Tamar K ander
Transcending Boundaries
Muddy Boots Dart Club
Brown County Craft Galler y
Cour thouse Bell Dedication
Woman Hiking A lone
S ampler at 19th Hole
Names and Places
S andhill Cranes
Give your heart some love!
tasty & healthy!
wild & tasty TIP
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We have curated a flavorful collection for your tasting pleasure with plenty to offer for foodies, the experienced cook, or the novice. It goes well beyond the high-quality olive oils and balsamics we built our reputation on. We’ve added jams, pastas, dipping oils, salsas, sauces, and much more. Come in for a tour of tastes and let us be your guide. You’ll be wild about our shop. Shop us online from anywhere, anytime at www.thewildolive.com
Brown County N
COUNTY P.O. Box 157
Helmsburg, IN 47435
Jeff Tryon is a former news editor of The Brown County Democrat, and a former regional reporter for The Republic. Born and raised in Brown County, he currently lives with his wife, Sue, in a log cabin on the edge of Brown County State Park. He is a Baptist minister.
Joe Lee is an illustrator and writer. He is the author of Forgiveness: The Eva Kor Story, The History of Clowns for Beginners, and Dante for Beginners. He is an editorial cartoonist for the Bloomington Herald-Times, a graduate of Ringling Brothers, Barnum & Bailey Clown College, and a veteran circus performer.
Jim Eagleman is a 40-year veteran naturalist with the IN DNR. In retirement, he is now a consultant. His program “Nature Ramblings” can be heard on WFHB radio, the Brown County Hour. He serves on the Sycamore Land Trust board. He enjoys reading, hiking, music, and birding.
Chrissy Alspaugh is a freelance writer and photographer. View her work at <ChristinaAlspaughPhotography. com>.She lives in Bartholomew County with her husband Matt and three boys.
Cindy Steele is the publisher and editor of this magazine. She sells and designs ads, sometimes writes, takes photos, and creates the layout. For fun, she likes to play the guitar or banjo and sing.
Mark Blackwell no longer makes his home in Brown County where “the roadway is rough and the slopes are seamed with ravines.” He now resides within sight of the sixth green of an undisclosed golf course. He was born in the middle of the last century and still spends considerable time there.
Amy Huffman Oliver has lived in and around Brown County most of her life and raised two kids here with her husband, Jim. She grew up with “newspaper in her blood” by way of her parents, Jane and Stu Huffman, who were both journalists. She writes as a freelancer after working most of her career as an attorney and a seventh-grade teacher.
Bob Gustin worked as a reporter, photographer, managing editor, and editor for daily newspapers in Colorado, Nebraska, and Indiana before retiring in 2011. He and his wife, Chris, operate Homestead Weaving Studio. He enjoys expanding his book and record collections.
Boris Ladwig is a Columbusbased journalist who has worked in print, online and TV media in Indiana and Kentucky and has won awards for features, news, business, non-deadline news, First Amendment/community affairs and investigative reporting.
Sara Clifford spent the first 20 years of her career as a print journalist and as editor of The Brown County Democrat from 2009 to 2021. She is now managing editor of an earth science research journal. She lives in Brown County with her husband and three sons.
*Jane Mitchell first fell in love with photography during her elementary school days when she snapped blurry black and white shots with her Brownie camera. She has never stopped taking photos since then. She taught art in public schools for 33 years and showed her work of stained glass and weavings through the art and craft circuit. Her experience and a strong appreciation of nature keep her interest in photography alive.
Thanks,
PARTY SUNDAY, MAY 4, 2025
30years ago I launched a magazine featuring stories about Brown County.
We had a party to celebrate our four year anniversary in 1999, and then another one for the ten year milestone in 2005. There were plans to highlight our 25th year of business in 2020, but a little thing called COVID shut down that idea. This year marks the 30th Anniversary and we are having a party to celebrate on Sunday, May 4, at The Seasons Event Center in Nashville, from 2:00 to 5:00.
Readers, advertisers, featured people, and contributors of the publication are invited to enjoy fellowship, food, and entertainment.
The late Hank Swain shared some personal thoughts regarding his relationship with Our Brown County in 2005. Here are a few excerpts from that piece.
“I tend to be a lazy writer in my retirement. Cindy’s deadline has acted as pitchfork prodding me to produce over a hundred stories for her. Four years ago I realized many of my stories might have historical value, for some of them were my recollections of people and places 50 years ago when we moved to Brown County.
Without Cindy’s prodding deadline I would never have written them, nor would I have accumulated enough material for my book Leaves for the Raking, half of which first appeared in Our Brown County.
Was our coming on the board [of the Chamber of Commerce] at the same time just coincidence or serendipity? I favor serendipity. When we review our lives we discover that many of the important changes that occurred we did not consciously initiate. Rather the change came from the gathering together at the right place at the right time of seemingly scattered conditions.
We do not realize as we go about our daily lives that we are creating history. We also underestimate or often do not acknowledge how much our lives are affected by the history of those who came before us.
Cindy had mentors who helped her establish Our Brown County. Its success has been mostly from her own energy and dedication to her dream. She sets goals for herself with doubts that she can achieve them, but then does. Calm on the outside, one would never suspect how much she anguishes over each issue. She adjusts to the rhythm of deadlines—to nerves prior to deadline, then calm satisfaction of accomplishment afterward.
Quiet and unassuming as she is, I do not believe she fully understands the contribution she and her magazine have given our community.
Besides the creativity shown in the accomplishment of her dreams in her Our Brown County…she has fostered the creativity of others who contribute to her magazine. Writers need a forum for their words. Cindy as editor and publisher provides that opportunity.
Ten years of Our Brown County has left an important mark in our community. Another ten years (now 20 more) could leave a larger mark. People have been conditioned to look forward to Our Brown County.” —April 2005
The list of contributors that have made Our Brown County possible for the past three decades is too long to mention here. I must, however, give a shout out to my mother Reba Martin, because without her support it would not have happened. I would also like to thank Joe Lee for contributing drawings for every single issue, and Bill Weaver for co-founding, writing, and proofreading until his recent retirement.
Of course, the advertisers keep us in business, and all you readers make it worthwhile.
THANKS FOR 30 SUCCESSFUL YEARS (and counting).
—Cindy Steele, editor and publisher
History Mystery
There is an old Native American boundary that runs through the southwest side of Brown County. Its name came from how a shadow was cast from a spear struck in the ground at the time a treaty was signed between Governor William Henry Harrison and local tribes. The treaty opened up three million acres of land for the settlers and the tribes received a third of a cent per acre. The boundary runs through eight counties all the way up to the Indiana-Illinois border. What is its name?
answer to last issue’s mystery was
You can have Our Brown County mailed to your postal address. A year’s subscription (six issues) is just $20, which covers postage, supplies, and processing time. You can subscribe by sending in the form below or visit our website ourbrowncounty.com –select the SUBSCRIBE option and follow the payment instructions.
