Jan./Feb. 2025 OUR BROWN COUNTY by Our Brown County

photo by Tamara Bond

Give your heart some love!

tasty & healthy!

wild & tasty TIP

Try substituting extra virgin olive oil in place of less healthy fats like butter, mayonnaise, margarine, and other cooking oils. Not only is it good to use for roasting, frying, or sautéing, but it’s also good as a butter substitute in baking. Extra virgin olive oil is rich in heart-healthy fats, vitamins E and K, and antioxidants which help fight inflammation and chronic disease.

We’ve been bringing great taste to you since 2012 from our inviting little shop in the heart of Brown County, Indiana.

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

Discover something new with every visit.

Explore charming shops, local flavors, handcrafted art of all kinds, and outdoor activities galore. Be sure to swing by the Visitors Center to grab official Brown County merch and our tips on all the must-do’s while you’re here!

Let’s be friends

Brown County Visitors Center. 211 South Van Buren Street. Downtown Nashville.

Brown County N

toBrownCoRecycleCenter

BROWN 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.

Julia Pearson loves learning and writing about local history, faith communities, and the radically ordinary lives of people. She continues the work and association of her late husband, Bruce L. Pearson, with the Wyandotte and Delaware tribes, and visits museums of all types and sizes.

Mandi Rainwater is a freelance travel/lifestyle writer, and also runs Rainwater Studios with her husband Kenan. She promotes local musicians and supports the Southern Indiana music scene. She lives in Nashville with her husband, children, and cats.

Pam Raider has been a resident of Brown County for nearly 40 years. During that time she has served on multiple boards. Current projects include League of Women Voters, Brown County Radio Hour, and WRAPS, a local writers group.

*Tamara Bond works for a well known IT managed services provider in Indianapolis. Over the past few years, she has enjoyed getting out in nature and taking wildlife photos during her down time. It is now a passion for her, not just a hobby. She spends many hours driving on backroads and searching for interesting things to capture. She enjoys the hunt and sharing what she shoots. Follow her on Facebook at Tamara Bond Photography.

Thanks, Mom, for making it happen!

History Mystery

to leave a message with the answer along with your name and phone

This early artist was known to live in tents around scenic locations in Brown County as he painted the landscapes. Locals found him to be very friendly and good-hearted. He was very tall (6’6”) and hard to miss. He built a home/studio/frame shop just outside of Nashville and held group painting classes. After getting to know many other artists, he helped to organize and promote the art colony. He was the first president of their association. Who is this artist?

The answer to last issue’s mystery was Grandma Barnes.

hard truth distilling co.

From a Bold Vision to Reality

Alspaugh

Asmall dream that turned into a bold vision is becoming reality for Hard Truth Distilling Co.

Once a humble craft brew pub in downtown Nashville, the company is now more than halfway toward its ultimate goal: distribution in all 50 states.

Becoming a powerhouse in the spirits industry in 15 short years wasn’t luck or accident. It was three founders whose minds were fixed from the beginning on creating a national brand.

“You always have to have one foot on the

ground and one foot in the clouds,” said Jeff McCabe, co-founder.

When Big Woods Brewing Company opened in 2009, their firm footing was Tim O’Bryan’s homebrew beer recipe that sold out daily, said McCabe, Tim’s father-in-law. The pair partnered with Ed Ryan to launch the brewpub.

A rhythm began for the next several years— expanding brewing operations, still struggling to keep pace with demand, and repeat. Big Woods Pizza opened a block away from the original pub in 2011. In 2012, the company opened a facility

~story and photos by Chrissy

Jeff McCabe, co-founder.

“You always have to have one foot on the ground and one foot in the clouds.”

—Jeff McCabe

dedicated to brewing in the former Brown County Historical Society building (originally a bowling alley) where their beers are still brewed today. The brewery was branded Quaff ON! after the team discovered they couldn’t secure a federal trademark for beer with the Big Woods name, McCabe said.

The company brought in Jim Dunbar, who used to fly helicopters with McCabe, as a fourth partner to get the new beer brand off the ground.

McCabe recalls plenty of industry “No’s” in the beginning and countless barriers trying to keep the hometown brewers from evolving into a distributed brand.

“Thankfully,” he said, grinning, “we like a good fight.” The team would load up Dunbar’s pick-up truck bed with kegs of beer, and the newest partner would drive from bar to bar until the kegs were all sold.

Continued on 18

Hard Truth’s Welcome Center.

HARD TRUTH continued from 17

Breaking into the ultra-competitive beer industry meant Quaff ON! had to do everything perfectly. “You have to have a great beer that people want, but you also have to have a great story and packaging that looks great and is eyecatching,” McCabe said.

The team also had to convince distributors that they were “going to be worth the effort” to be granted shelf space and bar taps, he said.

Through those early years in the “beer wars,” McCabe said the founders reaffirmed with each other, “We can do this.” Any budding business has to cultivate what he calls lighthouses: “For us, it was a bar or restaurant that really liked one of our beers and would put us on tap or put us on their menu. They become the light that keeps you moving forward.” Kroger was one of those beacons that granted the fledgling company shelf space and remains a “great partner” today.

As Quaff ON! solidified to its customers and distributors that they’d never be let down and the product would “always be right,” he said the barriers to entry started to disappear.

While Big Woods entered the craft brewing industry mid-game, the company would become a forerunner in craft distilling. This time, there would be no more playing catch-up with facility capacity. Big Woods purchased a really big woods: 325 acres east of downtown Nashville that they had annexed into the city limits.

Around that same time, a man named Bryan Smith, who had been hired to wash kegs, asked the founders to let him show them what he could do with a test distillery at the pizza shop. Smith’s wizardry yielded a cinnamon vodka that is a top-selling vodka in the world and a toasted coconut rum available on Royal Caribbean cruise ships. Smith, Hard Truth’s master distiller and

Jeff McCabe explaining how Hard Truth’s Bourbon mash is processed in the distillery’s fermenter.

fifth partner, also created the company’s sensation, Sweet Mash Rye whiskey.

