May/June 2021 OUR BROWN COUNTY by Our Brown County

The Magazine of Fun and Fact

May/June 2021 FREE

Bob Blass Makes a Plāhaus Zip at eXplore Brown County The Craft of Collecting Craft My Colorful Uncles FIELD NOTES: Game Reserve

fresh!

high-quality ingredients make it wild & tasty

TIP

For a delicious spring salad vinaigrette combine our Basil Infused Olive Oil with our Strawberry Balsamic in a jar. Add honey, dijon mustard, garlic, salt or pepper, if desired. Shake until fully emulsified. The standard ratio for vinaigrettes is three parts oil to one part balsamic.

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

www.thewildolive.com | 37 W Main Street, Nashville, Indiana 47448 | (812) 988-9453

Village Green Building Celebrating over 100 years in nashville The Nashville you came to see and love…

Where you can see the work of local artists — whether it’s ice cream, candy and fruit preserves made the old fashioned way or the artwork of local artists and craftsmen. · first floor · Homemade Ice Cream Homemade Candies Homemade Fruit Preserves · second floor · Antiques · Art and Craft Galleries Working studios of local artists

V NA S H I L L E

INDIANA

The Candy Dish

Yes, we really do make it ourselves!

Fine Homemade Chocolate Candies and Fudge Gourmet Caramels Over 50 Flavors of Salt Water Taffy

812.988.0815

812.988.7606

Homemade Ice Cream

Harvest Preserve the

Homemade Fruit Butter Gourmet Food Cookbooks · Cookie Cutters Postcards · Greeting Cards Kitchen Gadgets Galore Giftware · Tea and Teaware

812.988.7606

Functional and Fine Art Made in Indiana

812.988.6675

61 West Main street · nashville, indiana

Nineveh Edinburgh Morgantown 31 37 135 I-65 46 Bloomington Columbus 46 NASHVILLE 252

Brownie’s Bean Blossom Restaurant

Monroe Music Park & Campground

HELMSBURG

BEAN BLOSSOM

Helmsburg General Store

Vaught Rd.

Country Club Rd

Old SR 4

Kelp G rove R d.

Recreation

A ls . KO nta n Co all tion Re ry w Tire M . o r o e e a C B iqu n Vac . Win wn o Ant Bro ONE Co. O’ Brow rown C n w WB s B A Bro N Hill G Salt Creek Mt . Li Golf Retreat Dunham ber Bidders Friends O’ Mine ty R Junction Campground d Bear Wallow Mainstream Distillery Fiber

Lil’ Black Bear Inn

Abe Martin Lodge

eXplore Brown County

135

Val le

Mike’s Music and Dance Barn

to COLUMBUS

Rd.

TO N

MI to BL OO

Yellowwood Rd

Craftsman

ran ch

lley Rd.

Musical Entertainment Artist and/or Gallery

NASHVILLE

Green Va

Lodging/ Camping

Mike Nickels Log Homes

Rd sburg

135

Brick Lodge

Rd.

Hoover Rd

Dining

Helm

Rd.

Oak Grove

Doodles by Kara Barnard

Flower and Herb Barn Farmhouse Café

Sal tC ree

to BL O

Ow l Cr eek

BELMONT

Cordry Lake

Sprunica Rd.

GATESVILLE

BLOOMINGTON

Yellowwood State Forest

Sweetwater Lake

Rosey Bolte’s Uncommon Gourd Studio

Lightspinner Studio

Dr. Lisa Baker, DDS Fireplace Center

The Apple Works

Antiques Co-op Art Beyond Crayons Grandpa Jeff’s Trail Rides

Upper Bean Blossom

OMIN GTON

Brown County State Park

ELKINSVILLE Bob Allen Rd.

ton Cr

CHRISTIANSBURG

k Rd

ansbu rg Christi

STORY Monroe Reservoir

ove r Gr

STONE HEAD

la Pop

T.C. Steele State Historic Site

PIKES PEAK

Hamil

South Shore Dr.

Franklin

Trafalgar

Helmsburg Sawmill Pool Enterprises

to Porthole Inn

Martinsville

TRAFALGAR MORGANTOWN

Clay Lick Rd

Lake Lemon

135

to MORGANTOWN

NASHVILLE MAP ON PAGE 6

Carmel Ridge Rd

Brown N County

Indianapolis

Homestead Weaving Studio Salem’s Good Nature Farm

JEFFERSON STREET

HONEYSUCKLE LANE

OLD HICKORY LANE

Hoosier Artist Gallery

Fallen Leaf Books

Miller’s Ice Cream The Candy Dish The Harvest Preserve B3 Gallery

Brown Co. Art Guild

Moonshine/ K. Bellum Leather

The Wild Olive

ST SR 135 N

Village Green

MOLLY’S LANE Big Woods Village

Common Grounds Coffee Bar

Iris Garden

Brown Co. Winery

Head Over Heels

Heritage Candy Store

Heritage Mall

Spears Pottery Juls Etc.

Weed Patch Music Company

New Harmony Soap

Homes on a Limb

Main Street Shops

Woodlands Foxfire Gift & Home Gallery Foxfire Boutique

Log JJail L il

Pioneer Village Museum

MAIN STREET

The Nashville House

Courthouse

Copperhead Creek Gem Mine

Iris Garden Cottages & Suites

Complex Brown Co. Rock & Fossil Shop

Trolly’s

GOULD STREET

Brown Co. History Center

Brown Co Public Library

Gold &Old

Redbud Ter.

Health For U Scentual Journeys Kenne’s Corner Stop

Old

RE/MAX Team

Centra Credit Office Union

County Offices

Touch of Silver

LOCUST LANE

to Lory Winford Fine Art Heres Home Studio

Colonial Bldg.

Men’s Toy Shop

Carmel Corn Cottage

Heavenly Biscuit

MOUND STREET

Hidden Valley Inn

ROBERT “BUCK” STOGSDILL WAY

TO HELMSBURG - 6 MILES

Michael’s Flowers

Zieg LeDoux & Associates

J.B. Goods/ Life is Good

TO BEAN BLOSSOM & MORGANTOWN

Brozinni Pizzeria

Carpenter Hills O’Brown Realty

North House

Hotel Nashville

IHA

Brown Co Art Gallery

Masonic Lodge

ARTIST DR

VAN BUREN

The Salvation Army

Precise Books & Payroll

JEFFERSON STREET Hoosier Buddy

Thrift Shop Community Closet

Nashville BP

PITTMAN HOUSE LANE

PAT REILLY DR

Calvin Place

Schwab’s Fudge

New Leaf Amy Greely

Life is Good JB Goods

VAN BUREN ST SR 135 N

SR 46 TO BLOOMINGTON - 16 MILES

McGinley Insurance

Franklin Square

The Totem Post

Jack & Jill Nut Shop

Brown Co Playhouse

58 South Apparel

FRANKLIN STREET

HONEYSUCKLE LANE

Brown Co Massage

Clay Purl Brown Co Pottery

Antique Alley

Old McDurbin Gold & Gifts

Country Heritage Winery

Bone Appetit Bakery Nashville Spice Co.

Brown County Inn

map not to scale

Theatre

Dining

Rafters

Brown Co Health & Living

Larry Sanchez • Misty Sanchez

Brown County Eye Care Blue Elk Family Clinic

Brown Co Music Center

Seasons Hotel & Event Center

Salt Creek Park

Casa Del Sol

Doodles by Kara Barnard

Craftsman

Artist and/or Gallery Rest Room

Lodging

Musical Entertainment Parking

COUNTY MAP ON PAGE 5

Nashville General Store & Bakery

Quality Inn Brown Co Community YMCA

Bear Hardware

Brown County IGA

Nashville Indiana

Coachlight Square

WASHINGTON STREET

Brown Co Craft Gallery

Cornerstone Inn

SR 46 TO COLUMBUS - 16 MILES

Visitors Center

Gyros Nashville Fudge Kitchen Brown Co T-Shirt Shop Moondance Vacation Homes

Possum Trot Square

Carol’s Gifts House of Jerky Yesteryear Old Time Photos Back to Back Wishful Thinking

Artists Colony Inn

Artists Colony

Nashville Express

Rhonda Kay’s

Out of the Ordinary and Hickory Bar

OLD SCHOOL WAY

8 Our Brown County • May/June 2021

ADVERTISER

ANTIQUES Antiques Co-op................................. 60 Bidder’s Junction.............................. 66 Brown Co Antique Mall.................... 28 Michael’s Flowers.............................. 19 Plum Creek Antiques....................... 64 ART, ART SUPPLIES-INSTRUCTION Antiques Co-op................................. 60 Art Beyond Crayons......................... 60 B3 Gallery............................................. 3 Bear Hardware.............................59,64 Brown Co Antique Mall.................... 19 Brown Co Art Gallery....................... 18 Brown Co Art Guild........................... 19 Brown Co Craft Gallery.................... 13 HeresHome StudioLory Winford Fine Art....................... 19 Hoosier Artist Gallery...................... 23 Lightspinner Studio-M. Sechler..... 13 Nashville General Store & Bakery.. 29 Rhoden Art at eXplore Brown Co.... 4 Spears Pottery................................... 18 C. Steele Art....................................... 64 Rosey Bolte-Uncommon Gourd..... 18 Village Art Walk................................. 52 BOOKS Bidder’s Junction.............................. 66 Fallen Leaf Books.............................. 12 CLOTHING 58 South Apparel.............................. 48 Bear Hardware.............................59,64 Bidder’s Junction.............................. 66 Brown Co T-Shirt Shop..................... 28 Community Closet Thrift Shop....... 43 Foxfire Boutique............................... 53 Head Over Heels............................... 43 J.B. Goods/ Life is Good................... 24 Kenne’s Corner Stop......................... 39 Men’s Toy Shop.................................. 29

Artists Colony Inn............................. 25 Bear Wallow Distillery...................... 40 Brown Co IGA.................................... 57 Brown Co Inn..................................... 14 Brown Co Winery.............................. 24 Brownie’s Bean Blossom Rest......... 28 Brozinni Pizzeria............................... 48 The Candy Dish................................... 3 Carmel Corn Cottage....................... 28 Casa del Sol........................................ 42 Cedar Creek Winery.......................... 13 Common Grounds Coffee Bar........ 20 Country Heritage Winery................ 40 Farmhouse Cafe................................ 52 Gyros Food is Art.............................. 12 The Harvest Preserve......................... 3 Heavenly Biscuit............................... 52 Helmsburg General Store............... 42 Heritage Candy Store....................... 29 Hoosier Buddy Liquors.................... 25 Hotel Nashville.................................. 57 House of Jerky................................... 42 Jack and Jill Nut Shop...................... 13 Miller’s Ice Cream................................ 3 Nashville BP....................................... 61 Nashville General Store & Bakery.. 29 The Nashville House......................... 59 Nashville Fudge Kitchen.................. 68 Nashville Spice Co............................. 67 Out of the Ordinary & Hickory Bar.49 Porthole Inn....................................... 56 Rafters................................................. 56 Salt Creek Golf Retreat.................... 22 Schwab’s Fudge................................... 3 Seasons Hotel & Event Center........ 49 Trolly’s................................................. 28 The Wild Olive..................................... 2 FURNITURE Antiques Co-op................................. 60

CRAFTS, POTTERY, GIFTS Antiques Co-op................................. 60 Apple Works....................................... 60 B3 Gallery............................................. 3 Bone Appetit Bakery........................ 13 Brown Co Antique Mall.................... 28 Brown Co Art Guild........................... 19 Brown Co Craft Gallery.................... 13 Brown Co Rock & Fossil Shop......... 61 Carol’s Gifts........................................ 23 Clay Purl............................................. 49 Foxfire Gift & Home.......................... 53 Head Over Heels............................... 43 Homes on a Limb.............................. 59 Homestead Weaving Studio........... 18 Hoosier Artist Gallery...................... 23 Kenne’s Corner Stop......................... 39 Lightspinner Studio-M. Sechler..... 13 Men’s Toy Shop.................................. 29 Michael’s Flowers.............................. 19 Moonshine Leather.......................... 18 New Harmony Soap......................... 47 New Leaf............................................. 19 Rhonda Kay’s..................................... 48 Scentual Journeys............................ 39 Spears Pottery................................... 18 The Totem Post.................................. 12 Rosey Bolte-Uncommon Gourd..... 18 Wishful Thinking............................... 21 Woodlands Gallery........................... 43 ENTERTAINMENT/MUSIC Brown Co Playhouse........................ 37 Copperhead Creek Gem Mine........ 61 eXplore Brown Co............................... 4 Nashville Express.............................. 63 Porthole Inn....................................... 56 FOOD & BEVERAGE Abe Martin Lodge............................. 15 Apple Works....................................... 60