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Tamar Kander
Transcending boundaries
~story and photos by Chrissy Alspaugh
The paintings that emerge from Tamar Kander’s tools are as much a reflection of her life’s journey as they are the result of the decades she’s spent honing a unique approach to art.
With her mixed-media, impressionist work gracing galleries around the globe, Kander’s art transcends boundaries, both in geography and imagination. But despite her work’s reach and early years living abroad, Kander has made her home in Brown County, where the serene landscape soaks into the fabric of her work.
Art was natural in Kander’s heart and mind from a young age, growing up in Israel. “I was always drawing,” she remembers, warmly. When faced with limitations—like the lack of paper—”I started drawing on the walls!” she said, laughing. Family
support kept Kander’s passion aflame. Recognizing her desire to create murals, her mother replaced her crayons with water paints. “To my family, whatever I did was just fine,” Kander said.
Kander moved to South Africa before her 10th birthday. She earned a bachelor’s in fine arts in Johannesburg before earning a master’s in fine arts in London. Further studying painting and printmaking, Kander moved to New York City in the mid 1980s, before what she thought would be a short visit to Bloomington. “I realized how tired I was from all of my energy just going toward living in New York,” she said. “Here, I had so much more of myself to put into my paintings.”
Today, her downstairs home studio is a place of quiet focus, away from the distractions of daily
“When I have a painting in mind— an idea, size, colors I want to use, or a vague idea of the composition—I never know how it’s going to end.”
life. “Once I’m downstairs in front of a canvas or sorting things out, I really am in the present, and everything feels very clear,” she said. It’s in this space, surrounded by nature and removed from external noise, that Kander’s intuitive conversations with her paintings begin. “When I have a painting in mind—an idea, size, colors I want to use, or a vague idea of the composition—I never know how it’s going to end.”
Before paint ever comes out, Kander breathes life onto a canvas with deeply textured, layered fabric, scraps of special letters or tissue paper from friends, drywall compound, gel medium, sand from recent travels, and even the humble sweepings from her studio floor. The result gives each piece depth and a tangible, multifaceted look and feel.
For Kander, art is both a job and a personal expression. She maintains a structured weekly work schedule, setting aside specific times to be in her studio. “If I waited until I was inspired, there would be periods when art wouldn’t happen. Sometimes I just need to get to work,” she said. “Once I’m there, I might stretch a canvas, prepare a canvas to work on, or sketch. Before I know it, time flows easily, and I get into the zone.” While she said many assume that her work life is one driven solely by inspiration, Kander values the routine of consistent studio hours. “The discipline informs my creativity,” she said. Her commitment to the process yields carefully-sorted stacks
of paintings tucked all throughout her space, some just begun, some close to complete but awaiting her final judgment, some ready to be photographed for a gallery, and those awaiting shipment.
Kander explained that while artists can sell their work in a myriad of ways, she has always chosen to be represented by galleries. They keep her work in inventory, feature her pieces in shows, and promote, sell, and advertise on her behalf. Throughout her career, Kander said she has been lucky to have worked with galleries that have helped place her paintings with collectors, in museums, and with corporate collections, some of which include the Indiana State Museum, New York University’s Gallatin Dean’s Office, and many other companies, private businesses, and area hospitals.
Moving to Brown County helped her reconnect to a natural world that has undeniably made its way into her work. While living in urban environments, she said her compositions were notably vertical, reflecting the cityscape around her. The move to the Midwest slowly shifted her work more horizontally, a change Kander described as reminiscent of the work she produced while surrounded by open spaces in South Africa.
Continued on 18
“Field at Dawn” Mixed media on canvas. 48” x 48”.
Her art today is an evolution of the landscape-inspired abstracts she reflects on, and she said she sees recurring themes: bodies of water, bridges, and snowywhite expanses. Kander said those themes are subconsciously influenced by the community around her, as well as her travels for work or to visit family. A hike around the lake on her property, a swim at the YMCA, or driving past a pairing of beautifully-colored parked cars all have equal chances of weaving their way onto her canvas.
Kander and her husband, ceramicist Jamas Brooke, usually swim daily at the Y or in the lake at their cabin, when weather permits. Also in her free time, she volunteers at My Sister’s Closet of Monroe County and is a member of the Friends of Brown County Public Library Board. The reading enthusiast said she often settles into bed around 10 p.m. and spends the next three-or-so hours immersed in historical writings, novels, or The New Yorker
Kander described Brown County as her “grounding place” in between travels for exhibitions and installations in Indianapolis, New Mexico, Michigan, Chicago, and beyond.
Yet, she said this is a slower season of life than ones of her past. She said her care-giving schedule became very empty when her mother passed away in October. “I’m getting used to a new pace,” Kander said. And over is her era of mass painting production. “I’m much more present now…. I’ve grown beyond worrying about results.”
While her work continues to evolve, Kander is content with her new current creative rhythm.
She’s enjoying the process of continuing to discover new parts of Brown County, and the sense of connection she feels here to both the land and its people. Kander’s connection to the natural world continues to infuse her work—and her life—with a sense of stillness and presence.
“There’s always so much more to explore, and always so much more to know.”
For more, www.tamarkander.com .
Brown County Antique Mall
muddy boots dart club
~by Boris Ladwig, photos by Tom Preston
Sometime in 2016, Hondo Thompson stepped into the Video Saloon in Bloomington to offer some advice to a friend of a friend. He learned about a dart club that was playing there, and that chance encounter rekindled his interest in the sport, which he hadn’t played regularly for more than 30 years.
“I never took it seriously until 2016,” he said. “And then I hyper-focused and geeked out on it.”
Shortly after his stop in Bloomington, he approached the owners of the Muddy Boots/ Pine Room Tavern in Nashville to ask if he could hang a dart board there.
The owners agreed, and what began with a single player has since then evolved, with a couple of location changes in between, into the Muddy Boots Dart Club, which has
more than 20 regulars throwing darts every Tuesday evening at Mike’s Dance Barn.
While anyone is welcome to join, newcomers may have a tough time participating in the tournament because it has 24 spots, and 22 regulars usually show up, Thompson said.
However, newcomers can still throw darts outside of the tournament, mingle, watch, eat, and listen to some musicians jam.
The club has only one rule, Thompson said.
“If you look over there and look at the Dart Club Rules, on the back of the board it says, “Rule One: Be Kind. Rule two: See Rule No. 1.’ And underneath it says, ‘If you can be kind, you can be here.’”
However, trash talking, or at least friendly ribbing, is allowed.
Someone may have a poor throw and get a comment such as, “That’s why you don’t get any Christmas cards,” Thompson said. Or someone may step up to the line and get a comment such as, “Did your mother cut your hair?”
Soon after he said the words, club member David
“It takes 15 minutes to learn it, and your lifetime to get good at it. You’re never as good as you can be.”
—Hondo Thompson
Denman approached and said, “Almost about 79% of what he (Thompson) says is true.”
