812
The Magazine of Southern Indiana S U M M E R / FA L L 2 0 1 2
An insider’s guide to the
HOOSIER NATIONAL
FOREST
+
Trails you’ll love Tips you’ll use Tracks you’ll see
Lost in the Woods: A Survivor’s Tale
Grill It! A crash course in
5 + 3
cooking outdoors
Great BBQ Joints Homes inspired 1 812 by Indiana SUMMER/
ON THE BUS WITH JOHN COUGAR MELLENCAMP
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2011
Group Seating & Big Screen TV ’s We have the Sunday NFL package !
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Miller Lt $3 34 oz Bud Lt &. & Sun. Lewbrewski’s Thu Best mozz stick Legendary hand s in the world. -rolled Btown o riginal.
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elivery) p.m. (dining) 11 p.m. (d 10 m. a. 11 : ed W n Mo very) . (dining) Midnight (deli Thu - Sat: 11 a.m. - 11 p.m ry) (dining) 11 p.m. (delive . p.m 10 m. a. 0 :3 11 Sun:
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n Menus. Expanded delivery hours. Look for us on Btow
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2011 Walnut St. • 812-333-7287 • opietaylors.com • btownmenus.com 110
TA B L E O F CO N T E N TS COVER STORY
22
Hiking the Hoosier put description of the story here Story by Jessica Contrera
FEATURES
13
Grill your heart out
put description of the story here put description of the story here put descrip Story by Emily Kaplan and Erin Walgamuth
10 On the Road
33 Hoosier
put description of the story here put description of the story here put descrip Story by Cindy Uecker
put description of the story here put description of the story here put Story by Lindsey Medlen
20 Southern
38 Eugene Debs:
put description of the story here put description of the story here put descrip Photos and story by Missy Wilson
put description of the story here put description of the story here put des Story by Dan Carson
with Johnny Cougar Homestyle
Indiana’s Skyline
DEPARTMENTS
7 8 9 42
TASTE OF SOUTHERN INDIANA
Fried Brain Sandwich
WHAT I’VE LEARNED
What Basketball Taught Larry Bird
GET OUT OF TOWN
ZippingAcross Indiana
THE 812 LIST
A Field Guide to Hoosiers
3
Convict #9653
Cover: Breanne Ehrman and Joe Holahan hike the Hoosier National Forest./ Photo by Zach Hetrick
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EXCLUSIVE ONLINE CONTENT You’ll find these stories and more on our website at 812magazine.com.
Masterpieces of Madison A century and a half ago, three visionary men built homes and fortunes on the banks of the river that divided North and South. Story by Dana Andreoli
The Ship that Helped Win the War
...and tore down cultural walls in the city of Evansville Story by Josh Payton
Road Trips Art from three centuries. Food worth the drive. Fat bass lurking in the shallows. Gas up the car and find all three on these Southern Indiana Story by Ally Mahoney and Melinda Elston
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Sleeping with the Fishes
A retired plumber turned his home into an aquarium and became one of the nation’s best-known breeders of tropical discus. Story by Chloe Kent
A Greener Thumb
A fresh approach to farming puts down new roots in the hills and valleys of Southern Indiana. Story by Joshua Fleck
Wing Watchers 812 tells you how, when and where to discover an astonishing array of birds. Story by Alexis Hobbs and Lyndsey Wall
I
Note from the editor t would be nice to think all people had the summer off. To relax, to spend quality time with families, to catch up on all those spring projects that were left unfinished. But those summer days spent sitting around are a thing of the past, a thing for those people who call themselves “students.” This summer we are presenting you with a challenge: take the summer – well, a day or two – off from your normal routine, and enjoy everything Southern Indiana has to offer. Yes, that’s a lot to ask: enjoy everything. That’s why we’re here to guide you. Southern Indiana is filled with adventure – in fact, we have a story called “Hiking the Hoosier National Forest” in our features department covering everything you need to know to appreciate it. We’ve scoured the HNF for the best trails; un-
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The Magazine of Southern Indiana Summer/Fall 2012 Volume 2, Number 2
earthed the secrets to survival from edible plants to hiking essentials; and captured the story of one man’s close encounter with death. Whether you’re a long-time resident, a new neighbor or are just passing through, we’re confident that you’ll have a new admiration of Southern Indiana after reading our summer/fall issue, and we’ll keep combing untouched corners to bring you little-known treasures of the region.
812 was conceived, reported, written, photographed, edited and designed by students in 360 Creating an Indiana Magazine at the Indiana University School of Journalism. Contents may not be reproduced without the written consent of the School. You can also find exclusive online stories at our website 812magazine.com. If you’re interested in advertising in 812, or if you’d like copies to distribute at your place of business, please contact ads@ idsnews.com
ART-FELT THANKS! Thank you to the students, community members, and artists who contributed to Arts Week Everywhere 2012. Check out photos and videos from events and performances online.
Coordinated by students in the Master of Arts Administration program. Sponsored by the Office of the Provost.
ARTSWEEK.INDIANA.EDU
@iuartsweek
facebook.com/ArtsWeek
artsweek.tumblr.com
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8 1 2 M AG A Z I N E STA F F
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Although she had been fishing before, Ally Mahoney got an inside look at what the sport is really about when visiting different lakes around Southern Indiana.
Co-Art Director Chloe Kent had never been to Indiana before attending school in Bloomington. She has enjoyed meeting the region’s interesting people and getting a better feel for its culture.
Cindy Uecker is a junior from East Lansing, Michigan. She can’t stop listening to her American Fool CD after learning more about John Mellencamp’s 1982 tour.
Dana Andreoli visited the river city of Madison to explore Francis Costigan’s historic homes where she learned about and photographed the Greek Revival style.
812 magazine co-managing editor Emily Kaplan traveled across the state to bring you the best barbecue joints in Southern Indiana, and got to pig out while doing it!
Researching everything from the best local barbecue hot spots to unlikely things to cook on the grill has made editor Erin Walgamuth a self-proclaimed grilling expert.
Managing editor Lindsey Medlen discovered Southern Indiana’s interior designs and met the homeowners behind them.
Lyndsey Wall is a junior at Indiana University working on a double major in Journalism and Political Science. She enjoyed wandering around outside and learning about different types of
Melinda Elston is co-web editor for 812 Magazine. She enjoyed talking to the fun women at the Indiana Foodways Alliance about Southern Indiana restaurants for her road trip story.
By uncovering the lost town of Elkinsville, senior Mackenze Webber discovered the importance of history and the community it creates. Once a Hoosier, always a Hoosier.
Sophomore and Co-Art Director Missy Wilson traveled Southern Indiana, drawing inspiration from the spires that pierce Indiana’s sky.
Joshua Fleck has always been passionate about and capable of grasping new ideas, but permaculture may just be one thing he’ll never fully understand.
Alexis Hobbs is from Terre Haute, Larry Bird’s place of residence during his years playing for ISU. She can now say he embodies the definition of Hoosier.
This media junkie scoured Evansville and found the essence of change and innovation lingering from this wartime hub.
Dan Carson is a senior studying journalism and political science at Indiana University. When he’s not writing his butt off, Dan enjoys cycling, listening to Hall & Oates and enjoying a fine cigar.
Jessica Contrera is still getting over the fact that she ate a pork brain sandwich (and almost liked it).
Instructor Nancy Comiskey continues to be impressed by the stories her talented students find in Southern Indiana.
A TA ST E O F S O U T H E R N I N D I A N A
Food for Thought Evansville’s Hilltop Inn serves fried brain sandwiches as its claim to fame. / Photo by Jessica Contrera
The fried-brain sandwich By Jessica Contrera
Don Snyder believes we could all use a little more brains. Pork brains, that is. Snyder is the owner of Evansville’s Hilltop Inn, where fried brain sandwiches are the claim to fame. Supposedly dating back to “waste not” German settlers, eating brain is a longstanding tradition in Ohio River Valley towns like Evansville. Usually topped with mustard, pickle and onion, this delicacy tastes a little like overcooked scrambled eggs with a thick fried coating. “When I was young, you could find a brain sandwich at almost any mom and pop restaurant,” Snyder said. The sandwich was composed of beef brain until the 2004 outbreak of Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (you know it as “Mad Cow Disease”) resulted in a Food and Drug Administration ban on the sale of cow brains all together.
At first, this was a major blow to Hilltop Inn’s brain business – Snyder and his wife had to find a way to switch the sandwich to pig brains, which are smaller and more rigid, without losing the famous taste. “We spent days trying to get the recipe just right,” Snyder said. “And thank God, we did it.” Once the brain sandwich was back on the menu, it seemed like the whole world wanted a bite. The Food Network, the Associated Press and even a television station based in Tokyo visited the Hilltop to try what was quickly becoming a culinary anomaly. But to the locals, the brain sandwich is an every day classic. Snyder says the restaurant sells up to 7,000 brain sandwiches each year, which adds up to more than 5,000 lbs. of brain. “I eat one of these every time I come back home to Evansville,” said Arbin Clayton, who has been a brain lover for more than 40 years. “If you didn’t eat brain at the Hilltop, you didn’t eat brain.”
LOOKING FOR THE RECIPE? Snyder says, he’ll never tell. But here’s what we do know: The brains are shipped in from the Hilltop’s meat supplier A prep team carefully peels off the membrane and picks out bits of skull Gallons of brain are mixed with flour, egg, salt, pepper and other unnamed seasoning. The mixture is ladled into a cast iron pan to fry for about 20 minutes until they puff up like a pancake. The brains are best when served on a large bun and topped with mustard, onions and pickle, says Lanette Snyder, co-owner of the Hilltop. Or for a little spice, try the brains with pepper jack cheese.
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W H AT I ’ V E L E A R N E D
Larry Bird What basketball taught the celebrated “hick from French Lick”
By Alex Hobbs Whether you grew up in Indiana or not, chances are you know basketball superstar Larry Bird. The French Lick native took Indiana State University to the NCAA championship game in 1979 and led the Celtics to three NBA championships. Today, he’s president of basketball operations for the Indiana Pacers. Larry grew up in Orange County playing basketball with his older brothers.
INDIANA SHAPED MY GAME.
We had a lot of freedom back then. My parents used to work all the time, so we had a free rein and used this to our advantage to get better at sports. I was fortunate because Jim Jones, my high school basketball coach, spent a lot of time with the kids from fourth grade until we graduated. He taught us the fundamentals of the game. He was always there for us. Indiana is known for its basketball, so a lot of people from small towns went to every game. My junior and senior year, all the games were sold out. It was a pride thing. Those people were around you all the time and pushed you to get better.
