monroe County Public Library, and also enjoys writing about Brown County. He and his wife live in Bloomington, where they can often be found chasing movies, good food, and cultural events. His other interests include reading, photography, and music.

Jim Eagleman, recently retired DNR naturalist, and his wife Kay, enjoy hiking the many natural areas, preserves, and land trust sites in Brown and neighboring counties. His FIELD NOTES have appeared in this publication for several years. Contact Jim with comments and inquiries at <jpeagleman@gmail.com>.

Chrissy Alspaugh is a freelance writer and owner of Christina Alspaugh Photography. She lives in Bartholomew County with her husband, Matt and three boys. She can be reached at <christina_alspaugh@ yahoo.com>. View her work at <ChristinaAlspaughPhotography.com>.

Joe Lee is an illustrator and writer. He is the author of The History of Clowns for Beginners and Dante for Beginners and illustrator of six other titles, including Dada and Surealism for Beginners, and Music Theory for Beginners. He is an awardwinning editorial cartoonist for the Bloomington Herald Times, a graduate of Ringling Brothers, Barnum & Bailey Clown College, and a veteran circus performer.

Julia Pearson wrote for a secular Franciscan magazine for ten years and served as its human interest editor. She and her husband Bruce have made Lake Woebegone Country their new homebase for life’s continuing adventures. Julie, Bruce, and four-footed Suki are adjusting well.

Julia enjoys traveling and visiting museums of all types and sizes, with her children and grandchildren.

Jeff Tryon is a former news editor of The Brown County Democrat, a former region reporter for The Republic, and a former bureau chief for The Huntsville Times. Born and raised in Brown County, he currently lives with his wife, Sue, in a log cabin on the edge of Brown County State Park. He is a Baptist minister.

Mark Blackwell no longer makes his home in Brown County where “the roadway is rough and the slopes are seamed with ravines and present a meatless, barren, backbone effect.” He now resides within sight of the sixth green of an undisclosed golf course. He was born in the middle of the last century and still spends considerable time there.

~by Bob Gustin

42 Spring in Brown County

Contributors

~by Gunther Flumm

Cover: Silver Strings artwork ~by Kara Barnard

*Sara Monnett, pastry chef and photographer, lives in northern Brown County. She shoots local weddings with Toby Blackwood, as the owners of MonWood Photography. Wedding and portrait portfolio can be seen at <monwoodphotography. com>. She started her culinary career in 2000 as a pastry chef in Indianapolis. She now creates wedding cakes, specialty pastries, and breads for establishments in Brown and Monroe County.

Cindy Steele is the publisher and editor of this magazine.

She sells and designs ads, sometimes writes, takes photos, and creates the layout.

For fun, she likes to play the guitar or banjo and sing. Her new hobby is making mosaics.

OUR BROWN COUNTY

Singing Pines Projects, Inc. copyright 2019 Thanks, Mom, for making it happen!

10 Our Brown County • March/April 2019

ourbrowncounty.com ourbrown@bluemarble.net

Also online at issuu.com/ourbrowncounty OR search in the mobile app ISSUU and on Facebook for OUR BROWN COUNTY

P.O. Box 157 Helmsburg, IN 47435 (812) 988-8807

Coloring Contest Win $20

Publisher’s choice. Send to this address by April 20.

OUR BROWN COUNTY P.O. Box 157 Helmsburg, IN 47435

March/April 2019 • Our Brown County 11

#1 Rated on TripAdvisor Custom gift certificates for all occasions

Come to Gnaw Bone for some tasty BBQ

Open for Lunch and Dinner • Wednesday–Sunday 812-988-5810 • SugarCreekBBQco.com • Wed.–Thurs. 11–8, Fri.–Sat. 11–9, Sun. 11–7

4359 State Road 46 East • Nashville, IN 47448 10 minutes from downtown Nashville. Look for the flags on the south side of the highway.

The Totem Post ~Since 1952~

• Genuine Native American Jewelry • Zuni Fetishes • Sterling Silver Jewelry • Copper Jewelry 78 S. Van Buren St. • Minnetonka Moccasins Nashville , IN • Pendleton • Knives 812-988-2511 TheTotemPost.com ~Open all year~

A Wonderful Mix of Old, New, Used and Rare Books

45 S. Jefferson Street · Nashville, IN 812.988.0202 · fallenleafbooks.com Sun-Fri 10 am – 5 pm · Saturday 10 am – 6p m

Visit our website for best deals and availability: cornerstoneinn.com

Journals · Sketchbooks Handmade Greeting Cards Local Postcards

Lightspinner STUDIO

Martha Sechler Unique Watercolors Mixed Media Gourd Art

888-383-0300 • 54 e. franklin st. downtown nashville

12 Our Brown County • March/April 2019

4460 Helmsburg Rd. Nashville, IN • 812-988-7379 Open whenever home. Call ahead.

Happy Birthday

24 YEARS

The Magazine of Fun and Fact ur Brown County is celebrating 24 years of business this April.

More than 200 issues have featured artists, musicians, nature, and history along with businesses and longtime residents.

As more hometown family publications are being bought out by mega-media conglomerates, our little magazine has managed to sustain itself with more advertisers than ever before. There is a lot of competition for attention with so many devices and activities, but our content stands out. There seems to be a never-ending supply of stories to be told and good writers to tell them.

There is a long list of people that have made Our Brown County possible over the years. You can learn a little about the current characters on the CONTRIBUTORS page.

I’d like to mention a few that aren’t on that page.

Bill Weaver has taken a break from writing but continues to proofread for us. He has only missed two issues in 24 years. He was instrumental in the visioning of Our Brown County. We sat down at my kitchen table in 1995 to discuss who might be interested in writing for such a publication. And he was the first.

Hank Swain wrote a column for us for about 20 years and produced books Leaves for the Raking with his articles. Hank and his wife Mardi’s encouragement made a difference in the magazine and in my life personally.

George Bredewater’s photographs captured our subjects for more than 10 years. He taught me how to take better pictures of people.

My son Evan Markley contributed a lot of good advice about cover choices and sales strategies. He put up with a lot of picture taking, interviews, meetings, and crankiness during deadline time.

The magazine would be just paper in a garage if not for the wonderful folks that deliver it. Thanks go out to the current crew of Joe and Barb Davis, Cindi Golis, and Mark Blackwell.

Thanks to the Times Mail in Bedford for producing a quality product for many years.

And the magazine would not exist without you, the readers. Thank you!

Guess Photo Win $20 WHERE IS IT? Call (812) 988-8807 Be the first person to call and get the prize money.

Leave a message with the specific location of the Mystery Photo, your name, and phone number.

O

Last issue’s photo was the Hard Truth Hills gate artwork in Nashville. John Rawlins was the first to guess.

Subscriptions make great gifts

SUBSCRIBE One Year’s Subscription for $15 —for postage and handling.

Name:

Address:

Send with check or money order to:

Our Brown County P.O. Box 157 Helmsburg, IN 47435

—Cindy Steele, editor/publisher

March/April 2019 • Our Brown County 13

Farmhouse

Lodge & Conference Center

Farmhouse Cafe ...a country drive to an unexpected dining pleasure · LUNCH ·

Homemade Soups, Salads and Garden Sandwiches

· DINNER ·

TUESDAYS: Tex-Mex served in the bar 5–8:00 p.m.

SUNDAYS: Fried Chicken Buffet 11:00 a.m.–2:00 p.m.

• Balcony Rooms

Steak · Salmon · Pork · Turkey Chicken · Pasta R Garden and Fruit Salads Soups · Desserts Herbal Teas · Cool Drinks Beer & Wine

5171 Bean Blossom Road · Just 15 minutes from Nashville A small, intimate restaurant with indoor and outdoor seating

Reservations Suggested · 812-988-2004 LUNCH: DAILY · 11–4 PM DINNER: TUESDAY–SATURDAY · 5–8 PM

farmhousecafeandtearoom.com · Like us on

• Restaurant • Lounge

• Enclosed pool

• Conference facility for up to 500 people

560 State Road 46 East, Nashville, IN 812-988-2284 • SeasonsLodge.com 14 Our Brown County • March/April 2019

.

Find what you love…

Love what you find

1 3 Y ea r Anniversa r

y

the

Inn & Restaurant

A Charming 19th Century Style Inn and Restaurant

Dynamic classes and demo table.

Artistic Rubber Stamps For cardmaking, & Scrapbooking collage & altered art • 20 Guest Rooms, 3 Suites with Whirlpool Baths • Banquet and Conference Rooms for Retreats or Parties • Gift Certificates Available Serving Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner Breakfast Buffet 7:30 am–10:30 am Monthly Dinner Theatre Shows At the corner of Van Buren and Franklin Streets in Nashville, Indiana

812-988-0600 • 800-737-0255

artistscolonyinn.com

Carol’s Gifts Since 1981

Glass Baron Hand-blown Glass Jim Shore Collectibles Handmade Soap & Bath Bombs Lori Mitchell Figurines Fontanini Nativities Amia Suncatchers Painted Ponies Lang Graphics Calendars & Paper Goods Billy Jacobs Prints Gooseberry Patch Cookbooks Blue Mountain Greeting Cards

Wind Chimes • Music Boxes • Children’s Books Halloween & Christmas Gifts & Décor

Locally Handcrafted Pewter Christmas Ornaments 125 S. Van Buren St. • Artists Colony Shops • Nashville, IN Open 363 Days • 812-988-6388

The newest items and techniques!