Turning serious, Denman said Thompson does not toot his horn, but the club wouldn’t be there without him.
Thompson waved away the praise, saying, “I literally hung the boards on the wall, and people started showing up.”
Participants play in randomly selected teams of two, and they typically play a game called cricket, which involves a bit more strategy than the usual 301 or 501, where players simply try to get from those numbers to zero with as few throws as possible.
Lisa Gore began playing with the club a bit over a year ago after first accompanying her husband, Kevin, who has been throwing darts with the club for about two years.
The couple put up a dartboard at the employee lounge at Out of the Ordinary, a restaurant and bar on Van Buren Street in Nashville, where they played after work.
Lisa Gore said the couple plays for fun and to keep busy and active, and eventually joined Muddy Boots, in part to get better.
She said she especially enjoys the camaraderie at the club.
“Everybody has fun,” she said.
Thompson said Mike’s Dance Barn owner Mike Robertson provides food, bar tenders offer drinks, and local musicians join the festivities, bringing anything from guitars and banjos to fiddles and flutes. Robertson may do a taco night, or the club members may have a pitch-in.
Thompson said club member Scott Wertz walked into the Pine Room and asked to play a couple of months after Thompson had hung the first board.
Continued on 24
Participants play in randomly selected teams of two.
“When I said, ‘Do you know anything about the game?’ He reached in his back pocket and pulled out a set of darts. We’ve been friends ever since.”
Wertz said for some people spending time with friends is more important than the game.
“It’s a social thing. It really is,” he said as he recently stood near one of the dart boards, waiting for his turn during warmups before the tournament.
He said he also likes the sport because of its popularity and transportability. Playing darts can be an inexpensive activity, even in public places, such as a bar, where you might just buy a couple of beers or a snack.
Wertz said people also throw darts at home, in a basement or garage, and some even take a dartboard with them on vacation. He has hung a dartboard on a tree, he said.
Some club members throw darts a lot more often than just Tuesdays.
“Some people are more competitive than others,” Wertz said.
Some of the members play online against people from all around the world, by pointing their phone at
the board. He knows people who play at 2 a.m. against European opponents.
Thompson said some people swear by certain kinds of darts, much like anglers believe a certain lure gives them an advantage over competitors— or the fish.
“You talk to some of the people here, they’ll tell you what the percentage of tungsten is in their darts…and how long the point is,” he said.
Thompson is one of those people.
“I throw a 24-gram Harrows Black Ice that’s 90% tungsten with a (26)-millimeter point and rotating standard flights,” he said.
“Is that the best? No, it’s just what I like.”
Some people spend $150 on a set of darts, but others buy a $30 bucket with 30 darts in them.
“You can play with any set of darts and win,” Thompson said.
The sport also gains fans because of the obtuse learning curve, he said.
“It takes 15 minutes to learn it, and your lifetime to get good at it,” Thompson said. “You’re never as good as you can be.”
He said he always tells beginners that it doesn’t matter how they stand or rock or pivot or hold the dart or throw it—so long as they do it the same way every time.
“And I guarantee you 30 minutes from now, you’re going to be a lot better than you are right now. And that’s always true.”
And eventually, if you work really hard at it and stick with it, you might score a triple 20, followed by a triple 20 and another triple 20. That score, of 180 points, is somewhat equivalent to a hole in one in golf.
Thompson said he’s scored a 180 three times in the last nine years, including twice in front of other people. The first time, he took a photo of the three darts on the board. He still uses that photo as the screensaver on his phone.
Ultimately, though, Thompson said, the Muddy Boots Darts Club gains its importance not from athletic performance but from camaraderie.
“This is a fantastic club because it has fantastic people,” he said. “And I think people come here because they like each other.”
DART CLUB continued from 23
Hondo Thompson speaking with the author.
woman hiking alone
~by Sara Clifford
Rustling in the brush rousts me from sleep: Halting footsteps, getting closer.
I am miles from roads, 100+ feet from a trail, encircled by trees the color of my rainfly. It’s dark, predawn, and near freezing.
The steps get closer; I can feel them through my mat. I slow my breath, but don’t move.
Then, a sound I’ve heard up-close once before: the gasp-scream a deer makes when startled, right before she turns tail and bolts.
I settle back into the ground. I stay. For as long as I wish, I stay.
When I wake again, I stuff my stuff into sacks, pack away the tent, and rake up the ground where I laid. Breath clouding in the beam of my lamp, I shoulder the straps and walk on, several miles still in the dark,
startling other deer in the distance still bedded down.
I am not a threat, but they’ve been conditioned differently. I look just like others with opposite intent; there’s really no way to know. For some of us, the safest thing to do is to stay hidden, stay silent, stay small.
Well, I’m not doing that anymore.
I went back to the woods five years ago when I felt I was losing myself. If you’ve ever held a very public-facing role in a very small place, you might know the feeling: eyes on you, tracking, waiting for you to stumble. I’d started second-guessing my instincts, though they’d rarely let me down. I’d stopped listening to my body, pushing through when I needed to rest, putting myself out there when I wanted to retreat.
Sara Clifford solo backpacking in Deam Wilderness, Monroe County, Ind., October 2024.
I needed peace and a place to think.
First, I took my husband with me. We’d met this way, united in a shared love of wild things, before he had people in his ear constantly fencing him in and redirecting his time.
I took a boy or two in hopes of showing them all the things I see and love. They noticed, and then they talked. And they talked some more, and they clashed and swatted and argued, and after a while I couldn’t hear or see anything else but the wildness in them that, as their mother, I felt obligated to contain. Every now and then, a mom-friend or neighbor would call. We’d hike as a group, because, you know, safety in numbers. More often, though, I’d only take a dog—no communication expected except through the leash. But I didn’t like being tethered, either,
THE THINGS I CARRY
◊ 16-ounce water bottles, up to three on a day hike.
◊ Power-up snacks: Cashews or granola bars.
◊ Pepper spray, a gift from my husband. Never used it, but I have it.
◊ Paper maps, even of the places I often go.
◊ Kleenex. Doubles as TP.
◊ Neck gaiter. Like a bandana, multiple uses.
◊ GPS-enabled watch, another gift from my husband. Anyone I give permissions to can see where I am in real time.
◊ Chapstick.
◊ Car keys, clipped into my pack.
◊ Headlamp, sometimes charged.
◊ Small, waterproof first-aid kit, including gauze and matches.
◊ Small knife, sheathed and visible.
◊ Phone, except when I forget it. Even then, I am fine.
tugged faster than I wanted or stopped while someone sniffed or marked their spot.
Finally, I’m OK with hiking alone.
“You might want to leave out the part ‘alone,’” my editor for this piece suggested. “There are weirdos out there.”
I know. I have been alerted to some as recently as this very trip—though to be (un)fair, any man can easily read that way in the woods. The first night, I came upon one in neon shorts with a crossbow; kept checking over my shoulder at where he was aiming. Later, within earshot of my campsite were two groups of men on a wild-andfree weekend. It frustrated me that my instinct was to duck and stay behind the tree line. But that way, I wasn’t as worried when the nighttime sounds signaled drinking. They didn’t know I was here, separated from any herd.
