Crossing Indiana from east to West, it turns out that the Clay County Courthouse in Brazil was my…read morenext stop after visiting the Putnam County Courthouse earlier this morning. Both buildings share that imposing Classical Revival presence, but Clay County's courthouse leans even harder into the style with its limestone exterior, granite columns, marble wainscotting and a stained-glass rotunda skylight. Completed in 1914 and designed by architect John W. Gaddis, it feels like a sibling to Putnam County's courthouse with similar massing, similar era, and the same sense of civic permanence. On an overcast Saturday morning with the building closed, wandering the grounds without anyone around made it easy to appreciate the symmetry and stonework without distractions. The biggest surprise is the F-86 Sabre jet sitting right on the courthouse lawn. It's a Korean War-era aircraft restored in 2023 with help from Duke Energy and loaned to the city by Wright-Patterson Air Force Base. It's an unexpected but striking memorial, and it creates an interesting parallel to the V-1 "Buzz Bomb" displayed at the Putnam County Courthouse. One county honors World War II with a German flying bomb and the other honors the Korean War with an American fighter jet. Both displays feel a little surreal in a courthouse setting, but they add character and give each courthouse its own distinct identity. [Review 1044 of 2026 - 248 in Indiana - 26223 overall]

So here's the verdict on Clay County Courthouse. The three story limestone building is the fifth…read morecourthouse for the county and second in Brazil. This historic Classical Revival building was designed by John W. Gaddis (Vincennes, Indiana) and construction began in 1912 and completed in 1914. The massive limestone columns and center dome are prominent features of the building's exterior. On the grounds, sit an Air Force jet and a Civil War era cannon. The interior of the building is magnificently original. The stained glass of the center dome is gorgeous. The tiled floors, marble stairs and brass light fixtures scream Art Deco. The staff is friendly. A judge welcomed us into the courtroom to take photos. The Superior Court retains its original bench seating and ornate decor. A massive mural sits in an alcove behind the judge. Historical documents and photos are proudly displayed throughout this impressive structure. A display of posters about prominent Clay County historical figures surrounds the atrium. A box of fresh tomatoes left by a local farmer with a FREE sign, reminds me that we are in the heart of farm country. I'd have to say, the Clay County Courthouse is one of my favorite courthouses in Indiana because of the conscience attempt to retain and promote its proud history. There is free street parking around the building. Handicapped accessibility is available at the west entrance of the building. The Clay County Courthouse is worthy of a visit for history, architecture and government buffs.

The most striking object on the grounds of the Putnam County Courthouse is a German V-1 flying bomb…read moredisplayed out front. It's a World War II "buzz bomb" mounted on a limestone V-shaped base and it was dedicated in 1948. It is believed to be the only publicly displayed V‑1 in the United States. The bomb's presence in Greencastle is the result of an unusual chain of events. In sprint 1947, local naval reservist J. Frank Durham was training at Fort Stump Neck, Maryland, where obsolete captured enemy ordnance was slated for disposal. Durham argued that such historic items should be preserved, and he began the process of securing them for the Gen. Jesse M. Lee VFW Post in Greencastle. With help from Senator William Jenner, Durham obtained federal authorization for the transfer, including "One (1) German V-1 Bomb - CEE 11378-2." Local merchants and citizens raised funds, and stonemason Wilbur Grimes and his son Jerry constructed the pedestal. For decades, Greencastle believed its V‑1 was one of only two publicly displayed in the United States, the other being at the Smithsonian Institution. Later research shows that a few additional V‑1s survive in American museums, though several are actually JB‑2 Loons, the American copy of the V‑1. It stands today as a memorial to Putnam County residents who lost their lives in World War II. [Review 1040 of 2026 - 244 in Indiana - 26219 overall]

Saturday morning with the road quiet, I eased my 9'6" Sprinter van through the Dunbar Bridge…read morewithout any trouble, even with its posted 10-foot clearance. The bridge's own marker credits J.J. Daniels as the builder, which fits neatly with his late-career work across Indiana. Completed in 1880, Dunbar is a classic Burr-Arch truss covered bridge built to give farms northwest of Greencastle a dependable crossing over Big Walnut Creek. Daniels' craftmanship shows in the tight timber joinery, the cut-stone abutments, and the practical ventilation openings along the 175-foot-long siding that keep the interior bright without compromising the structure. What makes Dunbar stand out today is that it's still open to traffic, unlike many historic covered bridges that have been bypassed or closed. Putnam County has kept it in service through periodic repairs and its location on a lightly traveled rural road helps preserve the structure without overwhelming it. Driving through instead of detouring felt like stepping briefly into the 19th century. It's a functional piece of Daniels' work still doing exactly what it was built to do. [Review 1039 of 2026 - 243 in Indiana - 26218 overall]