DIRECTORY

Bidder’s Junction.............................. 66 Brown Co Antique Mall.................... 28 Plum Creek Antiques....................... 64 HARDWARE Bear Hardware.............................59,64 HATS Head Over Heels............................... 43 Moonshine Leather.......................... 18 JEWELRY B3 Gallery............................................. 3 Bidder’s Junction.............................. 66 Brown Co Antique Mall.................... 28 Brown Co Craft Gallery.................... 13 Foxfire Boutique............................... 53 Hoosier Artist Gallery...................... 23 Juls Etc................................................ 24 Kenne’s Corner Stop......................... 39 New Leaf............................................. 19 Old McDurbin Gold & Gifts............. 21 Rhonda Kay’s..................................... 48 Spears Pottery................................... 18 The Totem Post.................................. 12 Touch of Silver Gold & Old.............. 24 LODGING/CAMPGROUNDS Abe Martin Lodge............................. 15 Artists Colony Inn............................. 25 Brick Lodge........................................ 57 Brown Co Health & Living............... 65 Brown Co Inn..................................... 14 Brown Co KOA................................... 42 Cornerstone Inn................................ 15 eXplore Brown Co............................... 4 Friends O’ Mine Campground........ 39 Hidden Valley Inn............................. 20 Hills O’ Brown Vacation Rentals..... 23 Hotel Nashville.................................. 57 Iris Garden Cottages & Suites......... 61 Lil’ Black Bear Inn.............................. 42 Moondance Vacation Homes......... 59

May/June 2021 • Our Brown County 9

North House...................................... 57 Quality Inn......................................... 33 Salt Creek Golf Retreat.................... 22 Seasons Hotel & Event Center........ 49 MUSEUM/HISTORY Brown Co History Center................. 28 PET PRODUCTS Bone Appetit Bakery........................ 13 PHOTOS B3 Gallery............................................. 3 Hoosier Artist Gallery...................... 23 Spears Pottery................................... 18 Yesteryear Old Time Photos............ 52 REAL ESTATE Carpenter Hills o’ Brown Realty..... 33 RE/MAX-Marg & Brenda.................. 66 RECREATION eXplore Brown Co............................... 4 Grandpa Jeff’s Trail Rides................ 60 Salt Creek Golf Retreat.................... 22 SERVICES Amish Roofers................................... 25 Arnold Asphalt.................................. 64 Dr. Lisa Baker, DDS........................... 48 Kara Barnard Lessons....................... 12 Bear Hardware’s Bagged Trash....... 64 Bidder’s Junction - Auction House.66 Blue Elk Family Clinic: Dr. Larry Sanchez........................... 65 Misty Sanchez- Mental Health..... 66 Brown Co Convention & Visitors Bureau.................................. 41 Brown Co Eye Care............................ 64 Brown Co Health & Living............... 65 Brown Co Massage........................... 61 Brown Co Tire & Auto....................... 64 Brown Co Community YMCA.......... 66 Centra Credit Union......................... 23 Dave Carlile Heating & Cooling...........

Dunham Plumbing........................... 66 Helmsburg Sawmill Inc/ Pool Enterprises Inc.......................... 66 IN Seamless Guttering..................... 65 Mainstream Fiber Networks........... 65 McGinley Insurance (Farmers)........ 65 Michael’s Flowers.............................. 19 Mike Nickels Log Homes................. 42 Nashville BP....................................... 61 Precise Books & Payroll.................... 64 Rambling Dog Design - SIGNS....... 66 Zieg LeDoux & Assoc........................ 64 SHOES Head Over Heels............................... 43 Moonshine Leather.......................... 18 The Totem Post.................................. 12 SPECIALTY SHOPS Bone Appetit Bakery........................ 13 Brown Co Rock & Fossil Shop......... 61 Clay Purl............................................. 49 Fireplace Center................................ 43 Head Over Heels............................... 43 Health For U....................................... 65 House of Jerky................................... 42 Michael’s Flowers.............................. 19 Men’s Toy Shop.................................. 29 Moonshine Leather.......................... 18 Nashville Spice Co............................. 67 Weed Patch Music Company.......... 19 Wishful Thinking............................... 21 WEDDINGS Artists Colony Inn............................. 25 eXplore Brown Co............................... 4 Hotel Nashville.................................. 57 OTHER Amish Roofers................................... 25 Health For U....................................... 65 Flower and Herb Barn...................... 66 Mike Nickels Log Homes................. 42

Contents 12 WHERE IS IT?

13 SUBSCRIBE 16 Hope for Hearts Farm ~by Boris Ladwig 26 V.J. Cariani’s Peaceful Valley ~by Julia Pearson 22 WORD PUZZLE

30 Showcasing The Stream ~by Ryan Stacy 33 Kara Barnard Cartoon

34-35 PHOTOS by Jack E. Harden*

36 CALENDAR

38 The Craft of Collectiing Craft ~by Mark Blackwell 44 eXplore Brown County ~by Boris Ladwig 50 Bob Blass Makes Plāhaus ~by Bob Gustin

54 My Colorful Uncles ~by Jeff Tryon 58 FIELD NOTES: Game Farm ~by Jim Eagleman

62 PVH Arts Week

62 T.C. Steele Site’s Greely Art

Contributors 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. She does the weaving while he gives studio tours, builds small looms, and expands his book and record collections.

Ryan Stacy and his wife recently moved to Pennsylvania and continues to stay connected with our Brown County. He appreciates good movies, good food, and enjoys cultural events. His other interests include reading, photography, and playing music.

Joe Lee is an illustrator and writer. He is the author of The History of Clowns for Beginners and Dante for Beginners and illustrator of six other titles, including Dada and Surealism for Beginners, and Music Theory 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.

Mark Blackwell no longer makes his home in Brown County where “the roadway is rough and the slopes are seamed with ravines and present a meatless, barren, backbone effect.” 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.

Jeff Tryon is a former news editor of The Brown County Democrat, a former region reporter for The Republic, and a former bureau chief for The Huntsville Times. 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.

Julia Pearson wrote for a Franciscan magazine for ten years and served as its human interest editor. She and husband Bruce now reside in Lake Woebegone Country for life’s continuing adventures. Julia enjoys traveling and visiting museums of all types and sizes, with her children and grandchildren.

Jim Eagleman, recently retired DNR naturalist, and his wife Kay, enjoy hiking the many natural areas, preserves, and land trust sites in Brown and neighboring counties. His FIELD NOTES have appeared in this publication for several years. Contact Jim with comments and inquiries at <jpeagleman@gmail.com>.

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.

*Jack E. Harden is a musician, singer, and photographer. Born and raised in Brown County, Jack enjoys sharing his hometown with others through photos and videos on social media. Most days you’ll find him playing guitar and singing out in front of the Carmel Corn Cottage in Nashville.

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.

64-66 INFO PAGES ourbrowncounty.com ourbrown@bluemarble.net

Cover: Hope for Hearts Farm ~by Boris Ladwig Thanks to Kara Barnard for the cartoon.

Also online at issuu.com/ourbrowncounty OR search in the mobile app ISSUU and on Facebook for OUR BROWN COUNTY

P.O. Box 157 Helmsburg, IN 47435 (812) 988-8807

10 Our Brown County May/June 2021

Coloring Contest Win $20

Publisher’s choice. Send to this address by June 20.

OUR BROWN COUNTY P.O. Box 157 Helmsburg, IN 47435

May/June 2021 • Our Brown County 11

WHERE IS IT?

Guess Photo to Win $20 Be the FIRST to leave a message identifying photo location along with your name and phone number to WIN!

A Wonderful Mix of ks Old, New, Used and Rare Books Journals • Sketchbooks Handmade Greeting Cards Local Postcards 45 S. Jefferson St. • Nashville, IN 812.988.0202 fallenleafbooks.com Open 7 days a week 10 am to 5 pm

812-988-8807

Stay safe and here’s to a great reemergence.

Delicious! Our own Tzatziki sauce recipe, made from scratch Free samples • Local Delivery Available <Most items under $10> gyrofoodnashville.com • Gyros Food

S. Van Buren & Old School Way • Possum Trot Sq. Look for the sidewalk signs • (812) 318-0840

The Totem Post ~Since 1952~

Last issue’s photo was of the lantern above the Brown County Rock and Fossil Shop’s sign in Nashville. Sarah Falango guessed it first.

12 Our Brown County May/June 2021

• Genuine Native American Jewelry • Zuni Fetishes • Sterling Silver Jewelry • Copper Jewelry 78 S. Van Buren St. • Minnetonka Moccasins Nashville , IN • Pendleton • Knives 812-988-2511 ~Open all year~ TheTotemPost.com

SUBSCRIBE! C Cinnamon Salted Roasted Nuts Almonds R d Roasted & Pecans Daily Cashews, Fancy Mi Mix, P Pepitas, it Peanuts Delicious Candies - Homemade Fudge Mail Orders - 812-988-7480

S.Van Buren (Shopper's Lane) Nashville

For the cost of a fancy coffee drink once every two months, you can have Our Brown County sent to your mailbox. That pays for postage, supplies, and processing time. Subscriptions make good gifts to family or friends, too.

One Year’s Subscription for $20 (six issues)

Lightspinner Studio Martha Sechler Unique Watercolors Mixed Media Gourd Art

4460 Helmsburg Rd. Nashville, IN • 812-703-3129

Name: N

Open June thru December — Call Ahead

Address:

Mail with check or money order to:

local artisans

created by hand

38 Franklin St. E. | Nashville, IN | drinkatthecreek.com | Open Every Day

E S T

1 9 7 8

BROWN COUNTY

Our Brown County P.O. Box 157 • Helmsburg, IN 47435

Fine arts and crafts by local and area artists

BONE APPETIT BAKERY

View their work on Facebook & Instagram

• Premium, all-natural treats since 1997 • Over 20 varieties from low-fat to grain-free • Gourmet and seasonal snacks, too

For Dogs

See something you want? Message us!

Gallery Open 10 am – 5 pm Seven Days a Week call 812.988.7058

62 E. Washington · Nashville, IN · BrownCountyCraftGallery.com

Get a FREE Sampler bag of natural dog treats with $10 purchase and this ad.

DOGS WELCOME! (812) 988-0305

Open 7 days 211 S. Van Buren St. (behind Visitor Center)

www.barkingood.com

May/June 2021 • Our Brown County 13

brown County Inn HOTEL, RESTAURANT & BAR

On the corner of 135 & 46 just 3 blocks of downtown with free parking

Serving Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner 7 days a week

8am to 9pm Sunday to Thursday

8am to 10pm Friday & Saturday

www.browncountyinn.com

14 Our Brown County May/June 2021

(812) 988-2291

REST • RELAX • REJUVENATE

May/June 2021 • Our Brown County 15

Bristol and Awna. photo by Boris Ladwig

Hope for Hearts Farm

~by Boris Ladwig

n a 9-acre farm about a mile outside Bean Blossom, two young sisters recently stood near the center of a horse enclosure and talked in hushed voices to figure out how to get two ponies to mind. The ponies stood a few feet away, somewhat disinterested, and they initially refused to walk where Awna, 11, and Bristol, 10, wanted them to go. However, the girls’ mother, Erica Bryenton, was elated that their daughters were working together. “They’re holding hands. That’s, like, major,” the mother whispered, as she sat nearby to watch. The girls tried different strategies, and eventually their patience and perseverance paid off. The horses walked to the exact spot the girls wanted.

16 Our Brown County May/June 2021

Awna and Bristol are visiting Hope for Hearts Farm about once a week, and their mother said the trust from the horses and patience the work requires have helped the girls with interpersonal relationships and instilled in them a confidence that has helped them at school. When they finished their task on a recent sunny Monday afternoon, the girls critiqued each other’s performance, as instructor and farm owner Lisa Bowman watched and listened. Bowman told them that they should continue to work together as one and to put themselves in the other’s shoes. Awna began taking lessons at the farm a couple of years ago. She had had some rough

Lisa Bowman and Will. courtesy photo

years at school, had fallen behind in her schoolwork, and had struggled emotionally. She got help from a tutor and a counselor, and Bryenton spent hours in the evenings to help her with schoolwork. When a counselor suggested the family try equine assisted learning, Bryenton agreed, in part because she knew the girls had enjoyed riding horses. The sessions, which do not involve riding, have paid off, the mother said, as Awna’s behavior and schoolwork have improved markedly. The success with Awna prompted the mother to also send Bristol to the farm to help the sisters overcome some of their sibling rivalry. Bryenton said that seeing her daughters work together to gain the trust of large animals and the confidence to work together toward a goal was very satisfying. Awna, who is in sixth grade, said each of the horses has a unique personality, and learning to

interact with the horses has helped her deal with different personalities of people. “I feel like it helps me with my attitude and my emotions,” she said. Awna also said that the sessions are fun and relaxing and give her a break from the human world. Bristol, a fourth-grader, agreed. “I really like spending time with the horses and sharing my feelings,” she said. Bowman started the farm in 2013 with her husband, Roland, an engineer who owns a business in Martinsville. Their daughter, Abigail, 16, a Brown County High School student, helps out as barn manager. The farm has chickens, two cats, two dogs, and six horses, including a miniature and two ponies. Bowman, who received training through the Nevada-based Equine Experiential Education Association, said horses have as many personalities as people, and she assigns horses depending on clients’ personalities and needs. For example, 44-year-old pony Rosie, who is almost completely blind, requires clients to be very calm with her and usually is assigned to people who are dealing with stress and anxiety. On the other hand, lead horse Jake helps people step out of their comfort zones. If someone is nervous, for example, Jake, 23, may step even closer to make people even more nervous, Bowman said. About half of the clients are kids, but Bowman also offers services for adults and groups, including businesses that want to foster more cooperation among employees. A former nursing director, Bowman oversaw close to 400 people, which required a lot of team building. She said she enjoyed that aspect of her former job very much and appreciates that she can now use those experiences in her work with corporate clients. Meanwhile, a lot of the younger clients are dealing with anger issues and are struggling to control their emotions, Bowman said. Hope for Hearts provides experiential training to Continued on 20