Hard Truth now boasts a robust portfolio of spirits, including whiskey, gin, rum, and vodka. The distillery’s expertly crafted bourbon and rye whiskeys also have gained acclaim from industry professionals and connoisseurs alike. McCabe said Quaff ON!’s Six Foot Strawberry Blonde is the number one blonde in the state, the company won best porter in the country last year, and the Sweet Mash Rye whiskey has solidly secured its spot on critics’ top 100 American whiskeys lists annually.

Eight Big Woods restaurants currently serve customers in Speedway, Indianapolis, Franklin, Noblesville, and Bloomington. Partnership with Simon Malls allowed the company to operate at Edinburgh Premium Outlets and Keystone Fashion Mall.

But the company’s flagship location remains where the magic began: Nashville. The Hard Truth Distilling Co. destination campus was created to be like “Disneyland for adults,” McCabe said. The property houses the largest artisan distillery in the state but also provides guests with a full-service restaurant, tours-and-tastings center, and outdoor amphitheater. Guests ages 21 and older can tour the distillery, experience a guided tasting, or hop on guided ATV or tiki boat tours to learn the history of distilling.

The Nashville complex employs a crew of more than 200 and draws about 400,000 visitors each year. McCabe said the company is expecting the visitor count to rise in 2025.

“I think if we’ve done anything, it’s showing that tourism doesn’t have to be seasonal and that service jobs don’t have to be low-paying,” he said. “We feel good that we’ve been part of that.”

McCabe also feels good that the company uses as much Indianagrown grains as possible and has built a sustainable enterprise that’s supporting Hoosier families and farms.

Despite the overwhelming success, the company’s sights remain fixed on the future: distribution in all 50 states. As the company prepares to scale itself to that level, the coming year will bring new tour offerings and the construction of another building at the Nashville campus to house resting spirits. A brand new barbecue-and-whiskey experience featuring nationallyacclaimed barbecue expert Steven Raichlen also is in the works.

“At the end of the day, we are very proud of what we’ve been able to do together, and we like the idea that this can last longer than we do,” McCabe said. “We’re trying to build something that can have a life of its own and continue to be an economic engine long into the future.”

Hard Truth Distilling Co. is located at 418 Old State Rd 46, Nashville. For more, hardtruth.com . 

Brown County Antique Mall

In 1907, American impressionist painter T.C. Steele first captured Brown County’s unique landscapes and color on a canvas.

One hundred years and generations of artists later, the State of Indiana recognized Brown County as “The Art Colony of the Midwest.”

In 2012, the state designated Nashville as an Indiana Cultural District called “Arts Village Brown County,” increasing its access to state arts funding. To support and coordinate these activities, the town council created the Nashville Arts and Entertainment Commission (NAEC ).

The commission’s nine members, each appointed by the town council for a threeyear term, provide the leadership and funding necessary to coordinate public murals, art displays, and performing arts projects. The commission allocates resources from state grants, endowments, and local tax dollars to a wide variety of art-related activities.

nashville arts & entertainment commission

~by Amy Huffman Oliver

Sidney Bolam, stone carver, participating in the Living Art Colony project.

courtesy photo

Mission of the NAEC

According to the council’s founding ordinances, the commission’s goals include:

• Supporting awareness of the arts in its many forms;

• Creating long-range plans for residents and guests to experience art in public places;

• Enhancing community life through participation and financial support;

• Stimulating economic growth and incentives that encourage the arts.

Melanie Voland, the president of the NAEC for the past three years, supports children’s mental health through Centerstone as her day job. In her free time, she is a passionate supporter of Nashville as a living, breathing art colony. Voland wants to broaden the common definition of what art is. “For me, we need to not only support the fine arts you can purchase in a gallery, but also traditional artisan crafts and music that we want reverberating throughout the county.”

NAEC recently supported:

Six Public Murals: Since 2022, the NAEC approved and assisted with the creation of six public murals. It received grants from the Indiana Destination Development Corporation (IDDC), the Indiana Arts Commission (IAC), and the Robert J. Hoffman Public Art Fund through the Brown County Community Foundation (BCCF) to fund the mural projects, each depicting a different aspect of Brown County’s natural surroundings and artistic history.

Living Art Colony: This fall, the commission organized a Living Art Colony showcasing Brown County artisans, musicians, and craftspeople from the era of 1890-1920. With funding from the IAC and volunteer help from the Brown County Historical Society and the Pioneer Women, costumed interpreters offered

Continued on 24

Melanie Voland, NAEC president.

photo by Cindy Steele

courtesy photo

Musicians at the Tree Lighting ceremony.

demonstrations in traditional arts such as spinning, weaving, cooking, storytelling, plein air painting, and music to visitors and students.

Fourth Friday Art Walk: On the fourth Friday of each month from April to October, some village shops and galleries stay open in the evening for an Art Walk. The commission provides advertising to encourage guests to interact with participating artists.

Vinyl Wrap Art Project: In 2021-22, local artists Gabriel Lehman, Daren Redman, and Patricia Bartels created designs for vinyl wraps that beautify Nashville’s three traffic signal boxes.

Music Festivals: NAEC provides financial assistance to Chamberfest, a classical music festival in the village, and the Indiana State Fingerstyle Guitar Festival, a national competition of acoustic guitar players.

Tree Lighting and the Christkindl Market: Making the holidays brighter, the Commission supported musical entertainment and traditional decorations at the Historical Society’s Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony, as well as an ice sculpture artist and musical entertainment at the Christkindl Market.

The commission is supporting several new projects:

• Farmette 2025, a folk music conference and artist showcase coming as a new festival to Nashville on June 21, 2025;

• The 100th anniversary of the Brown County Art Gallery; and

• More public murals. NAEC plans to unveil future designs and locations in the next year.

Voland is invigorated by the opportunity to preserve the heritage of Nashville’s artist colony as part of the NAEC.

“When I think of the early artists, of their attraction to the exquisite light, I feel connected to those old days and ways. Their art has a timeless appeal in variety and expression that provides a connection to both adults and children alike.”