BASKETBALL IS FUN, BUT WINNING IS MORE FUN
I played in thousands of games, but I think I had more fun when we succeeded in championships. My ultimate achievement was being able to play on teams that had success, especially in the professional ranks.
BASKETBALL OPENS DOORS
Basketball has been my whole life. I started in high school and was fortunate to get a free ride in college because of it. Our family didn’t have a means to pay for it. I had an opportunity, and lots of doors were opened for me. After working for the Celtics, coaching for the Pacers and then taking some time off, I’m now trying to put the Pacers back together.
YOU HAVE TO WORK HARD TO GET WHAT YOU WANT.
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My parents were hard workers. My mom was a cook, and my dad worked at a factory. When I saw them go to work every day, I realized that if you wanted anything in life you couldn’t depend on your parents all the time. Photo courtesy of Mike Fender, The Indianapolis Star
GET OUT OF TOWN
Zipped Zip Up Soar over the hills and valleys of Brown County
A zip liner looks down from wires above. \Courtesy of Explore Brown County
By Emily Kaplan Ever since the Super Bowl, it seems that everyone in Indiana has an interest in zip lining. Two of our favorite spots are located in Brown County, which has seen a surge in zip-lining interest. Whether you’re looking for a family-fun activity, an adventure or simply a chance to explore Southern Indiana’s beautiful scenery, zip lining is an exhilarating experience on a sun-drenched, blue-sky day. Enjoy Brown County’s scenic vistas as you soar over hills, ravines and even a lake.
HOLLER HOPPIN’ ZIP LINES (AT RAWHIDE RANCH)
Located just three miles southeast of Nashville, Rawhide Ranch offers customers two unique zip-lining opportunities. Daytime trips include up to 10 people for an hour-and-a-half excursion that consists of six “hops” totaling 1,100 feet. According to Amanda Harbridge, co-owner of Team Effect, which partners with Rawhide
Ranch to run the zip line, Holler Hoppin’ lines are perfect for people afraid of heights. Instead of leaping off a platform, you begin just a few feet in the air and watch the ground fall away from you, rising again before you land. Rawhide Ranch also offers night ziplining tours of four hops that lasts one hour. To enhance the moonlit views, its best to zip using only the platform lighting. “It looks like a runway when you’re coming in,” says Harbridge. Remember that darkness doesn’t fall until nearly 10 p.m. during the summer, so prepare for a late ni ght. Location: 1292 State Road 135 South, Nashville Prices: $25 for Rawhide Ranch guests; $30 for general public Reservations: Required Website: www.rawhideranchusa.com EXPLORE
BROWN COUNTY
A few miles past Rawhide Ranch,
Explore Brown County boasts the fastest, longest and tallest zip lines in Indiana. The zip-line outfitter offers a variety of tours, including the Zip On! Tour, consisting of five lines, including the new Indy 1220 Racing Zip. The Indy 1220, inspired by the Indy 500, is a quarter-mile sideby-side zip, in which two people race each other through the trees. The most elite tour, the eXplorer Zip, is a two-and-a-half hour adventure that includes zipping over a pristine lake, flying 70 feet off the ground and the rappelling 21 feet from platform to ground. Moonlight zipping will also be offered this summer. Location: 2620 Valley Branch Road, Nashville Prices: $35 - $72 Reservations: Recommended two weeks in advance Website: www.explorebrowncounty.com
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Road On the
with Johnny Cougar
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30 years later,
here’s a little ditty about the tour that made John Mellencamp famous and the guy who drove the bus.
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Bill Klaes asked himself the same question in 1982 that every recent college graduate struggles with: What now? It was two summers after his graduation from Indiana University, and, without a better idea, Bill attempted to start his own photography company. After spending the day shooting with a client, Bill stopped for a bite to eat and a beer at a small sandwich shop in his hometown of Seymour. A man with a familiar face walked up. “Hey Billy? Your dad still have that big motor home?” “Yeah.” “Would he be interested in renting it out?” “I’m sure he’d probably do that, yeah.” “They’ll need a driver, too. You wanna drive it?” That familiar face belonged to Ted Mellencamp, and he was talking about a music tour for his older brother, John Cougar Mellencamp.
Bill drove his father's Blue Bird Wanderlodge on tour with Mellencamp for six months, starting in November of 1982./ Photo courtesy of Bill Klaes Although it has been 30 years, Bill still wears the leather jacket he received for driving on tour. A patch on the arm of the jacket reads "John Cougar Mellencamp, Bloomington, Indiana."/ Photo by Cindy Uecker While watching a concert from backstage, Bill was able to snap this picture of Mellencamp leaping onto the back of one of his guitarists. / Photo courtesy of Bill Klaes
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That fall, Johnny Cougar was touring as the opening act for the band Heart and promoting his new album, “American Fool.” Although Mellencamp had already hit the road the previous year touring for the album, “Nothing Matters And What If It Did,” his fifth attempt at a successful record, he wasn’t a rock star yet. Zach Dunkin, who has known Mellencamp since 1976, has followed his music career since day one. When the Indianapolis Star and Indianapolis News merged, Zach became the arts and entertainment editor for the Star, along with simultaneously writing as a music critic for 12 years. Zach wrote an
article for the Star when Mellencamp was first picked up by Tony Defries, the manager behind David Bowie’s success and responsible for Mellencamp’s transformation into Johnny Cougar. “He created this Johnny Cougar character, this cool, Elvis kind of guy with slicked back hair,” Dunkin says. “Defries flew in all kinds of people to Seymour from magazines like Rolling Stone for the debut of The leather Johnny Cougar. It was a jacket that B ill received Mellencamp big deal, with spotlights for touring is a belongin with g that Bill sa pi ck ed up out in front and everyved from th T-shir ts from e tour. He al bands like A the tour as so erosmith an well. / Phot thing. But nobody bought d Heart alon o by Cindy U g ec ke r it. They didn’t fall for it-the whole plan failed.” four Despite the moderate hit “Ain’t weeks, the single Jack Even Done With the Night,” Mellencamp’s “Nothing Matters” album and Diane held the number one spot on the Billboard charts, with belly-flopped into his pool of failed Hurts So Good on its tail at the past records. It did, however, hoist number two spot. The atmosphere Mellencamp onto the Billboard of the tour began to change, and charts for the second time (“I Need A Lover” made it’s way to spot num- venue signs now put the name John Cougar before Heart. The band ber 28 in 1980) and paved the road moved up to jet planes bumping for his “American Fool” tour. the road crew up from the class C Bill was behind the wheel of that Minnie Winnie they were riding in tour - literally. He drove his father’s to Bill’s Blue Bird. “American Fool” Blue Bird Wanderlodge from show climbed the charts. to show. The motor home was “I was backstage the night the nothing fancy --- Bill had used it to album went number one,” Bill tailgate with his fraternity brothers remembers. “There were bottles of during his college years- and not champagne, and they were celebrattoo big -- it was a narrow-body, ing – the band and the managers front-engine 31 footer. He felt like and the crew. They toasted that he was driving for a small bar band night, and after it was over I stole that was warming up the crowd for the wine rack they used to hold the a big leaguer. wine bottles. I still have it, that $2 812 wine rack. There is nothing on it But success came faster than SUMMER/ that says it was backstage with John FALL Bill’s motor home could drive. For Mellencamp when his album went 2011
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number one, so it has no value,. But I’ve still got that thing.” Kenny Aronoff, who played drums with Mellencamp for 17 years, remembers that electric atmosphere. “It was a great time for us,” Aronoff says. “We were all over the radio stations. Back then, if you were number one you were everywhere, on every radio station, MTV, any music news and all the big music magazines. We were the new kids on the block and started to get a lot of attention. It’s amazing to look back and realize we were a part of the music business when it was the most happening, ever.”
A
At 22, Bill was the youngest member of the tour. Mellencamp celebrated his 31st birthday on the road. That was true until one day when Bill was spending his down time swimming in one of the hotel pools. “I felt a guy kick me and he says, ‘Hey, you’re Bill Klaes?’ It was a high school buddy of mine and turns out he was the pilot hired to fly John’s private jet. It’s funny because the singer’s from Seymour, his driver’s from Seymour, and now the pilot’s from Seymour, too.” Despite Mellencamp’s leap to stardom, Bill and the road crew continued to wheel from show to show in the motor home, sometimes with more bumps than just potholes. The first day Bill went to meet up with Mellencamp and his crew, he blew a hole in the radiator. And in the days before GPS, it’s no surprise they sometimes got lost. “Back then, there were no computers, we hardly had technology. The next show
When Bill first started driving on tour, the Blue Bird Wanderlodge was crowded with 11 passengers, which including band members and tour managers. After Mellencamp’s success, however, the band moved up to jets and the road crew moved up to the Wanderlodge. / Photo courtesy of Bill Klaes
late for the performance.” It’s ironic that Bill made the mistake of thinking Kansas City was only in the state of Kansas, since the entire crew called him Einstein. He was the only one to have graduated from college. The day-to-day life on the tour consisted of a lot of standing around and hanging out. They would roll into town early in the morning, around 6 or 7 a.m., and Bill would drop everyone off at the hotel. The sound checks were in the afternoon and the performance at night. Bill, however, was on a different schedule than the rest of the band. “I would sleep during the concerts because I was on the night shift,” Bill says. “After the concert, we’d load up, and I’d drive all night to our next stop while the band slept on the bus. I’d stay at different hotels with the other drivers because they
“The entire crew called him Einstein. He was the only one to have graduated from colllege.”
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we were going to was in Kansas City, so I pulled out my atlas and started looking at the state of Kansas,” Bill says. “Well it turns out Kansas City is in Missouri, and I was in the wrong state entirely. Everyone is sleeping in the back of the bus and I turn on the radio to try and hear about Mellencamp coming to town and that’s when I figured I was in the wrong place. Nobody ever knew I made that mistake, everyone was back there sleeping and never woke up. I was running early, so no one was
were on the same schedule as I was.” The opposing schedules didn’t mean that Bill missed out on the experience of being on tour with a rock star. “I got to go to as many concerts as I wanted and had an all-access sort of pass,” Bill says. “But it got to the point where you just wanted the concerts to be over. Not because you weren’t enjoying the music, but because you wanted to start driving and doing your job again.”
