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WILLIAM HENRY HARRISON: DOES HE GET A BAD RAP?
812 MAGAZINE STAFF
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SUMMER/ FALL 2011
An Indiana native, Arnie Sites enjoyed learning to fly fish with a guide from Wildcat Creek Outfitters- even if she didn't catch a fish.
Departments editor Kaitlin Ruchniewicz explored the archives to find the real story behind longwinded former president William Henry Harrison.
Co-editor Meredith Reffner loves shrimp, but didn't know anything about prawns before interviewing Jerry Pellman. She thinks she'd like to take home a fainting goat.
English native Charlotte Martin discovered Southern Indiana's bluegrass traditions are rooted in old British ballads and dance songs.
Lauren Savitskas spent hours on the Knobstone Trail, lost a shoe to a mud puddle and jumped over a river — all a part of being a rookie on the trail.
Co-online editor Pooja Kansal might not have much experience when it comes to horseback riding, but she loved horsing around at Horse-Angels, Inc.
Eric Stearley is a photojournalist and Indiana native. He visually explored Southern Indiana and told the stories of 812 through photographs.
Lindsay Donovan is an Evansville native and got to know the people and their hot rods at an event her hometown is famous for — the Frog Follies.
While shooting photos for her story on bluegrass music, co-design editor Rebecca Dille came to realize the amount of skill required to play bluegrass.
Hailing from Houston, Texas, co-design editor Helene DeLone relished the sights, smells and sounds of Southern Indiana's finest kitchens.
Co-online editor Lisa Tomcko had never heard of Harpsicles, but has always secretly wanted to play the harp.
Tim Mattingly grew up in Batesville and learned a lot about Southern Indiana's back roads driving around for his story.
Co-editor Joy Msiska can't play cards, but she'll darned well try. She has yet to master her poker face but will likely stick to writing about them instead.
Megan Samuels is a native Hoosier who loves IU. Since turning 21, she's been touring wine country, Southern Indiana style. Cheers!
Nancy Comiskey, a lecturer in the IU School of Journalism, worked with these talented young journalists who found surprising stories in Southern Indiana.
TABLE OF CONTENTS FEATURES
8 Harp & Soul Rising Sun harp maker William Rees' economical Harpsicle line is getting international acclaim. Story by Lisa Tomcko
26 Chefs' Specials Story by Helene DeLone
12 Old Tippecanoe A new look at William Henry Harrison, the territory's first governor and, some say, worst president. Story by Kaitlin Ruchniewicz COVER STORY
16 Bill Monroe's
Bluegrass
812 takes a look at jams, bands and why Bill Monroe's music still rings across Southern Indiana. Story by Charlotte Martin and photos by Rebecca S. Dille
22 Prawn Broker Southern Indiana freshwater shrimp farmer Jerry Pellman has an eye for unusual animals. Story by Meredith Reffner
DEPARTMENTS TASTE OF SOUTHERN INDIANA
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Persimmon Passion
WHAT I'VE LEARNED
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Jason Emmons
GET OUT OF TOWN
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Double Feature
THE 812 LIST
31 Tales
of Two Cities
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EXCLUSIVE ONLINE CONTENT Touched by a Horse-Angel On her Spencer farm, veterinarian Sue Whitman heals the bodies and spirits of abused and neglected horses.
Hot-Rod Hoosiers Vintage car lovers from across the country converge in Evansville each September for the Frog Follies.
812: The Magazine of Southern Indiana Summer/Fall 2011 Volume 2, Number 1 Photo by Helene DeLone
On the Fly
Euchre!
Somewhere in Southern Indiana's lakes and rivers lurks a largemouth bass just waiting for your next cast.
Grab a deck of cards, pick up the bower and get in the barn with Indiana's favorite game.
Driving Through Time The new I-69 extension may close some back roads, so writer Tim Mattingly turned off the highway to see what's there now.
Hiking the Knobstone Trail Writer Lauren Savitskas spent a day on the longest - and toughest - footpath in Southern Indiana.
812 was conceived, reported, written, photographed, edited and designed by students in J360 Creating an Indiana Magazine at the Indiana University School of Journalism. Contents may not be reproduced without the written consent of the School. If you're interested in advertising in 812, or if you'd like copies to distribute at your place of business, please contact Nancy Comiskey at ncomiske@indiana.edu.
Photo by Lisa Tomcko
Note from the Editors n our first summer/fall issue of 812, we wanted to capture the magic of the seasons in Southern Indiana. Celebrate endless nights with music at a local bluegrass festival, take advantage of the warm weather with a drive-in movie at Cinema 67 and keep your brain sharp with a fresh look at our Hoosier president William Henry Harrison. 812 writers and editors have jammed with bluegrass bands, visited farms, pursued persimmons and inhaled sawdust in order to put together this issue — and we've enjoyed every minute of it. We hope you'll enjoy discovering the secrets of summer and fall in Southern Indiana. And we hope you'll friend us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter because there's always something happening here!
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- Meredith Reffner
y family moved in 2002 from Colorado to the Hoosier state. A reluctant transplant, I remember feeling uncertain of what lay across the plains. There was no need to fear. Sure, there were cultural hurdles to foray (Case in point: euchre. What the heck is euchre?), but these quirks gave our home in the heartland a vibrancy we quickly embraced as our own. Exploring our region again for this magazine allowed the entire staff to step back and see our forests for the trees—really. Through mossy trailheads to backwoods fishing holes, we all took renewed zeal in exploring our rolling acres, sampling the food—the food!—and chatting with our neighbors who call this land home. Creating this Indiana magazine has been a pleasure. For your sake, I hope we aced it.
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- Joy Msiska
Persimmon passion Pick persimmons too soon and they'll make you pucker. But those who wait are rewarded with juicy sweetness.
Eva Powell's Persimmon Pudding
By Lisa Tomcko
2 cups persimmon pulp, 2 cups sugar,
Ingredients:
outhern Indiana is wild about persimmons. The little fruit even gets its own festival in Mitchell. Hoosiers use persimmons in everything from barbeque sauce to beer, but the signature dish is persimmon pudding. Ranging from Ping-Pong ball to plum size, the persimmon is a round, reddishorange fruit that ripens in mid to late autumn. When the fruit is fully ripe, it falls off the tree, and you gather your persimmons from the ground. Premature persimmons are bitter, but the ripe fruit is soft and juicy with a sweet, mellow flavor. Native persimmons are not sold commercially because the ripe fruit is too fragile and the pH level of the pulp makes it potentially hazardous. In fact,
S
only health department-certified sellers can peddle the pulp for profit. Twin Tykes of Orleans, Seeds and Such in Bedford and Apple Acres in Bedford are three such sellers in the area. As former chair of Mitchell's persimmon pudding contest, Krystal Shetler says the annual Persimmon Festival is a great place to find persimmon desserts and recipes. "The success of your recipe depends almost completely on the pulp," Shetler says. Persimmons must be ripe to be strained into pulp, which should be a deep orange color. Mitchell resident Eva Powell has won the pudding contest more times than anyone else in festival history, and Shetler recommends her classic recipe for persimmon pudding.
1.5 cups flour, 1 teaspoon baking soda, 1.5 cups buttermilk, 1/4 cup cream, 1/8 teaspoon salt, 2 large eggs, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/8 pound butter/ margarine, 1 teaspoon baking powder
Instructions: Mix the pulp and sugar in a large bowl. Stir in two large, beaten eggs. In a separate bowl, combine the baking soda and buttermilk. Stir until the foaming stops. Pour into the first mixture and stir. Sift in flour, salt and baking powder. Beat well. Add cinnamon and cream. Melt the butter in a pan. Pour melted butter into the batter, leaving just enough to grease the pan. Beat the mixture well. Bake it approximately one hour at 350 degrees.