Artist Kurt Eagleman said that Brown County’s heritage as an artist colony was “baked into” him as a child growing up here. Eagleman, who designed and painted three of the town’s public murals that showcase his modern and colorful style, emphasizes that the future of Brown County’s art can pay homage to T. C. Steele and the early artists while still changing and growing over time.

“We have an obligation as a prominent art colony in the Midwest to keep progressing forward, whatever that looks like.”

The migration of artists to Brown County that T.C. Steele set into motion in 1907 continues today as a dynamic home for artists to practice their craft. 

Ribbon cutting of Kurt Eagleman’s Salt Creek Trail mural. courtesy photo

NAEC continued from 23

Brown County WINERY RY

GO TO THE DOGS

Oh, a dog makes friends and a man makes foes, And the reason is simple, goodness knows— For a dog attends to his own affairs

And he lets his neighbors attend to theirs—

He never tells tales that begin, “They say,”

And he’ll keep your secret till judgment day— And he never turns his back on a friend, His love, once given, is yours to the end—

Loyal and faithful through all of your woes,

Thus a dog makes friends while a man makes foes.

Oh, a dog makes friends, for he barks delight

When you’ve sat with a sick friend through the night, And he never asks you where you have been, Or says that you smell like a keg of gin—

For a dog is happy to have you near,

If you’ve been away for an hour, or year—

And he never questions the things you say, And he brands all your screwy view okay—

And a dog never argues, goodness knows, So a dog wins friends where a man makes foes.

Oh, go to the dogs when you’re sad and blue, When your foes seem many, your friends so few—

Go study the pooch and his winning ways, Make him a pattern for all of your days—

Go copy his heart, courageous and true, Strive to be like him in all that you do—

Copy his trust and his faith in a friend, Copy his love that endures to the end—

Oh, go to the dogs when you’re feeling blue, Copy their ways and your foes will be few.

—Tramp Starr

Escape

Musings Help yourself

~by Mark Blackwell

Irecently came across a rather startling factoid, namely, that there are about 15,000 selfhelp books published every year. And that doesn’t even cover the DVDs, YouTube videos, podcasts, and TED Talks. That, to me, indicates that there is a whole lot of dissatisfaction out there.

Self-improvement, it appears, has been front and center for the human condition since the beginning of things. The Bible tells us about how Eve took the advice of a serpent on bettering her condition, and folks have been taking bad advice from snakes ever since. And speaking of religion, it pretty much had a lock on inspiring discontent for several millennia, that is, until modern advertising came along.

It’s one thing to be declared a congenital sinner in need of salvation by the church, but

according to the advertising folks you’re not just a sinner, you are an unfashionable, overweight sinner with dandruff, halitosis, a smelly house and constipation. Your cake is not moist or fluffy enough, and your fried chicken is too greasy. Now our devices tell us about all kinds of diseases we may be suffering from without even knowing it.

It’s getting so bad that a person doesn’t have time to do much more than ask their doctor if this, that, or some

other medication is right for you. But, even if it might be right for you, you need to discontinue using the stuff, with a name you can’t pronounce, if you experience foaming at the mouth, a numbness in your lower extremities, fainting, or sudden death. See your doctor.

Do you see what I’m getting at? It ain’t natural to be so disaffected by a person’s lot in life. It takes other folks to point out your shortcomings. You take your average five-year-old boy for example; he is not perturbed in the least if his socks don’t match or his pants have holes in them. He doesn’t care if his ears are dirty enough to sprout potatoes or he is sporting a chocolate donut and milk mustache. None of these things affect his natural joie de vivre. That’s what schools are for.

There comes a day when that boy wakes up to face frequent bathing, regular haircuts, and a dress code. (It makes me wonder if the whole school situation is just preparation in case you find yourself inducted into the military.) Sit up, don’t slump! You’ll wind up with bad posture. Don’t pick your nose! Quit daydreaming! Pay attention! Quit squirming! It all adds up to; You’re not good enough!

And that’s where it starts, the introduction of self-doubt. That’s where they get you. You start wondering if your teeth are white enough. Are you getting enough vitamins? Should I join the Hair Club for Men. Am I suffering from low “T?” There is no end to these doubts, and it all comes down to the question, “Am I becoming neurotic?”

It is within living memory, that kids couldn’t even enjoy a simple comic book because the exciting conclusion of the story was preempted by “the world’s most perfectly developed man,” Charles Atlas, fist on hips, asking whether we were tired of being 97-pound weaklings. These sorts of

things have a seriously negative affect on the human happiness quotient.

But a funny thing happened to kids in the late 1960s. They began to rebel against the imposition of low self esteem and conformity that was bombarding them from the media to academia. The new ethos was to get back to the land, live frugally, and create new communities. They were ready to trade self doubt for self reliance. And more than a few of them wound up in Brown County.

Somehow or another, word got around about a place with cheap land, where you could build a cabin, grow a garden and live “the good life.” And it turned out to be a place anchored by a village where one could sell handicrafts and art. It was a place with a reputation for good, old-time music where you might do a little busking. Of course that place was/is Brown County.

A major reason the county appreared to be viable for a lifestyle unmolested by modernity is that folks had been living that way since before it was a county. When the artist T. C. Steele discovered it in 1907 and touted its natural beauty to his friends and fellow artists, Brown County was, in many ways, still existing in the 19th Century.

Changes came slowly to the county. The inhabitants tended to regard modernity with a fair amount of skepticism and were not in a hurry to adopt many of the worst aspects of it. So, when some urban refugees found their way here in the 1960s, they found a place that was a pretty good fit for their do-it-yourself, who cares what the world thinks philosophy.

That set of values still permeates the atmosphere here. Self help equals self reliance and, according to Ralph W. Emerson, self reliance builds character. You are welcome to come on down to the hills o’ Brown and help yourself to some country contentment. 

