A pair of bronze statues portraying the pioneering auto builders, the Apperson Brothers, can be…read morefound near the spot of their former factory at the south entrance to Kokomo Municipal Stadium. Added in 2018, artist DJ Bawden created the pieces to commemorate the pairs contribution to Kokomo's history and commerce. Just before the beginning of the 20th Century, the brothers had started their own shop and were approached by Elwood Haynes to build his first car back in 1894 which is considered to be the first working car in America! They went on to form the Haynes-Apperson Company which continued making cars until the brothers left to pursue making a more upscale and powerful type vehicle in 1902. They were known for producing a car called the Jackrabbit. In 1911, the brothers entered a car in the 1st Indy 500. The auto manufacturers continued in Kokomo until 1926. Review #2476

The Indiana Women's Legacy Memorial is the largest memorial in the state of Indiana that honors…read morewomen. The statue stands on the northeast corner of the courthouse square in Howard's County. Three bronze sculptures depicting women soldiers and a "Rosie Riveter-type" figure stand on pedestals. The words Honor, Duty and Faith are carved on the pedestals. A placard on the State of Indiana says "This memorial is dedicated to Hoosier Daughters for their time in service to our state and nation during war and peace. May their deeds not be forgotten." The memorial was designed by Jerry Paul, President of the Howard County Veteran's Memorial Corporation. The bronze sculptures were created by artist, Benjamin Matthew Victor. The memorial was dedicated on August 6, 2021. This memorial speaks to me because my mother served as an Air Force nurse. During my visit a number of other visitors took photos, posing with the figures. A nice park benches sit adjacent to the memorial and a lovely flower garden surrounds the area. There is plenty of free parking on the square and the memorial is ADA accessible.

I've visited numerous Veteran's Memorials around central Indiana and this is one of the most…read morebeautiful and reverential spots I have found. The site is well maintained and landscaped. There are numerous bricks with names on them and even a "station" that will help you find a specific name's location in the plaza. There are two main areas here. One features a single bronze statue called "The Clasping Hand" cast from John Chalk's original and dedicated at the park's opening in year 2000. The second and larger plaza has a standing soldier reaching out across the plaza to where a family reaches back towards him. It emphasizes the connection between loved ones separated by war/service. Overall, it is a beautiful plaza to celebrate the sacrifice of our veterans. Review #2321

If you're going to have a really industrial heritage, it's really pretty cool to try to capitalize…read moreon that in a way that's good for the community. That's precisely what the city of Kokomo has done with the Industrial Heritage Trail, a just under six-mile rail-trail that links together historic industrial sites in Kokomo's history. The trail runs through downtown Kokomo while also connecting to the much larger Nickel Plate Trail and Kokomo's really cool Wildcat Creek Walk of Excellence. You'll catch such sites as: The Kokomo Rubber Company, which produced the first pneumatic rubber tire in the U.S. Haynes Automobile Company, which introduced America to the auto. Both Chrysler and Kokomo Opalescent Glass are near the trail (which also has a cool piece of public art). The trail includes historic markers and has places to rest along the trail. As I'm a wheelchair user, I can affirm the trail is wheelchair friendly. It's for the most part a level trail. It's also primarily an urban trail. The Nickel Plate Depot is the primary trailhead for the trail and you can find parking typically around it or along the streets. The Industrial Heritage Trail is not what I'd call a destination trail, though Kokomo has a nice enough system of trails that it would be worth spending the day in Kokomo to try them out. The Nickel Plate alone could easily be called a destination trail and is quite beautiful.

The Industrial Heritage Trail is runs about 6 miles through Kokomo from north to south through…read moreKokomo's historic industrial corridor. There are a number of historic information signs along the trail talking about groundbreaking industry from Kokomo's past such as Kokomo Rubber Company who made the first inflatable tires and Haynes Automobile Company. The Industrial Heritage Trail connects to the Nickel Plate trail, so I used it to add another 6 miles to my ride. There's a lot of rail history along the route. There's a large depot that now has restaurants as well as some trackside equipment. There are a couple of nice parks and the trail runs right through downtown past the courthouse. It's a nice extension to the Nickel Plate.