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SUMMER/ FALL 2011
Jason Emmons takes command of the chainsaw as he puts the finishing touches on his sculpture during a carving competition. / Photo courtesy of Bear Hollow
Jason Emmons The tiniest slip of the chainsaw and woodcarver Jason Emmons can lose hours of work on a sculpture. It's a risk he takes every day. By Kaitlin Ruchniewicz
A
version, then the pieces started to come more naturally.
fter working in a sawmill for
10 years, Emmons, 38, found Practice makes nearly perfect. The himself at a timber convention. chainsaw is a loud tool, but it's a useful Hours into watching a chainsaw woodtool. The best way I can describe it is carver, he decided to give the craft a try. that carving is a series of adjustments. Now, nine years later, Jason competes in You are constantly adjusting, and then carving competitions across the country you are making fewer mistakes. You and works at his Bear Hollow studio in never know what the end result is going French Lick. It's the largest chainsaw to be - you just have to work with the sculpture gallery in the United States. piece as you go.
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Individuality can be inspiring. I was so set on copying pictures and other people's work, I was always looking at what other people were doing and trying to match it. That became kind of frustrating. I quit copying and just let it happen. I told myself to carve my own
It takes more than skill to win a competition. A lot of people ask, "Is it more of an art or a craft? Can it be taught?" Sure it can be taught, but to do well in competitions you need to be an artist and let your personality shine through the piece. It's art.
Hard work can be the most rewarding. A gentleman from Alabama wanted me to carve a likeness to his grandfather, who had passed away, for his grandmother. He wanted it 81/2 feet tall. It's natural to carve it life-like, but when it's larger than life, the features are difficult. It wasn't the most expensive or the largest. It was the one that meant the most to the people getting it. When people think woodcarving, they don't think Southern Indiana. When people see chainsaws and woodcarving, they think of the West. When they find out there is a national award-winning sculptor here they embrace it. I'm an Indiana artisan, and we proudly wave that flag. We are proud of our state.
GET OUT OF TOWN
Hop in the bed of your pick-up truck, crank up the country tunes, and don't forget the bug spray. It's drive-in season! By Lindsay Donovan hether you're looking for a romantic date, some family fun, or a chance to kick back with friends, the drive-in is an affordable, fun place to go on a summer night. Get there right before sunset and watch the sky turn from pink, yellow and purple to a maze of bright stars. As the temperature drops, get cozy with as many blankets as you want and stay in your pajamas. The best part? You can bring your own snacks without having to sneak them in through your purse. According to the United Drive-In Theatre Owner's Association, Indiana has more member drive-in theaters than the entire state of Texas, coming in fourth on the list of states with the most drive-ins. Southern Indiana is home to seven of them and we picked two based on best events and food. Both theaters opened in mid-April and will close at the end of October.
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Linda Blair came for a showing of "The Exorcist" and signed autographs and met patrons. This year is Georgetown's 60-year anniversary. To celebrate, there will be a "Rock Around the Clock" night on July 23. Cindy Williams ("Laverne and Shirley") and Henry Winkler ("Happy Days") will be there to watch two "Happy Days" episodes and meet fans. For an event like this, it's best to get there two hours before. As a bonus, the concession's specialty is velvet, deep-fried Twinkies. Location: 719 E. 8th St., New Albany Hours: Fri-Sun, 2 shows per night Prices: Adults $9, children $5, children under 4 free
Cinema 67 Located five miles north of Spencer, this theater was built in 1957 during the "drivein boom" that swept the United States. It not only has five screens but also boasts a kitchen that makes the concession stand feel like a small-town diner. They have their own chef whose specialty is homemade apple dumplings with vanilla sauce. He won't give the recipe away, but he says, "It's pretty basic—water, sugar, flour, real butter, vanilla bean. Always top with nutmeg; that's the secret kick." Cinema 67 is also known for its Polish sausage sandwiches, halfpound breaded pork tenderloin sandwich and a fixings bar so customers can dress their food with sweet peppers, onions and more.
Georgetown Drive-In This New Albany theater is a laid-back place where families have been going for years. They arrive from out of town six to seven hours before films begin to ensure they get a place to park. In 2010,
Location: At the junction of Highway 67 & 231 North Hours: Open at 7:45, Shows at dusk. Prices: Adults $7, children $3, children under 5 is free
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William Rees' hand-crafted stringed instruments make heavenly music in Rising Sun and around the world.
Irr
By Lisa Tomcko
iny Rising Sun became an unlikely harp hotspot when renowned harpmaker William Rees set up shop on Main Street 10 years ago. But if residents thought Harps on Main would gentrify the town's main drag, they were only partially correct. To be sure, dulcet tones waft from the building during harp lessons and visits from famous harpists. But more often, classic rock blasts from the workshop in back, where Rees and his crew coax harps out of wooden planks and nylon strings. Angelic or not, Rees' shop has put this small Ohio River town on the map with harp beginners and professionals alike. Rising Sun could have lost its harp bragging rights to the economic crisis. Concert harps, after all, are not the most recession-proof items. But Rees also introduced a lower-cost line called Harpsicle Harps. "It saved our butts," Rees says simply. While concert harp orders plummeted to about three per month, Harpsicle orders rose from around 120 to 170 per month in the last two years. In fact, Harpsicle business has increased eight-fold since 2003, as hosts of established and first-time players have been buying the colorful little harps that are contributing to a larger revival in the United States and beyond. Harps on Main is a family affair. Besides William, the shop employs 10 people, and everyone is either a Rees family member or a close friend. While William's domain is wood, glue and sawdust, his wife, Pamela Rees, is the chief operating officer who handles the administrative end of the business. Two of
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William's three children from a previous marriage also work in the shop. Son Garen Rees, 29, helps out in the office and designs, paints and carves the intricate ornamentation on the concert harps. Daughter Rebecca Brown, 36, levers the harps. Levers are devices above each harp string that raise the pitch one halfstep, creating sharps. Although they don't have a standardized system, Rees estimates that he and his crew take three weeks to make a concert harp. When they really hustle they can make 10 Harpsicles in a day. Due to the Harpsicle's popularity they've had to extend the expected waiting period by two weeks, to five to six weeks. Harps are both made and played at Harps on Main. Darlene Walton is the shop's resident harp teacher. She gives lessons at the store and leads a harp choir of local children. This morning, Harps on Main is bustling. Even at full volume, "Bad Company" is barely audible over the buzz of saws and sanding equipment. Sawdust and the sharp smell of spray paint fill the air. Small templates line the left wall and piles of precariously stacked lumber are everywhere. Rees, 61, strides into the chaos. "What do we have on the table today?" he asks his son-in-law, Shannon Brown. "We've got 10 Harpsicles waiting to be sanded and 10 that need painting," Brown replies in a mock-boss manner. "Go, go, go!" When Rees emerges for his lunch break a few hours later, he doesn't look much like a master luthier. His orange T-shirt and blue jeans are coated with sawdust. His hands and the tip of his nose are smudged with royal-blue spray paint. But his crisp blue eyes behind their wire-rimmed glasses betray Rees' quick wit. Eleanor, his beloved golden retriever and standard poodle mix, curls up next to his chair while he recounts his journey of the harp.
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Rees has always been a musical man. He's been playing a variety of instruments - from ukulele to accordion to guitar - since the age of 9 and has been building instruments since 1972. A biologist by training, Rees taught science at a small high school near Yosemite National Park for 20 years. Although he loved teaching, he didn't want to become, as he puts it, "one of those old-fart teachers." Rees needed a change, and so he turned to his part-time hobby of building instruments. Initially he dreamed of his own guitar shop, but there was greater demand for harps as a folk-harp revival took hold. So Rees was drawn to the harp and has been building them full-time for the past 20 years. Since the Midwest is the country's manufacturing center and home to many of the most profitable fine arts festivals (where most of Rees Harps Inc.'s business originally came from), the Reeses decided to relocate in the Heartland. Both William and Pamela come from rural areas and love nature, so they settled on Rising Sun for its pastoral charm, hilly landscape and location along the scenic Ohio River. Rees brushes off the grand claim on Rees Harp's website that his science background gives him special insight into instrument making. "That's a bunch of bull," he says with a laugh. But he admits it requires almost scientific discipline and precision to determine the proper density and thickness of the wood. And many of his construction techniques are indeed based in
Above left: Garen Rees uses a fretwork veneer overlay to ornament a concert harp. William Rees estimates his crew makes 10 Harpsicles per day when they really hustle. Middle left: The Harps on Main storefront brightens up Main Street in Rising Sun. Inside, William Rees and his crew handcraft harps and Harpsicles. Bottom left: Joann Irwin applies hardware to a Harpsicle so the strings can be attached. Right: Harpsicles, which are loosely modeled after Renaissance harps, come in 10 different colors so customers can personalize their instruments. / Photos by Lisa Tomcko
science, such as his trademark asymmetrical soundboards and his use of flat "Plano" backs versus the more common round or staved harp backs. Rees thinks of his abilities as common sense. To him, the solution to an instrumental design flaw seems obvious, while others have to struggle to find the answer.