BROOKS RUN CABIN

photos by Tamara Bond

Brown County Playhouse

Feb. 7-9 The Wizard of Oz - Radio Play

Feb. 15 John Primer and the Real Deal Blues Band

Feb. 22 Greg Hahn and Dave “The King” Wilson

Feb. 28 The Amanda Webb Band

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

Most shows at 7:30

70 S. Van Buren Street • 812-988-6555 www.browncountyplayhouse.org

Brown County Music Center

Jan. 16 Big Head Todd & The Monsters

Jan. 31 Yacht Rock Revue

Feb. 15 Dirty Dancing in Concert

Feb. 21 Howard Jones & ABC

Feb. 27 Diamond Rio

Feb. 28 The Moody Blues’ John Lodge

Mar. 1 The Marshall Tucker Band

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 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 (No music Thurs. in Jan.)

Fri. & Sat. Live Music 8:00-11:00

Jan. 10 Common Ground Trio

Jan. 11 Steve Smith

Jan. 15 Open Mic

Jan. 17 Brown Co. Ukulele Festival

Jan. 18 Brown Co. Ukulele Festival

Jan. 22 Open Mic

Jan. 24 Low Landers album release w/ The Hammer & The Hatchet

Jan. 25 Steve Houk Duo w/ Carolyn Dutton

Jan. 29 Open Mic

Jan. 31 Joe’s Truck Stop

Feb. 1 Applegate & Rock

Feb. 5 Open Mic

Feb. 6 Elkins Jamily

Feb. 7 Sean Lamb & Janet Miller

Feb. 8 Austin James Trio

Feb. 12 Open Mic

Feb. 13 Nick Dittmeier

Feb. 14 Paul Bertsch Band

Feb. 15 M Squared Project

Feb. 19 Open Mic

Feb. 20 Nicky Diamonds

Feb. 21 Marty Barrow Duo

Feb. 22 Past Tense

Feb. 26 Open Mic

Feb. 27 Davis & Devitt

Feb. 28 Gene Fugate 51 State Road 46 East • 812-988-2291 www.browncountyinn.com

Country Heritage Winery

Music Fri. & Sat. 6:00-9:00

Live Music TBD Jan. 4, 11, 24, 25

Feb. 1, 8, 15

Jan. 3 Albert Nolting

Jan. 10 Craig Thuston

Jan. 17 Steve Coner

Jan. 18 Gary Applegate

Jan. 31 Albert Nolting

Feb. 7 Albert Nolting

Feb. 14 Ruben Guthrie

Feb. 21 Carolyn Dutton & Steve Houk

Feb. 22 Gene Fugate

225 S. Van Buren Street • 812-988-8500 www.countryheritagewinery.com

19th Hole Sports Bar

Music Fri. & Sat. 7:00-10:00 (except on Jan. 18, 8:00-11:00)

Jan. 10 Gene Fugate

Jan. 11 Ruben Guthrie

Jan. 17 Clearwater Band

Jan. 18 Coyote 5.0

Jan. 24 Mike Staublin

Jan. 25 Ryan Noblitt

Feb. 1 Sweet Pea & the Pods

Feb. 7 John Ryan Band

Feb. 8 3 Beards Strummin’

Feb. 14 Gene Fugate

Ruben Guthrie

Low Landers

John Primer

Feb. 15 Homemade Jam Acoustic

Feb. 21 Clearwater Band

Feb. 22 The Vanguards

Feb. 28 Ruben Guthrie

2359 East State Road 46 812-988-4323 www.saltcreekgolf.com

Firebird Tap House

Most music 7:00-9:00

Jan. 3 Ruben Guthrie

Jan. 4 Caitlin Spangler

Jan. 10 Travers Marks

Jan. 11 Kolton Norton

Jan. 17 Stephen Hickman

Jan. 18 Peter Adamson

Jan. 24 Albert Nolting

Jan. 25 Cody Hekin Williams

Jan. 31 Dakota Curtis

Feb. 1 Ruben Guthrie

Feb. 7 Gary D. Brown

Feb. 8 Timothy Scott

Feb. 14 Jason Blankenship & JC

Feb. 15 Rich Hardesty

Feb. 21 Jason Blankenship, David Sharp

Feb. 22 Jan Bell

Feb. 28 Forrest Turner

4040 State Rd 46 E • 812-988-2336 www.firebirdtaphouse.com

Sycamore

Saloon at Harmony Tree Resorts

Thurs. Game Night 6:30

Fri. Karaoke 8:00

Sat. Live Music 7:30

TBD Feb. 1, 15, 22

Jan. 4 John & Jessie

Jan. 11 Zac Nolan

Jan. 18 Breanna Faith

Jan. 25 Justyn Underwood

Feb. 8 Brett Denney 1292 SR 135 S, Nashville • 812-200-5650 www.harmonytreeresorts.com

Hard

Truth

Distilling Co.

Feb. 1 80s Prom Party

Feb. 14 Valentines Day Dinner

Feb. 21,22 Cocktails & Canvas

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

Most hikes meet at Nature Center

Jan. 4 Kelp Village

1.5 miles round trip-least rugged

Jan. 18 Bolder in the Tree

2 miles round trip-quite rugged off trail, dress for weather, creek crossings, boots essential

Jan. 25 Lake that never was 2.5 miles long-very rugged

Feb. 1 Valley Ruins

Feb. 8 10 O’Clock Line

2.5 miles-moderate, along fire trail/Nature Preserve

Feb. 22 CCC Ruins and Deserters Cave 1.5 mile-easy to rugged

Mar. 1 Dog hike at Ogle Lake 11:00

No pets on off trail hikes

812-988-5240

on.in.gov/BrownCountySP

Full

Moon Hikes

Brown County State Park

Meet at Ogle Lake Trailhead 7

Jan. 11 7:00

Feb. 14 8:00

No pets on night hikes

812-988-5240

on.in.gov/BrownCountySP

Brown County Ukulele Festival

Jan. 17 and 18, Brown County Inn

Jam sessions, workshops, concerts, vendors, open mic.

