Jan./Feb. 2021 OUR BROWN COUNTY

The The Magazine Magazine of of Fun Fun and and Fact Fact

Lester Nagley, Vagabbond Artist Out of the Orddinary Restaurant & Barr Wonderful Walk in the Woods FIELD NOTES: Our Redd Cedar

Jan./ Jan./ Feb. Feb. 2021 2021 FREE FREE

sophisticated

snacking

wild & tasty

TIP

Drizzle olive oil over freshly popped popcorn, sprinkle in some grated parmesan cheese, and toss. Our favorite for this is Black Pepper Infused Olive Oil!

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 Steet 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

Winter Hike Series 2021 Brown County State Park

January 16th : The

Boulder in the Tree Hike January 30th : CCC Rediscovered February 6th: Winter Dog Hike February 20th: The State Park Begins March 6th: Hike to the Lake that Never Was March 20th: Deserter’s Cave Hike March 27th: Hike to Kelp Village Due to COVID-19 restrictions these hikes will have limited capacity and will require registration. To register go to WinterHikeSeriesBCSP.eventbrite.com Registration for each hike will begin two weeks before the hike.

Make sure you dress for the weather and off trail hiking! More detailed information will be sent upon registration.

For more info contact the Nature Center at 812-988-5240 or phaulter@dnr.in.gov

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.

Cordry Lake

Sprunica Rd.

to BL O

Rd sburg Helm

Dining

135

Craftsman Recreation

Country Club Rd

NASHVILLE Old SR 4

Kelp G rove R d.

6

46

NG

TO N

Salt Creek Golf Retreat

ls nta all tion Re ry M e e a iqu n Vac . Win o Ant ONE Co. O’ Brow rown C n w WB s B A Bro N Hill G

k Rd Cree Tire t l a Co. S wn

Bro

Dunham

Mt . Li

Bidders Junction

ber

ty R

MI

Bear Wallow Mainstream Distillery Fiber Abe Martin Lodge

eXplore Brown County

to COLUMBUS d

yB

Mike’s Music and Dance Barn

Lil’ Black Bear Inn

Rd.

lley Rd.

to BL OO

Musical Entertainment Artist and/or Gallery

Brick Lodge

Green Va

Yellowwood Rd

Lodging/ Camping

Mike Nickels Log Homes

Al’s Paint & Body

Rd.

Hoover Rd

ran ch

Rd.

Oak Grove

46

Somewhere In Time

135

Val le

Ow l Cr eek

BELMONT

Doodles by Kara Barnard

Flower and Herb Barn Farmhouse Café

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 House of Clocks

Upper Bean Blossom

Franklin

Trafalgar

Helmsburg Sawmill Pool Enterprises

45 OMIN GTON

Martinsville

TRAFALGAR MORGANTOWN

Clay Lick Rd

Lake Lemon

135

to MORGANTOWN

NASHVILLE MAP ON PAGE 6

Carmel Ridge Rd

Brown N County

Indianapolis

Brown County State Park

Monroe Reservoir

CHRISTIANSBURG

ELKINSVILLE Bob Allen Rd.

k Rd ton Cr

STORY

Hamil

Christi

ansbu

ove r Gr

rg Rd

STONE HEAD

la Pop

T.C. Steele State Historic Site

PIKES PEAK

Homestead Weaving Studio Salem’s Good Nature Farm

JEFFERSON STREET

HONEYSUCKLE LANE

OLD HICKORY LANE

Fallen Leaf Books

Brown Co. Art Guild

Moonshine/ K. Bellum Leather

ST SR 135 N

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

The Wild Olive

Brown Co. Rock & Fossil Shop

Brown Co. Winery

Head Over Heels

Heritage Candy Store

Heritage Mall

Spears Pottery Juls Etc.

Weed Patch Music Company

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

GOULD STREET Iris Garden Complex

Brown Co. History Center

Brown Co Public Library

Gold &Old

Health For U

Redbud Ter.

Old

RE/MAX Team

Centra Credit Office Union

County Offices

Touch of Silver

LOCUST LANE

Village Green

MOLLY’S LANE Big Woods Village

Common Grounds Coffee Bar

Colonial Bldg.

Men’s Toy Shop

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

46

IHA

Brown Co Art Gallery

Masonic Lodge

SR

ARTIST DR

VAN BUREN

The Salvation Army

Precise Books & Payroll

JEFFERSON STREET Hoosier Buddy

Thrift Shop Community Closet

Nashville BP

Nashville Christian Church

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

Yellow Door Quilt Store

Old McDurbin Gold & Gifts

Wishful Thinking

Brown Co Craft Gallery

Cornerstone Inn

Nashville Spice Co.