OR he harp has been documented in Egypt and Sumeria as early as 3000 BC, making it one of the oldest string instruments. Nearly every society that used a hunting bow developed some form of harp. Rees says the harp was never standardized the way other string instruments have been. Modern harp luthiers keep improving the instrument's design and construction, so, unlike violinists, harp enthusiasts want the newest instruments rather than the antiques. When people think of harps, they tend to envision the massive, ornate harps used in orchestras, weddings and other formal events. These pedal harps - so called because players use their feet to control the key and pitch of the strings - are designed for classical music and can be physically taxing to play. Despite its limitations and the fact that it represents a fraction of all harps, the pedal harp and its harpists received all of the music world's respect and recognition for a long time. Then, in the 1970s, Robinson's Harp Shop in Mount Laguna, California, sparked a folk-harp revival that spread to Europe and the rest of the world. Luthier Roland Robinson began publishing the Folk Harp Journal and founded the International Society of Folk Harpers and Craftsmen. Christina Tourin, a former director of the Folk Harp Society, says that there were virtually no small harps in the United States before Robinson's campaign. "At that time other people were getting excited and starting to build harps and get more harps out there," Tourin
T
says. Before the days of blogs and Facebook pages, the Folk
Harp Journal provided a forum where harp builders could communicate, compare and experiment with harp designs and techniques. Rees set out to improve the traditional lever harp. While most harps use symmetrical soundboards, Rees discovered that asymmetrical soundboards better distribute the harp's tones. He also sacrifices the beauty of round or stave-backed harps for the wider range of tones obtainable with flat backs. But his Harpsicle venture has made the biggest impact on the modern harp world. Rees knew that people who wanted to play the harp were deterred by the instrument's cost. A concert-level lever harp can run from $2,000 to more than $5,000. It's difficult to find a cheap "starter harp," because less expensive models from Asia are shoddily made and produce a tinny sound. So Rees developed the Harpsicle. As he explains, "You have to pay a little more, but you actually have a real, functional harp." Rees designed the Harpsicle to be an affordable, quality instrument that can take a beating. Harpsicles don't have the asymmetrical soundboards of the concert line, and the most basic Harpsicle model does not have levers for sharps or flats. But the harps produce a good sound, are more reasonably priced (about $400 to $2,000) and maintain their tune. Weighing in at 4 1/2 pounds, Harpsicles are light and portable. Rees offers the Harpsicle in 10 vivid colors - from red to purple - so customers can personalize their instrument. While the Harpsicle is a deal for harp enthusiasts, it's a struggle for its makers. The shop fights to keep costs down and prices low. Rees suspects this is why the Harpsicle has little competition. Some companies have begun to mimic Rees' CONTINUED ON PAGE 30
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FALL 2011
A new look at William Henry Harrison, the Indiana Territory's first governor and, some say, one of our worst presidents.
OLD TIPPECANOE By Kaitlin Ruchniewicz the early history of Southern Indiana were a feature film, the role of William Henry Harrison would be the lead. Long before he became known as the president with the longest inaugural address and the shortest term, he was a military hero, ambassador, congressman, senator and governor of the Indiana Territory. Yet he routinely pops up on lists of the 10 worst U.S. presidents. As we near the 100th anniversary of the Grouseland Foundation, an organization dedicated to preserving Harrison's Vincennes home, it seems fitting to take a fresh look at Old Tippecanoe.
So, who was William Henry Harrison, anyway? Harrison was born February 9,1773, into a prominent political family from Virginia, but his father died when Harrison was only 18. Left without money for expensive schooling, he went into the military The young Harrison scrambled up through the ranks and made a name for himself at the Battle of Fallen Timbers in what is now Ohio. Harrison stood just 5 foot 8 inches tall. He was a slim man with thin brown hair that grayed with age but was always combed in a haphazard manner straight down his forehead or a bit to the right. His face was sharp with angles, especially noticeable in his long nose. The courage he displayed in battle extended into his personal life. When he asked for Anna Symme's hand in marriage, her father, prominent Judge John Cleves Symmes, refused, believing an army officer could not properly support a wife and family. The couple waited until Symmes left town on business and then eloped.
Tippecanoe and Tyler, Too Harrison soon proved his worth to his reluctant father-in-law and was elected as the first delegate from the Northwest Territory in Congress. He and his wife had 10 children, the most ever born to a woman who would become First Lady. Sadly, Anna Harrison survived all but one of them.
How did Harrison end up in Vincennes?
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The popular theme song of Harrison's presidential campaign scored points against opponent Martin Van Buren. Ohhhhhhh Oh who has heard the great commotion, motion, motion All the country through? It is the ball a-rolling on For Tippecanoe and Tyler too And with him we'll beat Little Van, Van
floors and look back in history. "We are very dedicated to preserving history in this area," says historian Richard Day. "It tells us where we've been and tells us where we're going."
How fair were the Indian treaties Harrison negotiated?
A man of order, Harrison followed those given to him by President Adams When Harrison was a delegate repand then President Thomas Jefferson, resenting the Northwest Territory, who wanted Indian lands cheaply and President John Adams nominated him quickly. In the biography, "Mr. JefferVan is a used-up man to become governor of the Indiana Terson's Hammer: William Henry Harrison And with him we'll beat Little Van ritory. He accepted and set up camp in and the Origins of Indian Policy," Robert Vincennes, the capital from 1800-1813. Owens writes about the dynamic of their Sure, let 'em talk about hard cider With a population of 5,000 free men, the relationship. "Both men, like most Amer(cider, cider) town bustled with activity. icans at the time, believed in the innate And log cabins too Harrison built a plantation-style inferiority of Indian cultures, and felt 'T'will only help to speed the ball brick home in Vincennes, which was that the Indians must either adopt white For Tippecanoe and Tyler too much like the one where he grew up in American cultural practices, especially And with him we'll beat Little Van, Virginia. Named Grouseland for the fixed agriculture and animal husbandry, Van many birds in the area, the home was "a or go extinct," Owens says. Van is a used-up man symbolic statement of westward expanHarrison's job was to see that JefferAnd with him we'll beat Little Van sion," says Daniel Sarell, the Grouseland son's plan for westward expansion was executive director. successful. He was a skillful negotiator, Like the rush of mighty waters The birds in the fields outside weren't dividing and conquering Indian lands (waters, waters) the only ones Harrison admired. When for as little money as possible. That asOnward it will go he later served as an ambassador to Cosignment brought Harrison face to face And of course we'll bring you through lombia, he brought back a young macaw with the most famous Indian leader of For Tippecanoe and Tyler too parrot named Charlie. Charlie outlived his time, Tecumseh. Although Tecumseh And with him we'll beat Little Van, Harrison by several decades, and the bird resisted the westward expansion, HarVan was passed down the Harrison line as a rison admired him as a leader. In a letter Van is a used-up man family pet. "The story was that the local to the Secretary of War, Harrison calls And with him we'll beat Little Van minister was visiting the family," Sarell Tecumseh "one of those uncommon gesays, "and Charlie pranced up and down niuses." He wrote that had it not been for the parlor shouting, 'Go to hell!" Charlie his location in the path of an advancing likely picked up the sass from one or more generations of Har- United States, Tecumseh would "be the founder of an Empire rison men. that would rival in glory that of Mexico or Peru." Once completed, Grouseland became the home of the HarThe feelings were not mutual. At one meeting, Tecumseh risons' 10 children. In the dining room, one of the shutters still called Harrison a liar and refused to step into his Vincennes contains a small bullet hole. According to Sarell, Harrison was home, practically starting a fight 100 feet from Grouseland's walking in the dining room one night with his son, John Scott front porch. Later, Tecumseh marched to Vincennes to meet Harrison, when someone took a shot at the governor. Some with Harrison about a dispute over the Fort Wayne Treaty that believe it was intimidation tactic, while others think of it as a gave the United States 160,000 acres of land. "Tecumseh was failed assassination. Harrison and his son were unharmed, and adamantly opposed to Harrison's huge purchases of Indian John Scott Harrison lived on to be the only person with a father lands, which he considered illegitimate and ultimately destrucand, later, a son, Benjamin Harrison, as president. tive for Native Americans," Owens says. Grouseland was also an important meeting site for politiHarrison didn't back down and marched with more 1,000 cians, explorers and Indian leaders. Harrison negotiated 13 men to Shawnee territory to initiate a peace agreement. The treaties at the house. Most of the agreements were land treaties tribes attacked Harrison and his troops in the Battle of Tippethat allowed Harrison to purchase over 60 million acres from canoe, which became a clear victory for Harrison and the end of the Indian tribes. The Treaty of Grouseland was signed by Little Tecumseh's dream of a unified Indian front. Turtle and Buckongaheals in what Sarell called the "oval office A year later, in the War of 1812, Harrison served as comof the Northwest." Historians say Meriweather Lewis, of Lewis mander of the army and led the United States to a victory and Clark fame, visited as well as Aaron Burr. Today, Grouse- against the British at the Battle of Thames in Canada. Tecumland is a museum where visitors can walk the dark wooden seh was killed. Ii
The Grouseland Foundation will celebrate its 100th anniversary this year. / Photo courtesy of the Grouseland Foundation
How did Harrison end up on these "worst president" lists? Harrison ran for president in the 1840 election as the Northern Whig candidate. "It was the first of the modern presidential campaigns," Sarell says. Harrison used election slogans and songs, including one called "Tippecanoe and Tyler, Too" that celebrated his military career and victory at Tippecanoe. Harrison traveled on newly built rail lines to speak to the public. He called it the "log cabin and hard cider" campaign after opponent Martin Van Buren said Harrison would be just as happy sitting outside his log cabin sipping on hard cider as he would being president. Harrison even served hard cider at rallies. Harrison won the election with 53 percent of the vote. After his win, Harrison went down in history books as the man who gave the longest inaugural address - an 8,000-word speech that took over two hours deliver. Some say the cold, rainy weather that day in March killed him - along with the fact he didn't wear gloves, a hat or coat. He came down with pneumonia and within weeks, he was dead, the first president to die
in office. John Tyler assumed the office and served the remainder of Harrison's term. So Harrison ends up on "worst president" lists not because of his policies, beliefs or practices, but by default. He didn't accomplish anything in office because he served only 31 days, much of which he was gravely ill.