It helps me, in all moments of anxiety, to reach for facts. “Your risk of being a victim of violent crime is thousands of times lower in a national park than in the country as a whole” (Backpacker magazine, 2014). Eighty-two percent of sexual
Continued on 28
assaults are committed by someone the victim knows (FBI). Throughout my 20-year history in Brown County, only one person—yes, a woman hiking alone—has ever been attacked on a local trail (Brown County Democrat, 2011).
But I digress; feeding fear wasn’t my point. Statistically, I am safer here, sleeping in a nylon bubble by myself, than I would be walking around after dark in some civilized places. Historically, I’ve been much less safe among “friends.”
On the trail, I alone decide what my body does. It doesn’t have to cuddle or coddle or soothe or please anybody. I stop when I want. I go as far and as fast as I want. Any hurt I feel, I caused, and I am proud of it. It reminds me that I’m still alive, that I can make my own choices.
When I lose my wildness and all the courage that requires, I lose the real me.
If you see me out here alone, don’t assume I’m a target. I am not. I’m simply listening to myself, gathering strength for what’s to come.
Not hidden. Not silent. Not small. Just free, and determined to stay that way.
Our roots run deep.
With decades of bluegrass festivals, stage performances, musicians playing in the streets of Downtown Nashville, and everything in between, Brown County, Indiana, has always been the go-to destination for exceptional live entertainment—and still is today!
Let’s be friends
@ILoveBrownCounty
@ILoveBrownCounty
@ILuvBrownCounty
Plan your entertainment lineup for your next visit!
Brown County Visitors Center. 211 South Van Buren Street. Downtown Nashville.
Brown County Visitors Center 211 South Van Buren Street
Nashville
Escape to the hi s
Musings Names & Places
~by Mark Blackwell
Iexpect that names are just about the most important concepts that human beings ever came up with. Names are identifiers. Without names we would not be able to talk about much. Once out of pointing range of something, it would take forever to have any sort of conversation about it. And even then, any conversation you could have would necessitate playing some high-level charades.
But there was a time, long ago, when human language was pretty limited. So, the invention of naming things was most likely the catalyst for the evolution of our species. I wonder if the whole shebang got started with having different grunts for different things.
You know, like, “wah wah” would mean water. “Ouch” would have been for fire, sharp stickers stuff, and cave-bear attacks. And the first time any new thing would have been encountered probably elicited a sound like “wow.” If it was a really big new thing, the sound would be “woooow.” It’s not hard to recognize the drawbacks of being a bit too vague.
“A rose by any other name would smell…”
—Bill Shakespeare
Right from the start, lots of things would have been sharing the same name—probably “wow.”
I’m sure that the paucity of vocabulary led to quite a few misunderstandings back in those early days. And I’m sure that the troglodytes living in one cave would have all agreed how to pronounce the limited words they had. But those people living over in the next valley refused to say “wow” correctly. And I’m pretty sure that the difference in dialect resulted in some early skirmishes, maybe even some small wars.
If you are reading this article, it is safe to assume that you have a passing facility with the English language. But did you know there are approximately one million words in English? And of those million words, more than 80,000 are nouns, and nouns are names.
One of the most important jobs that names have is identifying people. I think that early on our ancestors got tired of calling each other “wow” and expanded the common vocabulary by assigning new sounds to each other. I should take a moment here to make a confession: most of my information about the development of early linguistics is due to being an enthusiastic reader of “Alley Oop” comic strips in my formative years.
We all have names. It used to be that your name reflected the place where you were from, or the family or tribe you belonged to, or your vocation. Like Francis of Assisi or how the Irish affix an “O” to a lot of their surnames, which means descendent of a certain family such as Bernardo O’Higgins, Peter O’Toole and Paddy O’Furniture.
And then there are weird names.
For coming across weird names, you can’t beat reading Charles Dickens. He came up with wonderful characters and gave them unforgettable names: Ebenezer Scrooge, Martin Chuzzlewit, Mrs. Gummidge, and Uriah Heep. It’s rumored that Uriah Heep went on to some success in the music business, but the rest of Dickens characters continue to languish in novels.
There is a fine line separating weird names from funny names. Funny names are usually attached to real people. There are the old standbys like Ima Hogg, daughter of a governor of Texas. Contrary to popular belief, there was no Ura Hogg. In my seventy-five years, I have come across Crystal Ball, Shanda Lear, Armand Hammer, and Christian Guy. That last name reminded me of a Brown County settler named Wiley Guy.
Brown County has more than its rightful share of funny/interesting names for people and places. At the turn of the 20th Century, we even had our own version of Charles Dickens, his name was Kin Hubbard. He was the creator of “Abe Martin” and all the folks who populated a Brown County that existed about a half a dimension over but on a parallel track to the one we’re familiar with.
For those of you who don’t know Abe Martin, he was Brown County’s roving freelance philosopher from 1905 until—well, I still talk to him from time to time. He was a well-beloved or at least well tolerated neighbor. Other inhabitants of the county included Squire Marsh Swallow, Miss Germ Williams, Late Bud, Fawn Lippincut, Pinky Kerr and Wes Whipple.
While this parallel Brown County has a bunch of funny folks with funny names, our Brown County has a fair amount of funny place names.
“Gnaw Bone” is always a good start. And then there is “Scarce O’ Fat Ridge,” “Milk Sick Bottoms,” “Needmore,” and “Booger Holler.” “Pikes Peak” and “Bean Blossom” deserve a mention as well. And there are others, I just can’t think of them right now.
Both Brown Counties have a pretty good quota of quirky names of places and people.
So, if you like funny names and quirky people or if you come from a funny place or you are a quirky person, come on down for a visit. Brown County might just be for you.
Dog Training & Grooming
BROOKS RUN CABIN
photos by Jane Mitchell
The schedule can change. Please check before making a trip. Submit calendar info to
Brown County Playhouse
Mar. 1 Henry Lee Summer
Mar. 6 The Dave Matthews Tribute Band
Mar. 7 Chris Collins & Boulder Canyon
John Denver Tribute Band
Mar. 8 E5C4P3 The Music of Journey
Mar. 14 American Fools Band
The Music of John Mellencamp
Mar. 15 Best of Times A Tribute to STYX
Mar. 21 The Woomblies Rock Orchestra
Mar. 22 No Fences: Garth Brooks Tribute
Mar. 28 Dogs of Society: Elton Tribute
Mar. 29 Billy the Kid: Billy Joel Tribute
Apr. 5 Blue Sky Dogs: Allman Brothers Band Tribute
Apr. 11-13, 18-20 Live Theatre: The Curious Savage
Apr. 24 Jump: Van Halen Experience
Apr. 25 Chicago Farmer & The Fieldnotes
Apr. 26 Songs of the South: Alabama Tribute
Most shows at 7:30
70 S. Van Buren Street • 812-988-6555
www.browncountyplayhouse.org
Brown County Music Center
Mar. 1 The Marshall Tucker Band
Mar. 6 Aaron Lewis & The Stateliners
Mar. 8 The Kentucky Headhunters
Mar. 9 Greensky Bluegrass
Mar. 14 Trombone Shorty & Orleans Ave.