Brown County Inn

Brown County IGA

Brown Co Community YMCA

Bear Hardware

N

Brown Co Health & Living

Brown County Eye Care Blue Elk Family Clinic

Salt Creek Park

Casa Del Sol

Craftsman

Brown Co Music Center

Seasons Hotel & Conference Center

Doodles by Kara Barnard

Lodging

Theatre

Artist and/or Gallery Rest Room Dining

Musical Entertainment Parking

COUNTY MAP ON PAGE 5

map not to scale

Nashville Indiana

Coachlight Square

SR 46 TO COLUMBUS - 16 MILES

Country Heritage Winery

Bone Appetit Bakery

WASHINGTON STREET

Moondance Vacation Homes

Nashville Fudge Kitchen

Possum Trot Square

Back to Back

House of Jerky

Artists Colony Inn

Artists Colony

Cedar Creek Winery

Nashville Express

Rhonda Kay’s

Out of the Ordinary and Hickory Bar

OLD SCHOOL WAY

8 Our Brown County • Jan./Feb. 2021

ADVERTISER

ANTIQUES

CRAFTS, POTTERY, GIFTS

Brown Co Winery.............................. 24

Antiques Co-op................................. 48

Antiques Co-op................................. 48

Brownie’s Bean Blossom Rest......... 28

Bidder’s Junction.............................. 54

B3 Gallery............................................. 3

Brozinni Pizzeria............................... 38

Brown Co Antique Mall.................... 19

Bone Appetit Bakery........................ 13

The Candy Dish................................... 3

Michael’s Flowers.............................. 19

Brown Co Antique Mall.................... 19

Cedar Creek Winery.......................... 13

Plum Creek Antiques....................... 52

Brown Co Art Guild........................... 19

Common Grounds Coffee Bar........ 42

ART, ART SUPPLIES-INSTRUCTION

Brown Co Craft Gallery.................... 13

Country Heritage Winery................ 33

Antiques Co-op................................. 48

Clay Purl............................................. 39

The Harvest Preserve......................... 3

Art Beyond Crayons......................... 48

Foxfire Gift & Home.......................... 43

Heavenly Biscuit............................... 49

B3 Gallery............................................. 3

Head Over Heels............................... 35

Helmsburg General Store............... 29

Bear Hardware.............................48,52

Homestead Weaving Studio........... 18

Heritage Candy Store....................... 29

Brown Co Antique Mall.................... 19

House of Clocks................................. 48

Hoosier Buddy Liquors.................... 25

Brown Co Art Gallery....................... 18

Lightspinner Studio-M. Sechler..... 13

Hotel Nashville.................................. 47

Brown Co Art Guild........................... 19

Michael’s Flowers.............................. 19

House of Jerky................................... 29

Brown Co Craft Gallery.................... 13

Moonshine Leather.......................... 18

Miller’s Ice Cream................................ 3

Lightspinner Studio-M. Sechler..... 13

New Leaf............................................. 19

Nashville BP....................................... 49

Spears Pottery................................... 18

Rhonda Kay’s..................................... 38

The Nashville House......................... 49

C. Steele Art..................................29,54

Spears Pottery................................... 18

Nashville Fudge Kitchen.................. 56

Rosey Bolte-Uncommon Gourd..... 18

The Totem Post.................................. 12

Nashville Spice Co............................. 55

BOOKS

Rosey Bolte-Uncommon Gourd..... 18

Out of the Ordinary & Hickory Bar.39

Bidder’s Junction.............................. 54

Wishful Thinking............................... 42

Schwab’s Fudge................................. 35

Fallen Leaf Books.............................. 12

Woodlands Gallery........................... 35

Seasons Hotel & Conference Ctr.... 39

CLOTHING

Yellow Door Quilt Store................... 13

The Wild Olive..................................... 2

58 South Apparel.............................. 38

ENTERTAINMENT/MUSIC

FURNITURE

Bear Hardware.............................48,52

Brown Co Playhouse........................ 33

Antiques Co-op................................. 48

Bidder’s Junction.............................. 54

FOOD & BEVERAGE

Bidder’s Junction.............................. 54

Community Closet Thrift Shop....... 35

Abe Martin Lodge............................. 15

Brown Co Antique Mall.................... 19

Foxfire Boutique............................... 43

Artists Colony Inn............................. 25

Plum Creek Antiques....................... 52

Head Over Heels............................... 35

Brown Co IGA.................................... 47

HARDWARE

J.B. Goods/ Life is Good................... 24

Brown Co Inn..................................... 14

Bear Hardware.............................48,52

DIRECTORY

Jan./Feb. 2021 • Our Brown County 9

HATS

PET PRODUCTS

Nashville Christian Church............. 52

Head Over Heels............................... 35

Bone Appetit Bakery........................ 13

Precise Books & Payroll.................... 52

Moonshine Leather.......................... 18

PHOTOS

Rambling Dog Design - SIGNS....... 54

JEWELRY

B3 Gallery............................................. 3

Zieg LeDoux & Assoc........................ 52

B3 Gallery............................................. 3

Spears Pottery................................... 18

SHOES

Bidder’s Junction.............................. 54

REAL ESTATE

Head Over Heels............................... 35

Brown Co Antique Mall.................... 19

Carpenter Hills o’ Brown Realty..... 28

Moonshine Leather.......................... 18

Brown Co Craft Gallery.................... 15

RE/MAX-Marg & Brenda.................. 54

The Totem Post.................................. 12

Foxfire Boutique............................... 43

RECREATION

SPECIALTY SHOPS

Juls Etc................................................ 24

Grandpa Jeff’s Trail Rides................ 46

Bone Appetit Bakery........................ 13

New Leaf............................................. 19

SERVICES

Clay Purl............................................. 39

Old McDurbin Gold & Gifts............. 42

Dr. Lisa Baker, DDS........................... 38

Fireplace Center................................ 35

Rhonda Kay’s..................................... 38

Bear Hardware’s Bagged Trash....... 52

Head Over Heels............................... 35

Spears Pottery................................... 18

Bidder’s Junction - Auction House.54

Health For U....................................... 53

The Totem Post.................................. 12

Blue Elk Family Clinic....................... 53

House of Clocks................................. 48

Touch of Silver Gold & Old.............. 24

Brown Co Eye Care............................ 52

LODGING/CAMPGROUNDS

Brown Co Health & Living............... 53

House of Jerky................................... 29 Michael’s Flowers.............................. 19

Abe Martin Lodge............................. 15

Brown Co Massage........................... 49

Moonshine Leather.......................... 18

Artists Colony Inn............................. 25

Brown Co Tire & Auto....................... 52

Nashville Spice Co............................. 55

Brick Lodge........................................ 47

Brown Co Community YMCA.......... 54

Weed Patch Music Company.......... 19

Brown Co Health & Living............... 53

Centra Credit Union......................... 25

Wishful Thinking............................... 42

Brown Co Inn..................................... 14

Dave Carlile Heating & Cooling...... 53

Yellow Door Quilt Store................... 13

Cornerstone Inn................................ 15

Dunham Plumbing........................... 54

WEDDINGS

Hidden Valley Inn............................. 42

Helmsburg Sawmill Inc/

Artists Colony Inn............................. 25

Hills O’ Brown Vacation Rentals..... 25

Pool Enterprises Inc.......................... 54

Hotel Nashville.................................. 47

Hotel Nashville.................................. 47

IN Seamless Guttering..................... 53

OTHER

Lil’ Black Bear Inn.............................. 29

Mainstream Fiber Networks........... 53

Health For U....................................... 53

Moondance Vacation Homes......... 48

McGinley Insurance (Farmers)........ 53

Nashville Christian Church............. 52

North House...................................... 47

Michael’s Flowers.............................. 19

Flower and Herb Barn...................... 53

Seasons Hotel & Conference Ctr.... 39

Nashville BP....................................... 49

Contents 12 WHERE IS IT?

13 SUBSCRIBE 16 Jazz Giant Steve Allee ~by Ryan Stacy 20 Dylan Quackenbush ~by Paige Langenderfer 26 Fallen Leaf Books ~by Bob Gustin 30-31 Photos by Patty Lindley*

32 Calendar

34 Michele Pollock Poetry

36 Out of the Ordinary ~by Jeff Tryon 40 Lester Nagley ~by Julia Pearson

44 FIELD NOTES: Our Red Cedar ~by Jim Eagleman

46 Kara Barnard Cartoon 50 Walk in the Woods ~by Mark Blackwell 52-54 INFO PAGES

Cover: Dylan Quackenbush, potter ~by Paige Langenderfer

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 is a content writer at Monroe County Public Library, and also enjoys writing about Brown County. He and his wife live in Bloomington, where they can often be found chasing movies, good food, and cultural events. His other interests include reading, photography, and 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.

Paige Langenderfer is a freelance writer and communications consultant. She writes for numerous publications. She earned her Bachelor’s degree in journalism from Indiana University and her Master’s degree in public relations management from IUPUI. Paige lives in Columbus with her husband and daughters.

Contact her at <langenderferpaige@gmail.com>.

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.

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.

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>.

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.

*Patty Lindley started her love of photography in the 1970s with her dad’s 35mm Argus and then her very own instamatic camera. She studied photojournalism at Ball State and was a professional photographer for 30 years doing commercial work and black and white portraits.

She tells stories via Instagram featuring the antics of her husband and adult children.

ourbrowncounty.com ourbrown@bluemarble.net 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 • Jan./Feb. 2021

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.

Special thanks to Kara Barnard for her cartoon and Michele Heather Pollock for her poetry and photos.

Thanks, Mom, for making it happen!