So, what's the verdict? Harrison is a significant historical figure, representing the ideals and values that can be hard to understand now, Owens says. "Harrison serves as a good example of the ambitious men of his generation, who blended patriotism and profit in a way we still find unsettling." For that reason, the Grouseland Foundation works to preserve the history of Harrison's personal and political life, not just his short term as president. "How you become president is what we focus on here," Sarell says. "Historical context settles a lot of scores. You have to look at this long life, this long illustrious career of achievement."
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As we near the 100th birthday of the father of bluegrass music, 812 takes a look at jams, bands and why his music still resonates across Southern Indiana. STORY BY CHARLOTTE MARTIN I PHOTOS BY REBECCA S. DILLE
EC
The sound of taut strings plucked against a wooden frame sometimes slowly and mournfully, sometimes at galloping speed - makes the hairs stand up on the back of your neck. In the rhythmic rise and fall of vocal harmonies, each bluegrass song is a story told in local bars on weekend nights and around festival campfires on summer evenings. Its traditions deeply rooted in the hills of Kentucky and Southern Indiana, bluegrass music is flourishing here and across the country. And you won't find a plug in sight. Sherri Hacker says it's the "high lonesome" sound that's the soul of bluegrass music and the reason it remains so popular today. She grew up in Kentucky and learned to play flat-top guitar with her parents and her grandfather. Now 50, she serves as president of the Indiana Friends of Bluegrass. "It's pure music," she says. "For me there's no other way to explain it. When they have those harmonies perfect, it's a sound that is unbelievable.
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It makes you feel like you're home." September 13, 2011, marks the centennial of the birth of Bill Monroe, the undisputed father of bluegrass music and the man who founded the longest continuous bluegrass festival in the world in Bean Blossom. More than 40,000 people are expected to flock to the tiny Brown County town in June for the 45th Bill Monroe Memorial Bean Blossom Bluegrass Festival. With more than 50 performers, the festival features some of bluegrass' biggest names, like The Grascals, Russell Moore & IIIrd Tyme Out and the Lonesome River Band. Bill Monroe's festival is the biggest bluegrass event this summer, but definitely not the only one. The bluegrass calendar is packed full of jams, shows and festivals that stretch into fall.
So whether you'd just like a listen or you want to dust off your guitar and jam with a band, 812 tells you how to enjoy the harddriving, toe-tapping, high-lonesome sound of Southern Indiana bluegrass.
IT'S NOT BLUEGRASS ROOTS COUNTRY Bluegrass and country are often thought of as similar styles of music. Yet according to Southern Indiana's bluegrass players, it isn't necessarily so. "They share a history and that's about it," says music teacher Ray Major of Ferdinand. The distinction between country and bluegrass came in the late 1940s, as the electric guitar and drums began
to creep their way from rock and roll into traditional country music. Bluegrass players, however, chose to stick to the acoustic style of Bill Monroe. Dan Billger, member of the The White Lightning Boys of Nashville, says bluegrass takes country music back to its roots. "What you hear on the radio isn't real country, it's more rock and roll or pop music. Bluegrass is like the original country music. It takes country back to its foundations, which is acoustic music." Ten years ago, bluegrass artist Larry Cordle documented the loss of country music in his song, "Murder on Music Row." "The steel guitars no longer cry, and you can't hear fiddles play," he wrote. "Someone killed country music" by cutting "out its heart and soul." Hacker says bluegrass is "roots" music. "It's acoustic and there's no amplification. What you hear is what you get. And it's stayed true to its roots."
Bill Monroe coined the name bluegrass, yet the music's roots go deeper. Old-time music comes from traditional Scottish, Irish and English ballads and dance tunes brought to America by immigrants who settled in the Appalachian region. Music teacher Major says these immigrants came down the Ohio River or up from Tennessee and Kentucky and brought their musical traditions with them. There are many similarities between bluegrass and old-time string music, like the
WHERE TO HEAR BLUEGRASS June 1-4th: John Hartford Memorial Festival, Bean Blossom 11-18th: 45th Annual Bill Monroe Bean Blossom Bluegrass Festival, Bean Blossom
July 7-9th: Cedar Valley Bluegrass Festival, Derby
August 4.6th: 13th Annual Bean Blossom Gospel Jubilee, Bean Blossom 25-27th: Bean Blossom Blues, Brew and BBQ, Bean Blossom
vocal harmonies and rhythmic pulse of the bass and guitar. But it's the banjo, whose design came from African slaves, that sets the two styles apart. In old-time music, the banjo was the accompaniment to the fiddle, which played the melody. In bluegrass, the melody passes from instrument to instrument. "All bluegrass bands have a banjo, but not every band has a fiddle," he said. "So that's why many people now think of the banjo as the main instrument."