May/June 2021 • Our Brown County 17

HOMESTEAD WEAVING STUDIO

Visit homesteadweaver.com for remote shopping Handwoven Rugs & Clothing by Chris Gustin

Brown County Art Gallery 2021 Events & Exhibits SHOWING THROUGH MAY 23

Historic Indiana en Plein Air

Yarn • Looms • Supplies • Classes

Southeastern Brown County 6285 Hamilton Creek Road Columbus, IN 47201

812-988-8622

SAVE THE DATE FOR THESE FUTURE EVENTS

Open 11 to 5 most days CALL AHEAD Open daily in Oct. for Back Roads Tour

JUNE 12 – JULY 10

Indiana Heritage Arts 43rd Exhibition and Sale

JULY 24 – AUGUST 22 Indiana Printmakers Get their Due

AUG 28 – SEPT 26 William McKendree Snyder: The First to Come

Indiana

PRINTMAKERS PRINTGet Their Due MAKERS 43RD ANNUAL

EXHIBITION & SALE

Get Their Due

OCTOBER 2 – NOVEMBER 14 | Collectors’ Showcase

Locally Crafted Pottery • Jewelry • Photography • Wood • Fiber • More... Downtown Nashville (S. Van Buren St. near stoplight/courthouse) • Open Daily

www.spearspottery.com • 812.988.1286 • Spears Gallery on Facebook

Complete schedule and workshops online at

BROWNCOUNTYARTGALLERY.ORG CORNER OF MAIN STREET & ARTIST DRIVE · NASHVILLE, IN 812.988.4609 · FREE ADMISSION · FREE PARKING shop online: bcartgalleryonline.org

OPEN DAILY WITH COVID-19 PROTOCOLS IN PLACE

Moonshine Leather Co. Handcrafted Leather Goods Made in the USA

812.988.1326 · moonshineleather.com

38 SOUTH VAN BUREN · NASHVILLE, IN New home of K Bellum Leather! 18 Our Brown County May/June 2021

Weed Patch Music Company Your favorite lil’ music store in Brown County, Indiana

58 E. Main St. Nashville (by courthouse) 812-200-3300 www.weedpatchmusicshop.com

Flowers

Musical instruments for all ages and skill levels

Offering affordable instruments to inspire the beginner and locally handcrafted beauties to awe the professional

Lessons, workshops, and more...

NEW LEAF

Lory Winford Fine Art

An eclectic mix of creative items by local, regional, and global artists

Pastelist inspired byy nature’s colors

HeresHome Studio

15 N. Johnson St. Nashville, IN • Studio and gallery visits by appointment 916-804-2484 • hereshomestudio@gmail.com

Lory Williams Winford

Featuring handcrafted jewelry by owner Amy Greely

Calvin Place Franklin & Van Buren Streets Nashville, IN • (812) 988-1058 www.amygreely.com

The Guild. Fine Art by Fine Artists. ABSTRACTION

GALLERY AND MUSEUM

EXHIBITION & SALE

48 S. Van Buren Street Nashville, IN 47448 812 988-6185 BrownCountyArtGuild.org Detail of River’s Edge by Lynn Dunbar Bayus

May/June 2021 • Our Brown County 19

HOPE FOR HEARTS FARM continued from 17 help reinforce the theoretical lessons the children learn from their therapists. Another Hope for Hearts client, Kendall, 16, recently stood in the animal enclosure and placed her right arm over Rizzo, one of the three big horses, whose back reached as high as the teen’s shoulders. The horse and the human stood still for a long while, and the silence that fell over the farm was interrupted only by the occasional chittering of insects. The

Kendall and Lisa with Rizzo. photo by Boris Ladwig

exercise allowed Kendall to relax and Rizzo to calm down and release some nervous energy by huffing or shaking his head. Kendall’s grandmother, Sharon Baker, said the teen moved in with her six years ago as she was acting out because of past family trauma. Baker said her granddaughter’s confidence has soared since she began the therapy three years ago, in part because Kendall now really understands that the

COMMON GROUNDS COFFEE BAR It’s like a coffee shop in a living room (with things to amuse you)

Hot, Cold & Frozen Drinks • Selection of Teas Froothies (our fruit smoothies) Famous for Cheesy Eggs & Toast • Pastries • Quiche 66 N. Van Buren, Nashville (Molly’s Lane behind the red door) Opens 8:00 am M-Sat; 9:00 am Sun (Closed Wed) 812-988-6449

20 Our Brown County May/June 2021

201 N. Van Buren St. • Nashville, IN Private Bedroom with King Bed Dining Area and Fully Equipped Kitchenette Living Room with Queen Sofa Sleeper • Private Porch/Balcony Fireplaces and Whirlpool Baths Available

812-988-9000

www.hiddenvalleyinn.net

“I think it just really gave me a lot of happiness back, and that’s something I think I needed”

photo by Boris Ladwig

way she feels about herself will reflect on others, whether horses or humans. Kendall, a sophomore, said the activities with the horses help her relax from her busy schedule, and she enjoys interacting and cooperating with the animals. “I think it just really gave me a lot of happiness back, and that’s something I think I needed,” she said. Hope for Hearts Farm is a nonprofit that generates revenue through fundraising and grants but mostly is sustained through donations, which also provide partial scholarships for the clients. Bryenton, for example, said she pays $20 per child per week.

Old McDurbin Gold & Gifts 50%

Customized

• Anklets • Bracelets • Necklaces OFFLRY E Watches JEW Sterling Silver Rings 1000’s of Pendants

Blue building in Antique Alley S. Jefferson St. • Nashville, IN

Bowman said she founded the farm in part because she received help from horses at Trinity Farm in Monrovia. “I went through a time that shattered my selfesteem, and doing the work with the horses there at Trinity helped me gain my confidence back,” she said. “I feel like everything I have done and experienced in my life has brought me to this point .… Doing this work is really my life’s purpose,” she said. You can contact Bowman at 317-496-0189 or <lisa@hopeforheartsfarm.org>. You can learn more about the farm at <hopeforheartsfarm.org>. 

Celebrating 20 Years

FREE in-store demos!

Old School Way and Pittman House Lane

(next to the Toy Chest, behind Yesteryear Old Time Photos) Visit our website for class schedules www.wishfulthinking-in.com • 812-988-7009

May/June 2021 • Our Brown County 21

PUZZLE

Brown County Artists

22 Our Brown County May/June 2021

Carol’s

GIFTS

HANDMADE

Fine Art & Crafts

Established 1981

Glass Baron Hand-blown Glass Jim Shore Collectibles • Lori Mitchell Figurines Inner Beauty Ornaments • Painted Ponies

Lang Graphics Calendars & Paper Goods Billy Jacobs Prints Gooseberry Patch Cookbooks Blue Mountain Greeting Cards Handmade Soap & Bath Bombs Wind Chimes • Music Boxes • Children’s Books

Halloween & Christmas Gifts & Décor 125 S. Van Buren St. • Artists Colony Shops Nashville, IN • Open 363 Days • 812-988-6388

Discover fine art and crafts by talented local artists for wearing, collections, gifts, home or office decor. 45 S. JEFFERSON ST. NASHVILLE, IN 47448 812-988-6888

HOOSIERARTIST.NET

Bank where your voice matters! 189 Commercial St, Nashville, IN 800-232-3642 | Centra.org

Federally Insured by NCUA. Equal Housing Opportunity.

May/June 2021 • Our Brown County 23

in Nashville, IN

172 N. Van Buren Street AND

102 S. Van Buren Street (Calvin Place)

www.JBGoods.com • 812-988-0900

Brown County

WINERY WINER WINE RY RY

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BrownCountyWinery.com 24 Our Brown County May/June 2021

Touch of Silver, Gold & Old 87 E. Main St. • Nashville, IN 47448 (812) 988-6990 • (800) 988-6994 Hours: 10am – 6pm • 7 days a week www.touchofsilvergoldandold.com

www.amish-roofers.com

AMISH ROOFERS

“Best Quality, Best Price Roofers in Town!”

Metal & Shingles 812-650-2475

Hoosier Buddy Liquors

the

Inn & Restaurant

A Charming 19th Century Style Inn and Restaurant

Cold Beer, Fine Wines & Select Spirits Cold Beer:

Hoosier Buddy offers more than 150 different beers, including more than 80 craft, micro, and imports. We proudly offer a wide variety of beers from Indiana’s finest brewers.

Fine Wines:

Hoosier Buddy is a wine-lovers type of store. With more than 200 wines to choose from, we’ve got something for everyone. Check out our “Affordable Imports” and “90+ Point” selections.

• 20 Guest Rooms, 3 Suites with Whirlpool Baths • Banquet and Conference Rooms for Retreats or Parties • Gift Certificates Available Serving Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner Breakfast Buffet 7:30 am–10:30 am Monthly Dinner Theatre Shows At the corner of Van Buren and Franklin Streets in Nashville, Indiana

812-988-0600 • 800-737-0255

artistscolonyinn.com

Select Spirits:

Hoosier Buddy offers an ever expanding array of top-notch spirits. Our whiskey category alone includes more than 75 different choices. Whether you’re looking for a Single Barrel Bourbon or a Single Malt from Islay— we stock them.

284 S. Van Buren • Nashville, IN (next to Subway) 812-988-2267 M-Th 8am-10pm • Fri. & Sat. 8am-11pm NOW OPEN SUNDAYS Noon-6pm Follow us on Twitter @HoosierBuddy1

As always, Hoosier Buddy Liquors reminds you to celebrate safe—don’t drink and drive.

May/June 2021 • Our Brown County 25

V. J . Cariani’s Peaceful Valley Rescue he was three years old and he grew up in Springfield, Massachusetts. His artistic talent was evident as a child, and he won a fellowship from the Louis Comfort Tiffany Foundation in Oyster Bay on Long Island. He studied art as he lived in the Tiffany mansion and cared for the gardens. His studies continued in the National Academy of Design, followed by the Art Students League, where he had notable instructors. Popular among his fellow students for his talent, swarthy handsomeness, and easy smile, he met his life partner, Marie Goth. Affectionately called “Cari” by his friends, Cariani and Goth were inseparable, sketching in Central Park or the Hudson River docks in all weather. When his adopted country entered the “The Great War,” Cari enlisted and Marie

Portrait of V.J. Cariani by Marie Goth.

~by Julia Pearson

emeteries are “God’s acres” within busy communities and abandoned countrysides. They provide solitude to those who visit them and read the stone markers, recording details of the souls who sleep in their borders. In the Brown County Memorial Park is a single stone to mark the sideby-side graves of artists Marie Goth and V.J. Cariani, a small American flag at the head of Cariani’s inscription. Varaldo Giuseppe Cariani was born February 4, 1891 in Renazzo, Italy, a village near Bologna, to Demizio and Carlotta Alberti Cariani. The family immigrated to the United States when

26 Our Brown County May/June 2021

The Sunny Road to Village by V.J. Cariani.

returned to Indianapolis. Serving with the 103rd Trench Mortar Battery of the American Expeditionary Force’s 28th Division, he saw some of the war’s bloodiest action, at times surviving the trenches for days by eating rats. When he returned to Massachusetts after eighteen months of service, the mental hounds of war left him shellshocked. Marie and her sister, Genevieve, urged Cari to come to Brown County, where they had a cabin north of Nashville. Genevieve bought one of his sketches to pay for his travel expenses. Cariani later said this saved his life. He began to paint again in the Peaceful Valley’s surroundings. He built a studio on the Goth property near Marie’s portrait studio. His mind and soul healed as he created his landscapes and still life paintings, raised vegetables and flowers, and fashioned the frames for his and Marie’s paintings. It was known that his abode lacked a kitchen and that he cooked for Marie and himself in her house. He was one of twenty artists chosen from Indiana to exhibit at the 1933 World’s Fair in Chicago. He was a member of the Hoosier Salon, as well as a charter member of the Brown County Art Gallery Association and the Brown County Art Guild. David Wilcox, board member of the Brown County Art Guild who knew Cariani, remembers: “V.J. Cariani was a very friendly, kind and gentle person who enjoyed life and always had a twinkle in his eye. He never seemed to be rushed and was always a joy to visit and be with. Next to his cabin/studio he maintained an extensive garden. This is where he grew the flowers which became the subjects for his floral paintings for which he was well known. However, his talent for his

Lilacs by V.J. Cariani.

landscapes showing the beauty of Brown County in all seasons were also very much sought after.” In 1954, Cari and Marie joined Carl and Genevieve Goth Graf along with George LaChance, C. Curry Bohm, Dale Bessire, and ten other artists and founded the Brown County Art Guild. It has been in the same location in Nashville’s main thoroughfare for nearly 67 years. The nucleus of the permanent collection, which numbers around 1100 pieces, are works of Marie Goth, V.J. Cariana, Carl Graf, and Genevieve Goth Graf. V.J. Cariani died on December 30, 1969. Marie Goth left his studio unchanged. When she died on January 9, 1975, left behind were twelve portraits of her beloved Cari, including one painted when they were students together and the last one painted two days before his death. This author wishes all veterans of all wars their own Peaceful Valley. Andra F. Walters, Executive Director of the Brown County Art Guild, notes: The original founders worked tirelessly to promote artistic excellence and membership acceptance into the Guild. However, we now also “protect” and promote artistic excellence because we oversee the vast permanent collection of paintings. The Brown County Art Guild is now open to the public and follows covid-19 protocols. Note: Cariani adopted the anglicized “Joseph” for Giuseppi, thus his initials are V.J. 