Receive

3 FREE Sheets of 12” x 12” SCRAPBOOK PAPER* with this coupon.

Shop our excellent selection of scrapbook papers, new releases, sale papers at half off, and our 3 for $1.00 bins. (*coupon scrapbook paper from a select collection) 160 Old School Way in Nashville behind Village Candlemaker

(812) 988-2002 www.papertrix.com

Fresh In-Store Donuts

Broasted Chicken 812-988-1822

Nashville BP State Roads 46 & 135 270 S. Van Buren St. in Nashville

March/April 2019 • Our Brown County 15

Kara Barnard’s

Silver Strings ~story and photos by Ryan Stacy

This batch of Silver Strings (not listed in order): Bev Bonsett, Carole and Erv Schindel, Lynn Hughes, Jenny Austin, Allison O’Shea,Tony Sosbe, Pat Bolinger, Mary Kilgore, Shirley Todd , and Kara Barnard.

16 Our Brown County • March/April 2019

I

t’s a Thursday afternoon in a meeting room at the Brown County YMCA. A group of locals sits in a circle around Kara Barnard, dulcimers and guitars in hand, eager to learn, smiles on their faces. These are just a few of the 80-plus students Kara sees each week in the private and group lessons she offers, but you’d never know she’s so busy: her encouraging tone and relaxed demeanor make everyone feel valued, engaged, and welcomed as a unique maker of music.

According to Kara, part of her success is about her passion for music and a lifetime of teaching. From giving younger players lessons in high school to her years as a full-time guitar instructor, she’s had lots of time to perfect her approach to music instruction. “In my twenties, Kevin Franklin at Guitar Works in Greenwood really pushed me to take up teaching,” Kara says. “I had 60 students a week there, teaching guitar, banjo, dulcimer.

I did that for about ten years, and it really taught me how to tap into how different people learn, and how to help them identify and overcome the obstacles in their playing.” Years after going solo with her teaching in Brown County, Kara still relies on a few key strategies: stay positive, believe in every student’s ability to learn, and share in their joy in mastering a difficult lesson.

But teaching people music goes much deeper than songs and instruments for Kara—it’s truly a transcendent experience. “Music is about vibration, and that vibration connects us to everything in nature,” she explains. “Anybody who claims not to feel that rhythm has never studied the wag of a dog’s tail, or the sound of a cat scratching, or the metronome of

”I’ve got the best job in the world…And the people I teach, they fuel me. It’s the most incredible thing, and I’m grateful every day to be able to do it.”

Nhất Hạnh. “Sitting at his feet for a week was a high point in my life,” she remembers.

But make no mistake: Kara’s spirit may be open to the infinite possibilities of the universe, but her feet are planted firmly in the realities of Midwestern business ownership.

Along with her former student Kristin Thompson, she’s a proprietor of Weed Patch Music, a Nashville shop specializing in custom-built instruments and forging connections with its customers.

“It’s hard sometimes, balancing Buddhist principles with the demands of retail,” she says. “Staying present in the moment, striving to always maintain good energy, it can be a challenge. But we do it, and whether it’s people who’ve never heard of Weed Patch coming in off the street, or seasoned musicians from all over who seek us out specifically, they’ll find us to be human beings who want to talk to them, who want to share with them the love we have for what we sell.”

The merchandise at Weed Patch—stringed instruments made with pride by local builders—includes handmade guitars, dulcimers, banjos, and mandolins—every piece set up to sound its best. “There’s nothing like holding a musical instrument, knowing where it comes from and hearing how it sounds,” Kara says. “That’s why Amazon won’t ever take the place of stores like ours.”

A few years ago, a conversation with Jon Kay, Director of Traditional Arts Indiana, led Kara to her most recent undertaking. “I was trying to expand out to a new audience, and Jon suggested seniors,” she says. Soon

Continued on 26

—Kara Barnard the heartbeat in their own chest.”

Playing music with others, she says, puts us in communion with each other, and ultimately, with the universe.

If you think this sounds like something out of eastern philosophy, you’d be right.

Somehow, between giving lessons, performing and competing internationally, founding the Indiana State Fingerstyle Guitar Competition, and running her own businesses, Kara’s also been a longtime student of Buddhism, taking her vows with worldrenowned monk and educator Thích

March/April 2019 • Our Brown County 17

HOMESTEAD WEAVING STUDIO Quality Handwovens

by Chris Gustin

Brown County Art Gallery Brown County’s Original Art Gallery · established 1926 ·

GALLERIES · SPECIAL EXHIBITS · CONSIGNMENT ART WORKSHOPS · PROGRAMS

Yarn • Looms • Supplies Visit us on the Back Roads Tour

Southeastern Brown County 6285 Hamilton Creek Road

UPCOMING GALLERY EVENTS Open 11 to 5 most days–Call ahead

MARCH 10-31

Daguerre Club of Indiana Centennial Photography Art Exhibit & Workshops

MARCH 10

Glass-plate Photography in Brown County: The Images of Douglass, Hohenberger, Ping, and Whitaker

APRIL 14

25th annual Victorian Tea

APRIL 20 – MAY 5

21st Annual Mabel B. Annis Student Art Competition

www.HomesteadWeaver.com • 812-988-8622

Visit our website for a complete calendar of workshops and events

Locally Crafted Pottery • Jewelry • Photography • Wood • Fiber • More...

Downtown Nashville (S. Van Buren St. near stoplight/courthouse) • Open Daily

www.spearspottery.com • 812.988.1286 • Spears Gallery on Facebook

Open Daily 10 am – 5 pm · Sunday Noon – 5 pm Free Admission · Free Parking Corner of Main & Artist Drive · Nashville, IN

812.988.4609 · BrownCountyArtGallery.org

Amanda W. Mathis Originals, Prints, and Cards

photo by Michele Wedel

Open Daily • Call for Hours • 812-320-0747 220 Kelp Grove Rd. • Nashville, IN • amandamathisart.com Also represented by Spears Gallery and the Brown County Art Gallery in Nashville

18 Our Brown County • March/April 2019

A VARIETY OF

handmade fine art

812-988-6888 » 45 S. JEFFERSON ST. » NASHVILLE, IN » HOOSIERARTIST.NET

Sleepy Cat Studio

NEW LEAF An eclectic mix of creative items by local, regional, and global artists

H o m e o f Ace

&

t

he gr a in b in mice

Calvin Place Franklin & Van Buren Streets Nashville, IN • (812) 988-1058 www.amygreely.com

Art by Monique Cagle 4687 Yellowwood Road, Nashville • 812-361-4615 Open by appointment • Sleepy Cat Studio • SleepyCatStudio.com

THE GUILD. FINE ART BY FINE ARTISTS.

© 2018 Brown County Art Guild, Inc.

Featuring handcrafted jewelry by owner Amy Greely

JOEY ON THE TRACKS (OIL) BY WAYNE CAMPBELL

WELCOME TO THE HISTORIC ART GUILD Experience two floors of gallery space with work from over 45 award-winning local and regional artists together with an extensive permanent collection of early Brown County artists. There are featured exhibits, artist demonstrations and a Fine Artisan gift shop to enjoy.

48 S. Van Buren Street Nashville, IN 47448 BrownCountyArtGuild.org 812 988-6185 LILACS BY VJ CARIANI

March/April 2019 • Our Brown County 19

created by hand

local artisans

E S T

1 9 7 8

BROWN COUNTY

Featuring Leather Goods Made in Brown County

Fine Leather Goods

• Handbags • Belts • Hats • Accessories • Holsters • Leather • Tools • Dye •Supplies

And Shoes: Haflinger, Arcopedico, Sheepskin Slippers 92 W. Franklin, Antique Alley, Nashville, IN 812-988-4513

A unique cooperative gallery featuring fine arts and crafts by local and area artists Open Daily 10 AM - 5 PM except major holidays VISIT US IN OUR NEW LOCATION!

62 E. Washington St. · Nashville, IN 47448 BrownCountyCraftGallery.com 812.988.7058

CELEBRATING

BCCraftGallery @BCcraftgallery

188 South Jefferson St�eet in Nashville, Indiana (812) 200-3151 Free Customer Parking www.ironweedgiſts.com info@ironweedgiſts.com Bouquets, plants, gifts, balloons, cards & more

20 Our Brown County • March/April 2019

87 East Main Street • Nashville, IN (812) 988-6080 • thewoodlandsgallery.net

Building Fine Log Homes for over 40 Years HONESTY • INTEGRITY • HANDCRAFTED QUALITY

3497 Clay Lick Road • Nashville, IN • (812) 988-2689

brown County Inn HOTEL, RESTAURANT & BAR

On the corner of 135 & 46 just 3 blocks of downtown with free parking Serving breakfast, lunch and dinner 7 days a week 8am to 9pm Sunday to Thursday 8am to 10pm Friday & Saturday

www.browncountyinn.com (812) 988-2291

March/April 2019 â&#x20AC;¢ Our Brown County 21

The Clay Purl ~story and photos by Chrissy Alspaugh

E

ven knitters who claim to own more yarn than Nashville’s “lovely little yarn shop” can’t walk away from The Clay Purl without at least a skein or two in hand.

They carry silky sock yarn, fluffy Alaskan yarn, yarn that stripes all by itself, hand-painted yarn, and more Hoosier yarns than one can count.

“We are a tourist community, and visitors are always looking for something really special to remind them of their time in Brown County,” said owner Michele Hayes.

“What I didn’t expect is that, to the local community, knitting shops are so much more than where you go to buy yarn.”