FRIDAY:

3:30

Meet and greet in the pool area

4:30 Strum along with Petey Mack 6:45

The Little Things Duo

7:30 Kirk Jones

8:45 Open Mic

SATURDAY:

9:30 Yoga with Shruti Nadas

11:00 Strum along with Petey Mack

11:00 Classic Songs workshop with Katy and Shanece

12:30 Kyas Ryo, learning “My Blue Heaven” workshop

2:00 Sharla Rae “Finding Your Voice” workshop

3:00 Beginner ukulele workshop with Meghan Martin

3:30 Kirk Jones “Famous Song

Intros-confident beginners and beyond” workshop

4:30-6:30 Dinner break

6:45 Sharla Rae and the Rae Guns

7:30 Kyas Ryo

8:15 Thumbs Up Family Band

9:30 Open jam after concerts

Mainland Ukes sponsor www.browncountyukefest.com

Winter Wellness Retreat

Feb. 8, 9 | FRI 9:30-3:00, SAT 9:30-10:30

Yoga, Art, Body Movement and local food

Simply Fitness

37 West Main Street, Nashville

https://www.simplyfitnessyoga.com/eventdetails/winter-wellness-retreat-2 812-343-3560

Treats for Your Sweetie Bake Sale

Feb. 12, Brown Co. Public Library

5:00-7:00, lower level

Homemade sweets packaged for the holiday, for sale. All proceeds to support library programming for children, teens, and adults plus activities and projects not covered by the library budget.

Brown County Music Center

Jan. 16 Big Head Todd & The Monsters

Jan. 31 Yacht Rock Revue

Feb. 15 Dirty Dancing in Concer t

Feb. 21 Howard Jones & ABC

Feb. 27 Diamond Ri o

Feb. 28 The Moody Blues ’ John Lodge

Mar. 1 The Marshall Tucker Band

Mar. 8 The Kentucky Headhunters

Mar. 9 Greensky Bluegrass

Mar. 14 Trombone Shor ty & Orleans Ave.

Mar. 15 Matt Nathanson

Mar. 16 Trey Anastasio

Mar. 21 Great White & Slaughter

Mar. 22 Judy Collins

Mar. 28 Ancient Aliens Live

Apr. 1 ZZ Top

Apr. 11 Blippi: Join the Band Tour

Apr. 12 Rick Wakeman

Apr. 17 Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit

Apr. 19 ARRIVAL: The Music of ABBA

Apr. 24 Jay Leno

Mar. 20 Keb’ Mo’ & Shawn Colvin

May 9 So Good! The Neil Diamond Experience

May 20 Gene Simmons Band

June 3 Daniel O ’Donnell

June 19 Josh Turner

For additional shows and tickets visit: www ets vi

Feb 7-9 • The Wizard of Oz - Radio Play

Feb 15 • John Primer and the Real Deal Blues Band

Feb 22 • Greg Hahn and Dave “The King” Wilson

Feb 28 • The Amanda Webb Band

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 Cougar Mellencamp Mar 15 • Best of Times: A Tribute to STYX Mar 21 • The Woomblies Rock Orchestra

~by Julia Pearson

The July 9,1934 morning edition of The Indianapolis Star featured a double column story about the First Lady, Eleanor Roosevelt, who was passing through the Midwest on her way to Chicago.

Above the fold and in the exact center of the paper’s front page, the headline read: “Eleanor Roosevelt visits Brown County, Leaves Indianapolis Off Her Itinerary.”

After spending the night of July 7 at the inn at Clifty Falls State Park, Mrs. Roosevelt asked staff there for the best way to get to Chicago. She was advised that the shortest route went directly through Indianapolis. As expected, word got out, and hundreds of people lined the road south and north of Indianapolis hoping to catch a glimpse of Mrs. Roosevelt, and reporters monitored the road for a scoop.

Accompanied by Hyde Park friends Marion Dickerman and Nancy Cook, Mrs. Roosevelt chose to go through Brown County instead that Monday morning. Fern Seitz Williams was the receptionist that day at the Brown County Art Gallery, which was then located in the Wilkes building across from the Masonic Building on West Main Street. A cream-colored roadster parked in front and the Roosevelt party walked through the door unannounced.

After confirming that the Gallery would accept her personal check, Mrs. Roosevelt purchased two paintings and an etching. The watercolors were by Chicago artist and member of the gallery, James Topping. The etching, entitled “Simon’s Barn,” was by Simon Erickson, also of Chicago. All the while, on-lookers started congregating near the entrance.

From his studio near the Gallery, photographer Frank Hohenberger noticed the gathering foot traffic. Grabbing his camera, he captured a picture of Mrs. Roosevelt as she was leaving. He sent a copy to her at the White House address and received a note of thanks on White House stationery.

Frank Hohenber’s photo of Eleanor Roosevelt. courtesy, The Lilly Library, Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana.

eleanor roosevelt Visits Brown County

The Nashville House was also visited by Mrs. Roosevelt’s group. Wearing a sports dress of black and white silk and her hair bound in a white scarf, Mrs. Roosevelt was not recognized at first.

Manager of the establishment, Carol Besteland, found her studying the displays of native handicrafts in the hotel’s art shop, Brown County Folks (where Spears Gallery is located today).

Mrs. Roosevelt had just been through the mountains of Kentucky where she saw similar crafts being produced in communities there.

Long an advocate of regional industries, Mrs. Roosevelt had a lengthy conversation about the work of local artists, woodworkers, potters, and weavers with Mrs. William Kenton, director of the shop.

Purchases gathered by Mrs. Roosevelt included: a honey jar, two jam pots, three pitchers, and seven nested blue bowls, three Abigail dolls, and a Nancy Hanks doll. She also bought a box of walnut brittle, a specialty made right in the shop. She asked that the walnut brittle not be wrapped with the other items because she wanted to snack on it while traveling throughout the day.

After spending more than an hour in Nashville and shortly before noon, the famous entourage drove westward on Route 46 and then headed north on Route 43.

They stopped at the Midway, a “refreshment stand” four miles south of Greencastle. It was familiar to residents and students of DePauw University.

Lunching on iced tea and sandwiches, the Roosevelt party just seemed like “the average

tourists who stop for a bite to eat,” reported the Midway’s proprietor. As their meal was being prepared, Mrs. Roosevelt availed herself of the lunchroom’s telephone and phoned a telegram to Chicago. The manager noted that the lunchroom was nearly empty when the Roosevelt group arrived. Word spread quickly and curious customers came throughout the day to see where the First Lady had eaten lunch.