Mar. 15 Matt Nathanson
Mar. 16 Trey Anastasio
Mar. 20 Keb’ Mo’ & Shawn Colvin
Mar. 21 Great White & Slaughter
Mar. 22 Judy Collins
Mar. 28 Ancient Aliens Live
Apr. 1 ZZ Top
Apr. 5 Golden Girls
Apr. 11 Blippi: Join the Band Tour
Apr. 12 Rick Wakeman
Apr. 13 Engelbert Humperdinck
Apr. 17 Jason Isbell & The 400 Unit
Apr. 18 Larry, Steve & Rudy: The Gatlin Brothers
Apr. 19 ARRIVAL: The Music of ABBA
Apr. 24 Jay Leno
812-988-5323
www.browncountymusiccenter.com
Brown County Inn
Open Mic Nights Wed. 6:00-9:00
Hill Folk Music Series Thurs. 7:00-9:00
Fri. & Sat. Live Music 8:00-11:00
Mar. 1 Acre Brothers
Mar. 5 Open Mic
Mar. 6 Caitlin “Spanks” Spangler
Mar. 7 The Duvenky Code
Mar. 8 Piney Woods & The Harrodsburg Horns
Mar. 12 Open Mic
Mar. 13 Benjamin Fuson
Mar. 14 JC Clements Band
Mar. 15 Homemade Jam
Mar. 17 The Matchseller
Mar. 19 Open Mic
Mar. 20 Bobcat Opossum
Mar. 21 Russ Bucy & Friends
Mar. 22 King Bee & The Stingers
Mar. 26 Open Mic
Mar. 27 Frank Dean
Mar. 28 Impasse Band
Mar. 29 Tom Harold & The Fallen Angels
Apr. 2 Open Mic
Apr. 3 Tom Roznowski & Carolyn Dutton
Apr. 4 Banister Bluegrass Band
Apr. 5 Amanda Webb Band
Apr. 9 Open Mic
Apr. 10 Christy Crandell & Loretta Vinson
Apr. 11 Sean Lamb & Janet Miller
Apr. 12 Big Daddy Caddy
Apr. 16 Open Mic
Apr. 17 Whetstine Family Band
Apr. 18 Common Ground Trio
Apr. 19 Hometown Throwdown
Apr. 23 Open Mic
Apr. 24 John Gilmore
Apr. 25 Austin James Trio
Apr. 26 Tumbling Dice
Apr. 30 Open Mic
51 State Road 46 East • 812-988-2291
www.browncountyinn.com
Country Heritage Winery
Music Fri. & Sat. 6:00-9:00
Mar. 1 Craig Thurston
Mar. 7 Karaoke
Mar. 8 Steve Fulton Trio
Mar. 14 Jill Howe
Mar. 15 Gary Applegate & Joe Rock
Mar. 21 Gene Fugate
Mar. 22 Rusted String Swindlers
Mar. 28 Conner Berry
Mar. 29 Two for the Show
Apr. 4 Slide & Harmony
Apr. 5 Jeff Hubbard
Apr. 11 Amanda Webb Band
Apr. 12 Blue D’jango w/ Carolyn Dutton
Apr. 18 Ruben Guthrie
Apr. 19 Gene Fugate Duo
Apr. 25 Hubie Ashcraft & Travis Gow
Apr. 26 The McGuires
225 S. Van Buren Street • 812-988-8500 www.countryheritagewinery.com
19th Hole Sports Bar
Music Fri. & Sat.
Mar. 1 Sweet Pea & The Pods 7:00
Mar. 7 John Ryan Band 7:00
Mar. 8 Homemade Jam Acoustic 7:00
Mar. 14 Gene Fugate Band 7:00
Mar. 15 Ryan Noblitt 7:00
Mar. 21 Clearwater Band 7:00
Mar. 22 Coyote 5.0 8:00
Mar. 28 Brett Denney 7:00
Mar. 29 Ruben Guthrie 7:00
Apr. 4 John Ryan Band 7:00
Apr. 11 Gene Fugate 7:00
Apr. 12 The Vanguards 8:00
Apr. 18 Clearwater Band 7:00
Apr. 19 Two for the Show 8:00
Apr. 25 Ryan Noblitt 7:00
Apr. 26 Past Tense 8:00
2359 East State Road 46 812-988-4323 www.saltcreekgolf.com
Nashville House
Music Fri. & Sat. 5:00-8:00 | Sun. 1:00-4:00
Mar. 28 Travers Marks
Mar. 29 Doug Dillman
Mar. 30 Taylor Hernley
TBD Apr. 4, 5, 13, 19, 26,27
Apr. 6 Wayne Pennington
Apr. 11 Ben Justus
Apr. 12 Doug Dillman
Apr. 18 Steve Hickman
Apr. 20 Ruben Guthrie
Apr. 25 John Collins
15 S. Van Buren Street 812-988-4554
www.nashvillehousebc.com
Ferguson House Beer Garden
Music Fri. 5:00-8:00 | Sat. 1:00-4:00 AND 5:00-8:00 | Sun. 1:00-4:00
Mar. 28 Doug Dillman
Mar. 29 Rich Hardesty 1:00-4:00 Hammer & Hatchet 5:00-8:00
Mar. 30 Ruben Guthrie
Apr. 4 Gene Fugate
Apr. 5 John Collins 1:00-4:00 Sweet Pea 5:00-8:00
Apr. 6 Travers Marks 1:00-4:00
Apr. 11 Hammer & Hatchet
Apr. 12 Wayne Pennington 1:00-4:00 Jaylen Martinez 5:00-8:00
Apr. 13 Buck Knawe
Apr. 18 Austin James
Apr. 19 Rich Hardesty 1:00-4:00 Taylor Hernly 5:00-8:00
Apr. 20 Doug Dillman
Apr. 25 TBD
Apr. 26 TBD 1:00-4:00
Ross Benson 5:00-8:00
Apr. 27 Ruben Guthrie
Antique Alley 78 Franklin Street 812-988-4042
Hard Truth Distilling Co.
Mar. 7 Cask & Still Social 6:00-8:30 Cocktail reception of interactive tastings, food pairings, and engaging conversation with whiskey experts.
Mar. 15 St. Patrick’s Day Party 6:00-10:00
Apr. 4 Cask & Still Social 6:00-8:30
Cocktail reception of interactive tastings, food pairings, and engaging conversation with whiskey experts.
Apr. 12 & 19 Easter Bourbon Hunt
Apr. 20 Easter Brunch 10:00am & 1:00pm
Check website for additional info.