The Clay Purl opened in 2011 in Antique Alley, offering a wide variety of fiber art supplies, craft kits, pottery, shawl pins, spinning wheels for visitors to try, and an assortment of unique gifts. After moving for a few years to a building near the courthouse, Hayes and her yarn stash returned to the alley in 2018. She feels at home.

That’s important to the Valparaiso native.

Hayes and her pastor and church-consultant husband, David, spent their honeymoon in Nashville and later inherited her parents’ Brown County cabin.

“I’ve always loved it here,” she said. “It’s always felt like home.” The couple moved to town in the late ’80s but left in 1992 to serve as missionaries in Ukraine after

22 Our Brown County • March/April 2019

the fall of the Soviet Union. Those were hard years—waiting in long lines to buy bread and unable to purchase green vegetables all winter.

Family health needs returned them to the U.S., but their support for Ukraine never ceased. The couple still returns to help new churches launch or existing churches to update their operations.

Hayes often lends her marketing and graphics expertise on those trips. She studied business administration, marketing, and German at Olivet Nazarene University and has worked as an art teacher, office manager, marketing director, and graphics designer.

Laughing, Hayes said she planned to depart early from this winter’s trip to Ukraine to be back in time for central-Indiana’s annual Roving Indiana “yarn crawl.” From March 1 to 10, The Clay Purl and nine other yarn stores will delight

fiber artists by selling special-edition yarn, and each store will exhibit their own project using the yarn that customers can copy. This year’s yarn was inspired by a painting entitled “Iris Garden” by nationally-renowned artist Jim Gray, who is currently retired and living in Nashville. Hayes said she anticipates this year’s special-edition yarn to be wildly popular because of its vivid blues and purples. The yarn crawl also entices participants with store discounts and prizes. For more information, visit <rovingindiana. com>.

Hayes said when she helped launch the annual yarn crawl in 2014, she had no idea what to expect. She was stunned by the line of customers that filled her shop and wound outside her door all day. That kind of success is proof, she said, that there is still demand for brick-andmortar yarn shops in the midst of an economy moving so heavily toward online sales.

Like many fiber artists, Columbus resident Susan Shaw said she prefers to buy yarn she can feel before purchasing.

“I’ve ordered some online and been very disappointed with the purchase,” Shaw said. The avid knitter said she’s thankful for the “great selection,” knowledge, and friendliness she always knows she will find at the Clay Purl.

Hayes is honest that she didn’t really know what to

expect when she opened a yarn shop. Her mother was an avid crocheter, and Hayes learned to knit when she was 10. But her hands didn’t pick up many needles again until a group of co-workers began knitting over their lunch hour about 15 years ago. She laughs that her first attempt at knitting socks resulted in a foot she’d crafted inside-out. “When I started talking to my husband about doing a shop in Nashville, honestly I didn’t know what it would be,” Hayes said. “When I started thinking about a yarn shop, there was just something about the colors and textures that I loved. And now, it’s so much more fun than just going to work.”

Hayes said she never expected to thank the local community, rather than tourists, for the bulk of her sales.

The store hosts a weekly knit night on Tuesdays, and Hayes said she’s watched a family of artists emerge.

“We’ve become the place where new knitters in town come to make friends. Where young girls, or knitters in their ‘80s, can just come laugh and talk,” Hayes said. “It’s been wonderful to watch that become the true spirit of this place.”

For more information about the Clay Purl, visit <claypurl.com>, or stop and see them at 92 West Franklin Street. 

March/April 2019 • Our Brown County 23

in Nashville, IN

172 N. Van Buren Street AND

102 S. Van Buren Street (Calvin Place)

www.JBGoods.com • 812-988-0900

Albert C. Drake r e

Goldsmith and Silv Silversmith lversmiith h All Suite Hotel Located in Downtown Nashville Private Bedroom with King Bed Dining Area and Fully Equipped Kitchenette Living Room with Queen Sofa Sleeper Private Porch/Balcony • Free WIFI Fireplaces and Whirlpool Baths available

Call for Specials

812.988.9000 • 877.988.9099

201 North Van Buren St. Nashville, IN • www.hiddenvalleyinn.net

24 Our Brown County • March/April 2019

47 yyears rs off q quality service in n Bro r wn Co C unty Brown County

Touch T uch h of Silve Silver, v r, r Gold G & Old 87 E. Main St. • Nashville, IN 47448 (812) 988-6990 • (800) 988-6994 Hours: 10am - 6pm • 7 days a week www.touchofsilvergoldandold.com

Brown County Winery · award winning quality wines since 1986 · Complimentary Tastings at Two Tasting Rooms

WINERY IN GNAWBONE

4520 State Road 46 East · Nashville 812.988.6144

VILLAGE OF NASHVILLE East Main & Old School Way 812.988.8646

OPEN DAILY

Monday-Thursday 10 – 5 · Friday & Saturday 10 – 5:30 · Sunday 11 – 5

Wine & Wine-related Gifts · Gourmet Foods Outdoor Seating · Gift Cards Available

Order Online! BROWNCOUNTYWINERY.COM

BROWN COUNTY

Hometown Proud Local Grocery Store Serving Beautiful Brown County Since 1975!

• Certified Angus Beef • Large Beer and Wine Sections • Organic Grocery • Dairy • Picnic Supplies • Produce • Full Service Bakery/Deli • Frozen • Custom Cake Decorating • Wine • Custom Deli Trays, Veggie Trays

text NA SHV

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Ever-Growing Selection of Gluten-Free Products

FOLLOW US ON FACEBOOK TO GET THE WEEKLY AD Brown County IGA

990o0

ILLE

0

30 Hawthorne Dr. • Nashville • East SR 46 at light • 812-988-4546 March/April 2019 • Our Brown County 25

Gnaw Bone

Country Store & Bakery

*Homemade Baked Goods *Antiques *Local Products *Artist Goods 4883 SR 46 E. Gnaw Bone, IN

38 Franklin St. E. | Nashville, IN | drinkatthecreek.com | Open Every Day

812-988-4266 www.gnawbonebakery.com gnawbonecsbakery@gmail.com Open Daily • Closed Tuesdays

Fawn Hill Rustic Home Décor

Lamps, Lanterns, Candles, Wreaths, Pillows, Bags, Shirts Picture Frames and more...

In the Artists Colony Shops - Upstairs (Elevator Available) 125 S. Van Buren St. • Nashville, IN • 812-200-3200

Available at Spears Pottery in Nashville, IN (beside the Nashville House on South Van Buren Street)

SILVER STRINGS continued from 17

Family-owned since 1995 Established 1972

70 + Dealers • We buy and sell Brown County Antique Mall • 3288 State Road 46 East 3 miles east of Nashville, IN • 13 miles west of I-65 Open 7 Days a week till 5:30 • 812-988-1025

BONE APPETIT BAKERY For Dogs

• Premium, all-natural treats since 1997 • Over 20 varieties from low-fat to grain-free • Gourmet and seasonal snacks, too

Get a FREE Sampler bag of natural dog treats with $10 purchase and this ad.

Mosaics by Cindy Steele

DOGS WELCOME! (812) 988-0305

Open 7 days 211 S. Van Buren St. (behind Visitor Center)

www.barkingood.com

26 Our Brown County • March/April 2019

after, Kara launched Silver Strings, a dulcimer instruction program she takes to assisted living facilities in the area. “These are lessons aimed at non-musicians who may be in walkers or wheelchairs. Some have had strokes, and one of my best students is blind.” Silver Strings has been a great success so far, and Kara’s currently developing a plan to pitch the program to a company with facilities in four states. Within ten years, she says, her goal is to take Silver Strings nationwide.

Not surprisingly, though, for Kara the real reward lies in the difference music makes in the lives of her Silver Strings students. “I’ve got the best job in the world. I live the best life. And the people I teach, they fuel me. It’s the most incredible thing, and I’m grateful every day to be able to do it. I’m doing what I was put on the planet to do.”

More information on what Kara’s up to can be found online at <karabarnard.com>, <weedpatchmusicshop.com>, or on Facebook at Kara’s Silver Strings. 

PLY 4 YOU SIM Handmade & Unique Gifts • Hand-painted Signs • Homemade Body Scrubs • Giant Scrabble Letters • Solar-Changing Finger Nail Polish • Biker Bracelets • Painted Ball Jars And much more...

Sepia Old Time Color Color Black & White

145 S. Van Buren St. Nashville, IN 812-350-8806 Simply 4 You Gift Shop Simply_4_you@aol.com

Established 2001

OVER 200 BACKGROUNDS Wild West • Prairie • Civil War • Roaring 20s and more!

FREE in-store demos!

145 S. Van Buren Nashville, IN Next to Artist Colony Inn, behind My Red Moon

Weekdays 10–6, Sat. 10–7, Sun. 10–6

812-988-7305

Old School Way and Pittman House Lane

(next to the Toy Chest, behind Yesteryear Old Time Photos) Visit our website for class schedules www.wishfulthinking-in.com • 812-988-7009

New in Town

Antiques, Apparel, Curiosities & Collectibles 145 S. Van Buren St. Nashville, IN • Back-to-Back Complex March/April 2019 • Our Brown County 27

Abe Martin Lodge A Splashin’ Good Time! & the Little Gem Restaurant Our full service restaurant is open daily

New Cabin Suites

• Slide • Water Channel • Fountains • Dump Buckets • Waterfall

We have the room for you Guest rooms, two-story cabins, historic cabins, cabin suites Ask about our pet-friendly rooms

There is always something to do in Indiana’s largest State Park: Aquatic Center, Horse Back Riding, Mountain Bike Trails, Fishing, Tennis...