Singing Pines Projects, Inc. copyright 2021

Coloring Contest Win $20

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

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

Jan./Feb. 2021 • Our Brown County 11

Guess Photo Win $20 WHERE IS IT? Call (812) 988-8807 Be the first person to call and win the money!

Leave a message identifying the location of the photo along with your name and phone number.

Last issue featured the bell in front of the Nashville House.

Julie Taggart was the first person with the correct guess.

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

12 Our Brown County • Jan./Feb. 2021

The Totem Post ~Since 1952~

• 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

The

Yellow Door QUILT STORE

We are a little quilt shop with BIG IDEAS! The fabric we feature is happy and bright.

We also carry quilt kits and can ship them to you.

Winter Hours: Thurs., Fri., Sat. 12 to 4 or by appointment

Antique Alley • 81 S. Jefferson St. • Nashville, IN 812-200-8269 • yellowdoorquiltstore.com

SUBSCRIBE! 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.

SUBSCRIBE

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 Open whenever home. Call ahead.

Name: N 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 For Dogs

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

See something you want? Message us!

Gallery Open Friday – Sunday · 10 am – 5 pm or by appointment Shipping & Local Delivery text 765.414.8874 to schedule

62 E. Washington · Nashville, IN · 812.988.7058 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

Jan./Feb. 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 â&#x20AC;¢ Jan./Feb. 2021

(812) 988-2291

41 Exceptional Accommodations right in the of Nashville! m gift Custo all es for t a certific sions! occas

w w w. C o r n e r s t o n e I n n . c o m

5 4 E. Franklin St. 888-383-0300 Jan./Feb. 2021 â&#x20AC;¢ Our Brown County 15

Jazz Giant Steve Allee

photo by Carol Allee

O

~by Ryan Stacy

ne way you know you’ve arrived in Brown County: you’re suddenly in the presence of giants. Our tallest trees and deepest valleys are a breathtaking testament to the scale of natural magnificence on display here. And though past giants like T.C. Steele and Bill Monroe helped our community become well-known as the Art Colony of the Midwest, not so well known is that another giant of an American art form currently calls Brown County his home.

16 Our Brown County • Jan./Feb. 2021

Passing him in town or at the park, you’d never guess that Steve Allee—down to earth, understated in appearance, gracious and warm in personality—is a nationally-known jazz pianist and composer who’s worked with some of the biggest names in the genre. Which isn’t to say Steve’s not a jazzman through and through.

Jazz is what he’s done all his life (he sent me his resume: it’s seventy-nine pages long).

As a boy in Indianapolis, Steve first became captivated upon hearing a relative’s Miles Davis

“When I was a kid, we used to take Sunday drives from Indianapolis to Brown County. I loved that, and I used to go camping with my uncle in Brown County State Park.” record; together with seeing live performances at Butler University by Duke Ellington and Dave Brubeck. He says these experiences were “life-changers” for him. Soon he was taking piano lessons from local jazz composer Claude Sifferlen, whom Steve says “didn’t teach per se. He believed in experiential knowledge. He would make you discover it yourself.”

Steve must have made some major discoveries, because he began gigging regularly in Indy’s jazz clubs, and at age nineteen he found himself on tour, playing in legendary drummer Buddy Rich’s Big Band. “I sat right next to him [when we performed],” Steve laughs. “It was exhilarating.”

The opportunities kept coming, and Steve kept taking them. But it was hard work. Back in Indianapolis, “We played five nights a week, from ten [p.m.] to three in the morning, four sets,” he remembers. All the sweat he left on the bandstand paid off. Along with local mainstay Slide Hampton, over the years Steve’s shared the stage with world-class players like Jimmy Cobb, Rufus Reid, and Lenny White.

Steve also writes his own compositions. His 2001 album Downtown Blues was nominated for a Grammy, and besides all the material he writes for himself, he’s done compositions for TV shows like Friends, Nash Bridges, The Sopranos, and Ripley’s Believe It or Not!, and for radio like The Bob & Tom Show.

And did I mention Steve’s taught music for decades? What started out as giving piano lessons as a young man turned into a second career as an instructor at colleges and universities all over the region. He’s even spent many summers on the faculty of the workshops offered by Jamey Aebersold, author of popular jazz instruction workbooks. And just this year, Steve retired from the University of Cincinnati as an associate professor at its College Conservatory of Music. (I’m glad he’s not a horn player, because I don’t know when he would’ve had time to breathe.)

Somehow, in the midst of this dizzying musical journey, Steve always felt drawn to nature. “When I was a kid, we used to take Sunday drives from Indianapolis to Brown County,” he recalls. “I loved that, and I used to go camping with my uncle in Brown County State Park.” About twenty years ago, Steve and his family moved into a home just a few miles from the park, where he built a recording studio. Soon after, he got the job offer in Cincinnati, and decided to split his time between a rental there and the Brown County home—a move that seemed “foolish” at times. “Now, I’m really glad we kept it [the Brown County property],” he says. “It’s in the middle of nowhere, which is great during a pandemic.”

A pandemic Steve’s been weathering this year like everyone else. But for the first time in his career, he says, “I didn’t feel inspired at all, with everything going on. The world was just a little too weird.” This summer, he “just took about a two-month pause and enjoyed being out in the country.” The break also allowed him to reflect on how to interpret his natural surroundings musically, and thankfully, the dry spell seems to be over for Steve. “Now I’m getting inspired again,” he says. He’s been composing for his big band and is trying to figure out how to safely hold rehearsals.

Steve says one of his colleagues at the university told him that it was “the definition of optimism” to try to run an eighteen-piece band in the middle of a pandemic. I see it as the definition of talent and drive.

Links to video of Steve Allee’s performance at Indy Jazz Fest 2020 can be found at the website <indyjazzfest.net>. 

Jan./Feb. 2021 • Our Brown County 17

HOMESTEAD WEAVING STUDIO

BrownBrown County Art Gallery County

See homesteadweaver.com for remote shopping Quality Handwovens

by Chris Gustin

Art Gallery

Historic Indiana

Member Art Show

Yarn • Looms • Supplies • Classes

Southeastern Brown County 6285 Hamilton Creek Road Columbus, IN 47201

812-988-8622

Indiana

en Plein Air

43RD ANNUAL

EXHIBITION & SALE

PRINTMAKERS PRINTGet Their Due MAKERS Open 11 to 5 most days CALL AHEAD Visit us on the Back Roads Tour

Get Their Due

2021 Gallery Events FEBRUARY 6-27

Friends of TC Steele Member Art Show APRIL 9 – MAY 23

Historic Indiana en Plein Air JUNE 12 – JULY 10

Indiana Heritage Arts 43rd Annual Exhibition and Sale

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

JULY 24 – AUGUST 22

Indiana Printmakers Get their Due AUGUST 28 – SEPTEMBER 26

William McKendree Snyder: The First to Come OCTOBER 2 – NOVEMBER 14

Collectors’ Showcase

Corner of Main Street & Artist Drive · Nashville, IN 812.988.4609 · Free Admission · Free Parking BROWNCOUNTYARTGALLERY.ORG 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 • Jan./Feb. 2021

Flowers Locally built instruments and affordable student models meticulously displayed, making this little music store a destination point in Brown County Lovingly owned and operated by

Kara Barnard and Kristin Thompson

musicians, instructors and instrument adoption specialists

58 E. Main Nashville, INâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;Look for BANJO by courthouse

812-200-3300 â&#x20AC;¢ www.weedpatchmusicshop.com

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

Brown County Antique Mall

Celebrating 25 Years as Owner Antique Store since 1972

Over 10,000 square feet in three buildings More than 76 dealers â&#x20AC;¢ We buy and sell

3288 State Road 46 East 3 miles east of Nashville, IN â&#x20AC;¢ 13 miles west of I-65 Open 7 Days a week till 5:30 â&#x20AC;¢ 812-988-1025

© 2021 Brown County Art Guild, Inc.