May/June 2021 • Our Brown County 27

Brown County

History Center Displays and Exhibits

Brown County Antique Mall Antique Store since 1972

Pioneer Village Museum

Over 10,000 square feet in three buildings

Bringing Brown County’s Past to Life

Looking for event space? or more info 812-988-2899 Open Tues., Wed., Fri., Sat. 11–4, Archives: Tues. and Fri. 1–4 North of the courthouse • Donations welcome

Filled with antiques, jewelry, pottery, china, glass, furniture, artifacts, primitives, books, collectibles, and home decor. More than 76 dealers • We buy and sell

3288 State Road 46 East 3 miles east of Nashville, IN • 13 miles west of I-65 Open 7 Days a week till 5:30 • 812-988-1025

Brownie’s is back in business!

Featuring some of your old favorites and some tasty new ones Dine In or Carry Out

Design Your Own or choose from Ready Made Garments Hundreds of choices! • Something for all ages and sizes 5730 N State Rd 135 • Bean Blossom • 812-720-3743 Daily Specials • Breakfast till 2:00 7 am to 8 pm New owners Evelyn Allen Mulherin and Brian Baker

• T-Shirts • Hoodies • LS Tees • Hats

• Tanks • Jackets • Jerseys • Tye Dye

• Night Shirts • Swim Shorts • Beach Towels • Flip Flops

Corner of Washington and Van Buren Street (Across from Visitors Center) Nashville, IN • 812-988-6939

CARMEL CORN COTTAGE Assorted Ice Cream Bars New Popcorn Flavors

Double Dipped Bacon Popcorn Pickle Popcorn

Lemon Shake-ups Hot Dogs • Sausages •Brats Hickory-Smoked Pork BBQ COUPON

Buy One BBQ Meal Deal Get One HALF OFF North Van Buren and Gould Streets in Nashville Indiana • 812-988-4273

Accepting Visa, Mastercard & Discover cards

28 Our Brown County May/June 2021

Sweet Treats

Butter Toffee Chocolate Delites Chocolate Coated Bacon Strips Carmel Coated Bacon Strips

Free Samples

Show this ad & receive a FREE small drink or Caramel Puff with popcorn purchase.

Look for the red & white building at the north end of town

812-988-6011 • CarmelCornCottage.com

Nashville’s Unique Dining Experience (1800s Cabin) BREAKFAST & LUNCH

Jams, Jellies, Preserves, Specialty BBQ, Chicken Salad, Soups, Pit Ham 118 E. Washington St. Nashville, IN Linen, Rugs, Candles, Curtains, Stitcheries Cinnamon Rolls, Cobblers, Cookies, Brownies 812-988-6362 • Open daily 9 to 5 Gluten Free Items, Coffees and Cappuccino Antiques, Billy Jacobs Prints nashville general store and bakery nashgenstore812

’

Variety of T-Shirts

Things you can live Thi li without... ih but b who h wants to! Old Colonial Bldg. 60 N. Van Buren St. Nashville, Indiana•812.988.6590 menstoyshop@yahoo.com•Visit us on Facebook

Tobaccos and Premium Cigars

Knives by Benchmade, Kershaw, Microtech, Esee, Tops, Protech, Zero Tolerance and more

Guns and Ammo for Competition, Hunting, Sport, and Home Defense

Luminox Watches (used by Navy Seals)

41 S. Van Buren St. Nashville, IN (in the Heritage Mall) 812.200.1077 HeritageCandyStore@gmail.com

We ship everywhere!

Fresh Homemade Fudge Old-Fashioned Candies Candy by the Pound Cream Filberts/Mothballs Rock Candy • Jelly Belly Chocolates/Turtles Pucker Powder Sugar Free

Ask about our Wedding Favors and Fundraising with Fudge

May/June 2021 • Our Brown County 29

March Showcase at the Brown County Playhouse. photo by Nuk Mills

Showcasing The Stream

usicians. Ask their friends, family, and bartenders about them, and you’re likely to hear words like “creative” and “talented” and “brilliant.” Perhaps—meant in a good way—even “sensitive.” What you may not hear so often, though: “highly organized” or “financially solvent” or “super dependable.” (Full disclosure: I’m a musician myself. Which is why I’m allowed to say this about musicians.) There are exceptions to the stereotype, of course. Such as Kenan Rainwater, thirty-nineyear-old owner and founder of Rainwater Studios, a creative hub east of Bean Blossom, specializing in live and recorded music. For many of Kenan’s peers, music begins and ends with their

ability on an instrument or in their songwriting, and finding gigs. But he sees songs and performances as links in a bigger chain—a chain that secures and protects an entire local music culture. Through his experience, vision, and Brown County DNA, Kenan’s been forging that chain for years now, adding new links as opportunities arise. The result: a mini-empire encompassing music and video production, artist development, internet media, and live performance. Kenan credits his deep roots in Brown County’s musical community with Rainwater Studios’ growth over the years. “I started playing with older guys in living rooms in my early twenties,” he recalls. Before long, he was playing at places like

30 Our Brown County May/June 2021

~by Ryan Stacy

Muddy Boots and Big Woods in Nashville and putting together his own bands (Indiana Boys, Rainwater), negotiating with his brothers for use of the family’s four-car garage they used for working on cars. “Initially, I set it up so that we could convert easily between music rehearsal and automotive stuff,” he says. Always on the lookout for ways to promote his musical projects, Kenan started recording his live shows and streaming video of rehearsals at the garage. “I’d been streaming the band [Rainwater] a little bit on my personal Facebook page, so I committed to streaming every Wednesday night, learning the ins and outs of doing that,” he explains. Sometimes he was joined by the “Swamping Crew,” a bunch of friends who “basically just did a bunch of experimental stuff” as he learned how to work in the

internet medium by trial and error. His collection of video equipment grew with his skills, and soon Kenan had better-produced videos for the dedicated social media pages he’d set up for the studio that had taken shape in the garage. He began to follow an ambitious formula: think big; find the weak points in your process and overcome them; build relationships; and always, always persist. He hasn’t looked back since. These days, there’s no more car repair in the garage (Sorry, brothers!): it’s a beautiful studio space now, complete with a sound stage and pro lighting. There, along with his partner Mandi Rogier, Kenan produces and hosts The Stream, Rainwater Studios’ live-in-studio streaming show featuring performances by three area artists a week. The studio also offers a full-service experience to clients looking to launch or sustain careers as performers. Kenan being Kenan, though, that’s too few links in his chain. His master plan goes something like this: cultivate local talent through the studio’s services and booking on The Stream; put the best performances on regular compilation albums, released by the

studio; assemble the artists from the albums into live showcase performances; record the showcases for future use; re-invest revenues into new studio gear, marketin, promotion, and the local music scene. Enjoy the Brown County culture you’ve helped create. It’s worked out well so far, Kenan says. “We’re making good progress. The Playhouse show was a big encouragement, after a year of having no shows at all anywhere [because of the global pandemic].” After many months of doing what he could to keep the studio’s staff and guests safe on The Stream, Kenan was able to follow through to the next step. On March 20 of this year, the Brown County Playhouse hosted the Best of Stream Showcase Winter 2021, where Kenan was joined onstage by Matthew Marcelle, Steve Plessinger, Eric Hamblen, Michael Moulder, Jason Blankenship, Lexi Len, Wes Eberhardt, and Tay Bronson. The show, a welcome evening out for a restriction-weary community where the arts are its lifeblood, was a hit for audience and performers alike. After two “writers in the round” sets, all the artists got together to play a cover of “Black Wind,” a song by local favorites the Continued on 32

Taylor Hernly, Harley Day, and Kristopher Garner jam at a Rainwater Studios The Stream session. photo by Cindy Steele

May/June 2021 • Our Brown County 31

Kenan Rainwater, Mandi Rogier, and Eric Hamblen working the sound and video for The Stream. photos by Cindy Steele

THE STREAM continued from 31

Cox Brothers. Among the show’s other highlights, Kenan says, were Michael Moulder’s songs and Steve Plessinger’s “Coal Mine.” Kenan plans to keep the Showcases coming. The next two are in the works, tentatively scheduled for July 17 and November 7 at the Playhouse. He’s also got his sights set on approaching the Brown County Music Center about other shows in the future. But despite his supersized confidence and natural talent for thinking big, Kenan’s

still Brown County through and through. “I’ve been to enough places to realize that they’re great to visit, but it’s nice to come home,” he says. “I like the things I get to do here, I like the streams, the hills, the people. I like the rural feel of it. I like the change of seasons.” He even chops the firewood he burns to heat the studio and his home, he tells me. Note to Kenan, if you’re reading this: the more fingers you have, the easier the knobs in the studio are to turn.

Mandi Rogier and Kenan Rainwater at the Brown County Playhouse Showcase. photo by Nuk Mills The Stream airs every Wednesday at 8 p.m. on Rainwater Studio’s Facebook and YouTube pages. More information on Rainwater Studios can be found at <rainwaterrecordingcompany.com>. More information about the July 17 Best of Stream Showcase can be found at <browncountyplayhouse.org>. Kristopher Garner talking to Kenan Rainwater on The Stream. photo by Cindy Steele

32 Our Brown County May/June 2021

Relax in Beautiful

Brown County, Indiana

This award-winning hotel offers a quiet getaway with free breakfast, complimentary high-speed Internet, heated indoor pool, fitness room, and whirlpool suites. Walking distance to Brown County Music Center. Trolley available to downtown Nashville.

51 W. Chestnut St. • State Road 46 • Nashville, IN 812.988.6118 • 800.4CHOICE www.choicehotels.com

Kathryn Richardson Branch Manager 812-327-7462

Hills O’ Brown Realty 812-988-2227

Debbie Fleetwood Broker 812-327-6862

Bob Kirlin Broker 812-720-0222

Scroggins Team Brokers 812-327-3865

Annette Hardin Broker 812-371-2048

Kathryn & Donna Team Brokers 812-327-7462 317-418-2320

Phil Shively Team Brokers 812-325-2290 812-322-0378 812-641-5626

Real Estate Activity Continues and We are actively seeking new LISTINGS!

Call your agent above TODAY! May/June 2021 • Our Brown County 33

photos by Jack E. Harden

Calendar Live music is back again. Many venues provide open outdoor patio areas to experience the joy. Local COVID rules apply.

Country Heritage Winery May 1 Stant & Moore May 7 Robbie Bowden & Friends May 14 Gary Applegate & Joe Rock May 15 John Whitcomb May 21 Open Mic Night May 22 Rythym & Wine Band May 28 Steve Fulton May 29 TBA June 4 Conner Berry Band June 5 Ross Benson June 11 John Whitcomb June 12 TJ & Tyler Too June 18 Open Mic Night June 19 Steve Fulton June 25 Gary Applegate & Joe Rock June 26 Bakersfield Bound Music 6:00-9:00 225 Van Buren St. 812-988-8500 www.countryheritagewinery.com

The schedule can change. Please check before making a trip.