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27th: Old Settlers Festival, Bowling Green
September 2-3rd: Brown County Old Settlers Reunion, Bean Blossom 3-5th: Bluegrass for Billy, Saline City 21-24th: 37th Annual Bill Monroe Bluegrass Hall of Fame and Uncle Pen Days, Bean Blossom 29-October 1st: WM Bentley Hillbilly Wagon Train Jam, Morgantown
THERE'S MORE THIS WAY. •111111*
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JAMMIN' REEL TYME STRING BAND "RED-HAIRED BOYS WILL TRICK YOUy RED-HAIRED BOYS ARE MEAN_, RED-HAIRED BOYS CAN MAKE THE GIRLS DO MOST ANYTHING." -FROM THE BLUEGRASS STANDARD "RED-HAIRED BOY"
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It's 6 p.m. on a Thursday and the door to the maintenance facility at Brown County's Camp Rancho Framasa is wide open. Chris Bryan and Dan Harden, founders of the Reel Tyme String Band, greet me on the gravel parking lot with a warm hello. Inside, the tools and cleaning products have been stashed away to make room for four blue chairs and a bar stool in a semi circle. Chris' iPod is playing a soothing tune that's difficult to identify over the chatting voices. The other band members arrive anOset up for the evening's practice. They catch up on the news of their lives. Nineteen-year-old Brandon just sold half of his hair, which is flaming orange, and now one side hangs shorter than the other. This inspires several minutes of jokes, before C 1 ris, sitting on the bar stool, turns to Brandon. "Hit it," he ys. "Play something." The Reel Tyme String Band is one of dozens of bluegrass bands that play to regular audiences at pubs, wineries and community centers across Southern Indiana. Tonight they're getting ready for a gig at the Bushman Brewhouse near Nashville. Brandon picks out a melody and the others join in. Dressed in tight electric-blue jeans, a blue t-shirt and blue tennis shoes, Brandon represents a younger generation getting caught up in bluegrass. The older band members wear comfy blue jeans and loose-fitting tops. Brandon is also the only band member without a moustache - not counting Loretta, of course, their
Left: "It'll get up and bark," Dan Harden says of his 1930s Gibson RB5 Banjo during rehearsal. Dan, who saw his first banjo at the age of 5, has played in several bands and once opened for Ricky Skaggs. Below: Mandolin player Brandon Lee and guitar player Rick Hedrick keep rhythm for the band. Loretta Vinson, bassist and main vocalist, calls Rick "Old-Man Rhythm."
EEL TYM STRING BAND' MUSTHEAR kn ARTISTS The Reel Tyme String Band recommends some of their favorite bluegrass artists. Check them out on YouTube. 1. Tony Rice: Considered one of the best players of the acoustic flat-picked guitar, Rice has won numerous awards from the International Bluegrass Music Association, as well as a Grammy. Listen to The Bluegrass Album, a six-volume set. 2. Sam Bush: The "father of newgrass," a progressive branch of bluegrass music, Bush is best know for his mandolin playing with the Newgrass Revival band. The grou performed songs by the Beatles an Bob Marley and moved away from
bass player and vocalist who is sick today. But he does have a silver stud in his lip. They move on to a song called "Wait a Minute." Guitarist Rick Hedrick looks up through his sunglasses and stops them. Chris says Rick is a stickler for openings and closes. "Loretta calls him Old-Man Rhythm," Chris says. "Bill Monroe himself asked Rick to play guitar for him when he was 18," he adds, a tone of respect in his voice. They turn Chris' iPod back on to listen and hear where they're going wrong. They don't use sheet music, which banjo player Dan Harden says is common for bluegrass bands. "Its funny. A lot of bluegrass musicians often can't read a note of music," he says. "You just play from the heart." The band sometimes rolls from one tune into the next. Sometimes they spend a few minutes joking in between. They play a track called "Someday Soon," but Chris' voice soon breaks into laughter. "It's a love song to a guy," he laughs. " I just
can't get my head around it." They try to continue, but after Chris sings, "Just out of the service, he's lookin' for his fun," their focus is gone. "That sucked," Chris said. Dobro player Tom Harris tells him not to worry. "Even a blind squirrel finds a nut every once in a while;" he says. Dan asks if I would like to sing instead. I decline. "Can you do a 'woo-hoo' at the end to give us some encouragement?" Chris asks. "The woo-hoo chicks, that's our wives' jobs usually." The band released their first album, "Lonesome Town," in August 2010, and they're working on some new material now. As dusk approaches, they close the door so they won't distract a children's group outside. Chris turns to the white folder in front of him, which he refers to as his memory, to pick another track. I lean back against the wooden work bench and listen to the driving rhythm and tight harmonies that makes their sound so essentially bluegrass.
Monroe's traditional style. Their song "Callin' Baton Rouge" reached No. 37 on the Billboard country music chart. 3. Lester Flatt: A guitar player from Tennessee, Flatt was one of Monroe's Blue Grass Boys before forming The Foggy Mountain Boys with Earl Scruggs. They played "The Ballad of Jed Clampett" theme song for "The Beverly Hillbillies." 4. Jerry Douglas: A renowned dobrn player, Douglas has won 12 Grammys and been named "musician of the year" three times by the Country Music Association. He's featured on more than 2,000 recordings. S. Steve Martin: Yes, this is the same Steve Martin of movie and TV fame. Away from his life as an actor, comedian and writer, Martin is a virtuoso banjo player. His latest album, "Rare Bird Alert," hit the #1 spot on the Billboard bluegrass chart
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earlier this year.
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Outside Melody Music Shop in Bloomington, singer/songwriter Will Devitt teaches banjo to 11-year-old Jaydon Hoffman. Jaydon started playing the banjo two years ago and was recently featured in a video for the music shop.
GET PICKIN' Bluegrass has always been popular in Southern Indiana, but recently it's been picking up more fans of all ages, says Hedrick, guitar player for the Reel Tyme String Band. "There are lots of young people into it now," he says. "I'm not sure it was that way a few years ago." Hacker, from the Indiana Friends of Bluegrass, says the movie "Oh Brother, Where Art Thou?" introduced a new generation to the rootsy music. More young people are showing up at her group's jams and events, she says. Will Devitt, who teaches guitar, mandolin and banjo lessons in addition to performing around the state, says players are attracted to the acoustic instruments. "It's a movement away from the computer and synthesized music," he says. "They like the experience of putting their fingers on the instrument and having the immediate response of sound." But young adults aren't the only ones discovering bluegrass. Baby boomer parents are dusting off their guitars as their children leave the nest. "It's a hobby now that their children are raised," Devitt says. "Often it's something they've always wanted to do, but they haven't had time before." Music teacher Major says the best way to learn bluegrass is to play with the experts. "Bluegrass is learned a lot from imitating others," he says. "Go to as many festivals and jam sessions as you can and there you can listen to it and imitate what you hear." Wait. Surely experienced players won't have time for a total beginner? "Actually if you find people who play bluegrass, most of them would be more than happy to help you learn." Major says. "The hardest thing is for new people to put aside their
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misgivings about whether or not they are good enough." Billger, of The White Lightning Boys, agrees. "Go to festivals," he says. "Most of them have a large focus on bringing new people into bluegrass and they have workshops that people can go to." Billger also says the great picking done around festival campfires is another way to learn from experienced players. But if jumping in with the veterans sounds too daunting, there are books and videos to give you a head start. "Companies like Oak Publications, Homespun Records and even YouTube have lots of videos," Major says. "How good they are depends on what the student brings to them." Many music stores offer lessons to sharpen your skills, like the Weed Patch Music Company in Nashville, Stafford Music Academy and Melody Music Shop in Bloomington and This Old Guitar in Seymour and Columbus. They'll also post lists of local jams to get you started. Once you build up your confidence, you can give jammin' a go, which Major insists is the best way to learn bluegrass. "You have to take your life into your hands, go and make mistakes until you get past your nervousness of playing with other people" he says.
"THE HARDEST THING IS FOR NEW PEOPLE TO PUT ASIDE THEIR MISGIVINGS ABOUT WHETHER OR NOT THEY ARE GOOD ENOUGH."
MAKING THAT BLUEGRASS SOUND Wondering how the bluegrass sound comes together? 812 takes a look at the essential; instruments. THE MANDOLIN The mandolin helps set the rhythm with the bass player. It was Bill Monroe's signature instrument, as he became famous for his choppy rhythms and bluesy sound. The mandolin can fill between vocals and add tremolo on slower songs. THE BANJO The banjo design was bought to America by African slaves. An essential instrument to any bluegrass band, it drives the tempo and the melody and fills vocal holes.
Mandolin courtesy of Weed Patch Music Company in Nashville.
THE FIDDLE The fiddle is a
violin played in bluegrass style. According to banjo-player Harden from the Reel Tyme String Band, bluegrass fiddlers are often offended when called violinists. THE GUITAR
Widely popular across a range of music genres, the guitar is the first instrument many bluegrass artists learn before moving on to others. THE BASS The bass provides the rhythmic pulse of the music. Its sound allows bluegrass to swing, connecting it to jazz. THE DOBRO Otherwise known as a resophonic guitar, the dobro is newer to bluegrass. It is played horizontally and gives the music a soulful sound.