Featuring handcrafted jewelry by owner Amy Greely

Calvin Place Franklin & Van Buren Streets Nashville, IN â&#x20AC;¢ (812) 988-1058 www.amygreely.com

Filled with antiques, jewelry, pottery, china, glass, furniture, artifacts, primitives, books, collectibles, and home decor.

The Guild.

Fine Art by Fine Artists.

WINTER

GALLERY AND MUSEUM

EXHIBITION & SALE

48 S. Van Buren Street Nashville, IN 47448 812 988-6185 BrownCountyArtGuild.org Detail of Image by Charlene Brown

Jan./Feb. 2021 â&#x20AC;¢ Our Brown County 19

Dylan Quackenbush

photo by Paige Langenderfer

~by Paige Langenderfer

D

ylan Quackenbush spent his childhood days messing in the creek behind his house in Brown County. Little did he know those experiences would lead to a career in ceramics.

“I was a pretty wild kid,” Dylan said. “I was always running around and playing in the creek.”

20 Our Brown County • Jan./Feb. 2021

“Right away I realized that I was better at this than any craft I had ever tried. I became consumed. I would stay up all night working on projects in the studio.”

The best part of his day, he said, was digging up blue shale clay and shaping it into his creations.

“I would spend hours messing with clay. I always had a knack for working with it and shaping it into stuff,” Dylan said.

“I didn’t think of it as making art, I just liked creating bowls and faces.”

When he was 12, Dylan got his first job working with clay.

His grandmother, Karen Quackenbush, a first-grade teacher in Brown County, asked him to dig up 50 pounds of clay and bring it into her class.

“She is an avid painter and promoter of the arts,” Dylan said. “She tried to incorporate art into her class as often as she could.”

The class, and Dylan, created “pinch pots,” a simple form of hand-made pottery. Pinch pots are formed and shaped by pinching the clay with your thumb and forefinger.

“It was the first time I had ever put anything I had made in a kiln,” Dylan said. “I loved it.”

The clay class wasn’t the first time his grandma had encouraged Dylan artistically. When Dylan was ten she took Continued on 22

Jan./Feb. 2021 • Our Brown County 21

photo by Paige Langenderfer

QUACKENBUSH continued from 21 him to his first T.C. Steele Great Outdoor Art Contest.

“Just being around that many incredibly talented artists at one time and watching them work was really inspiring to me,” Dylan said. “My grandma was probably my biggest advocate. She really encouraged me to become an artist.”

After high school, Dylan enrolled in the Herron School of Art at IUPUI to study illustration and anatomical drawings.

“The program didn’t fit [me], so I ended up transferring to IU to get a degree in elementary education to follow in my grandma’s footsteps,” Dylan said.

The road to his career in ceramics began while registering for an elective art class.

22 Our Brown County • Jan./Feb. 2021

“I couldn’t get into the painting or drawing classes that I wanted because they were all full,” he said.

“The only opening was in a general ceramics class.”

Dylan said the first time he sat down at the ceramics wheel he knew life was about to change.

“Right away I realized that I was better at this than any craft I had ever tried,” he said. “I became consumed. I would stay up all night working on projects in the studio.”

Besides enjoying the process, Dylan also liked that the finished project was functional.

“I liked how you could see results after just a few minutes on the wheel,” he said. “And it was cool knowing that I was making something that I could use later.”

In just his second semester of ceramics, the studio coordinator of The Grunwald Gallery of Art at IU encouraged Dylan to make a career change.

“He said I was really good and that I needed to change my major and focus on ceramics,” Dylan said. “It felt really good to hear a compliment from someone who really knew art.”

Soon after, Dylan changed his major to fine arts with a focus on ceramics.

“There was a lot of studio time, but there were also a lot of science classes, which surprised me,” Dylan said. “We had to learn how glazes work and how to make them do the things you want them to do.”

While all of his professors were well known ceramists, Malcolm Mobutu Smith influenced Dylan the most. Smith is an associate professor of ceramic art at IU and his works are represented in numerous

private and public collections across the country and around the world.

Dylan graduated from IU in 2017 and took a short-term ceramics residency in Bonaparte, Iowa, with artist Lee Burningham.

“While I was there, I threw pots right next to the Des Moines River,” Dylan said.

The following year, he accepted a residency in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. He earned studio time by working in the gallery and teaching classes.

“The experience gave me a better sense of how to live as an artist,” Dylan said. “And it gave me time to make photo by Paige Langenderfer

functional work. It was more about developing my skills” While in Iowa, Dylan met and learned from numerous fellow artists. Clary Illian, who was once an apprentice at the Bernard Leach Pottery in England, left the biggest mark on Dylan.

“She was very practical,” Dylan said. “She told me something that really stuck with me. She said she never wanted to make anything that the average person couldn’t afford. A lot of artists want to make these huge pieces that sell for tons of money, but I like that she focused on functional pottery.”

Dylan moved back to Brown County in 2019 and began laying the groundwork for a career in ceramics. When IU tore down a studio that housed the ceramics kiln, Dylan was able to get some of the bricks. He used those bricks to build his own kiln at his studio in Brown County.

He currently works full time as a groundskeeper and works his pottery wheel in his free time.

“It is definitely not easy to make money and make art,” Dylan said. “There’s a lot of time management involved, especially with clay. If I want to get pieces done, I have to get up early and stay up late.”

Dylan plans to attend graduate school in the future to challenge himself in different aspects of ceramics. He said he feels lucky to have grown up in a community that supports art, but feels that art needs to be promoted more in schools.

“There needs to be a bigger emphasis on how important the arts are, especially with young people,” he said. “It is important to support young artists in Brown County so that we can carry on the legacy.”

Dylan’s work is currently on display and available for purchase at the Hoosier Artist Gallery in Nashville on South Jefferson Street, next to Fallen Leaf Books. His work can also be viewed by visiting his Instagram account <@artandpottery_by_quack>. 

Jan./Feb. 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

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BrownCountyWinery.com 24 Our Brown County • Jan./Feb. 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

Centra Credit Union is in your neighborhood!

189 Commercial St. Nashville, IN 800-232-3642 | Centra.org

Federally Insured by NCUA. Equal Housing Opportunity.

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.

Jan./Feb. 2021 • Our Brown County 25

Fallen Leaf Books ~story and photos by Bob Gustin

C

Owner Carey Spain. courtesy photo

26 Our Brown County • Jan./Feb. 2021

arey Spain is in it for the long run.