The boy with a guitar from small town Indiana had become a full-fledged rock star and everyone wanted a piece of him. An editor from an Indianapolis magazine approached Zach Dunkin and asked him to write a story on Mellencamp. With his success, however, Mellencamp was only giving interviews to big name papers in big cities such as Chicago or New York. But Zach gave him a call, and he agreed to do the interview. “John asked if I was going to make any money on the story,” Zach says. “I told him I’d probably make a couple hundred dollars, so he said ‘Let’s do it.’ He thought if he could help me out, he should do it. What he did for me meant a lot, it meant a lot to get the story and I got an interview with John Cougar when no one else could.” After the tour was over, Bill packed up his father’s motor home and headed back to Seymour. Not only did he return home with memorabilia that he didn’t realize would become valuable –like a vintage Aerosmith t-shirts from a music festival where Mellencamp had played, just “stuff laying around when you were working” – but also with Mellencamp’s legacy. Bill pitched the idea to the Jackson County Visitors Center of a driving tour of Seymour for fans that came to learn about Mellencamp. “I wanted to produce something that you could only get when you came to experience Seymour,” Bill says. “Not something for sale to just anyone or on the Internet, but something you could only get by coming to see where John grew up.” Working with the Visitors Center, Bill spent 10 years producing “The Roots of an American Rocker: A Driving Tour of
By Emily Kaplan and Erin Walgamuth
I From grilling tips to local hotspots, we look at how Southern Indiana has mastered the art of cooking out.
magine your perfect cookout. What does it look like? Pork chops simmering on a shiny Char-Broil grill, the scent of your favorite barbecue sauce lingering in the summer breeze? Maybe you see children dashing through your freshly cut yard or long tables overflowing with an array of side dishes from deviled eggs to mac ‘n’ cheese. Now stop imagining, and let us help you make it a reality. With the help of some of Southern Indiana’s grilling (and barbecuing) experts – restaurant owners, chefs and sauce creators – we’ve compiled everything you’ll need to know to throw a picture-perfect cookout, whether it’s in your backyard, the hills of Brown County State Park or the parking lot of Indiana University’s Memorial Stadium. And, just in case you want someone else to do the cooking, we’ve found five BBQ joints that will make your taste buds sing with just one bite. So polish up your grill, grab a subtly expressive, kiss-thecook apron and meet us out back.
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Grilling 101 Here are your must knows, haves, dos and don’ts for cooking outdoors. The notion of cooking over fire has been around for nearly 500,000 years, but today’s custom of backyard grilling began only recently, during the suburbanization of the 50s. Simply put, there are two basic types of grills –charcoal and gas. Many tests indicate there is little difference in flavor between the two, so choosing a grill comes down to what Weber’s Big Book of Grilling calls “a lifestyle choice.”
You need a charcoal grill if:
You need a gas grill if:
You consider yourself a skilled fire builder and protector. You prefer the scent of food cooked over hot coals. You need that hands-on primal experience.
You prefer not to build your own fire. You desire precise temperature control. You value an ash-free clean up.
TIPS FROM AN EXPERT Jenna Gatchell, executive sous chef and pastry chef at Cheff JJ’s in Indianapolis, provides four important guidelines for grilling. 1. Do your
research:
Now that you’ve decided on a grill, you’ve got to have the right equipment to accompany it. Be sure you have these basics in your collection:
3
For whatever you’re grilling, investigate the proper steps for cooking it. You never want to over or undercook your food, and you may find out you shouldn’t be using a grill in the first place.
2. Don’t try to deep fry on a grill: Hot
1
oil over an open flame screams hazard!
2
3. Turn off the gas:
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1
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2
Grill brushes: Try a brush with a long handle and a sturdy head. Spatulas: An important tool for both the kitchen and the grill, spatulas make flipping meat and other grilling oddities trouble-free.
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Tongs: A spatula is perfect for flipping food, but tongs are ideal for turning sausages, hot dogs and ribs. Grill trays and screens: These are perfect for grilling small items such as sliced vegetables or fruit. Trays will keep items from falling
+
If you’re grilling with a gas grill, keep in mind you have a propane tank. Always remember to turn it off as soon as you are finished cooking.
4. Don’t be afraid to try new recipes: through the grate.
Meat thermometer: You never want to serve under or overcooked meat. Options include dial or digital face, the latter being more expensive. Grill gloves: Gloves
You can use the grill for much more than cooking meat. One of Gatchell’s specialties is cooking creme brulee on the grill.
Meat and greet Carnivores take note: We’ve simplified two meat-lover’s favorites – beef and pork – to help you navigate the butcher’s block.
D
ave Fischer, owner of Fischer Farms in Jasper, highlighted the biggest differences between beef and pork and told us his picks for best taste and value. According to Fischer, beef has an “unmatched flavor profile” because of the intense taste and presence of umami. Umami is a savory flavor naturally found in beef (you also taste umami in fish, vegetables and dairy products). Many consider umami the fifth primary taste – along with sweet, sour, salty and bitter. In contrast, pork is less about the basic flavor of the meat and more about the sauces that complement it. “When you’re eating pork you’re often tasting more of the sauce you put on the meat, than the meat itself,” Fischer says.
Trade tip:
use beef for grilling and pork for barbecuing. Barbecue is all about the sauces after all.
Fischer Farms in Jasper raises cattle and hogs to produce all natural beef and pork. The farm does not add hormones or antibiotics, so the beef produced is of premium quality. You’ll find Fischer Farm products
Fischer’s top pork cuts:
Fischer’s top beef cuts:
Filet: The most mouth-watering cut of meat. The filet is known for its tenderness without the presence of marbling – the dispersal of fat within the meat. Rib-eye: A well-marbled cut of meat that Fischer says “tastes like it’s been buttered on the inside.” NY strip: A cut with average marbling that is flavorful, yet less tender. The amount of marbling is based on the way an animal is raised.
Pork tenderloin Pork chops According to Fischer, both cuts are of high quality and value, so add your secret sauce and enjoy.
Best value cut = Skirt or flank steak.
FISCHER FARMS at restaurants across Southern Indiana, including Nick’s English Hut in Bloomington and Schnitzelbank Restaurant in Jasper. The farm also sells beef, pork and poultry online and in stores in Indianapolis, Bloomington, Evansville and Jasper,
so you can eat restaurant-quality meat at home. Visit their website: www.ffnatural. com to find out more about their products and how to place an order.
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?
YOU CAN GRILL
THAT
WATERMELON
The rind holds this delicate fruit intact, and because it’s waterlogged, it doesn’t char. Once grilled, it has a more savory flavor.
Some of the most mouthwatering morsels that are cooked on the grill are things you’ve probably never considered.
PIZZA
The grill makes the crust crispier than a traditional oven. In four easy steps (instructions on 812magazine.com), your pizza comes together quickly and is sure to impress guests of all ages.
ROMAINE LETTUCE
CELERY ROOT
This underrated veggie is full of essential oils and vitamins, and once grilled tastes like sweet potato fries.
AVACADO
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Its outer shell holds the shape while it grills, and a slight char provides a savory, smoky flavor that adds depth to guacamole or a sandwich.
When halved vertically, the core keeps leaves from falling through the grate. Little bits of char along with oil, salt and pepper give salad a whole new appeal.
CLAMS
It doesn’t take an expert to toss a clam onto the grill. The rising heat slowly opens the shells to reveal a perfectly cooked center in just a few minutes. Toss in lemon butter and sprinkle with parsley.
BBQ Joints Despite your grilling expertise – yes, you’re that good – you should still put down the tongs and let someone else do the work once and a while. We certainly did, and we couldn’t get enough of these 4 barbecue joints.
BIG WOODS BREWERY Nashville
As soon as you walk through the oversized, polished timber doors you feel like family, and at Big Woods Brewery that’s exactly what they want. “As soon as you’re in, you’re in,” says owner Jeff McCabe You might come in to sip a homebrewed beer, but you’d be crazy to pass up the pulled-pork nachos. Food aficionado and head chef Emily Stone puts a modern spin on an old classic, topping nachos, as well as pizza, with this mouthwatering meat. “I didn’t want nachos on the menu unless they were different,” says McCabe. Stone – the ex-vegetarian – put pork on them, and says they’re a daily best-seller. Their pulled pork, which is smoked over whiskey barrel tops, is
812.988.6000
also featured as a simple sandwich. The Big Wood’s crew makes everything from the timber doors to the sweet and tangy barbecue sauce, and they’ve got a beer for any palate. You’ll find everything from wheat to pale ales, but their signature beer is the Knuckle Buster. “It’s the go-to beer,” says McCabe. “With less hops it doesn’t distract from the food.” While this location is strictly for visitors 21 and up, their sister restaurant, Backwoods Pizzeria, is suited for the whole family. Once you’ve eaten your fill of pulled-pork creations, head to the newly opened gift shop located upstairs. There, you can purchase shirts, hats and their BBQ sauce.
BUBBA BLUE’S BAR-B-Q Columbus
Pick your meat, check. Pick your sides, check. Pick one of 50 hot sauces, che – wait…50!? At Bubba Blue’s Bar-B-Q, you have your pick of any hot sauce on the market, so be as daring as you’d like. This cafeteria-style joint will have your taste buds tingling at the smell of their hickory-smoked meats. After 16 hours of tender love and care, the meats are sliced right in front of you. Once you decide on the type of meat – operating manager Joe Torline recommends the brisket – you move down the line. Personal suggestion: try the loaded baked potato salad. “Think of it as a barbecue Subway,” says Torline. “Everything is fresh and it’s put together right before your eyes.” And if you don’t want to mess with making food for your next event, Bubba Blue’s has got you covered. They will cater any party, anywhere (from Indy to the Ohio River, at least), of any size – their biggest party (so far) is 1,500. Note: When thanksgiving rolls around, bring your bird-of-choice to Bubba Blue’s and they’ll smoke it for you. The same goes for your holiday ham in December.
812.379.2229
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HARLEY’S HARDWOODZ Jeffersonville
812.284.4490
If the sign itself doesn’t entice you to try Pig Miracle, the food certainly will. fter grilling across the street at a gas station for about a year, owner John Apple opened Pig Miracle in 2006. The building was, as Apple describes it, just four walls and a floor. He put the interior together himself from the cabinetry to the tile countertop, but what he’s most proud of are his ribs.