BILL MONROE: THE FATHER OF BLUEGRASS Rarely does one person define a new style of music as distinctly as Bill Monroe defined bluegrass. Born on Friday the 13th in September of 1911 in Rosine, Kentucky, Bill was the youngest of eight children. Music was a part of family life from the beginning, and Monroe began to play with brothers Charlie and Birch. They claimed the fiddle and guitar, so Bill took up the mandolin, which he learned to play fronkthe family's farmhand. Later, ir M 9e joked that his brothers would only let him usestrings on the mandolin, rather than the usual eight, to make sure he wasn't too loud. At 16, following the deaths of his parents, Monroe moved to Northern Indiana to work at an oil refinery with. bjs brabors. Performing at barn dances, the brothers landed a sponsorship from a laxative maker and their own radio show. Bill and Charlie began travelling and performing as the Monroe Brothers. In 1938, Bill formed The Blue Grass Boys and launched a new era of music. Their distinctive style earned them a regular spot at the Grand Ole Opry. Their most popular song, "Blue Moon of Kentucky," was covered by Elvis Presley, Paul McCartney and Patsy Cline. Travelling between Kentucky and Northern Indiana to see his brothers, Monroe often passed through Brown County. In October 1951, he performed at the Brown County Jamboree in Bean Blossom, fell in love with the area and purchased the property. Natalie Sumpter, manager at the Bean Blossom Music Park today, believes the area reminded Monroe of his home in Rosine. "When he bought it, the ground here was just exactly that. It wasn't developed at all," Sumpter says. "He didn't really live anywhere in particular. He was always on the road, but he spent a lot of time here." In 1967, Bill Monroe hosted the first Bean Blossom bluegrass festival. It has since become the oldest continuous bluegrass festival in the world, attracting people from as far as Japan and New Zealand. Southern Indiana singer and songwriter Devitt remembers his first time at the Bean Blossom festival in the 1970s. "When I got to the gate, Bill Monroe himself was standing there selling tickets," Devitt says. "I bought my ticket from him, and then 30 minutes later I was watching him per-
Bill Monroe's summer festival in Bean Blossom is the oldest continuous bluegrass festival in the world. / Photo courtesy of Bill Monroe Music Park
"IT'S PLAIN MUSIC THAT TELLS A STORY. IT'S PLAYED FROM MY HEART TO YOUR HEARTI_ AND IT WILL TOUCH YOU." form on the stage." Monroe was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1970 and the Nashville songwriter's hall of fame in 1971. The only other artists to achieve that recognition are Jimmie Rogers, Hank Williams Sr. and Johnny Cash. Monroe suffered a stroke in Apri11996 and died later that year, just four days before his 85th birthday. The following year, guitarist Ricky Skaggs broke down in tears as he inducted Monroe into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, calling Monroe his musical father. While Monroe sometimes dismissed himself as "a farmer with a mandolin and a high tenor voice," he almost single-handedly defined bluegrass as we know it today. In his Rock and Roll Hall of Fame biography, he's quoted as saying: "It's plain music that tells a story. It's played from my heart to your heart, and it will touch you."
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Photo illustration by Helene DeLone
The
PRAWN
BROKER Jerry Penman is a flannel-clad farmer with a modest smile and an eye for unusual animals. From the banks ofhis ponds, Jerry and his family raise and sell a product unheard of in Indiana 30 years ago: freshwater shrimp. By Meredith Reffner Crispy-crunchy, deep-fried with a glob of tomato ketchup. Mixed with pungent garlic, creamy butter and a mound of pasta. Or seared to perfection with fresh tomatoes and peppers and just a hint of charcoal. We may fix our shrimp differently, but it all probably comes from the seafood aisle of the nearest grocery store. Well, in Southern Indiana, we have another option — straight from the pond. Jerry Pellman has lived on the same 150 acres on Navilleton Road in Floyd County for his entire 51 years. From the road, you'd never suspect the long, narrow driveway is the entrance to one of only three freshwater prawn farms in Indiana. The freshwater prawn is different than the shrimp you order in restaurants, but don't get too hung up on the terminology Jerry calls his product "shrimp." Dolores Fratesi, secretary/treasurer of the United States Freshwater Prawn Growers' Association, Inc., uses "prawn," but says shrimp and prawn are really interchangeable. The key word here is "freshwater." Unlike marine shrimp, which are harvested from the salty sea, the prawns come from freshwater ponds. Fratesi says they taste more like lobster. ***
On Harvest Day, usually the third Saturday in September, the Pellman farm hosts a crowd of 50 to 75 people - from Louisville, Ky., Greenville, Ind., and even Chicago - who come to see the Pellmans drain the prawn ponds. Onlookers purchase the prawns for $10 per pound, take them home and fix them to their liking. The harvest starts at noon and is over within three hours. Jerry says he and his three sons — Chris, 23, Sean, 16, and Nolan, 15 — start draining the first two ponds on Friday. They leave the third pond to drain for the spectators on Harvest Day. Draining the ponds is as easy as putting a bucket below the pond drain. Jerry opens up the pipe, and water begins to flow out. The prawns, which live on the bottom of the pond, follow the water and crawl straight into the drain, falling into the bucket. Then Jerry transfers the prawns to the house for a clean-water bath and a chill kill — prawns can't survive in water temperatures below 65 degrees Fahrenheit. After the prawns have perished, the Pellmans fill the orders. Indiana food-processing regulations don't allow the Pellmans to
process the prawns at the farm. So, Jerry's wife Kristie prints up instructions on how to get to the tail meat — it's as easy as a twist and a pull. But the tail meat isn't the only part of the animal that make some customers' mouths water. One man wanted only females with eggs. "So we picked 'em out for him and he kept coming back," Jerry says. "I don't even know how he fixed them, didn't want to know." *** In 2004, Jerry Pellman did want to know how to raise freshwater prawns. He found a seminar in Scottsburg and a live harvest in Sulfur. Armed with his newfound knowledge, he decided to take the plunge on his 44th birthday. "I said, 'I'm gonna go give myself a birthday present, I'm going to try this.' Well, by the time it was time to harvest them, everyone in the neighborhood knew I had 'ern, and we had a bunch of people over here going, Will you sell them, will you sell them?'" The Pellmans sold out of prawns that first year. The next year, Jerry built two more ponds, and he installed the necessary electric and water lines himself. "A lot of people think they can just jump up and raise them in whatever ponds they've got," Jerry's son Sean says. But raising prawns is more complex than throwing some juveniles in a swimming pool. Pond construction is a science, and Jerry's ponds are 30 inches deep on the shallow end and five feet deep on the other end; the pond bottom angles for draining purposes. One pump controls the air and water level for all three ponds. Prawns require oxygen, water temperatures above 68 degrees and a water pH between 7.0 and 8.5. Shrimp are territorial and will eat each other, especially if they are underfed. Even in the best conditions, Jerry estimates that he loses 25 percent of his prawns before Harvest Day. "You can't see the shrimp on the bottom of the pond. You
"How many people can say they raise freshwater shrimp in Indiana?" don't know whether you got 10 of them in there or if you got 4,000," he says. Jerry says he's still perfecting his system, but he's got it down to a point where he only needs to spend 10 minutes a day with his prawns. ***
Growing freshwater prawns is a small industry in the United States. Farmers like Jerry produce about 200,000 pounds of prawns per year — that's less than one percent of all the shrimp consumed in the United States. Yet, the prawn industry has become a small niche market. Seafood Watch named the freshwater prawn a "best choice" shrimp in 2009. The well-managed industry uses little resources, and prawns pose little risk to other animals or to the environment. The American Heart Association found that freshwater prawns have health benefits, too. They're higher in protein and lower in fat than marine shrimp and also reduce triglycerides, the chemical form of fat in the body. High triglyceride levels are linked to heart disease. Plus, the growing demand for fresh, locally produced, nontreated food means a growing demand for freshwater prawns. Jerry doesn't use any chemicals with his prawns. Every third day, he feeds them a distillers' grain — the unfermented corn and yeast leftover in the process of making whiskey — from a rusty, tan blower that he attaches to one of his four-wheelers. The blower increases his efficiency and reduces his carbon footprint.