The owner of Fallen Leaf Books in Nashville has been in the book business since the late 1970s and isn’t about to give up now.

“We’ve survived Amazon for this many years. We’ve survived e-readers for this many years. We’ve survived the pandemic,” he said. And recent trends point to growth for independent bookstores.

Spain, a Greenwood resident, kind of stumbled onto the Nashville store. He and his wife were visiting Nashville in 2014 when they walked past what was then The Book Loft and noticed the “bookstore for sale” sign in the window.

He had owned bookstores in Oklahoma and New Jersey before moving to Indiana for his wife’s job at Eli Lilly and Company in Indianapolis, and he had been selling inventory online since the move.

“I’ve been a reader since I was five or six years old, and I’ve absolutely fallen in love with the idea of books.

I feel like I’m surrounded by my friends.”

—Carey Spain

But the online world has complicated matters for sellers of books.

“I can’t compete with prices online, especially Amazon,” he said, “particularly on new bestsellers.”

Instead, he focuses on local history and Indiana books, which he says he is always looking to buy, and has an inventory of about 7,000 books overall.

“It’s really a good mesh of new and used books, and a quaint, cozy atmosphere,” said Taylor Arnold, who has worked at the store for about five years. “It’s not like Barnes and Noble, where it’s overwhelming when you come in.”

People from around the world have visited the store, she said, and “readers are always friendly.”

Just across the street from the United Methodist Church, the store has a welcoming feel, with neatly alphabetized books of fiction along one wall, a children’s section at the back, and counters and cases where nonfiction works and other items are organized. Used, rare, and new

books sometimes intermingle, adding to a sense of discovery.

Annika Evenson, a Brown County High School junior who has worked at the bookstore for about five months, said she enjoys her work at Fallen Leaf because it’s a “fun place.”

Fiction selections in December included authors from Chris Abani to Anne Zouroudi, and more than 30 Stephen King novels. If you are a rare book collector, there is even a 1692 copy titled Fables of Aesop and Other Eminent Mythologists with Morals and Reflections. You can find signed copies of books, first editions, pages from antique maps and vintage children’s books, locally made cards, old high school yearbooks, and a

framed autographed photo of baseball legend Ted Williams.

The selection “brings in local customers to see things they haven’t seen before,” Spain said.

Customers may come in for a specific book, but while browsing, they find a book they didn’t know they needed, he said. Sales have increased over the past two years.

“We’re probably at a peak right now,” he said. “I’d like to say we will keep on growing, but I just don’t know.”

The store’s top seller is the guidebook Weird Indiana. The cover features a photo of the old Stone Head road marker in Brown County before it was vandalized a few years ago. One item not for sale is a big clock on the back wall, with numbers Continued on 28

Jan./Feb. 2021 • Our Brown County 27

FALLEN LEAF BOOKS continued from 27 represented by books which have the numbers 1 through 12 in the title.

Tourists make up about 70 percent of Fallen Leaf’s sales, but in the six years Spain has owned the bookstore, he is pleased to see the local base of customers growing. He said he tries to cater to local customers who have specific needs, and is active in the community, supporting various local charities.

Supporting local merchants like Fallen Leaf is good for the community, Spain said, and puts money back in local pockets through tax payments and through wages to people who live here. The store has a staff of four people, and though it was closed in March and April due to the coronavirus pandemic, he kept one

Brownie’s is back in business!

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

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

person employed during the shutdown, and has since built his staff again. Health constraints limit the time Spain can spend at the store.

He’s a book lover himself, and lists his favorite authors as Kurt Vonnegut Jr., Robert B. Parker, and Stephen King. His favorite book is Stranger in a Strange Land by Robert Heinlein.

“I’ve been a reader since I was five or six years old, and I’ve absolutely fallen in love with the idea of books.” And whether at his home library or in his bookstore, “I feel like I’m surrounded by my friends,” Spain said.

Fallen Leaf Books is located at 45 South Jefferson Street in Nashville. Contact them at 812-988-0202, or by email at <books@FallenLeafBooks.com>. The website is <FallenLeafBooks.com>. 

158 N. Jefferson

Kathryn Richardson Branch Manager 812-327-7462

Bob Kirlin Broker 812-720-0222

28 Our Brown County • Jan./Feb. 2021

Debbie Fleetwood Kathryn & Donna Team Scroggins Team Broker Brokers Brokers 812-327-6862 812-327-3865 812-327-7462 317-418-2320

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

Tom Vornholt Broker 317-989-3323

Annette Hardin Broker 812-371-2048

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

ONE-OF-A-KIND MOSAIC TABLES

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

POSTCARD PAINTINGS SERIES

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

Available at Spears Pottery in Nashville, IN (On South Van Buren Street, near the stoplight, next to the Nashville House)

Close to Nashville and Columbus • Kid and Pet Friendly

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

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

Jan./Feb. 2021 • Our Brown County 29

photos by Patty Lindley

calendar First Day Hike at Stone Head Nature Preserve Jan. 1, 1:00-3:00 A leisurely walk through wetlands and forest, taking in all the winter sights along the way. Learn more about the property and spend time with fellow outdoor enthusiasts.

(812) 340-5077 www.stoneheadconservancy.org Brown County State Park Presents

Mysterious Hills WINTER HIKES

The hike series offers chances to learn some local legends and discover some hidden away places. Most hikes travel about two miles or so and last from about one to two hours.

Due to COVID restrictions hikes will have limited capacity and will require registration. Register at WinterHikeSeriesBCSP.eventbrite.com Registration for each hike will begin two weeks prior to the hike.

Be sure to dress for the weather and wear the proper shoes for the hikes. Many of the hikes are rugged. Bring plenty of water and snacks. Cancellations might become necessary during extreme weather.

Jan. 16 Boulder in the Tree Jan. 30 CCC Rediscovered Feb. 6 Winter Dog Feb. 20 The State Park Begins March 6 To the Lake that Never Was March 20 Deserter’s Cave March 27 To Kelp Village For more info contact the Nature Center 812- 988-5240 or email Patrick Haulter at phaulter@dnr.in.gov

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

**CALLING ALL PAINTERS!** Have you ever been told you are a great painter? Here is your chance to be seen by many exceptional artists and collectors.

The Brown County Art Guild is proud to present its first online art contest. Artists of all skill levels are invited to participate.

Artists (age 15 or older) are encouraged to enter up to three works of art. All painting mediums are accepted. Registration fee is $15 per submission. Please see website for a complete list of rules: www. browncountyartguild.org/can-you-paint/ Guild artist, Donna Shortt, is the judge.

Winners announced February 28 on Facebook and Instagram.

First prize – $250; Second prize – $125; Third prize – $75. Voting of Finalists’ artwork will take place on Facebook February 21-25 and a $50 People’s Choice Award will be presented to the Artist with the most online votes.

Cask & Still Monthly Pairings Dinner Jan. 7 & Feb. 4, 6:30-8:30 Big Woods, the Original, 60 Molly’s Lane Unique brews and spirits paired with delicious food. Coursing through Big Woods. You will spend the evening tasting Quaff On! Brews and Hard Truth Cocktails along side upscale Big Woods culinary fare. $75 812-988-6000 www.bigwoodsrestaurants.com/ nashville/

Brown County Bikes Party in the Woods First and Third Thursdays 6:00-8:00 pm Meet at Brown Co. State Park upper shelter. Lights and Helmets required.