The Indiana leg of her trip must have felt carefree to the First Lady and her companions, because Mrs. Roosevelt’s stay in Chicago consisted of a busy schedule of command functions.

She attended “A Century of Progress International Exposition,” also known as the Chicago Worlds Fair, where two radio broadcasts were planned. This was followed by a meal with fair officials and a reception where she was the guest of honor. Though she asked to be “let alone” to walk through the fair, Mrs. Roosevelt was quickly recognized and followed throughout.

Mrs. Roosevelt’s visit to Brown County highlighted to a national audience the resilience and creative efforts of rural communities in the midst of the challenges of the Great Depression. It also focused on the New Deal programs of the Roosevelt administration that provided support and relief.

Eleanor Roosevelt served the nation as First Lady during her husband’s administration as 32nd president from March 4, 1933-April 12, 1945. She has a legacy of championing those who lived on the margins and is admired by many to this day.

the green room

A DECADES-LONG DISCUSSION GROUP

~by Pam Raider

Arguably the most social animal, humans, need each other. The studies are in—social isolation can drive us crazy. That’s why it is considered extreme punishment in prisons. It’s also why mass shooters are most often described as loners.

From the beginning, Homo sapiens gathered around campfires to swap tales. Then we progressed to the local store’s potbellied stove and on to newspapers and TV, and finally to the screens in our hands. Whether at the hair salon, in restaurants and bars, or houses of worship, we enjoy sharing with our neighbors. A sense of belonging—feeling heard and accepted—helps put our thoughts and feelings into perspective.

We get out of the loops in our brain when others add a new twist, talk us off the ledge, make us laugh, or listen to our sorrows. They say misery loves company, but so do our joys and successes. From cradle to grave, community is crucial to our well-being.

Although I belong to several groups and value each one, one in particular stands out

as especially interesting and accepting. It lies within the heart of Nashville, meeting in the Nashville United Methodist Church. Named for the carpeting covering floor and benches, the Green Room is an especially welcoming place. What began as a Sunday school playroom area for children morphed into a home for a wideranging, now decades-long, discussion group.

You might ask “What’s a discussion group have to do with church?” And yet, at their core, all issues have moral, ethical, and spiritual ramifications. Just as the unexamined life may not be worth living, so too might be our unexamined beliefs. No one person has all the answers; therefore we can find better answers together. If two minds are better than one, think how superb 10 minds are. All opinions shared in the Green Room are reacted to with thoughtful consideration.

The Green Room seems the epitome of community with nothing to buy or sign up for and nothing expected—just show up and be open to listening and sharing. Democratic

in its functioning, there is no real leader, no membership fees or qualifications needed, no attendance rules or records. You needn’t be a member of the church or attend services there.

Totally self-regulating, you come when you can, or if the topic, which changes weekly, interests you. In various sessions we talked about diet, exercise, pilgrimages, gender-based issues, health care, state of our agriculture, the climate crisis, war and peace, politics and humor, grief and forgiveness. We watched TED talks and short films together. One topic often leads to another; maybe someone has read a book or come back from a trip or wants to air their thoughts and feelings, and hear what others think.

Sometimes there are only five or six people there and sometimes more like 20-30. We have shared births and deaths, graduations and retirements, the full gamut of human experience.

This isn’t only a discussion group. Folks in the Green Room put their principles into action. They

are always asking themselves what they can do to make Brown County a better community, and by extension, the world. To this end they serve on boards and support charities. They’ve sponsored a refugee family and raised money to put solar panels on the church. It’s people like this that make our county such a wonderful place in which to live.

I believe local community will become more and more important for each one of us. We will need places to gather and to share our needs, fears, troubles, opinions, and hopes—outside of our devices. A place where we feel seen, heard, and valued in person.

Maybe there is a gathering place in your neighborhood. Maybe you can start one. Don’t let your social needs go unaddressed. If you can’t find a group near you, come join us. We are there every Sunday 9 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. at the Nashville United Methodist Church on Jefferson Street, in the Green Room.

HATS • FOOTWEAR

ACCESSORIES

The steamery

New Community Project

Helmsburg is poised to receive a revitalization in the form of a community center that will serve educational and cultural needs.

Kirstie Tiernan led the proposal for what was originally dubbed the Helmsburg Community Center Lab.

After she started the Helmsburg 4-H Coding Club to teach children data science, programming, and AI skills, Tiernan realized that the club needed a specialized technology lab to better achieve its mission.

~story and photos by Mandi Rainwater

Connecting Creativity, Innovation, and Community

In the search for a suitable space, Jeff Clark suggested that the group contact David Watters and Scott Daemer at The Beamery in Helmsburg.

The Beamery property has evolved over the years. It originally housed the Helmsburg elementary school, and later Kenneth Fleener made it into a motel/dining/entertainment establishment. In the 1990s Sharon Rivenbark bought the property, added more buildings, and transformed it into the For Bare Feet sock factory. A fire forced the factory out in 2011, and Rivenbark donated the buildings and land (22 acres) to the county.

Eager to get the property back on the tax rolls, the county sold the site to The Beamery group in 2013. The Beamery has leased portions to a number of other small businesses over the years, but still has ample room for new tenants.

Watters and Daemer presented an 8,800-square-foot building as the potential site for Tiernan’s vision of a community center.

In homage to the Beamery Group’s partnership, the proposed center was renamed “The STEAMery”—a play on the STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art, and math) acronym and the Beamery name. The Beamery property owners have agreed to hold the space for the STEAMery’s fundraising efforts as the group seeks the necessary grants and donations to complete the project.

A team of specialized committee members and supporters has assembled to tackle building code review, marketing, and

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Kirstie Tiernan and Kenan Rainwater present a tour of the area for the proposed music studio.

Left: Spacious bay doors provide convenient access to the proposed space for the ceramics lab.

fundraising including Bob Blass, Doug Harden, Don Waltman, Erika Rudd, Wally Bruner, Emily Tracy, and Megan Wagner, among others. Plans for the building include at least six different labs catering to various aspects of the arts, technology, music, and cooking.