Jerry Pellman feeds horse treats to some of the cattle on his farm. Jerry carries these treats around in his shirt pocket for all the animals on the farm, except the praws. / Photo by Rebecca S. Dille
Rob Wibbeler, secretary/treasurer of the Indiana Aquaculture Association, Inc., says a United Nations study found that the carbon footprint of seafood production is 87 times less when food is grown within 250 miles of consumption. ***
Despite the benefits, Jerry isn't making much money from his prawns. The post-larvae he buys at the end of May cost him 10 cents each. He stocks 5,000 prawns in each of his three ponds, bringing the cost of stocking the ponds to $1,500. Add to that the cost of feed and electricity to operate the aerators that circulate oxygen to the prawns. "Where we make the most is just the fun of the day," Kristie says. "We have a lot of people in here. How many people can say they raise freshwater shrimp in Indiana?" The industry has certainly piqued interest in the Hoosier state, and Wibbeler says he gets a surprising number of calls. When the Pellman home phone rings, it's usually for Jerry Would-be prawn farmers know they can call him for advice because he works with the Purdue Extension office in promoting Indiana aquaculture and gives seminars on raising prawns. Wibbeler says of Jerry: "He would be a great mentor for anyone who wants to start out." ***
The other animals on the Pellman farm know that the sight of the white pickup truck means Jerry's bringing them food and treats. Normally, Jerry tends to the animals alone, but today he has company. "He's not going to let me out this time. He even closed the door on me," says Kristie with a laugh as she struggles to climb out of the backseat of the two-door truck "Oh, did I shut you out? I forgot. I'm not used to anyone sitting behind me," Jerry says. Jerry and Kristie have been married 24 years. And while their husband-and-wife exchanges are typical, their farm is anything but. They advertise themselves on the Internet as "Navilleton's Extraordinary Animals," and currently seven buffalo, two alpacas and 16 myotonic — fainting — goats call the farm home. Myotonic goats drop in their tracks when they get excited or scared. One time, Jerry came home in his rumbling truck, and the goats just toppled over. "They went down into the grass, and I went, 'Oh no, what if I killed them?' and they jumped back up and took off again."
One of Kristie Pellman's myotonic goats peeks through the wire of its pen while its companions feast away on distillers' grain. Two alpacas also share the pen with these "fainting" goats. / Photo by Rebecca S. Dille
At one point, the Pellmans had ostriches, frizzles — chickens that look as if they went through a wind tunnel backwards — and llamas. They even went to Kentucky to look at a kangaroo advertised on Craigslist. "Craigslist," Kristie says, "can be a bad thing." Yet the man who praises the virtues of Google and Craigslist hates cell phones. "It's just ringing and bothering you. It's good, I guess, if you have to have one, but I just don't like 'ern that well," Jerry says. What he does like is talking to people. Jerry lets Boy Scouts camp out in the back yard, gives tours to the third-graders as part of a field trip to the one-room schoolhouse down the road and routinely welcomes strangers who stop when they see the buffalo statue at the head of the driveway. "I try to be friendly to people," Jerry says. The Pellman family has been on this patch of land in Floyd County since 1836. Jerry's grandparents came over from Germany in 1832, briefly lived in Louisville and then settled in CONTINUED ON PAGE 30
25 Jerry pulls out a prawn left from the previous year's harvest. His son Sean puts together a prawn exhibit every year for the county fair. / Photo by Rebecca S. Dille
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12's search for the perfect summer recipe ed us to the Southern Indiana kitchens of ucien Gregor, Daniel Orr, David Tallent â–şnd Elizabeth Manning George. Praised y their customers and peers, they share love offood and a commitment to local redients. And they offer four signature ekes that you can make at home. lene De1011e
CHEFS' SPECIALS
Lucien Gregor, ChickiePoo's ucien Gregor, chef and owner of ChickiePoo's, has been crafting Madison's freshest ingredients for patrons from near and far since he opened his family-oriented restaurant less than two years ago. In fact, his daughter Isabella chose the name ChickiePoo's. The boutique restaurant, with fewer than a dozen tables and some blankets and toys tucked away in a corner, has an at-home dining atmosphere. ChickiePoo's is only open Thursday through Saturday, which allows Chef Gregor and his co-owner and wife, Phoebe, to spend time with their family and personally serve every person who walks through their door. The motto at ChickiePoo's is "Eat. Here. Now." Chef Gregor explains this is not simply a catchy slogan. "It means, when you're here, interact with what's in front of you. Be present in your body and appreciate what you have." Gregor says he doesn't like to eat food that comes off a truck or out of a box. "I like to eat things that are made from scratch, by hand;' he says. Not only does ChickiePoo's serve the freshest food available, Gregor advocates eating whatever is in season or available in the area. "Slow food is more than just food," Gregor says. "It's a way of striving for what will bring us joy and happiness."
L
ChickiePoo's 209 West Main Street, Madison, IN 47250 Email reservations ONLY: chickiepoos@ gmail.com Hours: Thu-Sat, 12 - 2:45 p.m. and 6 - 9 p.m
Peach-glazed pork spare ribs with green beans and Johnny cakes
Daniel Orr, FARMBloomington FARMbloomington
aniel Orr's fresh and local cooking has come a long 108 East way. All around the world in fact. Orr is the chef Kirkwood Avenue, and owner of FARMbloomington, a restaurant-barBloomington, IN 47408 market on Bloomington's Kirkwood Avenue, the main drag connecting the Southern Indiana town to Indiana University. Telephone: FARMbloomington is the masterpiece of the award-winning, 812-323-0002 cookbook-writing, food-obsessed chef. Hours: Tue-Sat, 7 As the child of two food-loving parents and the recipient of a.m. - 10 p.m, Sun. early cooking awards, Orr's culinary success is no surprise. It's 10 a.m. - 9 p.m. ironic, however, to note that, as a boy, Orr disliked his grandCheck website ma's "dumb soup" because of too many vegetables. —www.farmToday, Orr's recipes revolve around fresh greens and bloomington.com herbs. In fact, vegetables commonly peek from the pocket of —for specific meal times. his smock. That way the flavorful greens are never far away. ' forge a lot, which means I go out in the woods and pick wild and Belgium, 3-star fine dining in NYC or a resort in the Camushrooms that I use in my cooking," Orr says. "We also utilize wild leeks, dandelions, chives and rose- ribbean island of Anguilla, Chef Orr's FARMbloomington tops Priory." For a meal that transports you to kitchens in France the list.
D
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Dave Tallent, Restaurant Tallent Restaurant Tallent
208 North Walnut, Bloomington IN 47404 Telephone: 812-330-9801 Hours: Mon-Sat, 5 - 10 p.m.
Pan-roasted walleye with spring vegetable risotto
C
hef Dave Tallent met his wife, Kristen, also a chef, 13 years ago while working at Upland Brewery. Though the pair still live and cook in Bloomington, they do so at their very own eatery, Restaurant Tallent. The Walnut Street restaurant is not only an upscale, trendy place to eat, but its owner is co-founder of the Bloomington Slow Food chapter. Tallent focuses on harmonizing organic ingre-
dients and traditional cooking methods. "Our country ham is from Kentucky. Sometimes I get rabbit from Indiana or Ohio. My pork comes from four different places around the state," he says. "We try to get as much locally as we possibly can." A tattoo of a pig on his inner right arm reveals one of his favorite ingredients. Though Tallent studied criminal justice and history at Indiana University, he learned more in kitchens around Bloomington than he did in school. "This is more than something I do to make money," Tallent says. "Some people may not even notice the difference between this and a McDonald's hamburger, but it's important to me. Everything I cook comes from my heart, and that helps me sleep at night."
Elizabeth Manning George, Stream Cliff Herb Farm
E , Blacicberry cobbler •
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Stream Cliff Herb Farm
8225 South County Road 90W, Commiskey, IN 47227 Telephone: 812-346-5859 Hours: Seasonal hours vary, check website — www.streamclifffarm.com — for details
lizabeth Manning George's Stream Cliff Herb Farm in Commiskey attracts couples, old friends and even large bus groups to its quaint location near Louisville, Indianapolis and Cincinnati. The historic farm was built in 1836 and raided during the Civil War, but the family restaurant did not open until 1995. Since that time, the dill and rosemary chicken salad, birdseed pasta salad and hummingbird cake have been perennial favorites. "When we're closed in the winter, that's when we decide how to change and update our menu," George says. Though George used to be more involved with the cooking, she now focuses on management. A local farmer provides produce like tomatoes, green peppers, cucumbers and cantaloupe. "All of the herbs and edible flowers that we garnish the dishes with are grown right here," George says. "We also use the wine, made at the farm, in the food that we cook." The restaurant schedules five candlelight dinners every year, and reservations often sell out fast. However, groups of fewer than eight are welcome for lunch Monday through Friday. If your perfect summer day involves strolling past hundreds of plants while birds chirp and fountains gently bubble, Stream Cliff Herb Farm could be your peaceful oasis.