We have the perfect setting for any event: Corporate Retreats, Weddings, Getaways and Family Reunions, and more!

Brown County State Park • P.O. Box 547 • Nashville, IN • 1-877-Lodges-1 • (812) 988-4418 • www.indianainns.com

Knives by Benchmade, Kershaw, Microtech, Esee, Tops, Protech, Zero Tolerance and many more

’ Luminox Watches (used by Navy Seals)

Fine Pipes and Tobaccos Premium Cigars

Things you can live without... bbut who wants to!

Old Colonial Bldg. 60 N. Van Buren St. Nashville, Indiana•812.988.6590 menstoyshop@yahoo.com•Visit us on Facebook

Guns and Ammo for Competition, Hunting, Sport, and Home Defense

28 Our Brown County • March/April 2019

Variety of T-Shirts

Wooden Signs made in Southern Indiana

Nashville’s

O N LY

Guest Ranch

al times are All adventures & me call ahead ! open to the public – ommended – Rec ons ati erv Res –

T

rawhideranchusa.co

L RIDES RAI

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BUCK INN

INES ZIP L

MEAL TIME

Open 7 days a week, Year round

AMENITIES INCLUDE: Cowboy Hotel • Cabins • Tipis • Guest Discounted Zips & Rides 24/7 Coffee Station • Corporate Retreats • Team Building Programs Geocaching • Free Wifi • 54 Acres of Land • Nightly Campfires Hiking • Fishing • Swing Set & Sandbox • Half Court Basketball 1292 St Rd 135 S, Nashville

812.988.0085

www.butlerwinery.com

info@rawhideranchusa.com

Brown County Size: 3.5 x 4.5 Cost: $667.00 Runs: April 2016 - April 2017

come see us at our new location…

92 w franklin st ¥ nashville, in ¥ 812.988.0336 in the heart of antique alley

AUTHENTIC NEW YORK STYLE PIZZA

A family-friendly pizza place PIZZA • SALADS • CALZONES

140 W. Main Street • (812) 988-8800 In the heart of Nashville by the Village Green area at the intersection of Main and Jefferson Streets.

Dine-In or Carry-Out

Sun.–Thurs. 11am–9:00pm; Fri. & Sat. 11am–10:00pm

March/April 2019 • Our Brown County 29

Metal Artist George Goehl ~story and photo by Bob Gustin

I

f you consider all the jobs George Goehl has had, you might think he has a hard time deciding what he wants to do.

In his 80 years of life, he has tried his hand at many things, from selling carpet to administering a program for people with mental disabilities, among other things. Most didn’t last longer than three years.

But his love of producing decorative metal creations is an exception. His jewelry, wall hangings, bubble wands, and other brazed creations have kept his attention for about 50 years now, and he shows no sign of slowing down.

Goehl has been a fixture in the Nashville craft scene since opening a shop in 1975, and his work is now for sale at the Brown County Craft Gallery.

In addition, he has posted many how-to videos on the Internet and produced DVDs of his craft. This allows him to stand with one foot in the traditional handmade world of fine craftsmen and the other foot in the modern world of technology.

Born in Columbus, Ohio, in 1938, Goehl was the son of a mechanic and a housewife who later entered the workforce leaving him to grow up “pretty much alone.” He says he was a terrible student in the tiny Pataskala, Ohio, school system and graduated from high school “through the grace of my teachers.”

He said he knew he wasn’t college material, so after a stint in the Air Force where he played saxophone in the military band, and not knowing what else to do, he took a factory job at Western Electric in Columbus, Ohio. Becoming

30 Our Brown County • March/April 2019

frustrated and angry at producing plastic parts on the factory line, he quit.

“I told myself that I don’t ever want to run another machine,” he said, so in 1963 he took a job selling carpets. That job lasted for three years, and he became a top salesman. But he says the company owner was overbearing, and Goehl had had enough.

“After one great sale I made, I’m thinking, ‘Is this as good as it gets? Is this enough?’”

So at age 27, he enrolled in Ohio State University and did surprisingly well.

“I’m not real intelligent or smart, but I am clever,” Goehl said.

Anthropology appealed to him, so he got his bachelor’s degree in that. A part-time job at a facility for mentally disabled children also spurred his interest, and he received a master’s degree in special education from Ohio State. That led to a job

in Mansfield, Ohio, at a facility for mentally disabled, where he was administrator. One of the things that job taught him was a great respect for the way different people figure things out.

“Everybody asks themselves, how do we make sense of this world we’re living in?”

But after about three years, he had lunch with a 30-year veteran of a child welfare program and realized that his work in social service was not something he wanted to do for the next 30 years.

Since college, Goehl had discovered he liked to work with his hands. After he got a torch outfit for a birthday gift one year in the 1970s, he quit the social service job and began metal working in a basement workshop. One thing led to another, and soon he had sales representatives and his brazed metal business began to take off.

He sold the business to Cosco, now a division of Dorel, in Columbus, Indiana, with eight of his designs as a part of the deal. He moved to Indiana to work for the company as a designer, and settled in Brownstown, where a plant was to be built. Tired of the commute to Columbus after the company decided not to build the Brownstown plant, he quit that job and moved to Brown County to operate his own small shop in Nashville. He did that until he went to work for Bartholomew Consolidated School Corporation where he taught special education for about three years.

He had a mail order business going for a while, specializing in bicycle-related objects and doing shows all

Continued on 32

March/April 2019 • Our Brown County 31

GEORGE GOEHL continued from 31 over the country, usually in connection with bike rallies.

That led to more complicated wall hangings which he has become known for, including scenes which may have bikes, park benches, street lights, newspapers, fences and buildings.

He also produces unique bubble wands, butterflies, jewelry, and a variety of decorative objects.

Brazing is a technique which uses high heat to fuse copper, brass, bronze and steel into sculptures and functional or artistic pieces. Goehl works from his home and studio a few miles outside of Nashville.

But Goehl also has an interest in photography and videography, and he’s good at explaining how things work. So in 2003, he began producing how-to-braze videos, and wound up doing 33 DVDs. As technology changed, so did Goehl, and he moved to streaming videos and other instructional pieces on the Internet, where he is paid by the click or download.

32 Our Brown County • March/April 2019

“People don’t want to be educated, but everybody wants to learn,” he said.

Goehl’s videos include many self-taught techniques and creative impulses which he willingly shares.

“Some artists don’t want to give away ideas,” he said. “I think that if you give away an idea, the universe will give you two to replace it. It never fails.”

George Goehl’s work is sold at the Brown County Craft Gallery, 62 E. Washington St., Nashville, Indiana. 

BROWN COUNTY’S

annual to-do list FUN. FESTIVE. FULL OF CHOICES. From blues, bluegrass & folk Americana musical events, tasting of creative juices that flow from local craft breweries and wineries to running through the hills, & admiring local artwork, there’s so much to do here – enough to keep you coming back time & time again.

MARCH 2-3 10th Annual National Maple Syrup Festival MARCH 9 6th Annual Youth Music Showcase MARCH 29-31 1st Annual BroCoCon APRIL 14 25th Annual Victorian Tea APRIL 26-28 34th Annual Wildflower Foray MAY 4 56th Annual Spring Blossom Parade MAY 4 12th Annual Morel Mushroom Festival MAY 11 17th Annual Indiana Wine Fair MAY 18 11th Annual Dances with Dirt Gnaw Bone Extreme Trail Run MAY 29 – JUNE 1 9th Annual John Hartford Memorial Festival MAY 31 – JUNE 1 40th Annual Pioneer Women’s Quilt Show

JUNE 2 & 3 13th Annual DINO Series Trail Run & Mountain Bike Race JUNE 7-9 14th Annual Sundance Midwest Women’s Mountain Bike Camp JUNE 8-29 41st Annual Indiana Heritage Arts Exhibit and Sale JUNE 8-16 53rd Annual Bill Monroe Memorial Bean Blossom Bluegrass Festival JULY 26-27 8th Annual Indiana State Fingerstyle Guitar Competition AUGUST 22-24 21st Annual Bean Blossom Blues Fest SEPTEMBER 3-8 17th Annual Bikerfest SEPTEMBER 7 31st Annual Great Outdoor Art Contest

SEPTEMBER 14 15th Annual Abe Martin County Picnic and Nashcar Outhouse Race SEPTEMBER 18-21 45th Annual Bill Monroe Hall of Fame and Uncle Pen Days OCTOBER 1-31 21st Annual Back Roads Studio Tour OCTOBER 5 – NOVEMBER 10 13th Annual Collector’s Showcase OCTOBER 11-13 15th Annual Big Woods Brown County Epic Festival OCTOBER 26 16th Annual Tecumseh Trail Marathon NOVEMBER 9 12th Annual Chocolate Walk NOVEMBER 16 4th Annual Brown County Hilly Half Marathon

Celebrate the holidays in Brown County, the day after Thanksgiving through New Year’s Day! THE VISITORS CENTER IS LOCATED AT 211 SOUTH VAN BUREN STREET

March/April 2019 • Our Brown County 33

photos by Sara Monnett

calendar

Some dates not booked at time of publication.

The schedule can change. Please check before making a trip.