317-296-4440 hello@dnkpresents.com www.dnkpresents.com

Frosty Trails Festival

Brown County Art Guild Guild Artist Winter Exhibition/Sale Now-Feb. 27 Artwork by Karen Graeser 48 S. Van Buren St. 812-988-6185 www.BrownCountyArtGuild.org

Brown County Art Gallery Friends of TC Steele Member Art Show Feb. 6-27 Corner of Main St. & Artist Dr. 812-988-4609 www.BrownCountyArtGallery.org

32 Our Brown County • Jan./Feb. 2021

Feb. 13, 9:00-2:00, at Hard Truth Hills Winter wellness experience 5K extreme trail run; heated yoga; couples relay; vendors; food; drinks.

Different ticket options Runners tour through the hilly terrain of Brown County.

418 Old State Road 46 Nashville 812-720-4840 www.hardtruthhills.com

Photo: Angela Jackson Photography

It’s been a dramatic year.

Yet, I see the opportunity that exists from the need for innovation. New ideas. I am determined to plan and envision the best programming possible for 2021. This place—the Playhouse—is too important. It must weather this storm and continue to enrich our local arts culture.

The show must go on.

H ANNA H E S TA BROOK / EXECUTI VE DI RECTOR

812.988.6555 | BrownCountyPlayhouse.org

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

812.988.8500

countryheritagewinery.com

Jan./Feb. 2021 • Our Brown County 33

Hoarfrost rimes the morning when the sun has scarcely cleared the line of trees & the temperature barely touches zero.

Pink-gold light scatters through branches into the blue air.

I follow rabbit tracks until they stop abruptly at a wide flattened spot in the snow : the owl leaves no footprints, The way loss leaves no physical marks upon the body & yet something soft & warm is gone. ** The world, coated in ice.

Crystal drops on branches, weighing down each leaf until the beech tree is frozen, crying.

All the moss glazed, pellucid beads strung along each seta.

Seed posts encased, shining.

Mushrooms wearing sparkling diadems of ice.

A wind gusts through the trees, chorus of minute cracklings as ice breaks apart on moving branches. â&#x20AC;&#x201D;Michele Heather Pollock

From Field Guide to the Art of Looking: a year wandering the Brown County woods.

34 Our Brown County â&#x20AC;˘ Jan./Feb. 2021

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

s

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, Inc.

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

Jan./Feb. 2021 • Our Brown County 35

photo by Tom Preston

Out of&theHickory Ordinary Restaurant Sports Bar ~by Jeff Tryon

L

ocated in the heart of Nashville, the Out of the Ordinary Restaurant and Hickory Sports Bar provides a perfect spot to relax, eat, and enjoy the company of visitors and locals alike.

And with the impact of pandemic restrictions, it has also become one of Nashville’s most soughtout grab-and-go dining experiences.

Of course, as with most things Brown County, it also has a long and colorful history.

“It’s definitely a good place for locals, but also out-of-town people that I’ve been waiting on for years, that I’ve known forever,” said Kevin Gore, who started out as a bartender there 17 years ago.

“They always come back, stop in and say ‘Hi’.”

Gore and his wife, Lisa, are now the sole owners of the historic eatery, which was long ago

36 Our Brown County • Jan./Feb. 2021

known as “The Old Hickory” and rebranded “The Ordinary” by legendary Nashville businessman Andy Rogers.

It is “Out of the Ordinary,” not in the sense that one is like to encounter some kind of unusual cuisine there; rather, it is the restaurant which has come out of “The Ordinary,” the previous restaurant at the same location. And it is the Hickory Sports Bar because once upon a time, it was The Old Hickory.

“We’ve made a few changes,” Gore said. “It’s definitely changed since it was the Ordinary.”

Out of the Ordinary combines a casual and family friendly dining room with a cozy bar in a separate room in back.

The charming, rustic dining area is comfortable and the well-rounded bill of fare

Owners Lisa and Kevin Gore. photo by Jeff Tryon

suits nearly every taste. The menu is nicely divided between classic bar food and tasty restaurant dinners, salads, and desserts.

Entrees include chicken piccata, fettuccine Alfredo, grilled salmon, shrimp scampi, and a twelveounce house-cut rib eye steak.

Add a nice house salad with any of a number of homemade dressings, or go all in for a Cobb salad, crispy chicken salad, or a chef’s special with artisan greens, ham, bacon, tomatoes, boiled egg, and bleu cheese crumbles.

You do not have to wander back to the Hickory Sports Bar to enjoy any of the wonderful sandwiches on offer, including a Cuban sandwich with pulled pork, ham, Swiss cheese, pickles, and mustard on a pressed Hoagy roll. Other sandwich classics include grilled ham and cheese, barbeque pulled pork, Hoosier tenderloin, Reuben, and a BLT. The menu also presents the opportunity to build your own burger, starting with a half-pound Angus beef patty, or grilled chicken, or a chipotle black bean patty.

Appetizers include shrimp cocktail, meatballs, onion rings, hot wings, potato skins, nachos, and “duck wings with sweet chili Thai sauce.”

For dessert try a piece of triple layer chocolate cake, white chocolate raspberry cheesecake, or Indiana’s state pie, sugar cream.

Small, family-owned places and their staffs know and truly care about their customers.

“We made some changes for COVID, to streamline things,” Gore said. “It was carry-out only for a long time.”

He said it has been a struggle, with all the changes and added safety protocols they’ve made to insure everyone’s safety.

In spite of the difficult year caused by the pandemic, Gore said the customer base, both local and visitor, has been loyal.

“I was very pleased by the community support,” he said. “They just kept coming. They said, ‘We’re going to keep coming and support you guys.’ That’s very nice. Very nice.”

“As far as October, business was definitely down, but I was kind of surprised at how many people were still coming to town or coming out.

Fall is always good here.”

As for the Ordinary/Hickory history, it is murky at best.

Andy Rogers bought the Old Hickory Restaurant and bar from the Wilson family. It was started in the late 1930s or early 1940s by the legendary Carl Wilson, better known by his pen name, Tramp Starr.

One tall tale says that Wilson won the restaurant in a poker game. Another says Wilson, having been banned from the Nashville House, created a restaurant and bar of his own from which he could not be thus expelled.

They added on to an existing house as the enterprise grew. Rogers acquired it in a deal in which he purchased the entire block down to and including the Franklin House. He tore off the old kitchen, built a new kitchen and restrooms, and remodeled the bar.

“It was before my time,” said Gore. “I’ve heard lots of stories, especially bartending for so long. Who knows how much of it is true?”

“Some, you try to forget,” he laughed.

Out of the Ordinary is located at 61 South Van Buren Street in Nashville. Take out is available at 812-200-1999.