Harley Hardwoodz BBQ is exactly what you imagine when you picture a hole-in-the-wall BBQ joint. It’s got staple items such as pulled pork, ribs and chicken wings; home-style side dishes – one of which will make you question the greatness of Kraft macaroni and cheese; and cheap prices. But this barbecue joint also has an essential piece some restaurants just don’t, and that’s heart. Oh, and just about the best brisket you’ve ever eaten. Frank Harley, owner and operator of Harley Hardwoodz, has been barbecuing “on the side” since he was 18 years old. Though he wanted to open a barbecue restaurant for years, it wasn’t until the mine he worked for shut down that he realized his dream. That was two years ago. “If you’re into a business just to make money, you have no passion,” Harley says. “I reap the benefits by way of having people coming back in and eating my food and telling me I’m
the best around.” At Harley’s ribs are exceptionally meaty and fall right off the bone, side dishes are basic items with a twist (try the green beans with potatoes) and the brisket is tender, juicy and delicious with or without sauce. “I only use wood, I don’t use charcoal… I do it all old-school,” says Harley. But your favorite part of visiting Harley’s Hardwoodz will be chatting with Harley. He’ll tell you, humbly, that his brisket won People’s Choice a recent Louisville barbecue tournament, he’ll share his insight of athletes and ivy league schools and he’ll gladly give you samples of his food or show you his new high-tech smoker if you ask.
Keep and eye out for Harley’s Hardwoodz BBQ rub coming this fall.
“If you come in here and don’t know much about barbecue, you’re suppose to order pork and ribs,” he says. “If a barbecue joint doesn’t have good pulled pork you can rest assured nothin’ else is good.” Well don’t worry readers; Pig Miracle has delicious food. We dare you to try the rest of the menu, especially on the first and third Friday of every month, when the restaurant features
PIG MIRACLE Salem
812.896.1227
STAND-OUT
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SAUCES Before you slather sauce on top of your expertly grilled meat-of-choice, reach for one of these finger-lickin’ flavors made by a sauce specialist right here in Southern Indiana.
Order online at stink-
eyebbq.com/ sauces for
$7.50 a bottle
Stink-Eye BBQ Sauce and Stink-Eye Wild BBQ Sauce
Add heat to your barbecue with one of these sauces
wildpepper. com/bbqsauces for $6.25
Mild to Wild Pepper and Herb Company
Mt. P
GRILLING
GURU
Tricky trade: Ribs are the hardest meat to cook. But take on the challenge with these simple tips from a true pit master. Know what temperature you need to get your coals: too high and your meat will be tough because they cook too fast. Thomas keeps his between 300 and 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Use raw meat: “Sounds strange, but a lot of people will buy partially cooked meat,” says Thomas. His trick is to buy a raw slab, clean it, dry it and then season it. Don’t rush it. “Ribs take time, so that’s what you have to give them,” he says.
Since we haven’t been working on the business side of titanium tongs for 10 years like Will Thomas, a man who’s barbecue has Bloomington buzzing, we went to the man behind the grill (that is, if you consider a 200 gallon barrel a grill) If you’re ever in Bloomington during Little 500 or football season, you probably already know to swing by 17th and Dunn for a slab of ribs or a pulled pork sandwich. But don’t look for a store front, because you won’t find one. Thomas works just outside the Convenient Food Mart with his grill and a small carnival-like stand that holds buns, sauces and plastic ware. Incorporating North Carolina influences, Thomas has been plating enormous portions of barbecue classics in an
Made by Chef Tad Delay – 8 kinds, but we recommend Indiana Style Sauce. Purchase a 12 oz. bottle online at
localharvest.org/store/M38599
for $7 a bottle or buy a package of three to eight bottles.
Pilot Barbecue Sauce
old-school fashion for the last decade. “I’m a charcoal man,” says Thomas. “Lots of guys cook with smoke, but charcoal leaves the meat tasting the best.” His loyal customers – whose orders he has memorized – keep him honest and smiling, and after 10 years it’s safe to say he’s doing something right. We asked Thomas to divulge his secrets, and although he wouldn’t release his secret rub mix or sauce combo, he left us with this advice.
Carolina (vinegar based), Sweet and Tangy (most popular) Original Mild and Hot (“original with a kick”) – In store only, sauces cost $4.50 each
Bubba Blue’s Bar-B-Q
Resist putting the sauce on until the meat is cooked. “It’ll burn the meat,” says Thomas. “I add my sauce and then let it sit on low, low heat for 15 minutes.”
Go-to:
As anyone else, Thomas is a man of habit. Here are his gotos when it comes to barbecue. Tool: Big tongs and a really sharp knife. Sauce: Open Pit, original or any kind of vinegar-based sauce. Meat: (for pulled pork) Boston butts. Coals: Kingsford Charcoal
At shoupscountry. com you can order an 18.5- oz. bottle of sauce for $4.95.
Shoup’s Country Food
Buy five kinds by the pint or the bottle at Pig Miracle. Prices vary.
Pig Miracle
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The spires of Oldenburg ascend over the quaint, primarily German town characterized by brick roads, German street signs and small-town charm. The brick-and-stone churches sit at the heart of the town, providing both education, from Oldenburg Academy of the Immaculate Conception, and religious services.
Steeples are sources of history, community and inspiration. We may not have towering office buildings, but these spires form
SOUTHERN INDIANA’S
SKYLINE F
Story and photos by Missy Wilson
ather David Kobak has two steel knees. It’s no wonder the 58-year-old priest never monkeyed up the spire of his church. In fact, for the past few decades, no one besides Doug Nobbe, Holy Family Church’s maintenance man, has scrambled up the rickety series of ladders in the clock tower. That is, until Doug took Father David and me up.
The musty smell of aged wood floats above the incense of past masses and drifts up the spiral stairway to the first landing. The floorboards squeak with every step. A game of Chutes and Ladders rises above the landing, and Father David has had his share of heights for one day. “I don’t even think Doug likes going all the way up there, and he’s half monkey,” he jokes. Whoever said skylines have to be made
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of skyscrapers? Here in Southern Indiana, our horizons are pierced with the pointed silhouettes of steeples. They tower over our towns and inspire those who view them from a distance. Oldenburg is nicknamed “The Village of Spires,” and Aurora goes by “The City of Spires.” St. Meinrad Abbey provides some of the oldest and best-known spires, and various others dot the area, creating Southern Indiana’s skyline.
“Many communities of faith see the physicalmanifestationofthebuildingreaching towards the sky as a means to represent their earnest desire to reach God,” says Bill Barnard, 45, vice president of the Troyer Group, an Indiana architectural firm. The spires of these three towns, as well as those scattered around the rest of Southern Indiana, are a source of pride and inspiration for those who see them.
To see the entire photo story and slideshow, featuring photos and stories from the spires of St. Meinrad and Aurora, visit 812magazine.com.
The onion dome of what the locals call the White Stone Church rolled into Oldenburg fully assembled on a trailer when the church was redone in the 1940s. It took nearly four hours to raise the dome from the ground to the top of the tower. Its name derives from the fact that it resembles an upside-down onion. According to Jeff Paul, one of the leaders of the 175th anniversary of Oldenburg festivities, when it arrived, members of the community signed the inside of the dome with a marker. Just as the sun sets and the bells toll 7:30, members of Holy Family Church enter for a Vigil Mass on Holy Saturday. Paul says the church has always been a centerpiece of Oldenburg. He’s been a member of the church and community for 30 years and says the spires are the identity of the town. Researching Oldenburg has always been a hobby for Paul, and he’s played a paramount role in the celebrations of the town’s 175th anniversary this year, providing unique and rare photos for a calendar.
Doug Nobbe, the maintenance man of Holy Family Church in Oldenburg, explains the intricate labyrinth of ladders that winds its way to the top of the 180-foot spire. Because the tower is only used when Nobbe braves the climb up around twice a year, the ladders are rickety, and almost every inch is caked in dust. “If it weren’t for Doug, this place would fall apart,” says Father Dave Kobak. “He knows every crack and cranny.”
21 812bell sits Replaced by a modern, automatic bell-ringing device, an old-fashioned in Holy Family Church in Oldenburg, waiting for special occasions whenSUMMER/ bells are FALL rung manually. The church was consecrated in April 1850 by Franz Joseph, who 2011 worked with fellow Franciscans to accommodate the German immigrants coming from Cincinnati. Paul says when he was younger, the priests allowed him and his friends to climb the tower and carve their names into the bells.
HIKING THE
HOOSIER
NATIONAL
FOREST W
BY JESSICA CONTRERA
hen you ask people who live here in Southern Indiana what the best feature of our region is, most of us will say, quite simply, nature. We have more state parks and forests and wildlife refuges than anywhere else in the state. But one natural area stands apart from the rest— the sprawling Hoosier National Forest. With parcels strerching all the way from the banks of the Ohio River to the shores of Lake Monroe, the Hoosier is our largest natural area. The forest can be whatever you want it to be — a quite respire from city life, a scene to take your breath away or an adventure waiting to be had. And it isn’t any ordinary stand of trees it’s 202,000 acres of trails, campsites, beaches and hideaways just waiting to be explored. So, come along as we explore our state’s only national forest. We’ll find the best places to hike, learn how to stare down a coyote, listen to the tale of a harrowing night in the woods and revisit a town that disappeared a half-century ago. Happy trails.
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Photo by Zach Hetrick
HIKING
ABOUT THE
HNF
CHECKLIST
An explorer’s biggest mistake is failing to prepare. Here’s what it takes to hike the Hoosier:
1
202,000 ACRES
9 COUNTIES
28 TRAILS (THAT’S 266 MILES)
2
1 FIRE TOWER 10 FISHING AREAS
13 CAMPSITES
4
NAVIGATE
HOW TO WITH A MAP & COMPASS
Learning to navigate with a map and compass is essential for any dedicated hiker. Even with cell phones and GPS systems, you never know when you might lose your signal. Plus, doesn’t it just feel good to go old school sometimes? You’ll want an orienteering compass (which can run between $5 and $20, depending on the quality) and an up-to-date map (HNF officials recommend National Geographic’s Trails Illustrated – around $12). Remember to always work with a compass away from metal (like the hood of a car or a metal picnic table)so that nothing interferes with the maget.