Agueda Formoso Mayan brings her passion for pottery, homesteading, and functional arts to the project. When she first toured the building, she says she “fell in love with the space.” From spacious work areas to easily accessible loading-bay doors, the first floor is well-equipped for the complexities of her proposed ceramics lab, such as sizable kilns and messy clay-smudged floors.

Canning, woodworking, and blacksmithing are among the other arts and activities that the STEAMery would like to host. Brown County and the surrounding communities have a substantial number of skilled professionals

with expertise to showcase and share. As Mayan explained, “There are so many people in the background that are ready to go.”

The STEAMery labs aim to act as an extension of the Career Resource Center’s offerings by filling gaps in their curriculum. Equipped with a professional-grade kitchen, the STEAMery would be able to provide hospitality training, preparing students for one of Brown County’s most important industries. The culinary lab would also offer cooking classes and professional rentals.

The proposed music lab includes facilities for recording content ranging from music to podcasts. Kenan Rainwater of Rainwater Studios envisages a buildingwide live-streaming system to broadcast the STEAMery’s classes to remote participants and highlight the facility’s activities in realtime.

Specializing in new books, classic literature, and bookish gif ts for every reader

The planned art lab provides a space for youth to explore drawing, painting, and mixedmedia arts. Adults could utilize the lab for open studio time or participate in workshops and classes.

The technology lab would offer hands-on learning in AI, robotics, and coding, providing Brown County students with some futureready skills. Tournaments and gaming events could be held in an eGaming Lab as a potential source of revenue for the center.

The STEAMery is actively seeking contributors who want to give their time, talent, or financial support to the project. Tiernan anticipates six to 12 months of fundraising before the project enters phase one. This first phase includes a $250,000 renovation and essential upgrades including elevator installation, utility upgrades, and

structural enhancements. This phase will incorporate materials and modifications to meet fire safety standards as well as upgraded plumbing to ensure reliable water usage.

Phase two, with a budget of $400,000, focuses on equipping the labs and initiating the STEAMery’s inaugural educational programs. Phase three provides an ongoing maintenance budget of $250,000 annually to manage and sustain the organization. Overall, the STEAMery aims to raise $900,000 for its launch.

Guided tours of the planned STEAMery site are available once a month. You can request more information and contact the team at contact@theSTEAMery.org or learn more about the project via their website and chatbot at TheSTEAMery.org . 

Field Notes Knotholes

~by Jim Eagleman

Iset aside some interesting pieces of wood gathered from my walks in the forest and from working at the woodpile with a splitting maul. They all show a knothole where a branch had attached at one time and had either grown over or the wood had rotted to soften it. Ones with what looked like the right size hole for a bird to enter could become a part of a nest birdhouse. I’ll design some birdhouses from the collection. They needn’t be fancy—and that’s good, given my limited carpentry skills.

I once read cavity nesters comprise a near majority of the songbirds that nest here (over 80 species). And cavities can exist more readily in old and dying trees, dead snags of living trees, or in the main trunk. Dead and declining trees may seem an eyesore, but they are an important habitat component of cavity nesting birds. Cavity nesting is a

reproductive strategy used by some species to protect their nests from weather and predators.

There are two types of cavity nesting birds: primary and secondary. Primary cavity nesters excavate nest holes, secondary cavity nesters rely on the abandoned cavities. As with many things in nature, recycling occurs.

The best example of a primary cavity nester is the woodpecker. They are excellent at excavating holes in trees using their chisel-like beak to chip away at a hole, sometimes for several days, until the cavity is complete. They are also considered to be a keystone specie by providing shelter and nesting sites for other birds.

There are seven species of woodpeckers in our area and that breed here. The most common are the northern flicker, downy, hairy, redbellied, and pileated woodpecker, all frequently seen. Less likely seen, but still occurring, are the red-headed and the yellow-bellied sapsucker.

The sapsucker breeds in young, northern deciduous forests. Redheadeds prefer mature hardwood forests with dead trees and nut crops. Older stands of oak are its habitat choice.

Secondary cavity nesters rely on previously excavated holes. Chickadees, titmice, and nuthatches are examples.

Bluebirds used to rely heavily on old woodpecker holes, but numbers began to decline when starlings and house sparrows competed with bluebirds. Luckily for many bluebird lovers, nesting boxes mimic the nest cavity, and the birds readily take to it. Bluebird trails now exist in many communities and the population is doing well.

Similarly, purple martins used to rely on cavity trees along forest edges, rivers and open fields but have since moved almost exclusively to human-made structures for nesting. You’ve probably seen the white, round, plastic houses looking like gourds hanging together. Installed near mowed fields or lakes, martins soar back and forth as they feed on insects that rise from both surfaces.

Other species like the greatcrested flycatcher, prothonotary warbler, and tree swallow take advantage of both tree cavities and nest boxes that mimic cavitylike conditions.

It isn’t only small songbirds that utilize tree cavities. Waterfowl like wood ducks, hooded merganser, and the common merganser use

tree holes and waterfowl nesting boxes. The American kestrel, barred owls, barn owls, and eastern screech owls use available tree cavities and nest boxes for roosting and nesting.

And many readers know about our native wildlife like squirrels, raccoons, bats, and opossums that also rely on abandoned cavities for shelter and rearing young.

A professor of mine once used a stick to beat on a tree with a prominent hole overhead. “We’ll see who’s home,” he said. After several loud taps, poking a head halfway out, a sleepy raccoon looked around, then retreated inside. I used this same technique on many hikes over the years. Sometimes it was flying squirrels, screech owls, and bats that halfway emerged. Disturbed for a few seconds, they disappeared back inside. My hikers enjoyed the spectacle.

