Indiana Byways Passport Program

So, here is a great thing that we at the seven Indiana scenic byways have been working on since the beginning of 2015.  This is a great way to celebrate Indiana's bicentennial and really experience the Hoosier state.  We hope to see you on the road!

Indiana Bicentennial Byways Passport to Launch March 31^st

The Indiana Bicentennial Byways Passport Booklet, containing routes for each of Indiana’s seven Scenic Byways, will be available on March 31^st. The project is an officially sanctioned Indiana Bicentennial Legacy project and it will commemorate Indiana’s historic transportation corridors. A press conference and official kickoff event will be held at 2:00 PM at the Indiana Historical Society on March 31^st to see the program off! The participating byways are: the Indiana National Road, the Wabash River Scenic Byway, the Whitewater Canal Scenic Byway, the Historic Michigan Road, the Indiana Lincoln Highway Byway, the Ohio River Scenic Byway and Indiana’s Historic Pathways. Scenic Byways pass through nearly fifty Indiana counties and account for over 1,000 miles of Hoosier Highways. The 32 page passport booklet contains a variety of stops from each byway and participants will be able to receive a stamp for checking into these stops. 

The Passport Booklet is a tool to explore scenic and historic resources in Indiana. All seven Scenic Byways display beautiful paths and historic transportation routes that tell the story of how Indiana was built. It is a road trip 200 years in the making!

Passports will be available on March 31^st for a $2 suggested donation at each designated passport stop. More information on the participating Scenic Byways and passport stop locations can be found by visiting http://www.in.gov/indot/2827.htm. Please visit Indiana Byways on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/IndianaByways/ for additional information and updates on the program. You can also share your photos and experiences traveling Indiana’s Scenic Byways.

Back to Court-3 more of Indiana's greats

My summer travels during 2015 caused me to pass by several more of Indiana's courthouses and true architectural gems.  From Fulton County's courthouse in Rochester (above), to Jasper's Dubois County Courthouse (below), again, this is one thing that Indiana's early county officials did right!  Fulton County's courthouse was built in 1895-1896 and designed by Edwin Rush.  The Romanesque building prominently features lions that guard its entrances.

The Dubois County Courthouse features massive porticos on each side in the Classical style.  Its position in the center of Jasper on a slight rise emphasizes its height.  We stopped in Jasper to eat at one of their famous German restaurants on the way to Holiday World.  It was the only time it wasn't raining.  The building was built in 1909-1911 and designed by a Washington D.C. firm.

No, that's not the famous golden dome, it's the Vigo County Courthouse in downtown Terre Haute.  The building has strong French leanings and was built in 1884-1885 and designed by Samuel Hannaford of Cincinnati.  The building features prominently in downtown Terre Haute because of so much change in the historic context surrounding the building.  I snapped this shot at a stoplight while working at nearby St. Mary-of-the-Woods.

The one, and for a long time only county memorial forest in Indiana

This unassuming pile of rocks is likely the base to the monument planned in the forest.

Back in 1943, the State of Indiana passed a new law permitting counties to hold wooded tracts of land under the concept that the land would address both conservation efforts and be used for recreational and "memorial" purposes.  The first such county to do so, as an example for others, was Marshall County in the northern part of the state.  It had an unlikely start, and for more than 50 years, remained the only county in Indiana to have a "Memorial Forest".  It was joined by Starke County in the last decade.

Here's an article about the forest that appeared in the Culver newspaper as written by Robert Kyle, a prominent Indiana journalist:

"A traveling troupe of beavers was responsible for the Marshall County Memorial Forest - the first established under the 1943 law permitting Indiana counties to acquire and maintain wooded tracts. First Sam Jones, an observant farmer living north of Burr Oak on Yellow River, reported he had seen signs of quaking aspen cut down in a small swamp across his line fence. Then Luke Duddleson, the county highway maintenance man, related in casual conversation around a tavern stove that "somethin'" was plugging up a culvert that led to the river "faster than I can clean it out." Russ Fisher, local authority on wildlife in general, and this writer out of curiosity visited the area several weeks later. We found a worthless 8O-acre tract, mostly blow-sand, and a sprinkling of long-neglected apple trees to one side of a swail surrounded by second-growth black oaks, through which a small stream trickled from a spring at the back of the property. Sure enough, there were evidences of beaver workings, and a small dam just back of the culvert was a second line of defense against Luke's determination to keep the culvert open.