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3
E
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5
1
Practice these simple steps before you hit the trail, and you can find your way anywhere in the forest. 1. On the map, find your present spot and your destination spot, and form an imaginary (or real, if you have a pen) line. 2. Take your compass and rotate the graduation ring until the N is aligned with the red compass needle. 3. Place your compass on the map so its right or left edge is along your line of travel. The direction of travel arrow will now point toward your destination. 4. Keeping the arrow pinting toward your destination, take the compass off the map and place it flat in the palm of your hand. 5. Again, rotate the graduation ring until the N
3
W 1 2 3
DIRECTION OF TRAVEL ARROW GRADUATION RING COMPASS NEEDLE
6
78
1. More water than you think you’ll need. 2. Sturdy flashlight 3. Cell phone (but don’t count on it) 4. Snacks. Lots of them. 5. A HNF Map 6. Orienteering compass 7. Layered clothing 8. Always Let someone know where you are and when you’ll return.
THE HOOSIER’S BEST A hike is only as good as the trail. 812 asked officials at the Forest Service and the Hoosier Hikers Council for the three best hikes the forest has to offer. “Trails are the key to enjoyment of nature,” says Suzanne Mittenthal, director of the Hoosier Hikers Council. “And the Midwest has some of the most beautiful nature in all of America to enjoy.” So grab a map (Mittenthal recommends National Geographic’s Trails Illustrated), your boots and a bottle of water – and hit the trails.
PIONEER MOTHERS MEMORIAL FOREST Level: Easy Distance: 1.3 miles Where to start: Approximately two miles south of Paoli on SR 37, you’ll see a sign and large parking lot. From the lot, follow the trail over the hill to get to the forest. What you’ll see: Indiana’s past. Hiking through the Pioneer Mothers Memorial Forest is like going back to a time before Indiana was settled. The 88-acre tract is the last old-growth forest of its size in the state. Some of the trees are more than 40 inches in diameter and 130 feet tall. The area was also once home to a prehistoric Native American Village that is thought to date back to A.D. 1380. The first section of the trail is a little steep, so save your energy for your return route. In the middle, you’ll finda Memorial Wall that was constructed from field stones that were once part of homes and chimneys in the area.
HEMLOCK CLIFFS Level: Medium Distance: 1 mile with some serious steps and steep areas How to get there: From SR237 in Paoli, take Union Chapel Road west 2.6 miles to the intersection with Eckert-Hatfield Roads. Continue on Hatfield Road 2.1 miles to the parking area. What you’ll see: Amazing natural architecture. Sandstone rock formations have created cliffs, rock shelters and ravines to explore. The trail leads you down the box shaped canyon and past seasonal waterfall Hemlock Cliff Falls, form off the cliffs (one is east of the parking lot, the other is near the trail’s halfway point). Water usually flows from the falls in the spring. When it does, watch your step: the steep trails can be slippery when wet. The Southern Indiana Hiking Club also cites Hemlock Cliffs as one of the best spots to sit peacefully in the forest.
DEAM WILDERNESS AND LAKE MONROE TRAILS Level: Difficult Distance: 16.6 miles How to get there: From IN-446 in Bloomington, take Tower Ridge Road (it’s gravel, so prepare for slow driving) for 6.w1 miles to the Hickory Ridge Fire Tower parking lot. What you’ll see: Two beautiful views and the impressive Charles C. Deam Wilderness ‘82. The nearly 13,000 acres of wilderness is meant to be a place where man is merely a visitor to nature. Start your hike by climbing up the Hickory Ridge Fire Tower (a view definitely worth the 133 steps). Then, take the Axsom Branch trail until you reach the sign for the Grubb Ridge Loop trail. Follow it until you get to the Peninsula trail, which will lead you down to the shores of Lake Monroe. With the forest at your back and the water at your feet, you’ll be looking at one of the most picturesque spots in the HNF. It’s a long one, so make sure to bring plenty of snacks, water and time.
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Photo by Zach Hetrick
HIKING THE
HOOSIER
NATIONAL THE HICKORY RIDGE
FOREST
FIRE
TOWER
A view from the top By Mackenze Webber Have you ever seen Southern Indiana from 100 feet above the ground? Now’s your chance. Hidden within the Deam Wilderness, the Hickory Ridge Fire Tower gives you a 360 degree panoramic view of the Hoosier National Forest in all its glory. Height: 110 feet, 123 steps Trail: Located along the Tower Ridge Road (6 miles into the woods off of IN-446) Constructed: 1936 When it was built: Equipped with radios and dedicated staffers until 1972, the towers were used to communicate exact locations of existing fires. Why its special: The tower is one of the only fire lookout structures still standing and open to the public left in the state. It was the first in Indiana to be added to the National Historic Lookout Register. Trivia: In 1952, one of the largest fires on record for the area, burning 2,000 acres with flames 40 feet high, came within half a mile of the tower before stopping. Expert’s advice: Teena Ligman, the public affairs specialist for Hoosier National Forest, has a soft spot for Hickory Ridge Tower. “There’s not a bad view from the lookout tower - they’re all amazing,” she said. “You can see wildlife, and it’s just incredibly tranquil and peaceful.”
A CHAMPION OF THE FOREST
Forest Supervisor Melany Glossa carries on the HNF’s battle for survival
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Meeting Melany Glossa is like meeting the human Smoky the Bear. She’ll tell you time and again how truly important our forests are. But she’s not just concerned about preventing forest fires – she’s on a mission to save the Hoosier. A native of Hammond Ind. And graduate of Purdue University, Glossa has worked in parks and forests throughout the country. But she holds the Hoosier National Forest closest to her heart.
“There’s nothing like Indiana hardwood forests,” she says. Glossa is quick to point out that when the Hoosier National Forest was first established, it wasn’t a forest at all. In the late 1800s, pioneers turned Southern Indiana into Lumber Central. Century-old oak, walnut and cherry trees were cleared away for farming and harvested for building material and fuel. Anything that remained was burned to clear away brush. Eventually, the state asked the federal government to buy what was left of the land, and post-depression Civilian Conservation and Works Progress Administration workers labored for years to restore the forest to the great natural resource we know today.
“As in many cases throughout the world, this land was taken advantage of by individuals,” Glossa says. “In general, human nature doesn’t lend itself to sharing very well.” Much of Glossa’s job is ensuring that history doesn’t repeat itself. The forest service is constantly battling misuse of the land by ATV (All-Terrain Vehicle) drivers, marijuana growers and people who unknowingly buy land that is part of the forest. But Glossa believes that the best way to preserve the land is to use it. “If people use the area, they will love the area,” she says. “They will then take care of the area, and it will continue to be important for generations to come.”
TROUBLE ON THE TRAIL Photo by Zach Hetrick
WHAT WOULD YOU DO IF... The Hoosier National Forest dispatches one to five search-and-rescues every year. And we don’t want you to be one of them. So, we asked forest officials how to handle the dangers you might encounter on your hike. The situation: You decide to wander off the trail to look around. Before you know it, you can’t tell where you are or where you came from. You’re lost. You think: Panic. Shout. Hold up your cell phone to catch a signal (fat chance). You should: First, relax. Being a nervous wreck will negatively affect your decision-making skills. Second, find a trail*. Stay on it until it leads you somewhere. If you have a map, you want to make sure it’s a designated trail. Third, (if you’re somehow still lost or if you’re injured) try to find cell reception and call 911. Next time: Plan your route ahead of time and always use a map and compass (see page XX). Most importantly, tell someone where you’re going, how far you expect to hike and when you will return.
*Note: These directions are for adults only. The HNF tells children to stay in place if they are lost in the forest. The situation: You’re walking through the woods when you see a 4-foot tan-and-brown snake slither onto the path. You think: If you’re most people, run away. If you’re more prone to fight than flight, throw a rock at it. You should: Slowly back away so that you don’t startle it. It’s illegal to kill snakes in the forest, and as long as you don’t bother them, they want nothing to do with you either. With the exception of the northern copperhead and the timber rattlesnake (both brown and tan), the snakes of the HNF aren’t venomous. If you are ever bitten, go to the hospital immediately.
Next time: You can’t avoid snakes in the forest, but you can avoid stepping on them. Watch where you place your feet, especially when stepping over a log or rock. The situation: Dusk is settling in and you’re hiking back to your car. You hear something behind you and turn to see a wild coyote, and not the cartoon kind. You think: Run as fast as possible back to your car You should: Just as with snakes, slowly back away. Running may trigger the animal’s instinct to chase. And don’t be too worried – there has never been a reported coyote attack in the HNF. Next time: If the sound or sight of coyotes makes you uncomfortable, hike in the daytime.
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LOST IN THE WOODS Peter Bartczak of Bloomington tells his harrowing tale of a hike that went wrong. As told to Jessica Contrera
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When I decided to hike the Hoosier National Forest, I expected to leave with a reminder of the greatness of nature. Instead, I learned an entirely different lesson: Be prepared. The clear sky and cool air of that June morning in 2004 made the day perfect for hiking. I had been hiking many times in Georgia, and I wanted to see how the Hoosier compared. I didn’t tell anyone where I was going. I’m kind of a loner, and I had been hiking many times without any problems. You might be able to guess by now, that I certainly fell into some problems. I arrived at the entrance to the Deam Wilderness a little after 9 a.m. and started on my way. I was about four miles into the woods when I decided to deviate off the trail to get a view of Lake Monroe. I made it to the lake, but it was my walk back through the woods where the trouble began. I wasn’t watching the ground much as I walked, and my left foot went underneath a fallen branch that was about five feet long. My right foot moved forward and stepped on the same branch. When I went to pick up my left foot, my knee twisted to the side. My body hit the forest floor. I lifted my upper body up to a seated position and tried to stand. A sharp pain jolted through my body and I hit the ground again. I couldn’t put any weight on my left leg. Being 60, I knew my bones weren’t at their best, but this wasn’t just old age. I was sure I had broken something. Later, the doctors told me I had fractured my tibia in three places. I laid back down and looked at my watch. It’s only 11, I thought. It’s a beautiful day. Surely, someone else will hike down the trail. I’ll yell out to them, and everything will be just fine. No one came. I wish I had brought my cell phone. I tried to relax and enjoy the forest as the day passed. But when the sun started to go down, I began to worry. I had spent the night in a forest before, but that was by choice. As every minute passed,
Bloomington resident Peter Bartczak stands in the Deam Wilderness, at the site of his rescue in 2004. A year later, Bartczak revisited the place in the woods where he spent the night after breaking his leg in three places.
