The Vermillion County Historical Society is raising funds to renovate this fabulous former…read moresheriff's home with attached jail. The Italianate Style home was built in 1868 and housed the Vermillion County Sheriff and family. In 1896, the Romanesque Revival jail addition was added at the rear of the home. The facility was operational until 1992 (over 100 years!) when the operations were moved to a modern facility. In 1999, the structure became a National Register of Historic Places. Tours of the facility are available for $3 when Historical Society staff is at the site. There was no staff present during our visit, so we walked around outside. The Society is asking for donations to help with renovations. I love visiting these sheriff's homes/jails, which were prevalent in county seat towns throughout Indiana. Each location holds different local stories. There is street parking around the structure and a historical marker. I will return to visit the inside after checking with the Historical Society.

I had the most amazing experience while visiting the Vermillion County Courthouse in Newport,…read moreIndiana. So I love history and architecture and this Courthouse has been on my list. Some courthouses won't, let you in the courtrooms, but since there was no court in session, the Circuit Court Clerk let us in. Then to my surprise, the Circuit Court Judge, Judge Wrede, came in to the courtroom and introduced himself and described the history of the Courthouse and offered a few anecdotal stories that made this visit unforgettable. The first courthouse was a small wood structure. After construction was complete, the builder was not paid the $345 owed for the building. So he took the State to court in the building he built! Anyway, the first two Courthouses were destroyed by fire. The present Courthouse was built in 1924 on a prominent square. The Neo Classical structure houses the Circuit Court. The building is in remarkable original condition with beautiful woodwork, marble stairs and a lovely stained glass backlit central dome. The Courtroom is unusual with the jury box directly in front of the Judge. The ceiling has an ornate central medallion. The witness stand sits in the center of the room facing the jury. A famous case tried in the County was that of Orville Majors, the notorious serial killer of the 1980's. Judge Wrede invited me to sit at the bench, which I did and then showed his chambers. He pointed out the historic jail. What an amazing experience. In the lower level of the Courthouse is a case filled with historical photos and memorabilia. Outside on the lawn, is a war memorial and a colorful statue of a giraffe. Plenty of parking surrounds the building. The security officer is friendly and helpful. This is truly a special place that rolls out the red carpet.

The Eugene Covered Bridge is one of the most accessible bridges in the area. Since the bridge was…read moreclosed to vehicular traffic in 1974, it allows for more exploration of the inside of the bridge without fear of being run over. The bridge was built in 1873 by JJ Daniels using the Burr Arch-truss system. Built over the Vermillion River, the bridge is 187 feet long, with the longest span being 176.8 feet. The bridge also has convenient parking and windows on each side that makes it easy to get great views of the river. The covered bridge uses the familiar red sides and white faced openings of the area. Review #2834

EAGLE CAFÉ AND COVERED BRIDGE I had breakfast for dinner. It…read morewas very good, and the portions were decent. The price was very fair like most restaurants here. The server was efficient and friendly. Most of the servers at these small-town restaurants are like this. I could hear a few conversations around me. I could tell these were mostly farmers. It was very quaint. Being from California, I really appreciate this hometown type of restaurant. I wasn't there for the restaurant. That was just an extra perk. I was there for the covered bridge of the same name next to it. I left Nika in the car to eat and then walked her around the bridge. There was a dog on the other side of the bridge that was chained up out back that barked the at Nika the whole time. The bridge was beautiful as most of them are. I have a fascination for covered bridges. There are none in California. I have been to several since I've been living in Indiana. This one, as most do, has a stream under it. There is easy access to the stream unlike most covered bridges.

It was only a matter of time. The Mug Tree was an old tree. Mugs were placed with it and that…read morebrought it alive again in our hearts. Many, many mugs. Travelers along the highway admired that old tree, adorned with mugs. It offered a silent respite in our daily lives. It offered hope, that no matter what pains we carried, there was the Mug Tree. The Mug Tree, which was created out of the generosity of hundreds of people, most likely strangers to each other, but friends with a common goal of taking an old, dead tree along a country highway and giving it purpose, once more. The Mug Tree. A local landmark, never to be recognized as a national monument. Unlike the more famous curiosities just a few miles north in Casey, this oddity stood outside of the door to fame. Yet, to those of us who passed by, it stood for years alongside that country highway, day and night. Like an old trusted friend. So, to those who read these words and never knew the Mug Tree, I am sorry for your loss. And to those thousands of travelers that passed by and noticed, if you grieve, you grieve not alone. Dear Mug Tree: So long, my friend. Thanks for all the smiles you brought to our hearts.

So... It was fun to see this tree in passing on the way to Effingham but I felt like the house on…read moretop could've been utilized for birds or something.