Chateau Thomas Winery

Leo Kottke

Brown County Playhouse Comedian Heywood Banks March 1 Tim Grimm and the Family Band March 8 Youth Music Showcase March 9 An Evening with Marty Stuart and his Fabulous Superlatives March 15 Martinie’s Boogie April 6 Asleep at the Wheel April 12 3rd Annual Shimmy and Shake April 13 An Evening with Leo Kottke April 20 Barney Fife Fully Loaded April 26 & 27 FIRST RUN MOVIES ON THE BIG SCREEN Thursday through Sunday, (except for special events) Check website for schedule 70 S. Van Buren St. 812-988-6555 www.BrownCountyPlayhouse.org

Murder Mystery Dinner Theatre March 23, April 13 Artists Colony Inn 812-988-0600 www.artistscolonyinn.com

Music Friday and Saturday 7:00-10:00 March 2 Brad & Casey March 9 Ross Benson Trio March 15 Gary Applegate March 16 Bob Dylan Tribute March 22 Impasse March 29 CoPilots March 30 Hank Haggard &

the Orange Possum Special April 6 Robbie Bowden April 19 Indiana Boys April 20 Impasse April 27 Amanda Webb 812-988-8500 www.ChateauThomas.com

19th Hole at Salt Creek Golf Live Music Saturdays Live Trivia Mondays Euchre Tournament Thursdays March 2 John D. Karaoke March 9 The Movin’ Hips March 16 Dan Kirk Band March 23 Tyler Poe March 30 Jaylen Martinez April 6 John D. Karaoke April 13 Past Tense April 20 South of 44 April 27 Doug Dillman 812-988-7888 www.SaltCreekGolf.com

Brown County Inn Open Mic Night every Wednesday Live Music Friday and Saturday Nights March 1 Sean Lamb Band March 2 Sean Lamb Band March 8 Jack Whittle Band March 9 Top Hat Blues Revue March 15 Paul Bertsch Band March 16 Amanda Webb Band March 22 The Acre Brothers March 23 The Acre Brothers March 29 Top Shelf March 30 Movin’ Hips April 5 Foster Jones April 6 The 1-4-5’s

36 Our Brown County • March/April 2019

April 12 Sean Lamb Band April 13 Sean Lamb Band April 19 Paul Bertsch Band April 20 Zion Crossroads April 26 Top Hat Blues Revue April 27 Governor Davis 800-772-5249 www.BrownCountyInn.com

Hard Truth Hills Check Facebook for latest music bookings March & April Live Music every Saturday March 2 Swing Dancing in the Woods

swing dance class in Hard Truth

Hills’ The Woods Abide room

fee includes a Quaff ON! beer or

Hard Truth cocktail March 16 Saint Patrick’s Day Celebration

complete with live music,

a cash bar with beer and spirits 4:00-10:00 April 21 Easter at Hard Truth Hills

brunch menu and egg hunt 418 Old State Road 46 Nashville 812-720-4840 www.hardtruthhills.com

Indiana Red Barn March 1-2 Cabin Fever Folk Festival

starring Chicago Farmer March 1 Buffalo Wabs &

The Price Hill Hustle

Chicago Farmer (Solo)

Megan Maudlin March 2 Chicago Farmer (Full Band)

Hammer & Hatchet

Jaik Willis April 6 Mellencouger w/Toby Myers 71 Parkview Road 866-420-2276 indianaredbarnmusic@gmail.com Facebook: IndianaRedBarnJamboree

Mike’s Dance Barn March & April Saturdays starting March 16 Mike’s band Smooth Country Mondays Dance Lessons 812-988-8636

34th Annual Wildflower Foray

10th Annual National Maple Syrup Festival March 2-3, Story Inn, 10:00-5:00 Maple sugar producers and hobbyists, maple syrup connoisseurs, and visitors.

Syrup making demos from Native American, early French American days.

Arts/crafts. Music by Silver Sparrow, Will Scott. Food vendors, beer, wine, spirits.

Tickets $10 for adults (free for children under 12). Admission includes both days.

812-988-2273 www.storyinn.com

Mysterious Hills Hike Series Presented by Brown County State Park March 2 How did that Boulder get in that Tree?

March 9 10 O’Clock Line Nature Preserve March 30 Hike to the Lake that Never Was Meet at Nature Center at 11:00

Brown County Sippin’ Trip March 3, 16, 11:00-2:30 Tasting excursion to artisan wineries, breweries and distilleries.

Nashville General Store Express bus.

812-988-7303 www.browncounty.com/tours

25th Annual Victorian Tea April 14, Brown Co Art Gallery Vendors, tea, art, and a program. Also favors, a raffle, and door prizes. Doors open at 12:30. Tea is served at 2:00.

Seating is limited and this event sells out every year. Please register in advance.

812-988-4609 www.browncountyartgallery.org

eXplore Brown County Spring Break March Madness March 3-31 Soar 90 feet in the air at speeds up to 45 miles an hour. Learn about plants and animals.

Hibernation is Over...Couch Potatoes Revolt April 1-30 15 different zip lines, four tours 812-988-7750 www.explorebrowncounty.com

First Annual BroCoCon

March 29-31, Brown Co Inn The Toy Chest hosting first game convention. Family and adult-friendly.

March 23, Seasons Lodge, 5:00-9:00 Booths to learn games, special events, Add to your art collection with silent game instruction, a 21+ after party, and and live auction items. Sample wine, beer, lots of game play! and spirits from Chateau Thomas Winery, March 29-31 Scavenger Hunt Quaff On!, Hard Truth Distilling Co. Information distributed when you pick Hor d’oeuvres. Presented by Rotary Club up your conference badge. Each correct find gives you an entry in Sunday raffles.

Arts in the Parks March 29 Perpetual Commotions Painting Demonstrations Tournament 1:00-4:00 April 13, 14, 27, 28 Goldbrick Games sponsoring a 60 person Demos by Patricia Rhoden Bartels-all ages fast-paced card game.

Free for kids ages 5 to 16; open to the first March 30 Adult Game Night 7:00-11:00 15 kids. Reserve your spot 812-988-6525.

21+ game night with game speed-dating April 13 Brown Co State Park,1:00 and a cash bar. Cost is $10. Attendance at April 14 Brown Co State Park,1:00 conference not required.

April 27 TC Steele Historic Site 4:00 Toy Chest 812-988-2817 April 28 TC Steele Historic Site 1:00 toychesthilary@gmail.com 812-988-6525

A Taste of Art Wine Tasting & Art Auction

April 26-28 at multiple locations in Brown County including T.C. Steele State Historic Site, Hoosier National Forest, Lake Monroe. Features wildflower and bird walks, wetlands hikes, a boat trip on Lake Monroe, nature photography Contact Patrick Haulter 812-988-5240 phaulter@dnr.in.gov

Friends of the Library Annual Plant Sale Lower level of library April 26, 2:00-6:00; April 27, 9:00-2:00 Large selection of perennials, native plants, and surprises from Brown Co gardeners and area nurseries.

Village Art Walk April 26 4:00-7:00

Brown County Art Guild Features the Marie Goth Estate Collection and contemporary art by more than 40 award-winning member artists.

Workshops by member artists: March 15 & 16 Wayne Campbell Drawing Portraits with Live Models April 13 Rena Brouwer Figurative Forms and Shapes 48 S. Van Buren St. 812-988-6185 www.browncountyartguild.org

Brown County Art Gallery Features works by 60 contemporary artists and early Indiana masters March 10-31 Daguerre Club of IN Photography Art Exhibit & Workshops March 10 Images of Douglas, Hohenberger, Ping, and Whitaker April 20-May 5 Mabel B. Annis Student Art Competition Corner of Main St. & Artist Dr. 812-988-4609 www.browncountyartgallery.org

Brown Co History Center Open Tues., Wed., Fri., & Sat.11-4 Archives: Tues. and Fri. 1-4

March/April 2019 • Our Brown County 37

Field Guide to the Art of Looking

courtesy photo

~story by Bob Gustin

M

ichele Pollock’s new book of poems and photographs is an intimate celebration of Brown County’s beauty, often overlooked as we go about our daily lives.

Pollock has a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering, an MFA in Creative Writing, and is best known for her intricate stitched paper creations and hand-bound books. Somehow, she combines her scientific training, poetic expression, and artistic skills in “Field Guide to the Art of Looking: a year wandering the Brown County woods,” just published by her own Lost Lake Studio Press.

A fourth-grade teacher inspired her love of poetry, and she has been writing since. Defining poetry as “the best words in the best order,” Pollock writes in free verse, which usually does not rhyme, but strives for the essence of language. She loves the sound of the English language, the rhythm of the words.

38 Our Brown County • March/April 2019

Pollock and her husband, Dan, live on Lost Lake in northern Brown County, and Michele walked the woods for years without really noticing the beauty around her. And she took photos mainly to serve as patterns she would later turn into her stitched paper art. One day about two years ago, she noticed an odd seed pod on one of her walks, and struggled to find out what it was. That sparked an effort to learn more, and suddenly she was carrying a camera.

Her new daily practice combines walking with looking and picture-taking, which becomes meditative, she said, “healing, refreshing, calming.” It has been good for her mental and physical health.

“I visit the same spots day after day and know specific trees. I have favorite fallen logs.”

Or, as one of her poems puts it: “I am a new explorer of this old woods, A wide-eyed disciple of the wild…”

She joined Facebook groups on native plants and Indiana mushrooms and quickly found out that if she couldn’t identify them, someone else could.

Among other things, she learned Brown County plants had really cool common names. One of the poems in the book, in fact, is made up almost entirely of the names of mushrooms: “…pinwheels, parasols, fairy sparklers, fairy fingers, gem-studded puffball, artist’s conk…”

Since all the photos have the common names of plants and animals listed by page number at the back of the book, it serves as a kind of guide to species identification of Brown County life. The photos are lush with color and well-composed, taking advantage of natural light. Many are close-ups, showing details which would otherwise be lost.