The Dunbar Covered Bridge is a historic covered bridge crossing Big Walnut Creek and is still…read moreopened to traffic in Putnam County. We drove and walked across the bridge. The bridge was built by J. J. Daniels in 1880 and is a two span Burr Arch Truss construction. The bridge is 175 feet across and stands on stone abutments. J. J. Daniels was a famous covered bridge builder who built most of the surviving covered bridges in Putnam County. The bridge has several long windows to view the creek and is open along the roof line, bringing in light. Putnam County does a good job of maintaining and removing graffiti from the bridge. There is no parking area, but we found a spot to pullover north of the bridge. I love these old charming bridges. This bridge is worthy of a visit if you like history and architecture.

The railroad trestle known locally as the Twin Arches or Four Arches is one of Greencastle's more…read moredistinctive pieces of rail infrastructure, even though it isn't as widely documented or visited as the city's depots or mainline history or the covered bridges. The arches sit along the old Big Four (Cleveland, Cincinnati, Chicago & Saint Louis) route, a corridor that reached Greencastle in 1854 when the New Albany & Salem Railroad completed its north-south line through Putnam County. The stonework of the arches reflects mid-19th-century railroad engineering, when railroads were rapidly expanding and building durable masonry structures to handle both grade changes and creek crossings. Walking up to the trestle today, you can see the symmetry of the arches and the way the structure anchors itself into the embankment. It's a reminder of how much early railroads relied on heavy, permanent construction to support steam-era traffic. The arches remain in use as part of the modern CSX line, which now operates the former Big Four route through Greencastle. Freight still moves overhead, as I noticed when I climbed up to take a look and encountered a train whizzing past. The trestle's solid masonry has held up well compared to timber or steel structures of the same era. Locals use both names - Twin Arches or Four Arches - depending on which side they approach and how much of the structure is visible through the trees and embankments. Even without interpretive signage, the trestle ties the city's present-day rail activity to the moment in 1854 when the railroad first arrived and reshaped transportation across Putnam County. [Review 1042 of 2026 - 246 in Indiana - 26221 overall]

Crossing Indiana from east to west on this trip, it turns out that the Houck Covered Bridge is the…read morelast one I will visit on this trip. It's not my favorite - that honor goes to the Dunbar Bridge that is still open to traffic and I could drive through - but this is still a fabulous bridge with a long, well-documented history. The Houck Covered Bridge was built in 1880 by the Massillon Bridge Company of Massillon Ohio. It uses a two-span Howe truss design, a system patented in 1840 that combined timber with adjustable iron rods for greater strength. The bridge originally carried County Road 550 South over Big Walnut Creek in Washington Township near Manhattan, resting on cut-limestone abutments and a central pier nearly 13 feet tall. Traffic declined after improved routes through nearby Hamrick Station were built in the 1930s and in 2014 Putnam County officials officially bypassed the bridge and restored it to pedestrian-only use. Houck gained formal recognition when it was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2024, part of a county-wide nomination covering all surviving covered bridges. The bridge might not be drivable any longer but it is still a beautifully preserved example of 19th-century engineering and a fitting final stop on a westbound covered-bridge tour. [Review 1043 of 2026 - 247 in Indiana - 26222 overall]

Houck Covered Bridge is a historic bridge constructed in 1880. The bridge crosses Big Walnut Creek…read moreand is no longer open to traffic, but can be walked across by pedestrians. The Howe Truss design was built by the Massillon Bridge Company of Ohio. The bridge is 210 feet long and sits on stone abutments and a pier. The Houck Covered Bridge is longest of three covered bridges over the Big Walnut Creek that we visited in Putnam County. The Putnam County Visitors Center provides free maps of the Counties nine covered bridges. I walked the length of the covered bridge and took photos. The Houck Covered Bridge was bypassed in 2014 for a new bridge, but is fortunately maintained for historical purposes. The bridge was named after the Houck family who owned the nearby property when it was built. The bridge was also referred to as the Hamrick Bridge after the Hamrick RR Station, a proposed Pennsylvania RR Station. Parking is available for four cars at the west side of the bridge. There are no other amenities at the site, except a good fishing hole.