During the hunting season Russ and I cruised the surrounding territory, flushed a number of wood ducks that had nested in small dead trees in the pond, and came to the conclusion that to preserve the beaver workings as an educational project we would have to acquire the area and reforest it. We talked the situation over with Harry Medbourn, county commissioner from our district, who came forth with the idea that the county buy it, taking advantage of the 1943 law, and make it into a recreational area. Meanwhile, Harry carried the idea to the other commissioners, Justin Myers and Ben Smith, who looked favorably upon using county funds to buy the acreage. By that time, public opinion was sounded out and sentiment, both favorable and otherwise, was fomented, and finally the opposition ran out of arguments, and funds of $1,600 were set aside, with the blessing of the Indiana Board of Tax Commissioners, and the property was acquired. Next Ted Shaw, Purdue extension forester and at that time acting state forester while Ralph Wilcox was in service, was contacted. He brought expert technical knowledge along with remarkable vision to the undertaking. His plan was for a model or "pilot" county forest from which other communities could get encouragement to reforest their waste land.

Russ enlisted the services of 18 active county conservation clubs and was appointed chairman of a planning committee consisting of Harry Lower of Plymouth, present conservation officer; Herb Sloan of Bremen, former conservation officer; Otto H. Grossman of Argos, ardent Waltonian; Mrs. F.W. Bates of Culver, president of the Marshall County Federation of Women's Clubs, and Orner Bixel of Plymouth, president of the County Council of Conservation Clubs. This committee, by donations, accumulated the $250 necessary to order the trees from the Division of Forestry and supplied the volunteer labor to clean the land and assist in planting. Boy Scouts, 4-H Clubs, neighboring farmers, conservationists and other interested groups planted 22,000 trees.  Nearly one-fifth of the area was hand planted due to the roughness of the terrain. Fire lanes, which surround and transect the area, were plowed and will be kept cultivated throughout the summer as protective measures. "The work resembled an old-fashioned barn-raising job," Ted added. "Everybody pitched in and got the job done. The old and the young were there, the women and the men. And they did a good planting job. Survival is very high to date." Future plans call for the planting of low-growing game food species such as the dwarf chinquapin oak, which had recently been found growing wild nearby. The development of the memorial shrine and natural amphitheater is the next step on the program. Plans are now being drawn. This memorial, possibly to be undertaken by county veteran organizations, will consist of planting hardwoods, with suitable markers as memorials to the 90-odd service men from the county who gave their lives in World War II. What Marshall County has done can be duplicated in every county in the state with a moderate expenditure of money and organized effort. It is admitted that the county forest is not the solution to our reforestation problems, but it is the initial step in that direction."

big Nashville

The wife & kids in downtown Nashville

Big Nashville...as opposed to lil' Nashville, has had an allure to my wife ever since she devoted her heart to country music many years ago.  Think of her great joy when our nephew announced he was getting married in the heart of the city, which prompted a road trip last May.  I mean, I get it, I like country music as well, though that's been declining in the last year, but here was my wife giddy with the prospect of seeing  someone of fame in the land of country music.

Lunch on the back alley patio at Jack's BBQ

The famous Ryman Auditorium with stage backdrop from Prairie Home Companion

But it was to my surprise that we happened upon the stage crew of Prairie Home Companion setting up for a performance in Ryman Auditorium in downtown Nashville.  Might as well had been Rascal Flatts setting up to me.  And the BBQ was excellent, of course.

My nephew-the bearded & suspendered groom

The wedding, which seemed appropriately Nashville-themed, was great.  And I'm feeding my wife's county music addiction with tickets to the Band Perry next month in Wabash.

From Dublin......Indiana

Last week found me traversing the southeast corner of our state from Osgood to Lawrenceburg, Richmond to Fountain City, and Cambridge City to Dublin.  And since it is St. Patty's day, I thought I'd share my experience from Dublin, or what there is of it.  I was asked to take a look at a Quaker church in the tiny National Road community.  And while there is a well-spring of Quaker blood in my veins, I had never been in a church of the Society of Friends.  What a smart-looking one to make my first.  It was built c. 1878 by the Dublin congregation.