Hard Truth Distilling Co. 418 Old State Road 46 • 812-720-4840 www.hardtruth.com
Story Inn
Fri. Love Shack Karaoke 9:30-12:30
Sat. pianist Ted Seaman 6:00-9:00
Check social media for more info. 6404 State Road 135 • 812-988-2273
www.storyinn.com
Winter Hike Series
Brown County State Park
Mar. 1 Dog hike at Ogle Lake 11:00 Meet at the Ogle Lake parking lot. Trail 7 around Ogle Lake is about a mile and a half a mile in length and considered moderate. There are uneven surfaces, possible wet or icy spots, and some small staircases. The hike will take about an hour and 20 minutes to complete. Dogs are not required for you to attend the hike. If you do bring a dog or other pet, please be sure to use a six foot leash.
812-988-5240
on.in.gov/BrownCountySP
Mabel B. Annis Student Art Competition and Show
Mar. 8-Apr. 13 | Brown Co. Art Gallery
Features works by 7th – 12th-grade art students from Bartholomew, Brown, Greene, Jackson, Johnson, Morgan, and Monroe County schools. Home school students may participate if they are under the guidance of a licensed Art Teacher. The Competition is judged and includes six categories:Painting | Drawing | 3-D | Print | Photography | Video. More than $6,500 awarded to participants last year.
One Artist Drive · Nashville, IN 47448
812- 988-4609
https://browncountyartgallery.org/
Mother’s Cupboard Soup Bowl Benefit
Mar. 23, Seasons Event Center | 5:00-7:00 Tickets at IGA and Visitors Center and the door. Adults $30 (includes bowl), Kids $5. Restaurants serve soups in potters’ handmade bowls. Silent auction and live music. Proceeds go to benefit Mother’s Cupboard community kitchen, providing free meals to those in need.
A Taste of Art
Apr. 12 | Salt Creek Golf Retreat | 5:00-8:30 Presented by the Rotary Club of Brown Co. Includes beverage tastings, food, silent and live art auctions.
2359 East State Road 46
40th Wildflower Foray
April 25-27 | Various Brown County locations | Wildflower and birding walks, wetland hikes, nature photography. Hikes and programs are held at T.C. Steele State Historic Site, on established trails, and natural areas including DNR properties, Hoosier National Forest, Indiana University, Sycamore Land Trust and Nature Conservancy lands. For info on T.C. Steele site’s programs: 812-988-2785 tcsteeleshs@indianamuseum.org
PARTY SUNDAY, MAY 4, 2025
Seasons Event Center | 2:00-5:00
MUSIC • FOOD • FELLOWSHIP
Brown County Music Center
Mar.
Mar.
Mar.
Mar. 9
Bluegrass
Mar. 14 Trombone Shor ty & Orleans Ave.
Mar. 15 Matt Nathanson
Mar. 16 Trey Anastasio
Mar. 20 Keb’ Mo’ & Shawn Colvin
Mar. 21 Great White & Slaughter
Mar. 22 Judy Collins
Mar. 28 Ancient Aliens Live
Apr. 1 ZZ Top
Apr. 5 Golden Girls
Apr. 11 Blippi: Join the Band Tour
Apr. 12 Rick Wakeman
Apr. 17 Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit
Apr. 18 Larr y, Steve & Rudy: The Gatlin Brothers
Apr. 19 ARRIVAL: The Music of ABBA
Apr. 24 Jay Leno
May 8
Charley Crockett
May 9 So Good! The Neil Diamond Experience
May 15 Little Feat
May 20 Gene Simmons Band
May 23 The String Cheese Incident
June 3
Daniel O ’Donnell
June 11 Buddy Guy
June 12 Boney James
June 14 The Bacon Brothers
June 19 Josh Turner
June 24 CoComelon: S ing-A-Long LIVE
July 10 Robin Trower
Apr. 13 Engelber t Humperdinck w.BrownCountyMusicCenter.com
Courthouse Bell dedication
A300-pound piece of history was returned to the Brown County courthouse after being locked up in the local jail for the past five years.
Brown Circuit Court Judge Mary Wertz led a dedication ceremony on December 8, 2024, to commemorate the return of a 147-year-old bronze bell to a visible place of honor on the lawn of the historic courthouse. Local officials, two former judges and community members were on hand to hear something only heard by a few living residents—the ringing of the courthouse bell.
The current courthouse is the third courthouse structure on the prominent corner at the center of the village of Nashville. In 1837, the county built the first courthouse with logs. The building referred to as the “Old Log Jail” was built at the same time and still hosts visitors as part of the Brown County Historical Society Pioneer Village Museum.
In 1855, a two-story brick courthouse replaced the log building which was the was sold and re-purposed as a stable. In 1873, when the brick courthouse burned to the ground, the county re-built it in 1877 for a cost of $9,000 using portions of the walls that remained. The unique metal staircase on the north face of the building and the tower that housed the bell still stand today.
Although the history of the courthouse building is well-documented, little is known about the bell itself. Recent efforts by volunteers at the Brown County History Center archives failed to find any information about who designed or forged the bell or how much it cost.
Most bells have an engraving of the name of the foundry where it was cast, according to community member Duane Parsons, who spoke at the dedication ceremony. But this bell has no marking indicating its origin.
~story and photos by Amy Huffman Oliver
“The only artifact that was discovered by our History Center volunteers was a receipt showing that the clapper bolt was fabricated and installed in 1905. The cost of making this special bolt and installing it was one dollar,” Parson said. “The clapper weighs in at about 25 pounds.”
For 142 years, the bell tower kept the bell safe, even during courthouse renovations in 1939, in the 1950s, and in 1992. It wasn’t until an inspection in 2019 when county employee Ric Fox determined that the bell tower could no longer safely hold the weight of the bell. He rang the bell one final time before a crane removed the bell and it was sentenced to sit in the Brown County Law Enforcement Center for safe keeping.
“The bell has really been absent for far longer than that,” according to Judge Wertz. “As I prepared for this day, I sought to find stories of the bell being rung and was surprised that there are very few in the memories of our citizens. In fact, I think most of us did not even realize there was a bell in that belfry.”
Brown County resident Rick Bond remembers the bell ringing on the 4th of July in 1976 to celebrate the 200th birthday of the United States of America.
Wertz also found an article published in the Indianapolis News on November 11, 1982, which quoted Wilma Riley, a past elected auditor, recounting that the bell “was rung each morning when court convened and every night at curfew.”
Judge Mary Wertz led a dedication ceremony.
Local attorney Jim Roberts heard the bell ring in 1946 when the Lions Club and the local undertaker, Josh Bond, conducted a “burial” of the town water pump to celebrate the opening of the first public water system in Nashville.
The bell refurbishment project was completed with minimal county funds as community members and businesses donated materials, money, and labor to make the project possible. Personalized bricks are also being sold which will be placed beneath the bell.