The real beauty of the book, however, is in the poetry. Not a word is wasted, not a line is forced. Instead, the poems speak of one woman’s awe at discovering the beauty around her, and a universal sense of somehow belonging to that natural world.

Pollock has written poems for years, previously publishing two award-winning chapbooks of poetry. But her new book combines nature photography with the poems, organized by the four seasons, beginning with winter through the rich life of spring and summer, finishing with the slow change into autumn.

“There’s so much cool stuff out there I almost can’t stand it,” she said.

The idea of combining the poems and photos into a book was spurred by the reaction she got from friends who saw her photos on her Facebook page and urged her to put together a collection. She designed the book herself and after an initial order, the book will be printed on demand.

She will make a presentation from the book from 2 to 3:30 p.m. April 28 as part of Poetry Month at the Brown County Public Library, reading poems and projecting photos from the book.

Field Guide to the Art of Looking: a year wandering the Brown County woods is available from Lost Lake Studio, either through the studio’s Facebook page, or by emailing <michelepollock@gmail.com> or calling 812-988-0198. 

Again, spring! & Earth explodes with green along the leaf-strewn path beside the creek.

Constellations of star chickweed, trio of trillium, common blue & downy yellow violets, a million chartreuse leaves against the celestine sky.

Ancient peoples walking this land would have seen the same flowers as I: rue anemone, wild blue phlox, acres & acres of celandine poppy.

In that open space between forest & more forest, where the sun leaks in, a patch of mayapples opens its green umbrellas.

Petrichor, breathe, My feet on the path a quiet prayer to spring.

Harsh calls of blue jay snag the air.

Woodpeckers syncopate with crows & each other. A warbler sings & sings & I am too love-struck to disagree.

Turtles on their deliberate paths, snails & slugs living their lives by inches.

All this renewal with the new warm sun, all this living. like the heart, after a cold hard breaking, sprouting again with the possibility of new love.

—from Field Guide to the Art of Looking

March/April 2019 • Our Brown County 39

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40 Our Brown County • March/April 2019

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March/April 2019 • Our Brown County 41

Spring in Brown County

~by Mark Blackwell

A

h, spring. Spring is a reason for the oppressive baggage of winter to be lifted, and along with it, our spirits. Spring inspires hope—hope that there will be more days above freezing, hope that the snows will start to abate, hope that the floods won’t be too bad this year.

Spring also inspires optimism.

More than a few Brown Countians maintain their own weather stations. They pore over the Old Farmer Almanac checking and double checking the planting tables—all of that effort just so they won’t be a day late getting their gardens out. There is that tradition of getting a groundhog to predict the onset of spring but I don’t really count on spring until I see the first garden get planted.

Another surefire way to tell that spring has hit the county is daffodils. Daffodils are prolific and brave. They will shove aside inches of old snow in order to get their share of sunshine.

I have found that there are two kinds of daffodils. There are domesticated daffodils in just about everybody’s flower beds and there are also the wild ones, the ones who had no

choice but to take care of themselves. You find the wild ones out in the woods.

Hiking the unofficial trails in Yellowwood State Forest you often come around a bend and—there they are.

Sometimes they seem to be comfortably acclimated to an old, forgotten flower bed. In other spots they spread out in amazing profusion. These are the remnants of early family homesteads.

They are a floral evidence of folks, long-gone, who tried to make a life in some pretty unforgiving soil and terrain.

These spots are like pioneer shrines. I always feel obligated to find the corner stones of the cabin and try to imagine what the place must have looked like a hundred years ago.

I like to visit an old cemetery, back in the woods, where a Civil War veteran is buried. In the spring his grave is covered with a blanket of gold. It causes me to wonder who planted the Daffodils and how long ago. And when was the last time a family member visited. That’s one of the special things about Brown County—we haven’t let the past get to far away from us.

Back to spring. Spring, here in the county can be pretty two-faced. With the warmer days the snow melts but then all of the detritus that you didn’t get around to picking up last fall now lies exposed. With the warmer days come the April showers, and whether or not they bring the flowers that bloom in May, they bring the blooming mud in the here and now. I am always amazed that a place with as thin a top soil as we have can also have mud as deep as we do.

When I was a kid, I was very impressed with Tarzan movies. One of the things that impressed me the most was quicksand. In every movie it seemed like somebody fell in the quicksand and got sucked under, to a gruesome death.

I paid attention and I gave quicksand the respect I thought it deserved. However, quicksand don’t hold a candle to the right patch of Brown County mud.

Mud season (which is a sub-season of spring) is truly something to behold. Brown County mud is something original. It is slick and sticky and may even have electro-static properties. I have to wear suspenders on my muck boots just so the mud doesn’t suck them right off my feet.

Depending on where Easter and the last snow coincide on the calendar, instead of hiding eggs, some families just send the kids out to find the hand tools and such that got left out before winter and the parents pay the kids a quarter

Continued on 46

42 Our Brown County • March/April 2019

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Chuck Wills, Pam Raider, Vera Grubbs, Jim Eagleman, Dave Seastrom, Rick Fettig.

The Voice of Brown County I

~story and photos by Jeff Tryon

t is a quiet Tuesday evening in Nashville, but inside a little room up at the History Center, a devoted group of citizen journalists has gathered to produce “The Brown County Radio Hour,” the only broadcast devoted entirely to the comings and goings-on in the area.

Heard on the first Sunday morning and Wednesday evening of each month on Bloomington’s volunteerpowered radio station WFHB, the show is a blend of interviews, music, and monologues with one thing in common—they are about Brown County.

“I’ll try to ask intelligent questions,” jokes on-air host and interviewer Dave Seastrom as he settles in behind the microphone to interview a group from the Brown County Opioid Crisis Alliance.

44 Our Brown County • March/April 2019

Nothing is scripted or even sketched out in advance, just the gentle questioning of the soft-spoken Seastrom, which tends to put people at ease. Behind a glass window, Engineer Chuck Wills is making sure everything is clearly heard and digitally recorded.

Later, individual pieces are edited, and introductions and other announcements are recorded for what will become the 84th Brown County Radio Hour show.

Guests or story ideas are generated by the core group of about a half dozen people who oversee the creation and production of the show, most of whom have been a part of the Brown County Hour for most of the eight years it has been in production.

Seastrom said it used to take the group two months, meeting every Tuesday night, to produce one hour of radio.

Over time, they slowly developed a formula that now makes it quicker and easier.

“It’s been an evolution,” Seastrom said. “At some point in that evolution, it became clear that what we were really trying to do was to be the ‘Voice of Brown County.’ And what that means is—exactly what happened here tonight. We had the superintendent of schools in here tonight, the president of the League of Women Voters, the Foundation people, and so forth. We have interviewed just about every mover and shaker that we can think of, and we also often have local musicians come in to be interviewed and to perform live original music in the studio.”

Vera Grubbs goes out into the community and interviews artists in their studios. Regular commentators like nature expert Jim Eagleman contribute pieces on different topics.

The show makes note when well-known local people pass away.

“That’s part of the story,” Seastrom said. “We’re trying really hard to represent the totality of the county. It’s also worth mentioning that we consider ourselves forest advocates. We feel like that is very much central to what is Brown County and how that shapes the people who live here.”

There are topics which are taboo on the Brown County Hour. They stay away from religion and just generally avoid proselytizing.

“There are a lot of views that we’d rather not give voice to,” Seastrom said. “We’re not into politics, we’re trying to represent everybody. The thing about us, I believe, is we are inclusive. If you have a story to tell, if you are a member of this community, then that’s fair game.”

The group is very pleased with their latest addition, sound engineer Chuck Wills, who fell in with the Brown County Hour through their previous sound technician Jeff Foster.

“Chuck is bringing us into the 21st century,” said Rick Fettig. “His leadership has really changed everything.”

The engineer is also an IT guy, so he has improved the website and established a podcast on I-tunes, making the show viable in the present-day market.

“Radio is a dead medium,” Seastrom said. “Everything is moving in the podcast direction, that’s the future.”

Continued on 46 Jim Eagleman recording his piece for the next show.

Dave Seastrom interviewing members of the Brown County Opioid Crisis Alliance.

March/April 2019 • Our Brown County 45

SPRING continued from 42 or fifty cents for each screwdriver, hammer, hatchet, and socket wrench and so on that the kids come up with.

It’s a win-win-win situation—the kids get some loot, the adults get back some tools, and there aren’t any unfound hard boiled eggs lying around to attract raccoons.

I digress here to say something about “spring fever.”

First off, spring fever isn’t just confined to spring. You can contract it about anytime of the year, but it does seem more prevalent in the spring. It is a condition that saps your will to obey. It weakens your immunity against silliness. And it makes you want to spend time unprofitably. Here is where I should throw out a quote from a venerable Brown Countian, Bill Mills who said, “A day without work is a day of pure profit.”

I believe he came up with that aphorism in the spring.

I personally have found it to be pretty true. Luckily, for those who live here or have the good sense to visit Brown County, there’s a whole lot of ways to spend time un-profitably. I like drifting in a canoe amongst to lily pads on Yellowwood Lake. A hike in the woods or a visit to Brown County State Park is good. It’s also fun to perambulate the village of Nashville just to check out the shops and the galleries. How ever you do it, wasting time on a warm spring day in Brown County isn’t wasted time. 

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BROWN COUNTY RADIO HOUR continued from 45 Wills said the project has reignited his enjoyment of audio production.

“I love putting the show together,” he said. “Coming into this, it all seems very collaborative. We just need to keep doing what we’re doing and always try to do it better,” Wills said. “Because we’ve got a great show.”