A reason for cavity nesting birds declining is a lack of dying and dead trees left standing on the landscape. No question, dead trees pose a threat to homes, buildings, and places where people gather, but also offer a great way to promote wildlife. To combat this problem, city planners have erected artificial nesting boxes, often taken on as a community project, or by a local conservation club. Dead trees in our woods attract

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Screech owl. photo by Leah Baker

WE’VE MOVED TO A NEW LOCATION

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 and Orthopedic 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: Monday – Friday, 4 – 6 pm (adolescents, adults)

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

For more information, call 812.988.2231 or visit iuhealth.org/nashville

Marin Garcia, MD Family Medicine

Nina Kuhlman, NP Family Medicine, Geriatrics

Chelsea Budd, NP

Keli Ferguson, PA-C Sports Medicine, Orthopedics Penny Hobson, NP Cardiology

pileated woodpeckers, and there’s no threat from falling timber in those remote areas. It’s a tradeoff. I reason if a big dead tree near the house needs to come down, while I assume other dead trees in our woods can remain. When I fashion my home-made birdhouses, the unique wood shape will limit my design. Birdhouse instructions usually state the precise hole size, cavity depth and roof shape. I visualize my houses taking on a more natural look. Whatever bird finds it suitable, that’s fine. I’d hope for any animal. I know from previous experience a birdhouse can hang unused for sometimes years at a time. That’s fine too. The weathering of the wood may add to its appeal. My indoor winter birdhouse project using nature’s knotholes awaits. 

To inquire about this or other articles, contact the author at: jpeagleman@gmail.com

The Sampler

As the inevitable icy extremities of intractable Indiana winter gradually intensify their grip on our collective gullets, the human body naturally begins to crave the savory soups and stews.

Accordingly, with the thermometer reading in the teens and a determined wind battering our little town, my keen gastronomic compass steered me down to 165 North Van Buren Street, “The North End Shops,” to a relatively new place named, appropriately enough, “Nourish Café” which had been bandying about their hearty soup and stew offerings.

It was a cold day, but sunny, as we made our way into the cozy little eatery and claimed a table by

nourish café

the windows with a nice view of downtown. We weren’t the only ones seeking a nourishing little warm-up; as we dined, several people dropped in for a bowl of soup or cup of hot chocolate.

Under the Banner of “Eat To Live,” Nourish Café offers “hearty, delicious, and nutritious food” mainly soups and sandwiches.

The main dietary thing about Nourish Café, is that they do not serve mammal meat—you know, things that were born, like cows and pigs and sheep.

The non-mammal meat choices accommodate those dealing with the “alpha-gal syndrome,” also known as mammalian meat allergy. The allergic reactions to mammal meat can cause a wide range of symptoms, some lifethreatening, and usually occur three to six hours after eating. The syndrome apparently is spread through the bite of the “Lonestar tick,” and the number people dealing with this issue is growing. Some infected people even react to cross contamination of mammal meat on the grill.

We started with hot apple cider, which soothed the soul as well as our bellies. Hot cocoa, and various hot teas are also available.

Be prepared for menu changes. Our server, who turned out to be owner Jo Wohlfeld, brought out some paper menus with lists of offerings, crossing off various items with a black marker to reveal what was available at that moment.

So, anything I ate then may or may not be available on any given day, but between breakfast offerings, the soup menu and brunch sandwiches, you are certain to find something that pleases your palate.

I had a bowl of spicy white bean, chicken, and cheese soup which was just spicy enough for a chilly day. Very satisfying and tasty.

Mrs. Sampler opted for Nolan’s red lentil soup with a middle eastern flair. It was a bit more spicy and also very yummy with peppers and zesty flavors.

“It was really good,” she said.

Other soups you might encounter at Nourish Café include vegan miso mushroom or New England clam chowder.

My first choice, “classic chicken salad” with roasted chicken, diced apples, celery and mayo, was off for the day. Instead, I had the BLT—marinated grilled turkey bacon with lettuce, tomato and mayo on sourdough bread. Yummy! It was very tasty and I was not at all put off by the fact that the meat was egg-born.

You can add guacamole for two bucks, but I will leave that sort of thing to my partner in dining, who opted for one of her

favorites, avocado toast— guacamole, turkey bacon, tomato and pickled red onion. For three dollars more, you can add smoked salmon, but she wouldn’t go that far.

Other brunch sandwich offerings of the day included egg salad with onion, garden dill, kosher pickle relish, lettuce and tomato—and you can add turkey bacon. Also, a black bean sandwich; a Chipotle black bean patty with guac, lettuce and tomato.

Sandwiches are served on sourdough bread with a side of chips.

On weekends, Nourish Café offers a breakfast menu from 9 a.m. until noon.

There, you might expect to encounter daily quiche specials with herb-roasted potatoes; gluten-free turkey gravy with biscuit; or a biscuit sandwich with scrambled egg, turkey bacon, avocado and tomato.

There’s a gluten free classic coffee cake by the slice. You can have milk: coconut, oat or whole cow milk. There’s drip coffee, cold brew, chai tea, and a variety of waters, juices and kombucha.

Nourish Café is located at 165 N. Van Buren St. in Nashville.

Winter hours are 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Thursday and Friday; 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday; and 9 a.m. until noon on Monday. Carry out meals are available. 

Tales from the Past ONYA LATOUR

Imagine not having a phone! Or a car! That was the predicament Onya LaTour found herself in while sick and needing a doctor back in the 1940s.

Onya was an art enthusiast back in the mid-1900s who collected abstract art that she was enchanted and inspired by during time spent in Europe and New York City. She even had some Jackson Pollock’s in her collection.

After her time in New York she returned to the state she was born in, settling in these hills

contemporary art several miles south of the town of Nashville.

Later in her life Onya had a house built closer to town she called “Spellbound House”(which Onya probably helped build) that sat east of Nashville on a hill overlooking the home of another artist, Charles Barnes. When Onya found herself sick and without wheels or a means of communication, her creative mind went to work on how to get help. She came up with an innovative solution. Onya wrapped herself in a and hollers. In Brown County then, much as now, abstract art was not popular. But Onya was not deterred and set up her own art gallery and museum of

rug and rolled downhill to Charles Barnes’ house. She survived to live many more years and remains to this day one of Brown County’s early historic characters. 

This Tale from the Past brought to you by Peaceful Valley Heritage, Brown County’s local Historic Preservation Society, told to the writer by Judith Lawless who had the luck to know Onya.