INSIDE SCOOP

For many, many years during our US travels, Brian has been using an app on his phone to locate some of the sights that Dr. O’Life has sent us after, and those that may have been off his radar. It is Roadside America, and it will point you in the direction of those wacky things that make you scratch your head when you pass them by. On our recent trip to the BMW Rally in Missouri, we were in search of a bite to eat in an area that didn’t offer much. We did nd a terri c breakfast spot and, while waiting for our eggs, we poked around Roadside America and found this month’s Inside Scoop. Grannie’s Cookie Jar and Ice Cream Parlor is located in the quaint village of Metamora, along the Whitewater Canal. As settlers moved into the old Northwest Territory, transportation routes became an important priority. The Whitewater Canal, built from 1836-1847 was used until 1860 for pioneer commerce. Although the canal is no longer used for commerce, you can still see pleasure boats making their way to and fro, traversing under the Duck Creek Aqueduct, built in 1846, which is the only surviving wood aqueduct in the United States. It’s structure closely resembles that of a covered bridge. In addition, Metamora’s Grist Mill is still in operation, producing corn meal for over 100 years. Metamora is a great place to stop for a stretch of the legs, a bite to eat and, of course, ice cream. The stone building that houses Grannies, built of rock from Duck Creek, dates back to the canal era. The Old Faulkner-Pierce building was in a drug store from 1840-1916 and a hardware store from 1926-1961, as well as various other business throughout the years. Today, as you walk through the tall, narrow double doors, you will be greeted with a jingle of a bell and the sweet smell of freshly-made waf e cones. Once you envelop that, you can begin to take in the thousands cookie jars that line the shelves.

Eva Fuchs, better known to everyone in town as Grannie, has been collecting cookie jars since 1988. Her husband Paul had been in a car accident and was ‘driving everyone crazy’, according to Grannie, so the family decided to attend ea markets and auctions, where the collection began. Their rst cookie jar was a white lamb which she sold for $25.

BACKROADS • AUGUST 2022

The small 20x20 space that was occupied for over a decade was outgrown and Grannie and her collection moved to the local ice cream parlor in 2000. As the collection grew, it occurred to her that she may be able to leave something besides cookie jars to her children and grandchildren. After ve months of applications and processing, in 2013 the cookie jars were listed in the Guinness World Records. The entry reads: ‘The largest collection of cookie jars belongs to Edith Eva Fuchs (USA) and consists of 2,653 as of 20 August 2012, in Metamora, Indiana, USA.’

When we made our visit to Grannies, the collection was at or over 3,000 and they encompass every genre and many different styles. To our great dismay, we learned from her daughter Connie that Eva ‘Grannie’ Fuchs had passed just recently, but she was happy to share some stories and facts about Grannie’s collection. Her favorite cookie jar was of Roy Rogers on Trigger. She didn’t care much for the cookies the jars held, she just loved the jars. It takes two months to do inventory (they do close the shop to do this). In addition to what we saw, there are far more in a storage room on the second oor as well as two full rooms downstairs. Shelving spans oor to ceiling throughout the front and back rooms. Perusing the shelves you are most likely to nd one that will trigger a memory to your childhood and, lucky for you, every jar in the shop is for sale. One of the most expensive ($800) is a Hopalong Cassidy, made with real gold, as it is one of only 250 made. But most are extremely reasonable and, if we had more room on the bikes, I’m sure that we would have a few cookie jars lining our shelves at home now. Getting to the ice cream portion of the shop’s name, they are handdipping Ashby’s ice cream which is a family-owned and operated company in Michigan since 1984. They use their original 14% butterfat recipe to which they add the nest, freshest and most delicious ingredients. They offer over 70 avors of ice cream, sherbet, sorbet and yogurt and, thankfully, Grannie’s is one of their parlors. There are not 70 to choose from, but no doubt you’ll still have a hard time selecting from such avors as Carolina Peach, Jacked Up Tennessee Toffee, Michigan Pot Hole (thick, black-tar fudge in chocolate ice cream with chunks of chocolate asphalt), Rush Hour! (Coffee ice cream with caramel swirl and chocolate-coffee candy chips) and, of course Cookie Jar (Oreo ice cream with chocolate chips cookie dough and oatmeal M&M cookies).

To add to the deliciousness, Connie bakes waf e cones with a secret chocolate kiss hiding at the bottom. Outside there is some seating to enjoy your ice cream, or take a stroll through Metamora and enjoy the oldtime quiet on the canal before heading back out for your next adventure.