This Single Span Burr Arch Truss bridge was built in 1907 by William Hendricks-- the last of his…read morethree covered bridges in Parke County. It is readily accessible over the paved surface of Towpath Road. Added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1978, it is #31 on the Parke County Covered Bridge Map. The sign at the bridge attributes it to D.M. Brown. Brown won the contract to build the bridge, but had to call in Hendricks to undertake the project.

In the northwest corner of Parke County is Mill Creek Covered Bridge. It's remote enough to be…read moreexcluded from the County's tourism routes (the "Yellow" comes within a few miles of this bridge). The bridge is a standard Burr Arch-truss structure in the familiar red and white colors with black lettering. The bridge is 111 feet in length and spans Mill Creek 90 feet. The bridge is open to through traffic without any place designated to pull off, so be aware of traffic if you pull over and walk through the bridge. The bridge is located about 8 miles northwest of Turkey Run. However, there is no direct route to get there. So, I would suggest heading west to US 41, then north about 3.25 miles to 1050 N. Head west about 6 miles passed Sylvania and Tangier to Tow Path road. Then head south about a half mile to reach the bridge. If you use alternate routes, you will probably encounter gravel roads. Either way, your driving speeds will be reduced due to limited road width and winding roads. Review #3225

The Two Story Outhouse. I loved being here. I smiled ear to ear the whole time. Such a great way to…read morebring some traffic to the village of Gays. They had a mini replica of the outhouse that had cars and pens inside where you can write where you are from. So fun! I recommend spending time here. It was fun and wholesome.

The major attraction in Gays, this is indeed a Two Story Outhouse. I was unable to prove how it…read moreworks as it was padlocked and secured. You'll just have to use your imagination and that's what makes it even better. A two minute stop in a small town that is a short detour off the Interstate just north of Effingham. Don't miss out. [Review 1282 of 2024 - 209 in Illinois - 22305 overall]

This Single Span Double Burr Arch Truss carries Bloomingdale Road across Sugar Creek. Paving makes…read morethis bridge easy to access. It is one of nine covered bridges put up by J.J. Daniels (1861) in Parke County, and was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1978. It is #28 on the Parke County Covered Bridge Map.

Dating back to the Civil War, this Burr Arch-truss covered bridge was built in 1861. This is one…read moreof the oldest and longest bridges in Parke County. It is also unusual because it uses an all white paint scheme with black lettering, not the red walls that are found throughout the county. The bridge is still in service but requires slow, walking pace driving for safety as well as avoiding a problem with oncoming traffic. Jackson Bridge has an overall length of 227 feet and spans Sugar Creek 198 feet. It is located about ten miles north of Rockville, IN via US-41, then a short county road jog over to Bdale (Bloomingdale) Road northwest for the remaining distance. There is no direct route from Turkey Run State Park, but a slight detour south on US 41 down to 625 N will take you west to Bdale Road where you can then visit the bridge. Review #3222

Vigo County's Pioneer Village can be found within Fowler Park. Besides driving through the park to…read morevisit, you can use the small parking lot along Bono Road and walk into the park from that entrance which accesses the village and covered bridge. Most of the year, the village is open to browse, but the buildings are locked. Some have convenient windows to browse in, but not all of them. You will also notice that some are authentic buildings which have been preserved by moving them to this gathering spot from across the area (including Illinois). Others are constructed from wood salvaged from other cabins/structures that had met their demise. What is created is a homogeneous collection of buildings that you might find if you could travel back in time 180 years to a small town in the area. Vigo County does open the village up the first weekend in October to re-enactors and vendors to celebrate the annual Pioneer Days. I believe there is a $5 fee for attending. I was surprised that I didn't see any promotion for the event in 2019 since I was there just a few days too early. If you are interested, I would suggest contacting the county's parks department. From what I heard from the staff at the guard house, the village has grown over the years as additional buildings have been relocated. While there, be sure to check out one of the State's oldest covered bridges on the south side of the village. Review #2957

We had a great 90+ min narrated tour. So many stories about the family, the house, and the overall…read moreproperty. Nathan the tour guide/ docent was great and had history and anecdotes for anything our tour asked of him. I came in with limited knowledge on FLW, and came away with a much better appreciation.

Had a great tour with Nathan. He is incredibly knowledgeable and obviously loves his job. The…read morefoundation is taking incredible care of this important piece of American history. We've been to a few other FLW properties but no other has been as welcoming. We were encouraged to truly look and see the genius of the design as it was intended. We could stand and sit to get the full effect of each space. We were able to experience first hand the flexibility and convertability of the furniture that adds the final touch to each space. The ingenious additions Mrs. Christian requested that were beautifully designed into the workspace were well before their time.