Hard Truth Hills

Big Woods Pizza

May 1 The Cosmic Situation May 7 Brad Kleinschmidt Trio May 8 The Beepline May 9 The McGuires 3:00-6:00 May 14 Tracy Thompson-Elaine Basham May 15 8-Bit Audio May 21 Davey & The Midnights May 22 Rich Hardesty May 28 Randall Shreve 6:00-7:30 May 28 Cody Ikerd Side-winders 8:00-10:00 May 29 The Royal Hounds May 20 Acoustic Edge most music 7:00-10:00 unless specified 418 Old State Road 46 812-720-4840 www.hardtruthhills.com

Tues. 5:00-8:00 May 4 Rich Hardesty May 11 Charlie Jesseph May 18 Jon Shoulders June 29 Kenny Kipp 44 North Van Buren St. 812-988-6004

Mike’s Music & Dance Barn

Story Inn

Sundays 11:00-2:00, Brown Co. Inn parking lot at State Road 135 & 46 intersection Local produce, herbs, bedding plants, flowers, food

May 1 David & Tanya Renbarger noon-3 Live Music 4:00-7:00 Comedy Show 8:00-10:20 May 2 Zion Crossroads 2:00-5:00 May 8 Don Elbreg 2:00-5:00 May 9 Will Scott noon-3:00 Doug Dillman 4:00-7:00 May 15 Stant & Moore 2:00-5:00 May 16 Nick Dittmeier 2:00-5:00 May 22 Dave Sisson 2:00-5:00 Gary Phelps 5:00-8:00 Brown County Inn May 23 Don Elbreg 2:00-5:00 Wed. Open Mic Night 6:00-9:00 May 29 Stant & Moore 2:00-5:00 Thurs. Hill Folk Music Series 6:00-8:00 May 30 Will Scott 2:00-5:00 Sat. Acoustic Brunch Noon-3:00 May 31 Gary Phelps 2:00-5:00 HILL FOLK MUSIC SERIES: June 5 Don Elbreg 2:00-5:00 May 6 Will Scott and Jan Bell June 6 Nick Dittmeier noon-3:00 May 13 Jeff Kelly and Rev. Hylton Steve Fulton 4:00-7:00 May 20 Kade Puckett June 12 Will Scott 2:00-5:00 May 27 Spank n’ Mickey June 3 Will Scott & Wayne Pennington June 13 Zion Crossroads 2:00-5:00 June 10 Roger Banister & Denise Kocur June 19 Stant & Moore 2:00-5:00 Malissa & Scott 6:00-9:00 June 17 Feathered Mason with June 20 Gary Phelps 2:00-5:00 Jennifer Jane Niceley Paint & Sip 3:45-6:45 June 24 Wayne Pennington June 26 Will Scott 2:00-5:00 51 State Road 46 East 812-988-2291 6404 SR 135 S. 812-988-2273 www.browncountyinn.com www.storyinn.com

36 Our Brown County May/June 2021

Mon. Line Dancing w/ Billy 6:30-9:00 May 28 8:00-11:00 Eric Bolander & The Hammer & The Hatchet June 12 6:00-11:30 City Lights Band 2277 State Road 46 812-988-8636 www.mikesmusicbarn.com

Nashville Farmer’s Market

Morel Sale & Festival May 1, State Park Nature Center Morel sale, mushroom presentations, and hikes 812-988-6406

PVH Arts Week

May 9-15 Nashville Brown Co. Schools art and essay contests Marker dedication May 13, 3:30 Downtown Nashville Village Green

Brown County Playhouse May 15 Back in the Day 70 S. Van Buren St. 812-988-6555 www.browncountyplayhouse.org

Murder Mystery Dinner May 15 & June 26, 6:30-8:30 Artists Colony Inn restaurant 105 S. Van Buren St. 812-988-0600 www.artistscolonyinn.com

Village Art Walk

may be added depending CDC & Brown Co. Fourth Fridays, 4:00-7:00 Health Dept. Check website/ Facebook. April-October. Free self-guided walking tour 5163 N. SR 135 812-988-6422 of downtown Nashville art galleries https://billmonroemusicpark.com/

Corner of Main St. & Artist Dr. 812-988-4609 www.BrownCountyArtGallery.org

Dawg Gone Walk & Fiesta

Till June 19 Guild Spring Show Till June 19 Abstraction special show Till June 26 Spring is in the Air historic collection exhibit June 25-26, 9:00-4:00 Workshop with Pam Newell-Art of Painting Flowers 48 S. Van Buren St. 812-988-6185 www.BrownCountyArtGuild.org

43rd Indiana Heritage Arts Show and Sale

May 16, Deer Run Park, noon-3:00 Brown Co Human Society fundraiser. Games, contests, pampering stations, information booths, and more. www.bchumane.org

June 12-July 10 Brown Co. Art Gallery Offers over $20,000 in cash awards June 11 Opening Reception 6:00-9:00 Winners announced in person, on social media, website, and gallery IHAGallery.org IHA Gold $5,000 IHA Silver $3,000 IHA Bronze $2,000 Director’s Purchase of Excellence $1,000 Memorial and Merit Awards $250-$500 People’s Choice Award $500 and more

Shelby Spring Fling

May 21-22, Brown County State Park Car show, vendors, picnic. Info: 812-483-1818 www.insaac.org

John Hartford Memorial Campout June 2-5 Bill Monroe’s Music Park Keeping the tradition of the John Hartford festival alive. Some activities or live music

Brown County Art Gallery Till May 23 -Indiana en Plein Air Show June 12-July 10 -IHA Show & Sale

Brown County Art Guild

Brown County Dragway 480 Gatesville Road in Bean Blossom Races take place on weekends through October, weather permitting Check Facebook for schedule 812-327-6968

Lots of LIVE music. One Pulse Entertainment is BACK in July! Summer of ’69:

Music from the Woodstock Era July 2 & 10

The Best of Stream Showcase: Spring 2021 July 17

July 3

Wasting Away Again in Margaritaville

Steve Plessinger with

Fingerstyle Guitar

The King

special guest Michael Moulder July 24

July 9

Competition & Evening Concert July 31

Our 10th Annual Festival!

July 30 & 31 2021

Coming November 2021. To celebrate our resilience during challenging times, award-winning playwright Ashton Wolf has created a new production for the Playhouse. SPONSORED BY

812.988.6555 | BrownCountyPlayhouse.org Showtimes, tickets & schedule online

May/June 2021 • Our Brown County 37

The Craft of Collecting Craft ~by Mark Blackwell

ost people are collectors. My chief evidence for this is the proliferation of self-storage joints. They are everywhere. We started out years ago with cramming attics full and then barns and garages. Just about every square foot of unused space is now in danger of becoming stuffed with stuff. But that’s not the sort of collecting that I’m here to expound upon. No, I’m not talking about the mere amassing of stuff that you can’t throw away— stuff that you keep because little Elwood turned it out as a 4-H project or because you can’t sell it and it’s just too good to throw away. I’m here to talk about finding and possessing those things that bring joy into your life on a continuing basis. For me, one of those things is “my” coffee mug. That is to say that “my” coffee mug is a sacred chalice

38 Our Brown County May/June 2021

that no lips but mine must ever touch. It is the vessel that conveys that quantity of liquid ambition that is necessary for an amicable relationship with reality. But, that is not to say that the coffee mug that is “my” coffee mug today is the coffee mug with which I began the adult phase of my life’s journey. No, I have had a few “my” coffee mugs. My first, I believe, was the size and shape and heft of a standard diner mug. Made by the Walker China company of Bedford, Ohio of white vitrified china thick enough to keep the coffee warm for at least 20 minutes. I think I found in a thrift shop sometime in the early 1970s. What set the mug apart from all of the other cups and mugs was the nice Hunter green stripes; two around the top, one at the bottom and a nice accent on the handle. That was “my” coffee mug through my bachelorhood, my marriage, six moves, and my first child. However, that changed one day in Nashville in 1982 when I happened into a pottery. My old mug was still serviceable and fairly indestructible, but I had taken up canoe camping and the old mug now seemed heavy and the rim was too wide (bugs could just drop in it). The virtues of the mug I first glimpsed on the shelf of the pottery silently sang to me. It was saying, “Mark, I am beautiful and practical. I am roundish, tapering toward the top with a tight little rim to keep the heat in (and the bugs out). I hold a full 12 ounces. Buy me and I will be your mug.” The potter noticed me admiring his handiwork and asked me if I wanted to buy it. I did not want to buy it—I wanted to marry it. I was in love and looking towards a serious committed relationship with it. I told him I thought it would be the perfect camping mug. He said that it was close but not perfect. Then, he put an over-

size cork in the top of the mug. It was an exact fit and then the potter said, “Now it’s perfect.” That was “my” coffee mug for the next thirty-seven years until I found myself back in that same pottery. The original proprietor had passed away, but his wife still turned out excellent wares. One of them was a muted blue-green glazed mug of perfect proportions. I picked it up and noticed the exquisite curvature of the handle. It felt custom made for me. This new mug was based on the same design as “my” coffee mug. It was round but with a more sensuous roundness and its perfectly formed rim invited my lips in a way that “my” coffee mug didn’t anymore. And once again I found myself with a new coffee mug. But, what about my other mugs, you ask? Well, I still have them. I couldn’t part with them; who else could possibly appreciate them the way I have? They are displayed in my office where I can commune with them and reminisce about our shared history. While the story of my coffee mug relationships is not the purpose of this essay, it is a good illustration of how one can fall into collecting things. I think that there is something about collecting that may be hardwired in our brains from times in history when we just didn’t have enough or at least the right things to make life better. I also think that we all have an ability to appreciate form, color, practicality, and good workmanship. These things are the basics of craftsmanship. I have spent several hundred words talking about “my” coffee mug but when I look around the kitchen, I see a hand-made cutting board and hand-carved spoons and ladles, and other items that were fashioned by hands that cared about the material and the process they worked with. There is a special aura possessed by wellmade craft items that calls to us not just in their use but in our perception of the esthetics of them. That is why I collect things, to be in a relationship with those things that have somehow called to me. And most of those things I have found and collected have been created by the talented artisans of Brown County. 

Two Shops in the same Complex

Hand-Poured Soy Candles Wax Melts Incense & Essential Oils

Hand-Made Home Decor Boutique Clothing Jewelry & Gifts

Located in the Redbud Terrace Shoppes 146 East Main Street in Nashville

May/June 2021 • Our Brown County 39

Wine Tasting Daily Choose from multiple Award Winning Wines! Patio & Indoor Seating Gift Shop Live Music Every Friday & Saturday 7-10 pm S. Van Buren & Washington, Nashville IN 40 Our Brown County May/June 2021

812.988.8500

countryheritagewinery.com

Discover Brown County’s hidden treasures! Sign up for our free Brown County email newsletter and learn about unique attractions, fun things to do and where the locals go for entertainment. Plus, enjoy 10% off any item at the Brown County Visitors Center (211 South Van Buren Street in downtown Nashville).

Visit BrownCounty.com/Email for everything you need to know about Brown County.

Let’s be friends

BVB-0281-2021 BVB Local Ads-Our Brown County-7.25 x 9.25-FNL.indd 1

4/15/21 1:08 PM

May/June 2021 • Our Brown County 41

Helmsburg GENERAL STORE

Owners: Sharon & Leonard Richey

Pizza & Wings, Groceries, Ice Large Selection Domestic/Craft Beer & Wine LOTTERY, Tobacco Products Camping Supplies, Live Bait & Tackle Hunting & Fishing Licenses Check Station, Firewood State Road 45 and Helmsburg Road Intersection • (812) 929-7797

AAuthentic Mexican Cuisine

11 flavors of BEEF 3 flavors of TURKEY 3 flavors of BEEF BRISKET 4 flavors of BEEF STICKS 2 flavors of PORK 2 flavors of BACON Also: Elk, Boar, Buffalo, Venison, Gator, Rabbit, Salmon, Kangaroo, Turtle, Ostrich, Trout, Camel, Python, Ahi

Jerky Seasonings & Dips • Peanuts

125 S. Van Buren St. Artists Colony Shops (Between Toy Chest and Carol’s Gifts)

Nashville, IN • (812) 988-1592

houseofjerkybrownco.com

Lil Black Bear Inn B&B

Family Owned and Operated •Daily Specials •Kid’s Menu

Breakfast Bre Br Bre rea ak akf kffa k ast as sstt Daily Daily Da illy ly

FULL BAR AVAILABLE 812-988-4535 Carry Out Available COACHLIGHT SQUARE 101 E. Washington St. one block east of S. Van Buren St. (in front of the high school) in downtown Nashville

Your Home away from Home On three acres with a pond, grill, firepit, hot tub, and large patio

Close to Nashville and Columbus • Kid and Pet Friendly

8072 State Rd 46 East • Nashville, IN • 812-988-2233 lilblackbearinn.com • lilblackbearinn@gmail.com

Brown County

KOA

>>>>>>>>><<<<<<<<<

Open April–October

2248 State Road 46 East • Nashville, IN Minutes away from fine dining, shopping, museums, live entertainment, and theater

A mile from the new Brown County Music Center

Info: 812-988-4675 • Reservations: 800-562-9132 www.browncountykoa.com

42 Our Brown County May/June 2021

Building Fine Log Homes for over 40 Years HONESTY • INTEGRITY • HANDCRAFTED QUALITY

3497 Clay Lick Road • Nashville, IN • (812) 988-2689 mikenickelslogcabins.com

87 East Main Street • Nashville, IN • (812) 988-6080

Head over

Heels

• Minnetonka • Stetson n • Tilleyy Hats • Merrell

Women’s boutique, kids and teen clothing, men’s clothing, and household items Selling gently used items to benefit Brown County. Accepting clothing and household item donations.