At the dedication ceremony, Wertz thanked Parsons. “We would not all be able to celebrate this moment without the determination and hard work of Duane Parsons. When the bell was removed from the building in July of 2019, Duane committed to returning the bell to a place of honor on the courthouse lawn.
“He spent countless hours rallying support, designing the structure, collecting donations, assembling a mostly volunteer crew of craftsmen and laborers, and cleaning the bell. He never gave up on the project.”
Then Parsons swung the bell, creating a sound that was five years in the making and that most in the audience had never heard before—the ringing of a piece of Brown County history.
COURTHOUSE BELL continued from 45
Duane Parsons swung the bell, ringing it for the audience.
file photo
Brown County Craft Gallery
For about 45 years now, the Brown County Craft Gallery has been a staple in downtown Nashville, a place area artists and craftsmen can sell their creations directly to the public.
Founded in 1978, the non-profit gallery has 12 members and 22 artists who consign their work.
One recent February morning, member Sidney Bolam, a stone carver, and her pet dog Rosie, worked the counter and greeted visitors who came in looking for locally created treasures and travel directions.
She describes the gallery as a “low ego” establishment focusing on heritage crafts which has a big heart
~story and photos by Bob Gustin
file
photo
“We’ve survived multiple moves and adversities, such as the pandemic. We have a constantly rotating roster of new and longtime artists.”
Ron Dawson, a retired Ivy Tech professor who exhibits photography at the gallery, is the organization’s president. He has been a member since 2012, and his wife Marla, a fiber artist, joined as a member in the early 1990s.
To be displayed in the gallery, work must be approved by a jury consisting of current members. Sometimes, items are not accepted because the gallery already has a good representation of a specific medium, such as jewelry or pottery.
“We’re always looking for quality artwork,” he said, “especially in mediums we currently don’t have in the gallery.”
Continued on 50
and supports other artists in the county, regardless of whether they are members.
“When a customer buys handmade art anywhere in town, it’s a win for all of us,” she said.
A wide variety of crafts are available at the shop, ranging from pottery and fiber arts, to jewelry, gourd art, wooden puzzles, prints and original paintings, stone carvings, photographs, magnets, stickers, and more.
“We have things at every price point,” Bolam said, “from $3 to $600.” The range of items may appeal to those wanting to pick up an inexpensive souvenir as well as to serious art collectors.
“Everything is made in Brown and surrounding counties. There are no imports or manufactured stuff, we carry original work only,” she said.
Sidney Bolam and her pup Rosie.
The gallery moved a few years ago from a location near the county courthouse to 62 E. Washington St., just a half block from the Visitors Center. Dawson said the current location has a homey feel and gets good traffic, often being one of the first stops tourists make after leaving the Visitors Center.
Dawson said the biggest sellers include fiber art, pottery, various glassware and jewelry products, cards, gourd art, and wooden puzzles.
He said visitors from large cities often comment on the reasonable prices at the gallery, and when potential customers are looking for items the gallery does not offer, gallery members are encouraged to point them to other local businesses selling items produced by regional artists.
“We want to promote Nashville, Brown County, and a good experience for the tourists. We want people to come back.
“What the gallery gets from the artists is enough to run the operation.” Dawson said. “The majority of the money goes to the artists.
“We’re not there to be a profit-generating business for some individual owner, we’re there to be a place for regional artists to display their work.”
CRAFT GALLERY MEMBERS AND THEIR MAIN PRODUCTS:
Michael Bell and Danielle Bachant-Bell, blown glass; Sidney Bolam, stone carving; Marla Dawson, weaving and knitting; Ronald Dawson, photography; Carrie Foley, jewelry; Jim Halvorson, pottery; Kathy Lehnig, woven rugs; David and Jennie Orr, nature block printing; Gail E. Trout, stained glass, earrings; Leah Tannen, reclaimed wood and glass, jewelry; Mark Tschida, puzzles; Sue Westhues, gourd art.
Consignments include: felted and hooked items, knitting, baskets, pottery, fused glass, bird and bat houses, painting, woodcarving, handcrafted soap, wood turning, blown glass, multimedia items, weaving, metal work, and magnets.
The gallery is open year-round, seven days a week except for a period from mid-January to mid-March when it is closed on Wednesdays. Hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. except during October, when it is open from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
For more info call 812-988-7058 or check its Facebook page.
Field Notes sandhill cranes
~by Jim Eagleman
At first, it’s a distant sound, way off, like a muffled churning—some call it a rolling trumpet.
By habit I scan the sky as sounds get closer. Soon, sounds become calls and help point to a distant V. It may be separate, or at times combine with other Vs overhead. I call that a bonus. Once I read that migrating geese and ducks fly in V formation and it’s always a female in the lead; I wonder if that’s true here? It’s cranes this time, not waterfowl. I try counting as they spread across the sky. I listen and watch.
These elegant, long-legged, long-necked migrators are sandhill cranes, and they grace our Brown County skies twice a year. Like other migrating visitors, I watch and listen for arrival in spring, and a fall departure. The call is haunting, ancient. The sandhill is a bird that has been around since the Pleistocene. Dating back two million years in the fossil record, cranes and their relatives may have flown over and fed in similar habitats as they do today.
Their name refers to their choice range like the Platte River, on the edge of the Nebraska sandhills. On the Great Plains, cranes frequent these traditional feeding and staging areas. It’s estimated that except for New England, cranes are found throughout all other states. Their numbers have increased due to large ag fields with waste grains, protected sandbars, and noted mating success. Pairs tend to mate for life
and stay with their mates for two or more decades. Their varied diet consists of vertebrates, small mammals, snails, and weed seeds. Corn is a common food used to fuel long distances. Social groups feed throughout the night with bills probing the ground. A brown stain on chest feathers is sometimes evident. In northern Indiana counties, cranes stick their bills in the muck of iron rich wetlands, then preen their feathers leaving a rusty orange color. My friend and colleague, Fred Wooley, a “north woods naturalist,” says he has been fooled more than once when he sees that color moving through a Steuben County fen. He first thinks deer, only to focus closer on a sandhill. While their graceful flight is most impressive, I’ve seen these birds up close. There’s more to watch. They stand about three feet high, with a general body length of 60 inches, and an estimated weight at ten pounds. The crimsoncolored cap is barely visible at a distance, but it may be the first thing I notice. In the flock, a few flap their wings while I walk closely. My field guide said their wingspan is about 75 inches, or six feet plus. The long, pointed black bill and red forehead contrasts against white cheeks. I marvel at their beauty, but it’s their stamina, an inherent ritual, that amaze.
Sandhills migrate through Indiana and some breed in our northern counties. During migration,
large flocks stopover at Goose Pond Fish and Wildlife Area, near Jasonville and Jasper-Pulaski Fish and Wildlife Area in northwest Indiana. Both properties allow great viewing of these magnificent birds. I’ve also watched them in corn stubble fields along Interstate 65 north of Seymour.