See page 30 for recipe information.
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HARP & SOUL, CONTINUED FROM PAGE 11
THE PRAWN BROKER, CONTINUED FROM PAGE 15
model, but the seasoned luthier isn't ruffled. "It's a good thing Indiana. The Pellman farm is one of 4,500 in the state of because now there are other more available harps in a price Indiana to be honored with the Hoosier Homestead Award, range that people can afford," he says. given to families who have owned the same farm for 100 or The Harpsicle is literally taking harp music around the more years. Jerry's grandfather harvested strawberries on world. The instrument fits into an airplane's overhead storage the land, and now Jerry is doing whatever he can to keep the bin. Owners take their Harpsicles to the beach. People go on place running. He says he can't really make a living farming Harpsicle hikes in Sedona, and Harpsicles are used to soothe the 40 acres, but he tries to keep the farm viable with his battered women in Alabama. The Irish Harp Centre in Shanunusual animals. Jerry works construction to make money, non, Ireland, uses Harpsicles as well as Rees concert harps in and Kristie is a rural mail carrier at the Greenville Post Oftheir instruction. fice. Chris is a part-time firefighter. The Harpsicle has a following among harp therapists, who As Jerry talks, Sean texts on a green cell phone. The boys' believe it harmonizes the mind, body and emotions. Chrisinterest in the family farm means a long future on the Pelltine Magnussen, a certified therapeutic harp practitioner in man land. "I think all of us wouldn't want anywhere but Washington, had found lap harps uncomfortable to play until here. We all plan on building houses back on the property she came across the Harpsicle line five years ago. Magnussen and living here to keep out the family farm for as long as we ordered three of the harps and now owns eight. She loves the can keep it up," Sean says. Harpsicle's lap stick, which keeps the harp upright and frees The boys wouldn't say what unusual animals they may the player's hands. Magnussen teaches customized holistic add when they take over but were quick to point out that the harp lessons via Skype and began recommending the Harpostriches were their idea. "For me, it's just keeping the farm side to her students. Soon she was placing so many orders, in the family," Chris says. "They find out that we have buffalo she decided to become a retailer of Harpsicles. She says the and we do shrimp, and everyone's like, 'You do what?' So it's Harpsicle is the right fit for about 90 percent of her students just something different." because of its quality and affordability. "I think that the harp Jerry says he doesn't know how long he'll raise the empowers, and these little harps are very different," Magnusprawns - until he puts something else in the ponds, he sen says. "A harp is an extension of yourself. It's a way for you guesses. But, this September, he'll be out there harvesting. to pour out your emotions, like writing or drawing or singing. "Whatever you're doing, you need to enjoy it whether it's People can emote through the Harpsicle." work, whether it's play, whether your work is play." The Chinese are interested, too. "We've been dealing with China for six years, so we're doing our small part to offset the QF trade deficit of the United States," Rees jokes. In 2005, the Elizabeth Manning George's Hong Kong Harp Chamber selected Rees Harps as one of its Blackberry Cobbler main suppliers. In March, Harps on Main shipped 20 Harpsides to China and expects more orders from the Chinese this Pie crust ingredients summer. 2 cups all-purpose flour
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Although his creations allow so many others to play the harp, Rees only plays at shows these days. His focus is on the design and construction side of the harp. All Ireland Harp Champion Maire Ni Chathasaigh plays Rees Harps. American harpist Ray Pool uses Rees Harps. Even Neil Young owns a Rees Harp. These harp superstars don't faze the luthier. He makes harps because he understands the instrument and sees its potential to reach a larger audience. During breaks, he relaxes on the bench outside Harps on Main and shoots the breeze with passersby. When the shop closes at 5 p.m., Rees and Eleanor head off to the park for their afternoon walk. Rees plans to retire from harp making in about a year, but the luthier's impact will continue to resonate in the harp world. He has improved the harp and put it into the hands of people who otherwise would never have played. Garen Rees will take over the business when his father retires, so Harps on Main will keep turning out Rees harps and Harpsicles. As for the harp itself? "It will never stop," Rees says. "The harp has been around forever, and it's going to go on and on."
1 tsp sugar 1 tsp salt 2 sticks cold butter (cut into 1/2-inch chunks) 2-3 tbs ice cold water Ingredients 21/2 pounds of frozen blackberries 21/2 cups sugar 6 tbs cornstarch 1/2 stick butter 1 cup water Mix first 4 ingredients in food processor until crumbly. Slowly add water until you've used enough to hold the dough together. Put dough in flat rounds, wrap with plastic and chill one hour. Next roll dough out to crust size. Double this recipe for crust on top and bottom.
Grease baking dish and lay pie crust in bottom. Spread frozen blackberries over crust. Mix sugar, cornstarch, butter and water together in medium saucepan. Pour mixture over blackberries and top with crust. Sprinkle top crust with sugar before baking. Bake at 425 degrees for 15 minutes then lower temperature to 350 for approximately 30 minutes or until filling bubbles. Serves 6-8 See additional recipes at www.812magazine.com.
THE 812 LIST
Tales of Two Cities Travel the world without ever leaving Indiana By Joy Msiska They sound exotic but they're familiar as farmland Small towns named after foreign locales dot Southern Indiana, and while they have borrowed names, they are truly Hoosier in spirit. MILAN: Take in a little local history at the town museum to remember the 1954 "Milan Miracle" high school basketball championship team that inspired the movie "Hoosiers." Be sure to note the Hoosier twist on the pronunciation and put the stress on the first syllable: "MY-lan" rather than Italy's "mi-LAHN".
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ROME: Once the Perry County seat, the unincorporated city of Rome is so small it may have been built in a day. The town boasts a cozy population of 36 people and lies on the banks of the Ohio River.
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DUBLIN: When it rained, the muddy thoroughfare now called the National Road often required not one, but two teams of horses to pass through. This was called double teaming, or "doublin'," and so goes the legend of how the town got its seemingly Irish name.
Illustrations by Eric Harringer
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VERSAILLES: Another instance of a Hoosier-ized pronunciation: the French "ver-sigh" is here pronounced "ver-sales." The town's Tyson Temple Methodist Church, bankrolled by Walgreens tycoon and Versailles native James Tyson, echoes France's Palace of Versailles in terms of memorable architecture. The temple was constructed using no wood or nails, with structural details and materials imported from England, Germany and, of course, France.
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BETHLEHEM: Like Santa Claus, Ind., the little town of Bethlehem receives a flurry of hopeful letters during the holiday months. Due to the large volume of misaddressed mail, the
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unincorporated community began utilizing a special cancellation stamp featuring the biblical Three Wise Men. For those who'd like to stay at a Bethlehem inn on Christmas Eve, the Riverhouse Bed and Breakfast (502-645-2930) offers more than a manger. VINCENNES: In 1800, Vincennes became the state's first capital—the capital of the Indiana Territory, that is. Founded by French fur traders in 1732, Indiana's first town shares its name with a suburb of Paris, France, and boasts Indiana's first bank, newspaper and Catholic and Presbyterian churches.
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EDINBURGH: The Scottish metropolis after which it's named is pronounced "Edin-borough,"
and for many years citizens of the Indiana town followed suit. Originally, though, the town was called Eddiesburg after Eddie Adams, the booze-loving brotherin-law of one of the town's founders. After rebranding the town as "Edinburg" without the ending "h," the post office finally settled on the Scottish spelling and the Hoosier pronunciation "Edin-burg" in 1977. GNAW BONE: There's no foreign town called Gnaw Bone, but etymologists believe the town's name was chosen as an homage to the French port town of Narbonne. Oral historians, however, tend to favor tales of the area's occasional drunkards and snowed-in settlers chewing through long hours by gnawing away at bones.
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