Look for the sign

Open ALWAYS on Tuesdays and Thursdays 10:00 to 5:00 (weather permitting)

HATS HA ATS • FOOTWEAR • ACCESSORIES

Like us on Facebook at Brown County Community Closet, New

49 S. Van Buren St. in Nashville • 812-988-6535 headoverheels@switched.com • fax: 812-988-6505

South Van Buren in Nashville (near stoplight, behind Subway) (812) 988-6003

THE FIREPLACE CENTER

Complete line of: • Wood Stoves and Inserts • Gas Stoves and Inserts • Fireplaces Your first step to Energy INDEPENDENT LIVING 812-336-2053 1-800-344-3967

1210 W. 2nd St. Bloomington BloomingtonFireplaces.com

May/June 2021 • Our Brown County 43

eXplore Brown County

in the trees

~by Boris Ladwig

courtesy photo

44 Our Brown County May/June 2021

rom zipping, Superman-style, through a lush tree canopy, to ripping your handlebars through hairpin turns on a dirt path, or relaxing at a crackling campfire, eXplore Brown County offers a surprising variety of activities that can hasten your heartbeat or soothe your soul. The 1,000-acre site, about three miles south of State Road 46 east of Gnaw Bone, includes rustic cabins, a campground for tents and recreational vehicles, and a 165-seat hall for celebrations such as weddings, family reunions, and music festivals. Visitors from all parts of Indiana stop by for day trips or short stays, while longer-term guests hail from Louisville, Cincinnati, and Chicago, all of whom mingle with resident dogs Luke and Barney, who roam the property in search of belly rubs. Retired engineer Gary Bartels launched the camp 22 years ago, without a business plan, but with lots of ideas, technical know-how, and a good dose of moxie. “There was nothing here when I started,” he said recently as he stood on a gravel road, scanning his surroundings to see if guests needed his help. Bartels said he worked for Columbus-based Arvin Inc. for 10 years as a prototype engineer but left the light automotive supplier right after its merger with Troy, Michigan-based Meritor Automotive. The family had inherited the property, and Bartels had ideas for an adventure retreat, though his wife, Patricia, who taught art at Brown County Junior High School, didn’t relish the idea of razing his Arvin retirement fund to build a zip line.

courtesy photo

“She thought I was nuts,” Bartels said with a laugh. But his efforts and ingenuity have paid off: Ziplining now accounts for 40% of the camp’s revenue, far ahead of any other activity. Zipline tours start at $25 and last at least 45 minutes but can take more than 2.5 hours and include rappelling and a free fall to a landing mat. People who want to feel the brush of fresh air and see the burst of color in the Brown County hills meet at a cabin where they gear up before they’re driven to the jumping off points. Camp guest Kristopher Tate, 43, of Zionsville, recently rented a cabin at the camp with his wife and two kids. The whole family thoroughly enjoyed its zip tour. Even Tate, though he said he is afraid of heights. “It was a blast,” he said.

The zip tours run even during the winter, so long as temperatures exceed 25 degrees Fahrenheit, though Bartels said spring and fall are the busiest zipping seasons. For an interesting twist, the camp offers zip tours at night, with the canopy illuminated only by headlamps, tiki torches, and moonlight. Tate visited Brown County for a spring break getaway. He thought about driving to Nashville, Tennessee, but settled on Brown County in part because of its proximity. “Feels like you are in a different place,” he said. The family brought hot dogs, hamburgers, and other food, and Tate said he enjoyed the change of pace from cookouts to riding all-terrain vehicles through the hills of Brown County. On a recent sunny afternoon, Bartels advised Continued on 46

May/June 2021 • Our Brown County 45

Gary Bartels. courtesy photo

EXPLORE BC continued from 45 some visitors on good eateries in the area before he struck up a conversation with a guest who was staying with his family in one of the camp’s cabins. Bartels’ prior career has come in handy for many parts of the camp. For example, he designed, built, and installed much of the zipline system himself. He even designed and installed a proprietary breaking system. He estimates that rebuilding the same zipline course elsewhere would cost more than $1 million. He’s proud of what he has built, but also careful to make sure it remains in working order. He has the system inspected by a third party every December. The inspector’s report goes to Bartels’ insurance company. Bartels recently turned 70 and keeps threatening to cut back on his hours, but still visits the camp just about every day.

46 Our Brown County May/June 2021

“I enjoy coming to work,” he said. His presence also is needed, though, in part because of a pandemic-induced labor shortage. The park shut down for about three months last year, and Bartels said that prompted some guides to leave. He said he’s trying to expand his 18-member staff. He said prospective employees must be fit, friendly, and not afraid of heights. Bartels said he can teach anything but personality. The work is seasonal, and many employees work parttime. Some have day jobs and just work at the camp on the weekend, to do something fun, he said. Bartels has added lots of activities over the last 22 years, including mountain biking, paintball, and arrow tag—a blend of dodgeball, paintball and laser tag, in which helmeted participants shoot rubber-tipped arrows that don’t leave any bruises. Bartels said that he thinks he’s done with the camp expansions. He said that when he eventually steps down from his leadership role, his sons will be involved in management, but they have their own careers—one is a dentist, the other a pilot and flight instructor—so they’ll probably hire someone to run the place. Meanwhile, you can expect to see Bartels striding through the camp to provide guests with directions, tell them stories about the camp’s beginnings, or offer advice on which of the zipline tours might be most suitable. Even after more than two decades, Bartels said he still gains immense gratification from seeing people enjoy the camp’s activities. To schedule a tour call 812-988-7750 or visit <explorebrowncounty.com>. 

courtesy photo

May/June 2021 • Our Brown County 47

AUTHENTIC NEW YORK STYLE PIZZA

You will find traffic stopping items at 58 South! Our porch review has attracted many of you already. We enjoy offering today’s fashion. You’ll find affordable items that are wearable every day or for those special occasions. Our accessories, hats, and scarves complete the outfit or add new fresh looks to your existing wardrobe. Our Fitflops will bring comfort to your tired and weary feet—come hear the testimonies!

58 South Apparel 58 S. Van Buren St. • Nashville, IN

Located in downtown Nashville next to the Brown County Playhouse 812-988-8440 • fiftyeightsouth@gmail.com

A family-friendly pizza place PIZZA • SALADS • CALZONES

140 W. Main Street • (812) 988-8800 In the heart of Nashville by the Village Green area at the intersection of Main and Jefferson Streets.

Dine-In or Carry-Out

Sun.–Thurs. 11am–9:00pm; Fri. & Sat. 11am–10:00pm

We appreciate our loyal customers!

Our market fresh product selections are the result of your requests. This season we display: Flags & Gazing Balls, Dog & Cat themed items, Tervis Tumblers, Swan Creek, Woodstock Chimes, Melissa & Doug, Stony Creek Lighted Vases, Simply Southern T’s & Ivory Ella, Lizzie James and Katie Lofton, Our Favorite Handcrafted Jewelry

Located in the heart of downtown Nashville next to Out of The Ordinary and across from the Brown County Playhouse

Did we mention all the hats, scarves, and fashion jewelry?

Rhonda Kay’s 69 S. Van Buren St. • Nashville, IN 812-988-2050 • rhondakays@msn.com

48 Our Brown County May/June 2021

Hotel & Event Center Located across from the Brown County Music Center

Open Daily at 11 a.m.

Open Year-Round for Lunch & Dinner

Fresh made to order starters, salads, sandwiches and house specialties

Brown County’s only “Husband Day Care”

Guinness on tap • Full bar • Specialty drinks • Bloody Mary • Islander • Margarita

Full menu available in Bar • Large TV Out of the Ordinary Restaurant & Hickory Sports Bar

61 South Van Buren St. • Nashville, IN Across the street from the Brown County Playhouse

(812) 200-1999 •

OutOfTheOrdinaryRestaurant

Balcony Rooms Coming soon:

N Outdoo a ty a a

92 w franklin st • nashville, in • 812.988.0336

sunday 12-4, tuesday—saturday 11-5, Tuesday evening 6:30-8:30 come see us in antique alley, next to brown county pottery online store: claypurl.com

Conference facility–up to 500 560 State Road 46 East, Nashville, IN 812-988-2284 • SeasonsLodge.com May/June 2021 • Our Brown County 49

Bob Blass Makes a Plahaus B

~story and photos by Bob Gustin

ob Blass set out to create a different sort of tourist home when he built Plāhaus north of Nashville. After surveying the market, he decided many facilities offered in the county were log cabins, so he used his background as a graphic designer and branding expert to attract those who wanted a more modern aesthetic with a clean, contemporary style. He found about 12 acres featuring a stream, hills, trees, and a spot to build his barn house with living quarters on the upper level. In 2016, he moved in. But the land had another building site Blass was drawn to, and it eventually became the tourist home which opened in August 2020. “This feels right to me,” he said, from the living room of the 820-square-foot, two bedroom Plāhaus (pronounced playhouse) located on Helmsburg Road. “I remember standing here and looking around and thinking I would like to share it and see the joy in other people.” So he hired an architect and general contractor, found a woodworker and went to work with some

50 Our Brown County May/June 2021

“big picture” ideas of his own. What evolved was a bold geometric design on the outside, and an uncluttered interior with hardwood and slate tile floors, a concrete block wall anchoring the middle of the house, with plywood wall coverings on some of the outer walls and modern lighting. Splashes of color include his favorite shade of orange. He said friends told him to be careful not to furnish the home with expensive items, but check out garage sales and thrift shops for furnishings. Instead, he looked for high-quality new furniture and kitchen items that matched his vision, saying he likes to surround himself with nice things, and he wanted to provide them for his guests. One side of the concrete wall has a metal sign for Diamond Tool and Die Co. That’s the sign from over the front door of a business his grandfather opened in 1947 after emigrating from Germany. After the tool and die company closed, Blass got the sign and “dragged it around with me for 15 years” before it found a second home.

He likes the sign for the aesthetic and nostalgia it holds, but it also reminds him of his grandfather’s work ethic and visionary style, as well as his craftsmanship and entrepreneurial spirit. And those are traits he works to incorporate in all his projects, whether they be the tourist home or his ongoing work in graphic design and branding. Plāhaus has been a popular retreat. Airbnb has named him a Superhost. With two bedrooms and one bath, the retreat will accommodate four guests, with an internet connection, Netflix, and YouTube TV. Blass’s self-designed guest book contains recommendations on things to do in Brown County and local restaurants. Brown County resident Trisha Fobes has been working with Blass since the tourist home opened, cleaning and getting the home ready for guests. Blass calls her “my right arm, who is essential to this operation. She is the absolute best.” Originally from Dayton, Ohio, Blass studied at the Columbus College of Art and Design, and previously worked for Thomson Consumer Electronics in Indianapolis, doing graphic design and brand development before starting Brainstorm, a branding and design company, in 1995, which he ran for 16 years. He now owns oornj (pronounced orange), a branding design and marketing company which his son

Ryan was a part of for eight years. Ryan now runs his own business. Another son, Jake, was the 2018 Enlisted Person of the Year for the U.S. Coast Guard, and his daughter Emma is a massage therapist. All three live in Florida. Blass’s journey to Brown County really began, he said, when his mother got terminal cancer in 2013. Blass made a pact with his sister that their mother would not have to go into a treatment facility. For 11 months, Blass took care of his mother Monday through Friday, commuting from Indianapolis to Dayton, while his sister, a registered nurse, took the weekends. “It was one of the toughest times of my life,” he said, taking care of his mother while continuing his day job. Before she died, Blass and his mother took a “bucket list” trip to Mackinaw City, Michigan, in a rented RV. Both Blass and his son ended up buying Airstream trailers (made in Ohio, he points out), but have since sold them. After her death in September 2014, and with his children living in Florida, Blass needed to make a decision on the direction of his own life. About a month later, he bought the Brown County property, and it turns out it was just what he needed. Ryan had lived in Brown County for about 18 months, and Blass got a taste of what it would be like to live here as a local, savoring the arts community and outdoors experience. “There was no looking back,” he said. “I loved it here. “The whole endeavor has been conducive to who I am.” For more information: <Plāhaus.com>, 317-652-9661 or <bob@plahaus.com>. 

May/June 2021 • Our Brown County 51

“A Lil’ Taste of Heaven” SERVING BREAKFAST AND LUNCH

Featuring Fabulous:

Biscuit Biscuit Sandwiches Sandwiches Homemade Homemade Biscuits Biscuits and and Sausage Sausage Gravy Gravy Cinnamon Cinnamon and and Pecan Pecan Rolls Rolls Bottomless Coffee and Ice Tea

812-720-3440

165 N. Van Buren St. • Nashville, IN CHECK OUR FACEBOOK PAGE FOR HOURS Delivery within a mile radius when available Pet-friendly patio

Find us on Facebook at Heavenly Biscuit Inc.

Farmhouse

ARTIST DEMONSTRATIONS • BUSKERS MAKE & TAKE ACTIVITIES

APRIL–OCTOBER 4–7 PM April 23 May 28 June 25 July 23 August 27 Sept. 24 Oct. 22 4THFRIDAYARTWALK 812.320.0872

Farmhouse Cafe ...a country drive to an unexpected dining pleasure · LUNCH ·

Homemade Soups, Salads and Garden Sandwiches

· DINNER ·

Sepia Old Time Color Color Black & White

OVER 200 BACKGROUNDS

Steak · Salmon · Pork Chicken · Pasta R Garden and Fruit Salads Soups · Desserts Herbal Teas · Cool Drinks Beer & Wine

5171 Bean Blossom Road · Just 15 minutes from Nashville

Wild West • Prairie • Civil War • Roaring 20s and more!