A day before, I had just mentioned to a couple of congregants from the Westfield Friends Church that I'm proud of my Quaker ancestors who came from North Carolina and settled in Wayne and Henry counties to ensure that Indiana would not become a slave state.  And it was a close vote.

Quakers were very strict about marriage outside the church, and their "monthly meeting" records not only demonstrate that, but also are a wealth of information for genealogists.  My ancestors were members in nearby Spiceland.  I have a feeling that I may need to extend a family discount to the Friends in Dublin.  But what I and a friend who traveled with me wanted most out of our visit to Dublin was directions to a good pub.  Dublin, however, is a dry town, even on St. Patrick's Day.

I have for a long time operated under the false conclusion that I have Irish blood....though family records would still indicate some truth in that, my DNA tests show otherwise.  Still, I have a love for all things Irish.  My wife was thrilled to point out that her dad, adopted at birth, came back with results showing 53% Irish, which would just about have to indicate one of his parents were born to Irish immigrants.  No wonder I was drawn to her.

Winter Hikes

Tippy River State Park

Sunday afternoons and evenings often find me chillin' on the recliner, watching the Simpsons and the news.  It's quiet around our house on Sunday nights since both kids are in youth group now, and my wife teaches the 5th-6th grade program.  And then one day about two years ago, a buddy asked me if I wanted to start hiking with him on Sunday nights.

Hmm....give up my warm comfy chair to hike in, sometimes, the teens, drudging through knee-deep snow trying to keep up with a guy who is a half-foot taller than me (or close).  Sure, I love being outdoors just that much to endure such craziness.  While those trips have become less frequent in the past year, we do still manage to hit the trails occasionally.  And we talk-a fair amount-which is hard to do when you're winded and trying to keep up.

Stretching far (ok, an hour or so) and near (local greenways trail), we have successfully hiked every state and county park, forest, and preserve-or so it would seem and would follow it up with a hot supper complete with coffee.  No offense to my high school friends out there, this was not your thing-I get that, but man would I have been all over it.

There is something about the woods, even in winter, that direct our thoughts to our Creator, of course it helps that the hikes come on the heels of a Sunday sermon.  Regardless, I'm reminded that we are but just a small part of this bigger thing around us, separate because He created us in His image, yet entrusted with the ability to destroy or nurture what cannot protect itself from us.  In that sense, it is as though God gave us a parallel between Himself and man.  What we choose to do with His creation is a reflection of how we view the Creator Himself.  So far, we've not done that great of a job.

Hoosier bastions of pride

Warm

Now with kids in junior high and high school, our lives seem to become filled with activities that I wouldn't typically have found myself at a few years ago.  Our daughter, a cheerleader, had us going to junior high football and basketball games this year, while our son, in high school pep band, had us visiting the hardwoods at the local gym.

Cold

There are few places that celebrate community more than sitting in the stands off the grid-iron, or in the bleachers overlooking those bastions of Hoosier pride.  I will confess, I'm more of a basketball fan than football-likely because I have never caught on to all the rules of the latter.  And the fact that I'm never cold at a basketball game.  It's a joy, though, to see kids that I taught in Sunday school on the field or court, giving it their all.

Channeling my inner Amish

Over the course of about the last two years, our preservation organization has been working on telling the "untold" stories of certain cultural groups and enclaves that settled in our county.  The Amish, who first settled in 1850, have become a large part of our population and continue to expand.  My great x3 grandfather, Samuel Hochstetler, was the first Amish to settle with his family in our county in that year, followed by four other families in the course of the next five years.

While on the path to discovery, our chief genealogist organized a meeting with the historian of the local Amish church and asked if I wanted to participate in the meeting.  He just happened to live at my great x3 grandfather's farm.  So, certainly.  He took us to the grave of my ancestor at the community's cemetery next to their first school.  And his grandson gave me a tour of the farmhouse and barn.