In 1906, J. Larence Van Fossen put up this Single Span Double Burr Arch Truss bridge to carry…read moreCounty Road 550E across Big Raccoon Creek. Added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1978, all approaches to this bridge are via gravel surfaces. The bridge is still in use, and can be reached from US59 via County Road 720S, or from the Mansfield-Bridgeton road via Mace road.

Amidst corn fields, the Conley's Ford Covered Bridge once shepherded travelers over Big Raccoon…read moreCreek since 1906. But today, I was sad to find the historic bridge standing lonely, barricaded and closed to all traffic, including foot traffic. Extensive damage to the west wall of the bridge was evident. The road was blocked to the bridge, so we parked and walked the 0.2 mile to the bridge. Trees were down near the bridge and the ground was muddy. The bridge was built by J. Lawrence Van Fossen in 1906. The 192' bridge is designed with a double Burr Arch truss. The bridge is unusual in that it is constructed of white pine verses poplar. I'm not sure if there are plans to repair the bridge, but she certainly needs some love.

On Fame's eternal camping ground their silent tents are…read morespread and Glory guards with solemn round the Bivouac of the Dead. - Engraving on the plaque on the north side of the memorial I was here on a Saturday morning when the courthouse plaza was completely clear, and that quiet stretch of time made it easy to appreciate just how massive this monument really is. The best photos come from across the street, where you can take in the full height of the column, the copper figures, and the courthouse dome rising behind it. Officially titled the "Soldiers and Sailors Monument," it was erected in 1909 on the northeast corner of the courthouse grounds. The dedication reads, "In memory of the patriotism and valor of the Soldiers & Sailors of Vigo County in the War of 1861-1865," a statement that fits the monument's scale and ambition. The memorial was nearly placed across from Woodlawn Cemetery, but once fundraising and planning made the project real, local leaders decided that it belonged on the exact spot where Vigo County men had once marched up to the beat of a drum, to enlist in the Union Army. Atop the pedestal stands a life-size copper statue of Indiana Governor Oliver P. Morton, who led the state during the Civil War. On each corner is another copper figure: a cavalryman, an infantryman, a sailor, and a gunner. Together the give the monument a sense of motion and presence that matches the courthouse itself, making this one of the most impressive Civil War memorials in western Indiana. [Review 1050 of 2026 - 254 in Indiana - 26229 overall]

The Oakalla Covered Bridge is currently closed to automobile traffic. The bridge crosses the big…read moreWalnut Creek in a remote and beautiful wooded area of Putnam County. We parked on the west side of the bridge and walked across the span. Several windows in the bridge offer views of the creek below. A path down to the creek on the east side offers great creek views of the bridge and stone abutments. We enjoyed some creek stomping. I found information about the bridge at the Putnam County Visitors Center. The single lane bridge spans 152 feet and uses a Burr Arch Truss. The bridge was built by the famous J. J. Daniels in 1898.

The Oakalla Covered Bridge sits just west of Greencastle, and coming from the better maintained…read moreDunbar Bridge barely ten minutes earlier, this one immediately feels older and far less refreshed. It was built in 1898 by noted Indiana bridgewright J.J. Daniels and spans Big Walnut Creek using a classic Burr-arch truss design. Since it is closed to traffic, I was only able to walk through it, which made the aging details stand out even more. The paint is peeling in big strips, several exterior boards are split, and the siding shows the kind of weathering that comes from decades without a full restoration. Oakalla takes its name from the former Oakalla Station on the Big Four Railroad, a small community that once supported quarries and lime kilns before fading away in the early twentieth century. The bridge's decline mirrors the area's history. As quarry operations shut down and roads shifted, Oakalla saw less use, and Putnam County eventually closed it to vehicles in 2022 after inspectors found structural issues. Even so, it remains historically significant. In May 2024, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places, joining Putnam County's other surviving Daniels bridges. Today it stands as a weathered but authentic piece of local history. As a bridge that hasn't been recently refreshed, it still wears its age openly while awaiting the kind of rehabilitation that could bring it back to the condition of its better-maintained sisters. [Review 1041 of 2026 - 245 in Indiana - 26220 overall]