it grew more and more clear that this time, there was no choice. Even if I could move, there’s no way I could navigate through the forest at night. I wished I had brought a flashlight. I spent the entire night lying on the forest floor, waiting. I forced myself not to panic, but I was so uncomfortable that I couldn’t sleep for more than five minutes. I wished I had a sleeping bag. I sang songs to myself, snacked on the two candy bars I had in my bag and tried to slap away mosquitos. Eventually, I gave up on that last part. I wished I had bug spray. And a Bible. And a radio. When morning light broke, I decided to pull myself back onto the trail. Using my arms as leverage and dragging the rest of my body along, I figured out a way to do a sort of backwards crab walk. I made it about a mile in the next eight hours. By 3 in the afternoon, I was covered in mud, my hands were cut up from the gravel part of the path and I was far too tired to continue. I pulled myself over to a shady area and lay spread-
eagled on my back. After a few minutes, I heard a noise. I started shouting. “Hey! I’m over here! Hello!? Can you hear me?” There’s no other way to describe it, other than like a movie scene. Up the path came 12 young men on horses: the Boy Scouts of Troop 566. Otherwise known as my saviors. The leader hopped off his horse and came to my side. “I think I broke my leg,” I said. “I can’t walk on it.” He took one look at it and raised his eyebrows. “Oh yes, you did,” he said. I looked down at it and noticed how swollen and faintly purple it was. The Boy Scouts jumped into action. I found out later that only two weeks before, they had earned their wildlife rescue badges. To say this was convenient would be, well, the world’s greatest understatement. As one boy tied the horses to a tree, the others searched for straight branches long enough create a make-shift stretcher. They found two and draped a gray blanket over them and curled it under, making a spot for me to lie. Two boys lifted me on to it. It took four of them, one on each side of the
HIKING THE
HOOSIER
NATIONAL
A TASTE OF THE WILDERNESS FOREST The Hoosier National Forest is full of plants to taste on the trail or take home for dinner. Be sure to identify what you’ve found. And make sure you don’t take too much – it is a natural resource, after all.
NAME
Persimmons
Pawpaws
TRACK TALK
WHAT TO KNOW Persimmons from the wild are smaller and softer than the store-bought kind. The five-second rule doesn’t apply to persimmons – you’ll want to collect only the ones on the forest floor. Those left on the tree are unripened and very bitter. Sometimes called the Hoosier banana, the pawpaw is native to Southern Indiana. Pawpaws are only ripe for a few weeks in September and early October. Just don’t use too many – this yummy fruit can have a laxative effect in large quantities.
WHAT TO MAKE
Cookies, jam, bread and the Southern Indiana favorite: persimmon pudding.
Substitute pawpaws for bananas in any cookie, pie or bread recipe.
Mint
Mint can be used any time it is green – just make sure you wash it clean. The entire top of the plant is edible, but it’s best to only take the top leaves and stems and leave the rest to grow back.
Tea, mojitos, salad, tabouli or add it to a chocolate recipe.
Sumac berries
Sumac berries are easy to differentiate from the poison version. Edible sumacs have dark reddish or purple fruit in tight clusters at the top of the plant (the poison kind are white). You’ll want to collect them in early fall, before any rain or snow washes away their tangy flavor.
For a refreshing drink after a long day of hiking, soak the berries in cold water and sweeten to taste to make delicious “wild pink lemonade.”
We’re not the only ones enjoying the forest. Keep an eye out for these tracks to see what wildlife has walked before you.
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WHITE-TAILED
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COYOTE
TURKEY
SKUNK
POSSUM
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HIKING THE
HOOSIER
NATIONAL
FOREST
This home used to house prominent Elkinsville town members. Now it’s just one of the last standing structures around. /Photo courtesy Nancy Deckard
ONCE UPON A TOWN
Nestled in the hills that became the Hoosier National Forest, Elkinsville lives on through stories told by those who refuse to forget. BY MACKENZE WEBBER
Meandering through Hoosier
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National Forest, Elkinsville Road snakes for so long that the road convinces you you’re lost. After passing a memorial with 19 surnames chiseled on its face, the road passes a faded white house on the right. With beams keeping its roof upright, the abandoned home speaks to the loss Elkinsville has experienced. Its cracked paint and broken windows appear to be eerily waiting for someone, as a lost child waits for his mother. The gravel path eventually comes to a T. To the left, Bill Miller’s residence remains the last stronghold of the area, sitting at the base of Browning Mountain. To the right, the road dead-ends at Salt Creek Bridge, a rusted heap of metal prohibiting all vehicles from entering its domain. The dilapidated structure is covered in climbing vines and bordered by invasive dandelions, with no sign of human life. The only sounds are the tires of the
Ford Focus grinding against the gravel. Even with the sun gleaming through the oak trees, there’s an unusual silence here. This is what you’d call a modern day ghost town.
It’s been forty-eight years. Forty-eight years since
the government forced the people of Elksinville out. Forty-eight years since the families’ farms, churches and homes were erased as a simple precautionary measure. Forty-eight years since the beating pulse of a small Southern Indiana town was stopped short out of a need for water.
Back when the Native Americans
still thrived on Indiana soil, William “Old Billy” Elkins settled in Brown County after the War of 1812. According to historical accounts the Elkinses were one of two families living in the region until more substantial settlement began
in the 1830s. Living on his family’s farm until his death in 1880, Elkins supported his four wives and seven children here. Joe James, a descendent of Elkinsville’s prominent Bruce family, was quick to erase any assumptions of Elkins’ promiscuity. Elkins may have had four wives, but they all died due to the harsh living conditions of the era. “Life wasn’t the slight bit forgiving in those days. Some women just weren’t meant to have babies. Once tragedy struck, William had no choice but to move on.” For two decades, this rugged area filled with similarly determined people and grew into a town, named in honor of its founder in the 1850s. Fur trading and timbering created a sense of prosperity that enticed blacksmiths and carpenters. The population of Elkinsville exploded into the dozens. Despite its remoteness, Elkinsville natives participated in every American era, enlisting in the Civil War, buying
the newly introduced automobiles and laboring through the Great Depression. Although nothing about their existence was easy, the people of Elkinsville were never ones to turn away from a challenge. They had to work harder for advantages simply given to other folks. Separated from the amenities of society, they made due with the land around them. As he hiked up nearby Browning Mountain on a clear sunny day, Joe is a testament to the determination of his ancestors.
Dressed in all black in 80-degree weather, Joe is the person everyone wants around when the woods get the better of them. His weathered face shows lines of suffering, but his happy demeanor shines through despite. With Joe and his chiseled walking stick – topped off with a carving of an old man in a green cap – leading the way, I feel at ease. No matter how many times we meander off the trail, Joe shepherds us to exactly the spot he had in mind. Joe understands the importance of the mountain. The town’s history has been intertwined with the slope since its beginning. The Elkinsville memorial even reads, “Bathed in the shadow of Browning Mountain, a wonder in itself.” The peak created a sanctuary for the people and played a part in their daily lives. Perched near the top of the mountain, Joe’s first destination seems to be clinging to the steep slope, refusing to
This was one of the many churches of the old Elkinsville area. These buildings were the social center of the town, no matter the occasion. /Photo courtesy of IU Lilly Library
let go. In what appears to be the middle of nowhere, a stone foundation rises up from the crumpled carpet of leaves. Outlined before us is the smallest house I have ever seen. We can only see the cellar and the limestone boulders marking its perimeter, all covered in a lush moss, but Joe says this is a typical home for these rural communities. “They had it rougher than we can possibly imagine. In this single-room house, an entire family would have to survive. But God gave these people the skills they needed, and they made it work.” The family living here would have traveled down to Elkinsville and the Wilkerson’s General Store for supplies like gasoline, eggs and shoes. The treacherous track used by the horses to scale the slope is still visible a few hundred feet from the foundation. “The kids would wake up before the sun came up, do their long list of chores and still have to go down to school and then back up in the evening. I can’t imagine how much my children would complain if they had to do this,” Joe says, nodding in my direction. Joe doesn’t care for our society’s dependence on technology. “It’s scary how attached they are to their gadgets. Go outside and live, darn it.” Even though I haven’t looked at my phone, I decide it’s staying in my pocket till I drop Joe off. “There weren’t enough hours in the day,” he says. “Usually, church services were the only form of a get-together during these hard times. But you give these kids two sticks and they’d have fun for hours. Must be nice.” Sitting on the limestone boulders, Joe opens up as he reminisces about his family. “My mother, Ruby, was one of those people of the Earth. Man, did she pick some dogs for husbands, but she loved her children more than I’ll ever know. She loved this town, too. Helped her to be the mother she always wanted to be. Buried right in Brown County even.” During the peak of Elkinsville life, the day-to-day routines were nothing like we have today. Even for the time period, Elkinsville was behind and undeveloped. “The Town That Was” is a collection of historical accounts and
Sarah Elkins posed in front of her log cabin and her farm animals. She was a close relative of the founder William Elkins. /Photo courtesy of IU Lilly Library
personal stories written by prominent townspeople who remain devoted to Elkinsville’s legacy. The book describes a “subtle quietness,” where there was not a fear of death, but of dying without spiritual wholeness. Because they didn’t get electricity until 1948, residents lived by the cycles of the earth, taking advantage of every moment of light and every clear day. Life was not measured by a watch, but rather by nature. Parents tried to raise their children to the best of their abilities. An up-to-date newspaper was rare, and the details they did receive were almost always delayed. But this gap of information was treasured more than cursed. They focused on issues closest to home. The personal narratives in “The Town That Was” tell about making clothes out of feed sacks, picking berries with sisters and Sunday get-togethers after church. Elkinsville’s detachment from the outside world was a blessing, according to its people.
But the town’s detachment
may have contributed to its disappearance. The outside world came to their doorsteps with a force they could have never predicted in the late 1950s. The fast-growing town of Bloomington and Indiana University were in need of a more reliable water source. According to the US Army Corps of Engineers, Lake Monroe was established to increase the water supply to Bloomington and reduce
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flood damages downstream from the dam. Elkinsville was in the path of those backwaters and was declared a floodplain by the Corps of Engineers. Once the plans were finalized in 1958, the residents had no say in the matter. The government began to purchase homes and land through eminent domain. The dam was built on Salt Creek in 1960, and the lake filled in 1964.