A small, intimate restaurant with indoor and outdoor seating

812-988-7305 • 145 S. Van Buren Nashville, IN

Reservations Suggested · 812-988-2004

Next to Artist Colony Inn, Back-to-Back Complex

Thru may: OPEN 11 to 5, sat. to 6 (Closed Tue. & Wed.) STARTING JUNE: OPEN SEVEN DAYS A WEEK

52 Our Brown County May/June 2021

LUNCH: DAILY · 11–4 PM DINNER: TUESDAY–SATURDAY · 5–8 PM

farmhousecafeandtearoom.com · Like us on

Fashion Apparel •Jewelry and Purses 59 East Main Street, Suite B • Nashville, IN • 812-988-8707

Foxfire

Gift & Home • Gifts and Home Decor • Memoriam Gifts • Swan Creek Candles • Kitchen Accessories • Baby Gifts • Holiday Decor • Garden Decor 59 East Main Street, Suite A • Nashville, IN • 812-988-7388 May/June 2021 • Our Brown County 53

My Colorful Uncles ~by Jeff Tryon

oth of my parents were born at the tail end of large families, so when I was growing up I had scads of aunts and uncles on both sides. Uncle Bud was the oldest of Mammy’s 12 children, and after her husband, my grandfather, Robert Jordan “Jerd” Arnold died at the age of 56 in 1931, it was Bud that moved the family from northern Alabama to Brown County. You may have been driving down Spearsville road and seen a handmade sign proclaiming

drawings by Joe Lee

that you are passing through “Arnoldville.” This is where all of those Arnolds come from. We speculate that Uncle Bud had an economic survival plan, to move the family north so that all of the older boys could find work in industrial jobs in Indianapolis. But there was no way he was going to get Mammy to move out of “The Holler,” ensconced in the beautiful foothills of the Appalachians and to a big northern city. He must have struck upon Brown County because the hilly terrain somewhat resembled those fondly-remembered mountains of northeastern Alabama. Also, land was dirt cheap. So the older boys worked in factories and workshops in Indianapolis and the unmarried girls and younger children lived in Brown County. Maybe it was a sign of their generation, or a sign of the times, but the women in the family all appear to have been good and sweet and nice on the order of everyday saintliness, but the men were all wheeler-dealers, hellraisers and—well, let’s just say

54 Our Brown County May/June 2021

they were “colorful.” We have an old newspaper clipping describing the escapades and eventual arrest of two of my uncles after they made a wrong turn on to a railroad track, and apparently drove several miles before they discovered their mistake, which is what made the item newsworthy. Alcohol may have been involved. Uncle Bud had a plating shop in Indy, electroplating chrome bumpers and so forth. This was back in the day, a long time before OSHA, the EPA or, really, common sense. At some point Uncle Hugh put the wrong chemical in the vat where the items were dipped, and everybody was lucky to escape the building before the ensuing explosion. I’ll bet there’s a clipping about that one, too. Uncle Will had a framed newspaper clipping on his wall from the front page of the Indianapolis Star. It is a photo of the state capitol dome, showing a man suspended by a rope, sitting on a board, painting the dome with a brush. An inset close-up shows the man, Uncle Will, dangling from the board

and painting away. The caption read: “That little dot…” (in the big picture) “is this.” (inset picture of uncle Will). Uncle Cam was on a bomber crew in World War Two and they got shot down over occupied France. He was picked up by the resistance underground, and spent the rest of the war hidden away in the attic of a chateau, sampling the local vintages. After a somewhat wild teenage and young adulthood, in keeping with his brothers, Uncle Curly (Clarence) Arnold became a preacher and a school teacher. I actually had him as a teacher in the sixth grade when he was teaching at Sprunica Elementary. Uncle Curly just kept banging away until he eventually got a master’s degree in education. That’s a long way from Eureka, Alabama. Although my Tryon uncles weren’t nearly as colorful as my Arnold uncles, they were still an interesting lot. They grew up here in Brown County, mainly up around Peoga and Spearsville and north of there in a place they always called “possum holler,” but which historical research has revealed was actually named “Blossom Hollow.” Uncle Edward was my father’s fraternal twin, and while they weren’t identical, they of course bore a strong resemblance to one another. Uncle Edward was first born and was like a bigger, more vital, more adventurous version of my father. Dad was the intellectual one, the smart talker. Garnet Parsley told me once, “Edwin would start the fights and Edward would finish them.” Uncle Edward had a big white horse and when I was little he would put me up in the saddle and then make the horse rear up like the Lone Ranger. This seems like it would be fun, but is in fact terrifying to a five year old. Uncle Edward did important work in the invention of the automated change machine, back when it was entirely mechanical. He once saved his family when their house burned down in the middle of the night. He and Uncle Bob rode motorcycles, big Harley Davidsons, and they would come roaring down to our house where there was a simmering debate between my older brother and father about the relative safety and sanity as well as the political

implications of motorcycle riding. But he couldn’t say that stuff to his big brothers. Uncle Bob had been a wing walker. He earned enough flying hours to qualify for his pilot’s license in exchange for being the number two in a barnstorming act, a job entailed walking out on the wing of an old biplane as it zoomed around to thrill and amaze the locals. He also worked as a “Hell Driver,” driving souped-up cars around a figure-eight track, jumping over ramps and through flaming walls and so forth, again, for the amusement of the locals. Uncle Bob was also one of the first long-haul truckers, driving some of the first freight trucks cross-country before power steering or the modern highway system. Uncle Roy worked his whole life on the Western Union Railroad. Uncle Elmer saved many family artifacts that no one cared about or remembered to keep track of, including my grandfather’s fiddle. Each one of these could take up a story of their own with all of their exploits and adventures. They made my childhood in Brown County a lot more colorful. Not to mention all of my amazing aunts. But we will have to save that for another time. 

May/June 2021 • Our Brown County 55

Opening late spring 2021

Across from the entrance to the BROWN COUNTY MUSIC CENTER located inside

Hotel & Event Center

www.seasonslodge.com w.seasonslodge.c 812-988-2284

Celebrating 65 Years Southern Indiana’s Oldest Live Music Venue Family Friendly Dining Room

Fried Catfish • Pizza Steaks • Chicken Ribs • Full Bar Just 10 minutes from Brown County J

LAKE L AKE L LEMON EMO ON 8939 E. South Shore Dr., Unionville, IN Portholeinn.com • 812-339-1856

56 Our Brown County May/June 2021

port hole inn

Brown County Getaways

HOTEL NASHVILLE

BRICK LODGE

NORTH HOUSE

Suites, Studios, Restaurant & Bar Hot Tubs, Indoor Pool, Whirlpool Weddings & Receptions, Special Getaway Packages

Accommodates 8 Guests, 2 Bedrooms & 2 Baths Game Room w/Pool Table, Cable TV, DVD Player Full Equipped Kitchen, Central Heat & Air Gas Fireplace, Outdoor Hot Tub, Gas Grill

Accommodates 8 Guests, 3 Bedrooms & 2 1/2 Baths Cable TV, DVD Player, Fully Equipped Kitchen Central Heat & Air, Electric Fireplace Secluded Hot Tub, Gas Grill

245 N. Jefferson St. | 812-988-8400 |800-848-6274 www.hotelnashville.com

1878 N. State Rd. 135 | 812-988-6429 www.bricklodge.com

194 N. Van Buren St. | 812-988-6429 www.northhousegetaway.com

BROWN COUNTY

Hometown Proud Local Grocery Store Serving Beautiful Brown County Since 1975! • Certified Angus Beef • Large Beer and Wine Sections • Organic Grocery • Dairy • Picnic Supplies • Produce • Full Service Bakery/Deli • Frozen • Custom Cake Decorating • Wine • Custom Deli Trays, Veggie Trays

text NA SHV

Ever-Growing Selection of Gluten-Free Products

990o0

ILLE

30 Hawthorne Dr. • Nashville • East SR 46 at light • 812-988-4546 May/June 2021 • Our Brown County 57

FIELD NOTES: Game Farm ~by Jim Eagleman

“T

he purpose of the State Game Reservation in Brown County is to preserve the game therein. No hunting will be allowed. It will also serve as a refuge for game hunted in other parts of the county. The overflow will scatter over the boundaries and be helpful in stocking lands adjacent.” This excerpt from a report was filed with the Indiana Department of Conservation (now the Department of Natural Resources) in a central office in Indianapolis, September 30, 1925. It designates the land as a state game reservation before Brown County State Park was established in 1929. Another term for game reservation was game farms. Statewide attempts to replenish wildlife took place on properties that over time had been abandoned due to massive timber removal and poor agricultural practices. Management on the reserve began in 1926 with the plantings of wildlife food plants.

58 Our Brown County May/June 2021

The report further states: “In order that land values be not inflated, the Department employed an agent to secure options on the various tracts selected. Although employed by the Division of Fish and Game, the agent secured many options in his own name. When all that could be secured were in his hands he recorded them and later on transferred the options to the Department. Mr. Lee Bright, a resident of Nashville was appointed land agent.” The Bright, Williamson Insurance Company in Nashville, operating since 1921 on North Jefferson Street, was Lee’s business. His clients were Brown County farmers, many destitute and living on scarred and eroded land, unwilling and unable to purchase policies. But when he approached them, this time with an offer to buy their land, they were more receptive, some anxious. In Bright’s notes, there are 18 residents with whom he negotiated. Names, property size, price per acre, and comments were recorded in his journal: Joseph Roberts 155A $12.90/A -Bought a better farm out on good road, is prospering. Allex Mullis 120A $18.35/A -Bought much better farm on Schooner and is happy. John Kritzer 73A $11.10/A -Bought small farm, 40A; died short time later. Harry Smith 80A $40/A -Put up nastiest objection of all; took his money and went to Ohio… made the remark that he would not take back the old place if it were given to him. The land that now makes up Brown County State Park, Indiana’s largest, had first experienced extensive timber removal, then short-sighted attempts at farming, and later a game farm. Initially “a total of 10,662 acres of land that was purchased with funds provided by the hunters and fishermen who buy licenses,” this statement from the 9th. annual report of the Department of Conservation, 1927. Lee Bright’s first intention was for a park to Continued on 63

Arts Village Brown County ART VENUE

Every item in our store is

HANDMADE IN NASHVILLE

Harper Valley Cottage

Specializing in:

• Live Edge Hardwood Benches • Candles • Tables • Sun Catchers • Custom Signs • Cutting Boards • Serving Trays • Soap Many other beautiful items Digitally Carved Signage Custom Work Available Customized Wedding Gifts

Hand-poured Candles Made in our store 59 East Main Street (Old School Way Alley) Nashville, IN 812-322-3120 • homesonalimb@gmail.com

* Log Cabins * Game Rooms * Pet Friendly * Hot Tubs * Private Pools * Lake Fronts

3 bedroom 1 bathroom cottage: walking distance of downtown Nashville and Hard Truth Hills, large covered front porch, outdoor games and firepit, memory foam mattresses, high-speed internet, pet friendly.

Call, Book Online, or Stop in! 812.988.6554 • 30 Washington St. • Nashville, IN Like and Follow Us! MoonDanceVacationHomes.com

Your Headquarters for the Great Outdoors CAMPING SUPPLIES: Tents, Camping Lights, Sleeping Bags, Grills, Fire Starters, Coleman Heaters & Lanterns, Cooking Utensils

EST 1927

Brown County’s Most Historic Restaurant Serving our famous fried biscuits and apple butter, fried chicken and other traditional favorites all made in our own kitchen from scratch. Come check out our Old Country Store, beautiful new patio, expanded menu and HOHENBERGER BAR 15 South Van Buren Street 812-988-4554 www.nashvillehousebc.com

• Fishing Tackle • Horse Tack • RV Replacement Parts • Bee Keeping Supplies • Maple Syrup Supplies • Pet & Livestock Food • Antiques We Fill Propane Tanks

WE SELL & DELIVER BULK MULCH & TOPSOIL Salt Creek Plaza • Nashville (812) 988-8888 • www.BearHardware.com Mon.–Sat. 7:30am–7:00pm • Sun. 10:00am–4:00pm

May/June 2021 • Our Brown County 59

Visit

Morgantown 10 miles north of Nashville on scenic State Road 135

GRANDPA JEFF’S

Trail Rides Relax on a journey with Grandpa Jeff. ff. Take in the scenery and wildlife. No two rides will ever be the same —sunny summer days, fall colors, winter snowfalls, spring blossoms. Trail Rides, Pony Rides, Hay Rides Cattle Drives, and Custom Excursions

At least one hour notice. Trail Ride Reservations can be made by phone, e-mail, or through our website.

Grandpa Jeff personally trained our horses to take exceptional care of your family and friends of all ages.

call or text www.GrandpaJeffsTrailRides.com cell (812)272-0702 info@GrandpaJeffsTrailRides.com 5889 S. Skinner Rd. Morgantown, Indiana

ANTIQUES CO-OP 129 W. Washington St. • Morgantown, IN 46160 (In the old hardware store building)

Country Primitives Advertising Antique Garden Old Paint Early Smalls Open 6 Days (Closed Mon.)

Furniture, Art Architectural Elements Pottery The Odd and Unusual and A General Line

Get Get your your garden garden going! going!