Jan./Feb. 2021 • Our Brown County 37

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

38 Our Brown County • Jan./Feb. 2021

Hotel & Conference Center Located across from the NEW 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” Back Door Alley Entrance

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 in 2021:

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 Jan./Feb. 2021 • Our Brown County 39

The Vagabond Artist of Brown County ~by Julia Pearson

40 Our Brown County â&#x20AC;˘ Jan./Feb. 2021

Frank M. Hohenberger photo courtesy The Lilly Library, Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana.

Lester C. Nagley

A

mong the contents of the Frank M. Hohenberger photograph collection in the Lilly Library is this portrait taken on a June day in 1923 at the back porch of a home in Trevlac. It is the image of Lester C. Nagley, a man of genuine smiles, friendship, and talents.

Lester Nagley was born in Greenfield, Indiana in 1889. His life spanned 75 years and was lived to the fullest following the promptings of his inborn gifts of organization, interpersonal relationship skills, service, artistic expression in several mediums, and writing.

In 1906 he moved to Indianapolis, where he began his working career in the silver-gilting trade at the H. Lieber Company picture frame plant.

In 1909 he graduated from Emmerich Manual High School, where he later was an assistant teacher in the botany department for two years.

Nagley became manager of the Lieber’s photo-finishing plant, but left to work as a cub reporter on the Indianapolis Sun. He sharpened his journalistic skills as reporter,

photographer, and feature writer for the Indianapolis Sun and its successor the Indianapolis Times. He continued with the Indianapolis Star in the roles of reporter, feature writer, and church editor. In 1925 he became a “publicity man” and served as a ghost writer for several politicians during their campaigns for office.

In 1935, Nagley was the leader of the Terre Haute Post of the Volunteers of America which supplied impoverished citizens with coal in the winter and with ice in the summer. Working in the oppressive summer heat led to the breakdown of his health, requiring hospitalization. In a letter written from his hospital bed to his friend, Anna Bowles Wiley who was the society page editor for the Terre Haute Tribune, Nagley confided he would seek restoration of his health in Brown County working on his art.

The following year, Nagley made his move to Brown County and claiming that he arrived with only $1.50 in his pocket. He established his first “studio” on the grounds of the county courthouse, his watercolor paintings exhibited on a display board he built from an old orange crate. When he first arrived, he roomed in the home of Fletcher Poling, but eventually made a home in Trevlac at “Sassafras Lodge.” His studio then occupied his back porch.

He found a warm circle of support with the other Brown County artists, especially Glenn Henshaw, Dale Bessire, C. Curry Bohm, and Edward K. Williams. His watercolor landscapes, etchings, and the woodcuts and linocuts that he printed on an old washing machine wringer brought him artistic recognition.

Continued on 42

Jan./Feb. 2021 • Our Brown County 41

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Blue building in Antique Alley S. Jefferson St. • Nashville, IN 42 Our Brown County • Jan./Feb. 2021

LESTER NAGLEY continued from 41 He signed his pieces, “The Vagabond Artist of Brown County.”

Exhibitions of his work were held in the home of pioneer Brown County farm dealers, Mr. and Mrs. John Kirtz; the community building that is the old log museum in the present-day Pioneer Village; the Hotel Washington; and shows in Greenfield and Terre Haute. One of his paintings was purchased by Indiana Attorney General Omer Stokes.

Nagley worked on his own publicity and was a photographer as well. In 1942 he was elected Justice of the Peace at Trevlac in Jackson Township. He spent fifteen years writing essays that were compiled into a book entitled, Interviewing God. As a columnist he wrote “Hoosier Vignettes” for the Greenfield Daily Reporter, and “On the Liar’s Bench in Brown County” for the Hancock County Democrat.

This spread the news of the tranquil natural beauty awaiting his readers at the end of a car ride to Brown County. It also interested many Indianapolis folk in excursions by the Illinois Central Railroad, completed in 1907, in the special rates to Helmsburg, amplifying the tourist industry of Brown County.

With his Indianapolis connections and people skills, Nagley is credited in 1943 as leading a Sunday art-buying expedition of A. C. B. Shafer of Indianapolis to purchasing the highest number of paintings by an individual in the Brown County Art Colony: several of Nagley’s own watercolors, a pastel painting done

by Henshaw, a spring study and autumn landscape

by Bessire, a small oil painting from Bohm, and three paintings from Williams.

Many of his early photographs were displayed in a photo-feature during the Indiana Sesquicentennial in the Indianapolis Star Sunday Magazine entitled “Do You Remember.” He has the noted distinction of taking the first color photograph in Indiana in April, 1915.

He is also credited with taking the first synchronized flash picture of President Woodrow Wilson at Union Station in Indianapolis in 1917. Nagley took the last photograph of James Whitcomb Riley, “The Children’s Hour.”

Lester Nagley and his wife, Alvenia, had three children: sons Lester, Jr. and William; and daughter, Betty Lou. When he died in February, 1967, in Community Hospital, Indianapolis, Nagley left behind six grandchildren and one great-grandchild along with his many friends in the Masonic Lodge, Broad Ripple Methodist Church, and the Indianapolis Press Club.

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

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FIELD NOTES: Our Red Cedar ~by Jim Eagleman

W

hen I was in high school I was given the home project of lining a closet with cedar boards.

They came in a box, pre-cut, tongue and grooved, in thin pieces. I was to install them on the inside of a double-doored storage unit built in the garage. The closet would store woolens and winter clothes. It wasn’t a difficult job. I can remember to this day the pungent aroma that wafted up with each board. Since then, red

44 Our Brown County • Jan./Feb. 2021

cedar has made an impact, both as a marketable product and in its natural state.

The red cedar, Juniperus virginiana is one of Indiana’s two native evergreens—the other eastern hemlock. Red cedar is familiar to most Hoosiers since they appear in every one of the state’s 92 counties. Roadside fence rows, ditches, rocky bluffs and abandoned pastures are common places to find them. The small, prickly needles, cone-shaped silhouette, and shreddy bark are field characteristics.

We all recognize the aroma of cedar wood.

The cedars stand out with a bit of evergreen among the leafless Brown County hardwoods that dominate the winter landscape. The needles are dark green to blue-green, opposite on the stem, and are of two types: scalelike, 1/16 inch long, appearing like a braided rope; and needle-like, half inch long, sharp and singly on the twig.

After handling a few cedar branches with my bare hands to make holiday decorations, I turned to a pair of leather gloves to help deflect the stiff needles. I felt an itchiness caused by the tiny bristles from those needles, that persisted for a few hours.

My friends, Laura and Dick, live on hilly Brown County land that was once farmed, but is now uncultivated. The cedars that grow here, many ages and sizes, are thick and full, exposed to full sun on a high ridge. Intrigued with the thought the red cedar was used as a

Christmas tree by early Hoosiers, I asked Laura several years ago if I could cut a cedar for our tree at home.

“Oh, yes,” she replied. “Come and take several. We want to have more of an open pasture.”

Somewhat unconventional in shape and size, I was met with puzzled looks as I dragged the tree from the truck. It was tall and fully branched but admittedly, not the look of balsams, firs, or pines we had in previous years. “That’s our Christmas tree?” asked our youngest son, Kurt. “Yea, it’ll be great,” I offered, but knew it may take some getting used to. By morning I knew I made a good choice. The aroma from the needles that greeted us was a selling point.