Wills said the group has had great success recording live music in the studio, which has led to a new sister podcast, called “Woodshed Sessions,” three song minisessions featuring local musicians.

A collaboration is in the works with the Nashville Arts and Entertainment Commission to stage story slams once a month and generate a sister podcast.

“I sincerely hope that the show keeps going on,” said Seastrom. “Brown County will always have the stories.”

You can hear every previous episode of The Brown County Hour at their website, at <browncountyhour.com> or listen on WFHB radio at 100.7, 106.3 or 91.3 FM on your radio dial. 

46 Our Brown County • March/April 2019

Your Headquarters for the Great Outdoors • Camping Supplies: • Fishing Tackle Tents, Camping Lights, • Horse Tack Sleeping Bags, Grills, • RV Replacement Parts Fire Starters, Coleman Heaters and Lanterns, • Bulk Mulch Cooking Utensils and Top Soil We Fill Propane Tanks

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Mon.–Sat. 7:30am–7:00pm Sun 10:00am–4:00pm

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The Iris Garden rests comfortably in the heart of the village of Nashville.

Simply walk out of your door to explore the wonderful shops, restaurants, wineries, and breweries without having to drive anywhere.

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COPPERHEAD CREEK

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March/April 2019 • Our Brown County 47

! e c la P y p p a H a o t e m Welco Old and Young Love this Shop!

Featuring shot glasses and Brown County souvenirs, tin signs, a wonderful selection of wind chimes including Corinthian Bells, Jackson Creek Village Naked Bee lotions, bag your own stones, across from Casa Del Sol Ty, Melissa and Doug, on Washington in Nashville yard sculptures, concrete statuary, (812) 988-2725 and a great selection of gifts.

Not pretentious. Not fancy.

JUST REAL GOOD FOOD. GATESVILLE COUNTRY STORE. It’s one of those places that you are excited to tell your friends about—a best-kept secret that’s too good to keep.

A place where the people are real and friendly, and they’re likely to know your name before long. The food is good, honest food that’s tasty and genuine. Made with heart and soul. We’re located off the beaten path, and maybe a bit hard to find—but worth the effort. It’s where the local folks go.

Locally built instruments and affordable student models meticulously displayed, making this little music store a destination point in Brown County Lovingly owned and operated by

Kara Barnard and Kristin Thompson

So, if you’re interested in finding a place that’s a little old-school and truly authentic Americana, come see us at Gatesville Country Store. Enjoy browsing the antiques, panning for gold in Salt Creek (behind the store), or just relaxing with a good meal or a piece of pie and some conversation.

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48 Our Brown County • March/April 2019

New, Spacious Look Inside. New Owners: Sharon & Leonard Richey Pizza & Wings, Groceries, Ice Large Selection Domestic/Craft Beer & Wine LOTTERY, Tobacco Products Camping Supplies, Live Bait & Tackle Hunting & Fishing Licenses Check Station, Firewood State Road 45 and Helmsburg Road Intersection • (812) 929-7797

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March/April 2019 • Our Brown County 49

Visit

Morgantown 10 miles north of Nashville on scenic State Road 135 Sales . Repair . Watch Batteries

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ART Beyond Crayons Creativity beyond the classroom Pick your • Art Lessons for All Ages Palette: • Group Painting Parties

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50 Our Brown County • March/April 2019

Colonel Vawter Day every September

All New Guest Rooms and Suites with Kitchenettes Wine Bar and Gift Shoppe Open Daily

Wine Tastings

• Cheeses and Gourmet Foods • Unique Wine Gifts • Comfortable Seating Live Music Fri. and Sat. 7-10 pm Coachlight Square • S. Van Buren and Washington, Nashville, IN

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Book Your Meeting, Banquet, or Reception at our Conference Center

Our own Tzatziki sauce recipe, made from scratch

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S. Van Buren & Old School Way • Possum Trot Sq. Look for the sidewalk signs • (812) 318-0840

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Trail Rides, Pony Rides, Hay Rides Cattle Drives, and Custom Excursions

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NEW LOCATION in Nashville Blue building in Antique Alley • S. Jefferson St. March/April 2019 • Our Brown County 51

Lookout for Pigs!

photo courtesy of Indiana DNR

Field Notes: ~by Jim Eagleman

M

y friend Steve Backs and I started with the Indiana DNR the same year, 1975. Both newly out of college, we were excited to begin our careers doing something we both felt passionate about: working with natural resources. When I began my time at Brown County State Park as a seasonal employee, Steve was hired as a biology aide working with Indiana’s deer biologist. Both were summer jobs, we worked at the same property and by the end of summer, we hoped for something permanent.

By late fall, we were both hired and felt fortunate to be employed in our chosen fields. We kept in touch as our jobs changed, visited back and forth as families got larger and saw each other at conferences.

His first job was to document Indiana’s game bird status, including the management of wild turkey, ruffed grouse, and bobwhite quail. Within 20 years of his work, he saw the demise of quail, primarily a farm-related species, and grouse, a bird that used

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52 Our Brown County • March/April 2019

cut-over timberland in the young sprout stage as its habitat. Both did not respond well to management objectives, despite hunting pressure being blamed.

By the mid-90s it was clear that low numbers of both would challenge Steve. Searching for answers, he communicated with other state biologists, referred to his own research in likely habitats, and saw a steady and gradual statewide decline. It suggested habitat change, possibly genetics and climate, were to blame, and some other factors less clear.

His most recent job assignment is to monitor Indiana’s wild pig arrival. To date and soon to retire, Steve is still employed with the DNR and works with several USDA biologists on the Indiana pig “invasion.”

Not a matter of ‘if” but “when” they invade our state used to be a warning he’d claim to the public. Now with pigs in our county, and found elsewhere in pockets of southern Indiana, the control and eventual eradication of these exotic pigs over the past few years is “promising,” he says. “They are now of pest status,” he said.

Most of their initial presence and introduction was due to not so much to natural extension of a pig’s range, but with human help. Hunters wanting more opportunities are known to release pigs from southern states. Illegally released, and with light hunting pressure at first, pigs were able to persist, withstand harsh winter weather, live in marginal habitats and in scattered woodlots on Indiana farmland. “They can destroy nearby woodlands by tearing up ground vegetation by rooting for nuts and roots, and destroy nests of young ground birds, young reptiles, amphibians, etc.,” he said. They can also destroy waterways by muddying up streams and rivers. Pot-belly pigs, a smaller pig bought as pets then abandoned, are able to hybridize with wild Eurasian

pigs, adding to the problem. Some pigs can grow to large size, he said.

Contributing and sharing information with the US Dept. of Agriculture pig specialists, Steve has found wild pigs are known to carry more than 30 pathogens and parasites that can be transmitted to livestock, people, pets, and wildlife. But he says the more he knows, the more there is to know. In the aspect of control, he says, “Recreational sport hunting of pigs has not been successful in reducing wild pig populations. Population control is possible through a combination of trapping whole social groups, selective shooting of trap-shy pigs, and in some cases when sufficient snow cover is present, aerial shooting”.

Much of his time these days is taken up with specialists and following up with landowner reports. We both agreed that natural resources work deals a lot more with public relations than either of us had ever thought. “I suspect students today are exposed more to how living with nature, and people, is important. What a biologist does may not be popular or politically correct, but is best for the resource,” he said.

Steve asked me to include the following for any Brown County land owner who may have observed pigs: The US

Dept. of Agriculture-Wildlife Services (USDA-WS), the Indiana Board of Animal Health (BOAH), and the IN DNR ask hunters, and anyone, who observes or takes a wild pig to report the animal(s) to the USDA-WS at 855-386-0370. Reports help cooperating agencies determine necessary control and disease-monitoring steps. Reporting should include the date, best possible location information (i.e., distance and direction to closest town, county, or township, landowner’s name, etc.), approximate number and relative size of animals, and the observer’s name and contact information. Digital pictures of the pigs are helpful.

Alien species are very much on the radar screen of conservationists, land protection groups, and individuals these days. They pose a threat to natural systems, creating the spread of plants and animals not found here. When introduced, they can compete and remove native species, change landscapes, forest communities, even soils. They disrupt food chains and predator-prey relationships found in aquatic and terrestrial habitats. Some academics claim without control at all levels, nature as we know it, will change abruptly, even in our lifetime.

How we act, what we consider important, and how much effort we apply will determine the health of our environment. 

March 8

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Movie Events and the latest releases

Showtimes, tickets & schedule online

812.988.6555 · BrownCountyPlayhouse.org Box Office: Thursday–Sunday | 70 S. Van Buren · Nashville, IN

March/April 2019 • Our Brown County 53

Cornerstone Inn’s Emma’s Loaves & Dishes The Sampler

T

he Cornerstone Inn recently opened their sumptuous breakfast bar to the public and have now branched out into weekend lunch with “Emma’s Loaves & Dishes,” located in the basement of the charming little boutique hotel at the northeast corner of the intersection of Franklin Street and Old School Way in Nashville.

If you’ve never stayed at the Cornerstone, you have missed a luxurious treat. Everything there is wellappointed and presented with thoughtful care—from the antiques to the art and the incidental furnishings.

The whole place looks like it was conjured straight out of a Thomas Kincade painting. Everyone seems very friendly and eager to please.

And, there is an elevator.

It started with providing a high-end continental breakfast for overnight guests at the hotel with tasty baked goodies: sweet rolls, pastries, muffins, coffee cake, breads, bagels, as well as fresh fruit, breakfast cereals, yogurt, hot beverages, and orange juice.