Greenhouse is open

Like us on Facebook

(812) 597-4530

Layaway Available

ART Beyond Crayons Creativity beyond the classroom Pick your • Art Lessons for All Ages Palette: • Group Painting Parties

• Birthday Paint Parties • Home Schooled Instruction

Judy D. Wells • owner, K–12 Licensed Educator • judydenisewells@gmail.com 59 S. Marion St. • Morgantown, IN • (317) 403-7147 Flexible hours including weekends and evenings

60 Our Brown County May/June 2021

Our friendly staff is on hand for planting and gardening advice. Greenhouse open 7 days a week 9 to 6 Retail Barn open Friday, Saturday, Sunday thru June then full time thru Christmas

317-878-9317 www.apple-works.com 8157 S 250 W. Trafalgar, IN Visit Facebook for the latest info

Brown County Michael Rebman

Nashville, Indiana’s #1 Fun Attraction

COPPERHEAD CREEK

GEM MINE

Certified Therapist

Pan for Gems Fossils Arrowheads

Fun and Educational for All Ages

BROWN COUNTY

ROCK and FOSSIL Chair Massage: $25 • Table Massage: $75

104 S. Jefferson St. • Nashville, IN 47448 browncomassage.com

812-988-4447

SHOP

5000 lbs. of NEW Beautiful & Unique Specimens for 2021

Just North of the Courthouse 79 N. Van Buren ~ (812) 988-2422 online at www.BrownCountyRockShop.com

Fresh In-Store Donuts “Smack Dab in the Heart of the Village” Nashville, Indiana

Located just North of the Courthouse across from Big Woods Restaurant and Brewery

www.IrisGardenLodging.com

Broasted Chicken

(812) 988-2422

812-988-1822

The Iris Garden rests comfortably in the heart of the village of Nashville. Simply walk out of your door to explore the wonderful shops, restaurants, wineries, and breweries without having to drive anywhere.

Nashville BP State Roads 46 & 135 270 S. Van Buren St. in Nashville

May/June 2021 • Our Brown County 61

Amy Greely posing with “Audrey” at T.C. Steele State Historic Site’s Visitor Center.

he T.C. Steele State Historic Site unveiled a new sculpture by Brown County metalsmith and jewelry maker Amy Greely–the first piece of

T.C. Steele Site unveils Amy Greely sculpture

contemporary art by a local artist to have a home at the site–on Saturday, April 17, as part of the Arts of the Earth Day program. A short ceremony took place, and Greely talked with visitors and answered questions about the sculpture. Greely was the T.C. Steele site’s artist in residence in June 2019, a residency funded by the Indiana Arts Commission’s Arts in the Parks and Historic Sites grants. In her 2019 grant proposal Greely said she would spend the month of June at the site, offering workshops during the day in the new Singing Winds Visitor Center, and creating a sculpture based on

the gardens at the site. She worked on the sculpture into the fall, with plans to unveil it in April 2020. That didn’t happen due to the COVID-19 shutdown. “This is a sculpture that’s been waiting for its moment to go into the earth here by the Visitor Center,” said Cate Whetzel, site program developer. Greely nicknamed her water lily metal sculpture “Audrey” after the plant in Little Shop of Horrors. Its lotus petals are a faint pink, its lily pad green. Its dimensions are roughly 22 inches wide by 30 inches tall, with the lily pad about 28 inches in diameter. 

Arts Week in the Art Colony

eaceful Valley Heritage (PVH) is partnering with Brown County Schools and others to celebrate the arts in our community for a week this spring—May 9 through May 15. Winners of student visual art and essay contests will be honored with cash prizes. A generous anonymous donor made the monetary awards for these contests possible. ESSAY CONTEST is open to all high school age students in Brown County. Top prize for the Essay Contest will be $1,000 with five honorable mentions of $100 each. The theme has three parts. #1] What would BC look like if the artists never came? #2] How did these artists influence the local culture and help create a vibrant art community? #3] What will Brown County look like if we were to focus on the arts when considering our collective path forward?

62 Our Brown County May/June 2021

VISUAL ARTS CONTESTS K–4th grade Top prize $250 Two honorable mentions of $100 5th–8th grade Top prize $500 Two honorable mentions of $100 9th–12th grade Top prize $1000 Two honorable mentions of $100 PVH is working with other partners to provide additional events during the week to educate the public about Brown County’s rich art history and engage them with local artists and artisans. PVH has successfully completed its third application for a state historical marker recognizing the “Art Colony of Brown County.” This marker will be dedicated at the northeast quadrant of Nashville’s Village Green area during Arts Week on Thursday, May 13, at 3:30 p.m. 

GAME FARM continued from 58 benefit locals and tourists, but he knew that would come. First, land had to be secured and the Brown County game farm was a start. Game farms were established by the early Division of Fish and Game, now the Division of Fish and Wildlife, by securing poor, abandoned farmland to serve as release sites for animals reared in captivity. At Brown County, game birds like ringneck pheasant, wild turkey, bobwhite quail, ruffed grouse, and Hungarian partridge, were raised in several pens along “a prominent open area in the park.” From early photos, I suspect this site was the large playing field by the park’s fire tower. Later, the first deer release program took place at the Brown County reserve with animals transported from Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, and Michigan. A pending release program for elk was never completed. Early attempts to replenish native Indiana wildlife were eventually met with failure. High mortality resulted from pen-reared birds and animals when they were released. The wildlife was expected to simply adjust to the new environs. This was true on the Brown County Game Farm, but as managers reported disappointing findings, one specialist in the field of game management appeared, biologist and author, Aldo Leopold. An eight midwestern state survey assigned to Leopold required him to collect various munitions data for his employer, the Sporting Arms, Ammunition and Manufacturing Institute (SAMMI) in Madison, Wisconsin. This trip also allowed him to gather information for his eventual text, Game Management. Leopold visited Midwest universities and local libraries and consulted hunters. His journal and map show him traveling thru Indiana, and Brown County, May 13 to June 14, 1929. While he questioned the artificial rearing and release of native species with mounting skepticism, his first purpose was to determine what game was popular with hunters. After a few months on the job, Leopold began to find more evidence of an important

trend of the times: the intensification of agriculture was eliminating food and cover plants required by game species. Fence rows, borders, woodlots, and wetlands were disappearing from the Midwestern landscape and game species were disappearing with them. This was not a new realization, but Leopold had begun to give it factual substance and definition. The Brown County Game Farm experienced these same issues—a property stripped of resources, reduced in productivity. Indiana game farm management slowly evolved with wildlife plantings, water holes, and food plots. By the mid-thirties, abused, uncultivated land recovered slowly as a brushy, early successional stage, supplying wildlife what was needed. In time, suitable range for native species, with food, water, and cover on the landscape, proved more successful—not releasing penned birds and animals. “Set the table for wildlife, and they will come,” said a veteran game farm manager. Today’s views from park vistas, some stretching 10 miles over 16, 000 acres, provide a most serene perspective, far removed from early history of land abuse, struggle, and poverty. Natural and historic places don’t just spring up, they evolve, fueled by the ideas of locals who want something better, and helped by managers, new in their skills, who learn through trial and error a better way to care for the land. 

NASHVILLE EXPRESS

Historical His Hi st tor oric ical al Sight-seeing Sig igh ht t-s -see ee ein iin ng Tours To T our urs of of Nashville Na as sh shv hv vill ille il le

Kiid K ds s 5 & Under Un nd de er r Ride Ride ide FREE id FR F REE EE d! Kids All aboar

25 minute narrated historical and informational tour with a scenic loop along Old State Road 46

also service to Seasons, Brown County Inn, Quality Inn Board at Fearrin’s Ice Cream Depot Corner of Van Buren & Franklin Streets

812-988-6690

Available for field trips, business functions, private tours

May/June 2021 • Our Brown County 63

INFO PAGES

• Individual Income and Business Taxes • Business Set Up • Business Financial Statements • Payroll Preparation and Payroll Taxes

Locally owned since 2010 138 S. Jefferson St. Suite C • P.O. Box 953 Nashville, IN 47448

ACCOUNTING / TAX PREP

ACCOUNTING & PAYROLL

64 Our Brown County • May/June 2021

ASPHALT

Plum Creek Antiques Open-Air Market Bean Blossom • Fruit Jars • Garden Art • Furniture • Iron Things, • Lots of Junk and more 5 minutes north of Nashville (intersection of SR 135 & SR 45) (812) 988-6268

$2 Bag • Salt Creek Plaza • Nashville Mon.–Sat. 7:30 am–7:00 pm, Sun 10:00 am–4:00 pm

Tax Preparation, Tax Planning, Bookkeeping, and Payroll

(812) 988-2865

bruce1040@sbcglobal.net 64 W. Gould St. • P.O. Box 565 • Nashville, IN

Brown County Tire TIRE &

AUTO Repair

24 hr. Wrecker Service

812-988-8473

27 Salt Creek Rd (Intersection SR 46) Nashville

Mosaic Tables and Small Paintings Available at Spears Pottery in Nashville, IN (On South Van Buren Street next to the Nashville House)

EYE CARE

BAGGED TRASH DROP OFF

ANTIQUES

812-360-2477

AUTO - TIRE, REPAIR, TOW

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& ASSOCIATES INC.

ART

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ZIEG LeDOUX

Checking eyes in Brown County for over 50 years!

50 Willow Street • Nashville, IN 812-988-4937

INFO PAGES

May/June 2021 • Our Brown County 65 Continued on 66

Indiana Seamless Free Estimates

Gutter Cleaning and Leaf Cover Available

Matt Hunter

HEALTH

GUTTERING

GUTTERING 812-344-4167

Quality Workmanship since 1992 Fully Insured

Dr. Sanchez MD Board Certified Family Practice Behavioral Health Services

Nashville, IN • 812-200-8265

HEATING & COOLING

HEALTH CARE

INSURANCE YOUR CATEGORY

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Salt Creek Medical Arts Building • Check us out on Facebook

INTERNET SERVICE PROVIDER

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Continued from 65

INFO PAGES

66 Our Brown County • May/June 2021

Logging to Lumber ~ Custom Log Home Lumber Packages ~ Posts ~ Beams ~ Rafters ~ Barn Siding ~ Board & Batten ~ Firewood ~ Mulch ~ Sawdust ~ Buyers of Standing Timber

REAL ESTATE

Pool Enterprises, Inc.

Marg DeGlandon CSSS, CDPR

Broker/Owner Cell: 812-360-4083 margd@remax.net 812-988-4485 www.MargAndBrendaTeam.com

helmsburgsawmill@gmail.com • facebook.com/helmsburgsawmillinc

10 Artist Drive, P.O. Box 1609 • Nashville, IN 47448

• Mulching - Seeding NEED HELP? • Weeding - Pruning • Tree / Shrub Planting • Fences - Walkways • Retaining Walls • Mowing / Trimming (812) 988-7232 • Flower / Herb Beds

We Can Do It All!

Dunham Plumbing Co., Inc. Licensed Plumbing Contractor since 1981 Bonded • Insured #CO89000011

Repair, Remodel, Pump Service, Water Conditioning, Drain Cleaning, Water Heaters

812-988-0248 • Nashville, IN

MENTAL HEALTH COUNSELING

www.helmsburgsawmill.com

812-988-6161

Complete Landscaping/ Design Services

PLUMBING

The RE/MAX Team is Your Brown County Team

THRIFT • CONSIGN • AUCTION

LANDSCAPING

LOGGING - LUMBER

Helmsburg Sawmill Inc.

BLUE ELK FAMILY CLINIC Mental Health Counseling

Misty Sanchez LMHC-A and Mr. Bojangles

Call or walk in to schedule appt. • 812-200-8265

Salt Creek Medical Arts Building • Check us out on Facebook

BIDDERS JUNCTION

Thrift & Consignment Shop and Auction House Includes: thrift store items, handmade goods, jewelry, books, records, movies, housewares, clothing, primitive, unique and collectible treasures, pre-owned and antique furniture

Auction House accepting consignment items for sell at auction. Currently online auctions. Live outdoor ones next spring. 4359 State Road 46 East • Nashville (Gnaw Bone) Wednesday – Sunday • 812-636-5003 All Types of SIGNS by CHRIS A. SHUSTER

BROWN COUNTY YMCA FOR YOUTH DEVELOPMENT FOR HEALTHY LIVING FOR SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY

BUY 1 GUEST PASS, GET 1 FREE 1 per person, expires 12/31/21

Swimming Pool Fitness Center Gymnasium Exercise Classes

Personal Training Swim Lessons Day Camp Climbing Wall

812-988-9622 • www.browncountyymca.org

SIGN MAKER

WELLNESS

Open at 5:30 a.m. Mon.–Fri.

• HOMES • BANNERS • BILLBOARDS • STORE FRONTS

BOATS • TRUCKS • MURALS • LOGO DESIGN •

SIGNS THAT DELIVER: Digital Print & Vinyl to Hand Lettered, Carved & Gilded

812-822-2933 • RamblinDogDesign@gmail.com

nashville Spice c o.

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NashvilleSpiceCompany.com 227 S. Van Buren Street · Nashville, IN · In Coachlight Square 812.200.1069

May/June 2021 OUR BROWN COUNTY

Articles inside

eXplore Brown County in the trees

FIELD NOTES: Game Farm

My Colorful Uncles

Showcasing The Stream

Bob Blass Makes a Plāhaus

The Craft of Collecting Craft

Hope for Hearts Farm

V.J. Cariani’s Peaceful Valley