Decorating that first cedar, and those since, usually reveals some kind of tightly hidden bird nest.

Twelve species of juniper grow in the US and are important to wildlife. They provide protective and nesting cover. Chipping sparrows, robins, song sparrows, and mockingbirds use these trees as favorite nesting sites. In winter, the dense protective shelter is especially valuable.

The young twigs and foliage are eaten extensively by hooved browsers, but the chief attraction to wildlife is the bluish-black, berrylike fruit. The fleshy berries are small, about a quarter-inch long, and only occur on older trees. They are fragrant when crushed, smell like dry gin, and are used in its processing.

The blue cluster on top of green branches can give a festive look to winter wreaths and centerpieces.

Cedar waxwings are one of the principal users of berries, but numerous other birds and mammals—both large and small—make these fruits an important part of their diet.

Any detriment to its presence? Yes, as apple growers know, it is an alternative host Continued on 46

Jan./Feb. 2021 • Our Brown County 45

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

46 Our Brown County • Jan./Feb. 2021

RED CEDAR continued from 45 for the apple rust and is typically removed from orchards. A local apple hobbyist we know is tolerant and lets them grow along fencerows on his property.

Many log home owners in northern regions use the tall, straight white cedar for building. They know to cut the tree in mid-summer when the outer bark is pliable, soft and wet underneath. It can be easily removed from the tree, sometimes in long strips, using peeling spuds or scraper blades.

Logs are left to dry, stacked for a year to season, then are ready for building. In its more southern range, the red cedar is used for fence posts, furniture, pencils, and long bows.

The red cedar is a welcomed sight as we travel along Brown County roads. Watch this winter for snow to gather on its branches with bare ground underneath, and know that for any wild critter—four-legged, or winged—the thick, dense branching will be a refuge in the wind and cold.

And the green branches with blue berries will add color this winter to our rolling, wooded landscape. 

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BROWN COUNTY

Hometown Proud Local Grocery Store Serving Beautiful Brown County Since 1975!

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30 Hawthorne Dr. • Nashville • East SR 46 at light • 812-988-4546 Jan./Feb. 2021 • Our Brown County 47

Visit

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Hiking trails, mountain biking trails, hot tub, outdoor games, outdoor seating, fire pit, and a charcoal grill allow for nature pursuits of all energy levels. Bring your fishing gear so you can reel them in at the shared catch and release pond.

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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

48 Our Brown County • Jan./Feb. 2021

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

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Brown County Karen Marshall 812-345-7461

Michael Rebman 812-988-4447

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Broasted Chicken

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

Jan./Feb. 2021 • Our Brown County 49

Wonderful Walk in Woods ~by Mark Blackwell

Whose woods are these? They’re mine for now, As I venture out on the new fallen snow.

No sled, no skis with fancy ski poles; Just me and my mukluks with lugged rubber soles.

Treading a path with nowhere to go, Listening to the silence of the new falling snow.

photo courtesy DNR

W

hen you live out in the woods—and in Brown County—it pays to enjoy all of the seasons. It’s easy to love spring with the peepers peeping and the daffodils daffling.

Summer is also easy with long, sunny, sultry days filled with picnics and fishing.

And autumn, the fanciest season in Brown County. You can hardly think of fall down here without summoning up the vision the forest

50 Our Brown County • Jan./Feb. 2021

decked out in its colorful finery and the tangy smell of wood smoke in the air.

But winter seems to get overlooked as a desirable time of the year. Some of my best memories are of the winters I have spent in Brown County.

As the days grew shorter and the weather got colder, I worried about my water lines freezing and maybe an electrical outage. But

mainly, we had those emergencies covered.

We could always dip water out of the cistern and filter it. As far as lights and heat go, we had a good cast iron woodstove and plenty of kerosene lamps. We never did suffer. Instead, I looked forward to a good snowstorm with a fair amount of accumulation.

Since I am not constituted in a way that allows me to be a “snowbird,” I have found it necessary to invent ways to enjoy the season.

My first revelation and attempt at enjoyment came around January of 1973. I was sharing a place with a housemate who agreed that if we were stuck in Indiana we were gonna have fun. So we invested in a toboggan.

That year we had a great snow. My roomy, Pat, and I pooled our money and went down to the Sears store at College Mall over in Bloomington. Being that it was a week or two after Christmas, the sporting goods department was seriously depleted in terms of snow vehicles of any description. Undeterred, we went to K-mart. Same story.

Finally, we ended up at Schmaltz’s sporting goods on the Square. They had one all wood, four-person toboggan with seat pads and ropes along the side for holding on. It was deluxe. But it was promised to somebody else.

Well, we went ahead and put second dibs on it and left. Three days later we got a call from the sales guy at the sporting goods store. He said, “The sled’s yours if you still want it.”

We grabbed our bankroll, jumped in the car, and went to collect our prize. Everything went smoothly after that. The sales guy took our money and we walked out with our toboggan. Once outside, we realized that we didn’t bring anything with us to tie it to the roof. Luckily sporting goods stores sell rope.

We tied our vehicle of winter thrills to the top of the car and off we went.

On our way home one of us remarked that the calf-deep snow that we had been living

with for the past week or so was starting to look kinda thin and slushy. What had lured us to part with a good portion of our savings was melting into oblivion. There was not another significant snow that winter.

Nor was there a significant snow all the next winter. The toboggan was stored in a back junk room for a couple of seasons. I wanted to get out of my half of the sled and Pat wanted to get out of Indiana. A deal was struck, I had my investment back and Pat headed for Colorado and snow. Of course, it snowed here a lot the next winter.

I need to let it be known that I am not a man who puts stock in luck or omens or that sort of thing—at least not the ones that aren’t real.

Once again, I started delving into thrilling winter activities. I thought cross country skiing might be the ticket. By the time I priced the skis and boots and poles and wax and parkas, well, I could have bought a good used VW. And that’s when I had my best idea yet—walking.

There are a lot of advantages to walking in the winter. First off, you are not likely to die of heat stroke. Secondly, there are no mosquitos, horse flies or ticks or deer flies to pester you. There are fewer snakes to worry about. Probably the only ones you have to be careful of are the albino snow snakes. But there again it doesn’t really matter about them because they are practically invisible.

You can only see where they have been by their tracks. They always travel in pairs though and that makes their tracks indistinguishable from somebody’s cross country ski tracks. So, you might as well not worry.

Walking doesn’t cost a thing. You just have to have some boots, a coat and gloves, and a hat. A walking stick of some kind is good, but you can whittle one up on the cheap, yourself. If you have that standard cold weather gear all you need is a good attitude, mindfulness, and a place to walk.

I recommend any trail in any forest in any park or even a back road in Brown County, because Brown County is a beautiful place to have a wonderful walk in the woods. 

Jan./Feb. 2021 • Our Brown County 51

INFO PAGES

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52 Our Brown County • Jan./Feb. 2021

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Jan./Feb. 2021 â&#x20AC;˘ Our Brown County 53 Continued on 54

Indiana Seamless Free Estimates

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Continued from 53

INFO PAGES

54 Our Brown County • Jan./Feb. 2021

TEAM

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