Last year, several cemeteries in that township were featured in a tour and my genealogist friend asked if I would be willing to play Sam Hochstetler and discuss the migration of Amish from Ohio to the area. I've done these cemetery tours before, but this one really caught my interest.  But, I needed to dress the part and our family gave up those simple clothes a long time ago.  A mutual contractor-friend of mine, an Amish fellow who was almost exactly my size, loaned his Sunday best so that I could look the part.  The clothes fit like they were customized for me.

And so, with many of the Amish gazing on that cold May day, I did my best to tell them about their history, which most seemed to know quite well.  Talk about a tough crowd.  The first thing I asked was how they used the bathroom with all of the hooks and flaps and straps.....evidently, that was taboo.  And then several poked at me with questions in Pennsylvania Deitsch.  It was both awkward and communal, if that's possible.

Writer's Apprehension

Except for a few posts, 2015 was a bit of a dud year when it came to writing on Hoosier Happenings.  I had high hopes for 2016, being the bicentennial year of our collective Indiana home, but alas, we are well into March and nothing beyond my best wishes for Christmas and the New Year landed on HH.  Last month, someone from my elementary school found a post I had written about it a few years back and put it on our local "if you grew up in....you'll remember" FB page.  I looked at the stats today and it pushed February, 2016 into the top ranking of the most hits since I started HH in 2007.

Life is busy.  I'll blame it on that first.  By the middle of 2014, a full calendar of work began to create a backlog that continued to swell until the early part of 2015.  And even the brief time of "normal" was upended by an even greater backlog that I've only just now cleared the river for an even flow.  In 2014, I looked back and realized over a month of 8 hour work days went to non-profit efforts.  Since I needed to ratchet that back in 2016, I got by with just over two months of 8 hour days.  And 2016 saw the start of my new elected responsibilities, which was the only predictable allotment of time on my calendar.  By the middle of 2016, I realized I hadn't taken a single day off and thought to myself that I didn't leave my job with 4 weeks of vacation only to have a few days.  I think I managed to work in a week of vacation days last year.

I need to figure out a balance here.  I enjoy my work and responsibilities, and recognize God's blessed me, but I doubt that He intended me to work like a dog.  Quite sure of it actually.

Writer's block.  That's the other thing I'll blame it on.  Only I know that's not exactly true.  In fact, quite the opposite is true.  Instead, I would call it writer's apprehension.  The last year has provided enough fodder for a plethora of posts, but frankly I'm a bit apprehensive about sharing my thoughts on faith and politics.  Case in point-we Republicans created and deserve Donald Trump, and what's more disturbing is that more than half of evangelicals support him.  There's a dozen posts wrapped up in that statement alone....but I'd like see more civil discourse in 2016, so I find myself passing on a number of thoughts best kept to myself.  Just as a student of politics, I am fascinated with what is happening with our Grand Old Party.....if it truly even exists anymore.  I am more concerned about the future of the church.

So, I will attempt to get back on a blogging schedule for the few of you who land on this site.  I have always enjoyed delving into our history and culture as Hoosiers, and into our politics and issues of faith as an exploration of who we are and maybe who we should ascribe to be.

Merry Christmas from our family to yours......hoping to get my blog on in the New Year!

The Big Old Pumpkin

My folks are in the process of house-clearing with the end goal of selling and downsizing.  A few things have migrated to our house, including a box of school items from my childhood.  I had always recalled a poem I wrote in 6th grade, and a trophy I received for it, but never knew what happened to it.  Well, there it was in the box.  I won a statewide competition for this piece of literary
work, and in honor of Halloween, here you go....

The Big Old Pumpkin

Hello, you big old pumpkin,

I've got to cut you up.

First I'll take your brain out,

And put it in a cup.

Now to cut your mouth out,

In a scary sort of way.

I'll cut your eyes and nose out

And set you in the hay.

Now to make you swallow

A big candle that's bright,

And get you all ready

For Halloween Night.

Even at 6th grade, a literary genius.  Happy Halloween.
And yes, there are more.

See you at the Pole: maybe it's time to grow up

It's been more than four months since I've sat down to pen a post.  Life has taken on a number of busy twists and turns that's left me with little time to think, much less reflect on happenings around me.  Recent tragedies in our community prompts one to reflect on what truly matters though, so I thought I would share some things that came to mind as I sat and waited for my son outside of the high school last night.