B.J. Blankenfeld spent her
first 18 years living in Elkinsville and wouldn’t wish it any other way. Even though she moved away after high school and before the town was evacuated, her past and present are deeply rooted here. B.J. is William Elkins’ fourth great-granddaughter and is at least distantly related to almost every person I came across in my research. Trying to keep the lineage clear is a challenge, but B.J. reminds me that this closeness is what makes Elkinsville what it is. “You can’t concern yourself with the details. The community and its roots are what’s important.” Her parents, Katherine and Albert Cross, moved to a 130-acre farm in
Brown County with their six kids and B.J. on the way. After two more children, the family was complete and flourishing. B.J. believes she had an ideal childhood and remembers the large gardens full of fresh tomatoes. She recalls a fight breaking out at the local church, “over a girl, of course.” And the one-room school where she learned the basics that helped her to become a successful Realtor in the area 20 years later. But her childhood had to end, as all childhoods do. When she was 18, the gardens, church and schoolhouse of her recollections were bought and erased from the map. “All my mom’s sisters and brothers lived in Brown County, so when the government came in, my whole family was uprooted. My parents’ land was bought for about $100 an acre, so they walked away with a little over $11,000. This was not a fair price. To me, it even seems like the government was bragging about how unfair the purchases were to us,” said B.J. Still, the people of Elkinsville, or what was Elkinsville, aren’t mad. Anymore, that is.
It’s hard to understand
how they couldn’t be at least a little bitter about the 1964 flooding. In their minds, witnessed through the stories of “The Town That Was,” the government paid them less than they deserved and gave them no help in relocating. To top it off, the move seems to have been merely a precautionary measure. Bill Weaver, a writer for “Our Brown County” magazine, believes the water reached the limits of old Elkinsville only once since its demise. In his research, Weaver chatted with numerous residents of the old town and began to feel almost a part of its history himself, despite never living there. While talking to Jim Krause, the producer of “Washed Away”, a WTIU documentary on the vanished town, Bill discovered something surprising. Krause told Weaver he expected the residents and descendents to be upset about the way things played out for them. He devised questions to expose the raw anger within all these displaced people. He asked both the young and the old if they hated the lake or wished things had turned out differently. But he didn’t get one negative response.
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Hoosier
Homestyle Three creative interior designs inspired by the forests, farms and art of Southern Indiana BY LINDSEY MEDLEN
S
RUSTIC
FARMHOUSE
Southern Indiana styles are as distinctive as the landscapes and lifestyles that inspire them. From rugged hickory trees, to oldtime farm implements, to vividly colored textiles – all contribute to design, and with a pinch of personality, become a home. Christiane Lemieux, author of Undecorate, no longer believes in looking to interior design professionals for inspiration. These days she much prefers the amateurs. According to Lemieux, the Internet offers proof that the most vibrant style ideas come from real people. A retired orthodontist in Brown County and two textile artists in Bloomington shared with us their personal experiences with the creation of their home’s interiors. They may have had some help from experts, but these Hoosier homes belong to “real people,” and the styles are all their own.
CONTEMPORARY
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RUSTIC
D
Pertains to the country and may be rural, rough or unpolished. Deep in the woods of Brown County, you’ll discover a log home with breathtaking views of 88 wooded acres. Homeowner Mike Kelley, 61, has filled his home with natural elements and accents that are rustic by definition but not practice. “It’s not rustic in the sense of not being comfortable. It has modern conveniences,” Kelley says. Although the pioneers probably would not have thought of living in a log home as luxurious, Kelley’s modern twist is far from primitive. While he does have turtle shells, antlers and animal skeletons in his nature room, Kelley also has a taste for the finer things. A catalogued wine cellar that smells of rich cedar and an outdoor shower nestled in a hill, to name a few. He always knew that this was the kind of place he would live. When Kelley was younger, he visited his neighbors’ cabin in Brown County,
and realized that it was exactly what he wanted. So he completed production of his log home in 1999. “It fulfilled my lifelong dream of having a place in the woods.” In the fall of 2011, Kelley retired. He now resides in his dream home full time. The log home has been featured in Indianapolis Monthly as well as the Herald Times. “I feel honored,” Kelley says. “Somebody likes it, and I must have done something right.” Kelley had help from interior designer Debra Smith; she developed the specific design concepts while collaborating with him on style. He wanted a home that was open to the environment and the surrounding views. Kelley was always asking for larger windows and skylights to allow natural light to illuminate the dark wood. The great room features a massive stone fireplace and upholstered furniture
with plaids, Native American patterns and natural colors. A Viking stovetop and a large freestanding butcher-block top island dominate the kitchen. Rustic hickory furniture in the dining room sits adjacent to a small sunroom with a cast-iron stove and two comfy tan chairs. Many of the accents have special meaning. Kelley found a large moose head, Manfred, at a shop in Noblesville. Manfred sports a new hat for each season. Other items were discovered in art auctions. Seawolf, a totem pole by wood carver Jon Pinney, stands a little more than six feet tall. It features a bald eagle with enormous outstretched arms, and the bottom half of its body, at the base of the pole, is a whale’s tailfin. Kelley says that someday he’ll likely donate the totem pole to someone, maybe the library. “I have things that are nice, but it has spirit.”
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FARMHOUSE Refers to a farmer’s dwelling. It is simple
A
and meets the basic needs of its occupants.
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At a well-known fork in the road in Brown County, you’ll find a simple yellow home with cherry-red trim. What used to be just a farmhouse has been reinvented by Mike Kelley into a retreat surrounded by acres of nature trails. “I gave it a “facelift,” and I gave it the love that it had been lacking in recent years,” Kelley says. “The house responded to this love, and it restored the house’s will to live.” He first acquired the Stone Head site in 2004. The stone carving that gives the home its name is displayed out in front. The head was originally one of three used as directional markers in the 1850s and is the only one still intact. Kelley refurbished and redesigned the
farmhouse, again with the help of Debra Smith. “WhenIthinkof“Southernhospitality,”I think of a warm, open, easy-going, friendly personality. I think of love,” Kelley says. He saw the kitchen as an opportunity to establish that sense of Southern comfort. From the antique-designed sink to the traditional farmhouse dining table, the kitchen encourages togetherness. Kelley’s guests can select a themed bedroom, such as the lover’s nest, which features mellow-hued furnishings and a white whicker chair. Or the blue moon room has dark night-sky walls and a mismatched rug woven with every color imaginable. If those two rooms don’t satisfy the guest, the Elvis room might.
CONTEMPORARY Being done in or belonging to
I
the present times. “It’s not cutting-edge contemporary,” says homeowner and textile designer Judith Rose. “The house is more modern, but very contemporary in its structure/house plan.” Judith and John Rose, both in their early 60s, moved into their custom-designed Bloomington home in 1998. After searching for what seemed like ages for the perfect architect, they found Frank Adams. Adams had a certain flair about him that attracted the Roses’ interest. He had a signature style with the way he lighted his homes and how he constructed them. He developed his designs around the idea of a pod, having the center room be the main hub with small attachments to different rooms. He was able to achieve this effect by having different rooflines on “separate” areas of the home. Although the house is connected, the illusion is that
several buildings are close together. Adam’s creativity was compatible with the Roses. “I like the creative urge,” Judith says. “I love to make something happen.” Although Judith could see herself living just about anywhere, her home couldn’t be placed somewhere else. The Roses’ home was constructed to fit inside a dip in the landscape and was shaped with materials from the surrounding location. Limestone anchors it to Indiana. The main room is a large space, and not a traditional one either. It serves as a hallway you walk through to get to all parts of the home. However, this area is far from a simple passageway. This grand hall is full of colorful chairs and paintings, with bright white walls to provide a crisp, contrasting effect. The vivid textile designs and rainbow hues of the furniture bounce off the equally
vibrant pieces of artwork. There are large windows on both the east and west walls that light up the large room. Another unexpected feature in this house is the lack of straight edges and right angles. John loves the no-symmetry design, but it can drive Judith a little crazy. Local artists’ works are the main source of décor, particularly the paintings of Bloomington artist Dawn Adams. Displays of what Judith calls “early” and “late” Dawn are scattered throughout the home, but most of the pieces can be found in the main hub. The Roses have been collecting Adams’ work, from portraits of the Roses’ children to natural scenes in the wild, since she was a student. Other items were acquired through trading and auctions. “Everything tells a story,” Judith says. “Nothing was just sort of bought, “Oh, here’s $500, and I want this. Now.”
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Democracy’s Prisoner The unlikely father of American Socialism, Eugene Debs ran for the nation’s highest office from a Terre Haute jail cell.
By Dan Carson
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Photo by Dan Carson
I
f Hollywood ever decided to cook up a movie about Eugene Debs, the storyline would be a classic underdog tale --- some gangly kid from Indiana with lint for pocket change and big dreams grows up to run for president of the United States. Perfect right? The truth, however, is that this malted milkshake of an American dream comes with a twist of lime- Eugene Victor Debs ran for the highest office in the nation as a socialist. A socialist. That’s a dirty word, right? Ask Barack Obama or Mitt Romney. They’re on the campaign trail this year for the Oval Office, and neither can seem to avoid getting the sticky un-American label of socialist all over their pinstripes. Debs preferred gray suits over pinstripes, however, and proudly wore the red label of socialism. Yep, Debs certainly stood out in a crowd. He had a 6-foot-2 frame (mostly knees and boney edges), delighted in Karl Marx and gave away his money to the working class like a backwater Robin Hood. Money he needed. Between the years 1900 and 1920, Gene Debs ran for president five times on a radical socialist platform that was anti-war, against Wall Street bankers bleeding the little guy and all for improving the labor conditions of the working class. He founded labor unions, chewed out the vice president of the Northwest Railroad in his own office and put a roof over Susan B. Anthony’s head when no one else would. He shook things up, and did time for crimes he didn’t commit. He was called a liar, a criminal and even a murderer. “Debs message was a powerful critique of the way things were in 1900,” says Dr. James Madison, an IU history professor. “It was a powerful critique about capitalism and of the government. He was asking the question- ‘What is democracy?’” “Whether he’s right or wrong, you can take your own pick… but I think we have an obligation to at least consider what Debs was asking. And I don’t think we do that much anymore.” Debs made a good deal of people think during his time, and more significantly, he made a good chunk of people believe in his vision of American socialism. And for those people who believed in his platform, a vote for Eugene Debs was a vote . . . FOR A MAN OF THE PEOPLE
If you eally want to find out what kind of man Debs was, you can start by going to the Debs home in Terre Haute and asking Karen Brown for a tour. The Debs home is exactly what it sounds like -- the house Gene built for himself in 1894. The three story white wood-sided home was saved from being bulldozed into a parking lot in 1962 by a group of Indiana State University professors, who banded together to buy the property. They called themselves the Eugene V. Debs Foundation, and after saving the home they converted it into a walk-through museum honoring his life. Brown is the curator and tour guide of the Debs Home. She is a small woman with spectacles and a shy smile, and it’s hard to hear her over the sound of hammers smacking on the roof outside. The Debs Foundation is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year with new roof tiles, but when things quiet down she’ll tell you all about Debs’ unlikely beginnings. Eugene V. Debs was born in the midst of the Civil War in November 1855 in a creaky wooden block house in Terre Haute, not far from the Debs home. He was one of the six children Daniel and Marguerite Debs brought into the world. His parents were French immigrants, and they worked their backs crooked just to keep them all fed and safe. The Civil War was raging in the South, and disease was rampant in the water in the canals. Conflict was in the air in Terre Haute, and as a young boy Debs drank it all in, Brown says. When he wasn’t on the front porch watching wagons of Union soldiers rumble through town, Debs read ferociously, preferring to learn from books he wasn’t assigned to read than ones he had to learn for school. She gestures to a small frayed block of paper. It was a high school math book, the last school book he ever
bought. Debs loved his books, according to Brown’s favorite biography, “The Bending Cross” by Ray Ginger. Ginger credits Gene’s father, Daniel, for Gene’s bookish ways, explaining that no matter how tired he was after a day chopping at a butcher’s block, Daniel would come home, wash his hands and read classical literature to his children. Eugene Debs the socialist rabble rouser had a childhood filled with revolution, his favorite being Victor Hugo, the author of “Les Miserables,” a novel about the June Rebellion that took place in France in 1832. “Victor Hugo was a hero to Debs,” Brown says. “He also was the inspiration for Gene’s middle name, Victor” Brown says Debs grew up to be a pretty approachable guy, a man of the people. While nationally he was known for wearing his Sunday best gray suits at political rallies, he never forgot where he came from. Brown says the people of Terre Haute would see him more often than not walking down the street in overalls and a greasy railroader cap.