Years ago, I got a call from a group working with whooping crane reintroductions asking if I could suggest a Brown County field. The recovery team needed a place for the birds to spend the night along the same migration route used by sandhills. The whooping cranes numbers were at concerned status. An ultralight aircraft led the whoopers. These birds originated in western Wisconsin and traveled to Florida that fall. It was a treat was to see these magnificent birds up close. Now my trips to see sandhills include a hopeful sighting of whoopers, their numbers now encouraging.
Back home, I pull down my old copy of Sand County Almanac and read again Aldo Leopold’s account. The crane was a bird of mystery and delight to this biologist and scientist. His poetic essays lift the reader by sharing thoughts on biology, history, and the crane’s endurance on earth. Regarding the marsh where they land, “an endless caravan of generations that has built of its own bones this bridge into the future, this habitat where the oncoming host may again, live, breed, and die”.
Of what value is the existence of this great bird? Does it deserve more attention than the equally impressive event of a scarlet tanager or wood thrush completing its annual trip? Are birds in general, and cranes, mere indicators of the health and longevity of our natural environment, despite its decline? Do they hold a message?
“Our ability to perceive quality in nature begins, as in art, with the pretty. It expands through successive stages of the beautiful to values as yet uncaptured by language. The quality of cranes lies, I think, in this higher gamut, as yet beyond the reach of words”. —Aldo Leopold
To inquire about this or other articles, contact the author at: jpeagleman@gmail.com
At the Sue Borgelt Medical Center, 100 Maple Leaf Blvd., care is close to home.
Primary and internal medicine care is more convenient than ever at the new Sue Borgelt Medical Center. Family, Cardiology, Orthopedic and Urology services are all available at our 100 Maple Leaf Blvd. location.
Primary care by appointment: Monday – Friday, 7 am – 4 pm, call 812.988.2231 for a Primary care appointment
After-hours injury and illness care: We offer a limited number of same-day appointments Monday - Friday, 4 - 6 pm. Please call to check availability!
Orthopedics: Wednesdays, 8 am – 4:30 pm, call 812.333.BONE (2663) for an Orthopedics appointment
Cardiology: call 812.676.4144 for a Cardiology appointment
Urology: Mondays, 8 am – 4:30 pm, call 812.676.4300 for a Urology appointment
For more information, call 812.988.2231 or visit iuhealth.org/nashville
100 Maple Leaf Blvd., Nashville, IN
Marin Garcia, MD Family Medicine
Nina Kuhlman, NP Family Medicine, Geriatrics
Chelsea Budd, NP Family Medicine Keli Ferguson, PA-C Sports Medicine, Orthopedics
Penny Hobson, NP Cardiology
Paula Bunde, MD Urology Nichole Myers, NP Urology
Fangcheng Wu, MD Cardiology
QUEEN HATCO
The Sampler
Where do local people go on a weeknight to belly up to the bar for a few cold ones at the end of the day? One such place is the 19th Hole Sports Bar, out at Salt Creek Golf Course.
Located in the clubhouse next to the pro shop, the 19th Hole Sports Bar is, as its name suggests, a convenient place for golfers to gather after a round.
19th hole sports bar
It’s a nice big place with a big bar area, many screens, a dining area and even a hardwood dance floor for weekend musical acts.
With plenty of beer and drinks at hand and a full menu available, the 19th Hole is a perfect spot to watch the big game, or even just catch a late-afternoon dinner with friends and family.
Accordingly, on an otherwise uneventful weekday afternoon, I liberated Mrs. Sampler from evening chores and squired her out State Road 46 to Salt Creek Road for some tasty “pub grub.” Along the way, we picked up grandson Nick, for some color. There was a healthy crowd at the bar, generating a friendly buzz of conversation. Various TV screens around the place depicted various interesting sporting events. Also, soccer.
We seated ourselves in the dining section and were soon very expertly and efficiently waited upon by our friendly server. I felt it was my duty to drink at least one beer, and the offer of a brand-name, two-dollar suds cheered me up a little. This is why you drop in to the local bar on a weekday afternoon. To visit your old friend, cold beer. Also, there are daily drinks and beer specials.
With a massive 15-item appetizer menu, 19th Hole offers almost any opener that you crave. Nachos? Check. Fried breaded cheese sticks, mushrooms or coconut shrimp? Yes. Wings? Boneless or bone in, with eight or nine different sauces! They don’t have onion rings proper, but something called an “onion string basket”. Regular French fries and also,
“Hoosier fries,” which are waffle-cut fries topped with cheese, bacon bits and grilled onions and jalapenos.
You want breadsticks? A large soft pretzel? Fried pepper-jack cheese cubes? How about an order of bunker bites? Bunker bites are giant tater tots stuffed with cheese, bacon bits and grilled onions and jalapenos.
Too much fried food? Is that really a thing? The 19th Hole Sports Bar also has salads: a small house salad, chef’s salad, or grilled chicken or salmon salads topped with tomatoes, onions, shredded cheese and croutons.
The menu includes all of the usual bun sandwich suspects, including a “sports burger,” chicken, fish, pulled pork; a Philly beefsteak and a “golf club” with ham, turkey, bacon and cheese. There’s also a bacon chicken ranch wrap, a grilled salmon bacon wrap, and a “Bogey BLT.”
Out of that plethora of sandwich options I found myself attracted to the Salt Creek tenderloin: an in-house breaded pork cutlet on a grilled bun with lettuce, tomato.
It was delicious, with the traditional tenderloinoverlapping-bun that makes the sandwich seem gigantic. It came with a little bag of chips, but I also managed to scarf quite a few of my grandson’s waffle fries.
Mrs. Sampler was in the mood for pizza, and the 19th Hole Sports Bar offers a number of specialty pizzas, including “meat lovers,” “Buffalo chicken,” “Porky Pig” and “rancheroni” with 12-inch, seveninch and gluten free crust options. Or, you can build your own pizza.
She ordered the pepperoni with black olives. The thin crust, extra-cheese beauty arrived hot and delicious. Despite my own tussle with the tenderloin, I felt I ought to eat at least one slice, purely for professional reasons, you understand. I found it very suitable indeed.
Grandson Nick figured out how to use his phone to activate the video jukebox, managing to get his beloved Red Hot Chili Peppers blasting out. Teenagers are all about their cell phones. Add some fries, and they’re happy.
There are also some healthier options down at the 19th Hole Sports Bar, including an Asian Maple glazed salmon dinner and a turkey burger or salmon burger.
When the weather is fine, there’s an outdoor dining space with a fantastic view of the Salt Creek Golf Course.
The 19th Hole Sports Bar also has live entertainment on Friday and Saturday nights, a nice place to come for late-night drinks.
19th Hole Sports Bar offers carry-out for their entire menu. Call ahead at 812-988-4323 to have your order ready.
It is open all year round, seven days a week, and serves lunch, dinner, and, in season, basic breakfast items on weekends.
Hours are Sunday through Thursday from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Friday and Saturday from 11 to 11 (sometimes later).
FIREPLACE CENTER