We expect an awful lot out of kids today, packing them down with schedules and responsibilities that few adults would want, let alone could bear the burden of.  Tomorrow is national "see you at the pole" day, during which time a remnant of kids will join hand in hand around their school's flagpole and pray for their school, their classmates, and try to be the light of love and peace.  This unifying, harmonious moment that we in the church, again, expect our kids to be at to "take a stand".  Because of the loss of one of their classmates this week, the day will be especially poignant here in River City.

I think about everything going on in our country, in our state, and our community....all the rage, defiance, arrogance, and the rush to Facebook to spout-off that appeals to elements of our darkest nature.  I think about the example we are setting for our kids.  I think about the divided, hostile world we are nurturing to leave them in our wake.

I think about the fact that we expect them to be adults, when in reality we're the ones acting like children.

Rather unceremoniously, but maybe providentially given tomorrow's event, a flagpole was raised today in a very prominent position north of our community where a few thousand people will pass by several times a day.  And that got me thinking about what I would say to, and pray for our next generation as they join hands tomorrow.

First, I'd say forgive me for being part of the problem and not working harder to bring peace to our community, for not representing the image of Christ that I've been called to be.  And I'd pray that we would all, parents or otherwise, be better examples for them.

Then I'd pray that they would be the generation to bring healing, not only to our community, but to our world from the strife and upheaval our generation has created.  I'd pray that they could embrace and reflect the Gospel in a way the Church in America has seemingly forgotten.

I think it's time we grow up and be the examples these kids need.  Otherwise, we will continue to perpetuate the problems of this world when we choose violent rhetoric over civility, and our rights over what is right.

So I'm asking, how will you pray for our kids as they gather tomorrow?

Hobart's more than just a sign on U.S. 30

Ever travel that stretch of U.S. 30 toward Chicago and think, hmm....Hobart, it has a little sign out here on the highway and a mile or so of strip mall shops-but where's the rest of Hobart?  There really is more to Hobart-but you've got to get off the highway to see it.  Now, you may think that you've wandered into a land of medieval knights due to the false half-timbering here and there.  Evidently this was all the rage when their redevelopment commission began the stucco and board crusade in the early 1970s.  Personally, I like the kitchy feel.  The downtown was placed on the National Register in 2014.  Here's a little history on Hobart:

In 1846, George Earle, who had a mill and was postmaster of a nearby village named Liverpool, purchased land and constructed a new mill by damming Deep River a few blocks north of downtown Hobart.  Earle relocated the post office to his new mill site and within a few years platted a new village he named for his brother, Hobart.  The first schoolhouse in the region was constructed in 1845, near the future mill site, at the current Hobart Masonic Temple location.  In 1849, Lake County organized Hobart Township, in which the newly established village of Hobart would become the center for community life in the township.  Earle built the first cabin in the village; his son, John, constructed the first residence a few years later.  The new village was located on the Chicago-New York coach route, which allowed the community to reap the benefits of frequent travelers and trade.

Hobart became the second railroad center in Lake County when the Pittsburg-Ft. Wayne-Chicago Railroad was established through the town in 1858.  The railroad was the only line located in the county until after the Civil War; therefore farms and industry in the region brought their goods to Hobart for shipment to outside markets.  By the 1870s, the population reached 500; there were 95 families recorded in 1871.  Hobart was incorporated as a town in 1889.  In 1895, the Hobart and Western Electric Railway was constructed down 3^rd and Washington Streets; it connected Hobart to the booming city of Hammond in northwest Lake County.  The railway remained active until after World War II.

James Guyer established a brickyard in the town in 1872.  Brick making became the largest industry in the community; there were four brickyards employing over 100 people by the early 1900s.  W. B. Owens Hollow Porous Clay Tile Works and Kulage Brick & Tile were the largest companies in the early 1900s.  The National Fire Proofing Company operated from Guyer’s former brickyard until 1966.  The company produced fire-proof brick and tiles.  The town also had four lumberyards.