FOR BRINGING OUR BOYS HOME
Debs had no use for war, or violence in general. The only guns in Debs’ bony hands were game guns and hunting rifles, many of which are now locked up behin glass in the Debs’ House. Brown says the only things he ever killed with them were slow ducks. A few dead pheasants didn’t bother him, but IU history professor Dr. James Madison says dead soldiers were something Debs’ personal and political sensibilities couldn’t abide. “War and democracy make for bad bedfellows,” says Madison, whose field of study is 20th century American history. Rights such as freedom of speech are of-
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ten the first to be trampled underfoot by the government when the nation is under the fear of attack. “War fosters strong feelings of patriotism and unity,” Madison says. “And the socialist party and the labor movement were viewed during WWI to be threats to this unity.” Madison points out that during WWI, the country was divided into two groups: the “100% Americans,” who backed the war, and those who were against it. In its effort to unify Americans the administration of President Woodrow Wilson had begun circulating propaganda urging citizens to be “100% Americans” who supported our involvement in Europe. Socialists like Debs, who were against the war, were “tarred” as being against the troops, according to Madison.
FOR THE FIRST AMENDMENT
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If naturally gifted speakers have silver tongues, then Debs had one forged in a storm cloud. Photos show Debs in his element: standing high on wooden platforms at political rallies, arms outstretched in a silent plea, his vocal chords taut as a bullwhip. Debs’ voice could scold and it could comfort. It could strike Wall Street bankers with hot lightning and roll sweet thunder for his supporters. In one moment, his words would shower down furious and unrelenting despair, and then blossom with sweet, almost sad, hope in the next, according to Ginger’s biography. During his 1908 campaign for the presidency, Debs traveled the country aboard a train called “The Red Special” taking on a speaking circuit at the age of 53 that would’ve ran much younger men into the ground. He was giving as many as seven two-hour speeches a week for months at a time. Debs worked on his speeches every day throughout every campaign he ran. Free speech was his weapon, one that scared the tarnation out of wide a cross-section of bigwigs in Washington, according to Brown, Ginger, and everyone else who has studied Debs. In 1918, after giving a now-famous anti-war speech to a crowd in Canton, Ohio, Debs was arrested and charged with ten counts of sedition under the new federal Espionage Act and sentenced to 10 years in prison. Debs’ speech had been a fierce assault on President Woodrow Wilson and the United State’s involvement in World War I. Debs was all too aware of the ugly stew his words would
cook up, and before launching into his tear on the war he made it clear that in a few moments he would tread over line, and onto the thinnest crisp of ice. “…In speaking to you this afternoon, there are certain limitations placed upon the right of free speech. I must be exceedingly careful, prudent, as to what I say, and even more careful and prudent as to how I say it. I may not be able to say all I think; but I am not going to say anything that I do not think. I would rather a thousand times be a free soul in jail than to be a sycophant and coward in the streets.” -Eugene Debs at a speech in Canton, Ohio, 1918.
FOR REFORMING THE PENAL SYSTEM
Of all the people who ever ran for president, the most qualified candidate on the subject of prison reform would have to be Debs. What other man can say he ran for president from the dank confines of a federal penitentiary and managed to win nearly one million votes? None. Debs’ bid for the Oval Office is surely one of the more bizarre incidents in American political history, and just the thought of it makes John Strinka giddy. “Imagine running for president from prison,” Strinka says, his voice crackling merrily over the phone line. His voice is coming from Carmel, where he acts as chairman and organizer of the GreaterIndianapolis chapter of the Socialist Party of America. Debs entered the Atlanta Federal Penitentiary at the age of 65, a frail and tired man. His appeal to the Supreme Court had been fruitless. President Wilson hated Debs, Strinka says, and was glad to be rid of the old red thorn in his side. In jail Debs’ mail privileges were severely restricted, but he was allowed to retain several privileges: he was still allowed to read socialist newsletters and entertain a healthy stream of visitors during his imprisonment. During that time he met with his younger brother Theodore and other Socialist party members, who updated him on the state of the party and its next big campaign- running a convict for president in the 1920 election. It would be Debs’ last run, and quite possibly his greatest. Theodore Debs was instrumental in his older brother’s final run for the presidency, according to Brown from the Debs
home. Theodore grew up idolizing his older brother’s work ethic and intellect, and had begun working for Debs as his campaign manager/personal secretary/ do-it-all guy during Debs’ first run for the presidency in 1900. One of Theodore’s responsibilities was helping his brother manage his mail during his campaigns, and had even learned how to write letters as Eugene V. Debs. The Debs home has several examples letters Theodore wrote for his brother, and no, you can’t tell the difference between Gene’s letters and the ones Theodore wrote as Gene. While Theodore helped with getting the word out in the mail, Socialist party organizers drummed up support for Debs with an array of posters and buttons playing up their candidate’s… unique… campaign circumstances. They shellacked their slogan “Convict No. 9653 for President” onto bright red buttons and crisp white banners, playing off the fact that Debs was a man stripped of his voice and freedom, a man the government wanted you to forget. The unusual campaign racked up the most votes he would ever receive- over 913,000 votes cast for the Socialist Party of America. While impressive, garnering 6 percent of the popular vote meant only a moral victory for Debs, who had grown tired being the admirable defeated. Debs was released from prison on December 23, 1921, his 10-year sentence commuted to the status of “time-served” by President Warren G. Harding. Debs was seen off from the grounds by a throng of cheering inmates just days before Christmas. Inmates showered Debs with gifts they made in the prison’s woodshop, many of which remain in the rooms at the Debs House today. At 71 years old, Debs’ health was failing when he received his pardon in 1921. The problem was ironic – Eugene V. Debs—protector of the downtrodden— had a bad heart. He would die of heart failure six years later on October 10, 1926. But that was another day, and Debs had one last journey to make. On his trip home from the Atlanta Penitentiary, Deb was beckoned to stop at the White House. There he met with President Harding, who looked the old stooped man in the gray suit up and down before smiling and shaking hands with Debs, the ex-convict. “Well, I’ve heard so damned much about you Mr. Debs, that I am glad to
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812 LIST
Hoosierfolk
Our field guide to eight types of people you can meet in the Hoosier State. By Dan Carson “Hoosier”... such a broad term, right? We come from all different walks of life, and like snowflakes, no two people you meet from Indiana will be exactly the same. But in the name of good fun, 812 asked former Indiana poet Laureate Norbert Krapf, author Frank Bill and other Southern Indiana natives to draw upon their life experiences and Hoosier knowledge to come up with eight different types of Hoosiers you might encounter in our great state.
5. The Knob Goblin has plunged to the dankest depths of Squire Boone Caverns and scrambled up the steepest slopes of Floyd’s Knobs. A lover of Smartwool socks and sturdy walking sticks, he or she hits the trails early in the day before the summer sun heats up and the afternoon showers roll in. The Knob Goblin can found on top of the Henryville fire tower, spitting sunflower
1. The Hoosier Hoopster shot the lights out of every high school gym for three counties back in the day, or so they say. Hoopsters were raised with a hoop nailed up in the drive, and can’t resist the temptation to let one fly when they see a lonely waste basket in the corner. 2. The Rustic ReInventor breathes life into molten glass and chokes porcelain brilliance from lumpy wet clay. After walking out on their 9-to-5 lives in a big city, the Rural Re-Inventors came to the countryside to grab life with their bare hands. The Rural Re-Inventors can be found toiling away in their at-home studios, huddled over blue flames and canvas instead of computer screens. 3. The Happy Hunter exalts in the Second Amendment and the friendship of a loyal dog, and always brings home enough wild meat and morel mushrooms to feed the family. The Happy Hunter is proud, and his hunting wisdom has been passed down since the pioneer days when wild game flourished where shopping malls now stand.
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4. The Dairy Queen might not have grow up churning burning butter, but her uncanny ability to hone in on the nearest softserve ice cream cone in her area is unrivaled for three counties. Her scepter is a waffle cone, and her throne is the bench outside her favorite ice cream hut.
seeds and watching the sun rise on the Ohio River. 6. The Tenderloin Muncher grew up with the taste of pork on the tongue, and has never been able to shake it. The Tenderloin Muncher is addicted to ketchup and pickles, and can be found waiting impatiently wherever grease pops. 7. The Freedom Fighters are hardworking moralists and defenders of the Constitution. The Stars and Stripes are their pride, and many have served or have family in the military. They can be found at the VFW bundling care packages for our boys overseas and crooning Bruce Springsteen on karaoke night. 8. The Neo Hillbilly loves Newgrass and the Beatles, too. These country-fried rockers yearn for the Big Beat, and congregate wherever the holy names of Scruggs, Monroe, and Stanley are heard. For the Neo Hillbilly, the road to the Promised Land
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