54 Our Brown County • March/April 2019

Now, “Breakfast at Emma’s” is open to the public 7:30 to 10:00 a.m. daily. A team of chefs prepares three or four specialty hot breakfast entrees, which are different each day.

All of the aforementioned baked goodies, like Emma’s signature granola, are made in-house. Also, a fine selection of seasonal fresh fruit is served.

Emma’s promise is, “You won’t find breakfast like this anywhere else.”

Now Emma has decided to branch off into lunch with Emma’s Loaves & Dishes, open to the public Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays from 11:30 a.m. until 3:00 p.m.

It is that time of year when Mrs. Sampler engages in a strenuous campaign of self-improvement, which is difficult for her since, like Mary Poppins, she is already practically perfect in every way.

Accordingly, she ordered a beautiful Caesar salad; fresh lettuces tossed with house dressing and croutons, topped with sautéed peppers, onions, and shaved Parmesan cheese. You can also add chicken, shrimp, or salmon.

I must confess, I was enticed by something called a chickanaberry salad: mixed greens topped with chicken, blueberries, tomato wedges, cucumber slices, red onion rings, spiced pecans, bleu cheese crumbles, and topped with a Balsamic honey vinaigrette dressing.

Sandwiches on offer include a Cornerstone Inn bacon and egg cheeseburger: an eight-ounce burger topped with thick cut applewood smoked bacon, cheddar cheese and, a large over-medium egg.

There’s also a Santa Fe grilled chicken sandwich with sautéed peppers and onions, and a vegetable grilled cheese with seasoned cream cheese, Portobello mushrooms, spinach, zucchini, onion, tomato, and sprouts.

Of course, I came for the entrées. The offerings were tempting, including a grilled vegetable flatbread pizza, and a nice-looking pan-seared salmon with dill cream sauce.

In the end, I opted for the Cornerstone Inn lasagna, a hefty, five-layer lasagna filled with Italian sausage, peppers, onions, mushrooms, Mozzarella, ricotta and Parmesan cheeses, and marinara and Alfredo sauces.

The lasagna was melt-in-your-mouth perfect, served with little grilled garlic flat-breads. And the salad was pretty tasty, too (I had to crib a little bite from the wife).

I was prepared to barge full steam into dessert— possibly the triple chocolate layer cake, or the coconut cream cake—but somehow, during the course of our repast, the conversation turned in the direction of happiness and well-being, the role of health in happiness, and the part of healthy eating and weight maintenance in overall good health.

And, it was a pretty big slab of lasagna.

With resolution, but not a little pain and longing, I took the difficult decision to forego dessert, to exchange that moment on the lips for a little less around the hips, if possible.

Well, Uncle Earl always said that “It’s a lot easier to get your pants off than it is to get them back on,” and this rule of thumb definitely comes into play when going down below the main floor for a big, delicious meal. It isn’t getting down the stairs that presents the difficulty, it is getting back up them.

And although arthritis and being overweight have taken their toll on the old Sampler, I’ll have you know that I am still perfectly capable of getting back up those stairs.

Still, the elevator is a nice touch, a luxury.

Riding smoothly up in a car named Otis, I feel lifted to a better place than the one from which I had descended. There is something about a good meal which elevates us, raises our moods and our general prospects.

It must be the feeling of being profoundly satisfied. 

March/April 2019 • Our Brown County 55

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March/April 2019 • Our Brown County 57

Tanneries of Brown County James Parmelee. photo courtesy of Brown County History Center

~by Julia Pearson

T

he first record of leather tanning in the United States was in 1791 from the Secretary of the Treasury.

In his report on manufacturers he says: “Tanneries are not only carried on as a regular business in numerous parts of the country, but they constitute, in some places, a valuable item of incidental family manufacture.”

He further stated that the government encouraged it by prohibiting both the import of leather and the export of the bark. The alleged price of bark was from $3 to $4.50 per cord.

Tanneries in the United States used the skin and hides of animals slaughtered in the whole country, plus imported half a million more from Central and South America, and the British East Indies. Hides processed in the tanneries came from animals slaughtered for meat. Tanneries were started near locations where bark was accessible for the manufacturing processes of leather.

The skins or hides would undergo several stages in the traditional tanning process. The skins were first preserved using salt. They were then dehaired, degreased, desalted and soaked in water over a period of six hours to two days. Historically this process was considered a noxious or “odoriferous trade” and was relegated to the

outskirts of town. Tanning used tannin, an acidic chemical compound from which the tanning process draws its name. The final step was drying.

The finished leather was made into many household and farm goods including shoes, boots, belts, jackets, bags and cases, trunks, book bindings, as well as harnesses, saddles, and upholstery.

Ad from an old newspaper. courtesy of Brown County History Center

Leftover leather scraps would historically be turned into glue. Tanners would place them in a vat of water and let them deteriorate over a period of months.

The resulting mixture would then be placed over a fire to boil off the water to produce glue.

Brown County had its own profitable tanneries in the mid-1800s. The US Census for 1840 reports that both sole and upper leather were produced here. The businesses were the result of possibly $6,000 in investment and employed six men. An 1849 edition of the Indiana Gazetteer reported that eight different tanneries had collective annual revenues of $50,000 and provided gainful employment for twenty-five men.

58 Our Brown County • March/April 2019

Southeast of Nashville, a tannery opened by Benjamin Huntington remained in operation till the Civil War. In 1851 Timothy D. Calvin started a tanning enterprise, which was later purchased by Shotwell & Larkin, followed by Dow Head.

In 1857, Daniel Marsh operated an establishment known as the “Harness and Leather Store” and advertised his constant inventory of harness and leather for cheap sale. They paid in cash the highest market value for tan bark and hides from local sources at their Tan-Yard in Nashville.

Probably the most well-known and largest tannery in the county was the Parmerlee Tannery, located near the Goshen Church in Hamblen Township. With no accurate dates, various accounts from Parmerlee family and former employees say the business spanned from 1825 or 26 until 1935. It was started by Jim Parmerlee, who arrived from Connecticut, where he operated a tannery. He first started business near Nineveh, Indiana and later moved to Brown County to be near a source of the tan bark. Upon Jim’s death, his son William, and his stepson James took over the business until its closing.

An interesting side story involves Parmerlee and Jacob Nealy, who had a tannery on Bean Blossom Creek near Georgetown and further up the creek from the Parmerlee tannery. Nealy went to Nashville to prosecute Parmerlee for building on the same creek, but he never arrived.

He was killed by lightning on this ill-fated legal errand.

Parmerlee later married Nealy’s widow, adding some imagined intrigue to the human narrative of the county’s tanning industry.

The Parmerlee Tannery purchased some hides locally, but most were shipped from Sydelia, Missouri, where

Parmerlee owned and operated a leather store. This was also a point where he bought and sold hides. From the Missouri location, a supply of hides would arrive in the nearest railroad station, which was then Morgantown, and were then hauled by wagon to the tannery. The superior quality of the leather turned out by the Parmerlee tannery is touted in The Illustrated Historical Atlas of Indiana 1876. It states that the leather won state, national, and international prizes. The annual income was reported as $100,000. William Parmerlee went to Sydelia to run the store there when the Brown County business closed.

The Historical Atlas estimates that the tannery used 5,000 cords of tan bark or oak bark per year. A large contingent of seasonal workers would camp in the forest for several weeks in the spring time to peal the bark. Mark Parmerlee, William’s son, gave special recognition to workers from Brown County families: Goodin, who was the teamster hauling the hides; Oliver Neff, who worked as the finisher; and a worker from the Schrougham family.

In closing, this article is dedicated to my grandson who is named Tanner Pearson—“Tanner” being an honorable craftsman in earlier times. 

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March/April 2019 • Our Brown County 61

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Tall Tail Tale Many legends come and go as in Brown County we all know that many years and many trails led to dark and secret tales of different things that we all did that in Brown County we keep hid but sometimes you can find some clues from our street signs to our news that give you just a tiny hint of how our legends came and went and if you search you can surmise that even we could be surprised by what our friends and neighbors do that’s tame to us and terrify you!?

So our Brown County really scored when artists and the tourist board got together to arrange a meeting that was rather strange of forest creatures, human folk to keep us all from going broke and so they came up with a plan to swindle tourists across our land!

For decades now when it gets dark we’ve trained our raccoons in the park to raid your campsite, steal your food and if they find they’re in the mood they’ll stage a protest, take a stand and trash your tent and garbage can and so to help them with their task Brown County’s artists paint their mask hoping in your quick retreat you come to town and stay to eat!

And on our trails late at night there’s not a skunk or snake in sight but everywhere along the edge in the forest trees and hedge watching every move you make the piercing eyes of skunk and snake waiting from the bush and branch for a single flashing chance to cross your path in dead of night and give you such an awful fright you’ll fold your tent and turn around and spend your days and nights in town!

And usually in the park from deer there’s nothing you should dread or fear and usually I don’t like to brag but I’m the one who trained the stag who late at night when you retire with his antler stabs your tire so while in town while it’s repaired we have your bed and meal prepared!

And any swim you wanna take our snapping turtle in our lake are trained in submarine pursuit of any type of bathing suit. so come here on a weekend trip you best prepare to skinny dip since they’re prepared to take a bite from any bathing suit in sight! …of course ‘round here it’s understood them turtles they can’t see that good…

This may be legend, might be true but they’re done scared enough of you that up and down our town and street you tourists linger, stay, and eat and leave Brown County feeling good that our tall tails stay in the wood!

—Gunther Flumm

62 Our Brown County • March/April 2019

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