The railroads and subsequent industry accelerated the community’s growth during the first decades of the 20^th century.  In 1900 the population was 1,200.  It grew to over 6,500 by 1935.  The town responded by incorporating as a city in 1921 at which time the population had already nearly tripled to 3,500.  S. H. Henderson was the city’s first mayor.  Hobart’s population continued to climb dramatically through the middle part of the 20^th century.  In 1950 the population had reached over 10,000 and by 1960 had grown to more than 18,000.  Hobart’s population currently is just over 29,000.

The Erwin mark on Tippecanoe Township's Architecture

The 1879 Gaskill-Erwin House

Newly listed to the National Register of Historic Places is the Gaskill-Erwin House in Tippecanoe Township, Marshall County.  The house was built in 1879 by the Gaskill family but has had a much longer history with the Erwin family after they purchased it in the early part of the 20th century.

Joseph Gaskill and his family arrived in Marshall County from Stark County, Ohio in 1860.  Gaskill was the proprietor of a sawmill and also farmed his eighty acre tract.  They had eleven children between 1855 and 1876.  Lewis Erwin purchased the farm in about 1925.  The Erwin family had arrived in Marshall County from Stark County, Ohio during the mid-1850s.  Members of the Gaskill and Erwin families knew each other and jointly had sold property in Stark County, Ohio.  The Erwin family had accumulated considerable landholdings in the northern part of Tippecanoe Township and southern Bourbon Township.  Lewis, a grandson of the original Erwin to settle in the county, and Eleanor were the parents of two children, Emily and William.   The house remains in the Erwin family today.

The Gaskill-Erwin House is an excellent example of the Italianate style used on the construction of a large frame farmhouse.  The Italianate style was popular between 1850 and 1880, particularly in Midwestern towns where the expansion of railroads brought wealth to communities and created a building boom during the period.  Cupolas, towers, and bracketed cornices became the style’s hallmarks. The style was popularized by house pattern books by Andrew Jackson Downing during the middle part of the 1800s, but its popularity began to wane as it began to be replaced by the Queen Anne Style in the last decades of the 19^th century.  While the Gaskill-Erwin House type is more typical of a late Georgian double-pile, its architectural style is in keeping with the popularity of the Italianate style during its construction date of 1879.

The 1855 Erwin House

An earlier house constructed by the Erwin family in about 1855 is just across the road from the Gaskill-Erwin House.  The earlier house was recently restored and is in the process of also

being listed on the National Register of Historic Places.  The house is an example of Greek Revival architecture applied to an "upright-and-wing" house type, which simply means a dominant front gable, usually two-stories tall, with a one or one-and-a-half story wing on its side.  The Greek Revival style became popular in American building trends as the nation sought to emulate its democratic identity rooted in Greek civilization.  The style typically has some appearance of pilasters and an entablature, even in its most simple rural form, as a nod to ancient Greek temples.

Exquisite Bungalow in Rensselaer

Here's a little history on maybe the most interesting bungalow I have visited-the house has been placed on the National Register of Historic Places in the last year and has undergone restoration.  The home's original owners were Oren and Adella Parker who were merchants in the city of Rensselaer.  Oren was born in 1875 and was the second generation of his family to live in Jasper County.  His father and mother, Francis and Mahala Walker Parker, were farmers in Barkley Township who maintained two farms north of Rensselaer that totaled 413 acres after they moved into the city in 1893.  The home, built in 1917, remained in the Parker family until Della's death in 1962.

The Parker House is best classified as a Craftsman bungalow, though the house’s details show an eclectic mix of other styles popular during the early 20^th century.  The Craftsman style was inspired primarily by the work of brothers Charles and Henry Greene in California.  The term bungalow originates in India where it refers to a low house surrounded by porches.  The American form of the bungalow began in California and spread quickly through the country as an acceptable and desirable style for the growing middle class in quickly developing suburbs.  These homes were popularized in pattern books and other home magazines, again through the work of the Greene brothers of California.

Three-level entry foyer and staircase

The architect for the house was from Chicago and that urban influence is also part of the home’s construction.  The wide entry door with small square windows and the general interior layout of rooms is similar to Prairie Style architecture of the period.  The spaces flow into each other and multiple levels are visible to each other from the grand staircase.  This creates the sense that the ceilings are fairly low and the area is organized more horizontally.  The carved stone capitals and the egg-and-dart trim at the top of the porch’s walls both display a quality identified with Louis Sullivan.  The stone capitals have a blended Prairie Style appearance with Sullivan’s work.

Buffet and murals in the home's dining room.

The other popular style of the period that is part of the home’s construction is the Tudor Revival style.  Predominantly this is identified by the wood trim in the house.  The home’s doors and windows have pointed arches as does the wainscot in the dining room.  The hand-painted mural above the dining room wainscot is another feature of the house that heightens the importance handcrafted details were to both the designer and the home’s owners.  No information other than the name of the home’s architect can be found, though it appears he may have concentrated his work in residential design in the region in and around Chicago.

20 years ago

This past Sunday marked the 20th anniversary of the terrorist attack on the Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City.  I remember having the television on in my grandfather's house, watching news coverage of the event.  It was unfathomable to me that so much hate could be generated by Americans against their government that they felt that they could act out in such a way that would claim the lives of 168 fellow-Americans, many of whom were children at a daycare.

In 2003, our family set out on a trip across Route 66 to see America.  It was important to me that we visited this site.  Here, in the absence of the former building, was a nearly still reflecting pool overlooked by the "survivor tree" and rows of empty chairs representing the victims.

Our son, then almost three years old, knelt down at the head of the pool to put his hands in the water.  That allowed me to snap this photo that captures, at least in my mind, the playfulness of innocence oblivious to what had transpired at the site.  An innocence that was stolen away from the families of the victims.  I truly hope that despite the political viciousness we experience today, multiple times that of 1995, we recognize that we're still one people with the most remarkable promise, and potential for good, that only America can offer.

The Apotheosis of Lincoln & Washington

A box of old photos and photo albums was passed on to me last year from my aunt.  One album, assembled by my Moore ancestors as a memorial piece of the Civil War, included photos of the sons of Andrew Moore who enlisted from their Lowell, Indiana farm.  Three of the seven sons who served in the Union ranks did not come home.  I suppose one would question if the family thought the war was worth it.  Flipping to the back of the album, I think the answer is clear.  Nestled into their own gold-edged cardboard photo sleeves are images of Lincoln and Grant, including one image that I had never seen before.....and it seems like one of the most awkward Americana patriotic memorial photos I've ever seen.

The artist of "Washington and Lincoln in Apotheosis" is J. A. Arthur who created the image in 1865 shortly after Lincoln's assassination.  The image, which seems to have two versions, show Lincoln robed in black being greeted by Washington in the heavens.  Beckoning Lincoln to his eternal rest are hosts of angels in the upper left hand corner of the image, from which streams of light beam down on the presidents.  The angels are often cropped out or were removed in reprints of the postcard.  The postcard, which depicts Washington placing a laurel wreath on Lincoln's head, was produced in significant numbers in 1865.

I can't imagine the depth of sorrow felt by so many families across the country who had lost sons, husbands, and fathers during the war.  Then, as news spread from Appomattox, the elation felt by the nation as the long war was finally behind them....only to be covered again by the dark curtain of grief days later as news of Lincoln's death took hold of the country.  Commemorating the 150th anniversary of the close of the Civil War and Lincoln's death have been marked by a number of events throughout the country, but I thought-as odd as the postcard seems-sharing this image gives just a hint of what the country was feeling 150 years ago today.

The Pennsylvania Railroad along the Lincoln Highway

"Built by Rochester Bridge Co. Rochester IND." Wanatah

 Late last winter/early spring I drove along the Pennsylvania Railroad in Eastern Indiana photographing bridge and other railroad structures along the way.  A few weeks ago I drove the Lincoln Highway, which parallels much of the Pennsylvania Railroad, west to Valparaiso, and photographed the remaining structures and landscapes.

American Bridge Co., east of Valparaiso

Lincoln Highway west of Hamlet

What if the church was empty on Easter?

How sad of a story it would have been had Mary Magdalene and Mary arrived at the tomb only to find Jesus still there.  I don't know what kind of impact the Christian faith would have had on the next 2000 years of world history had Jesus remained in the tomb.  The silence of the tomb overshadowed by death.  But our hope became established on that first Easter morning when death was overcome by life and Christ exited the tomb to bring fullness of joy, life, and peace to the world outside of the cavernous walls.  The stone, ordered fixed by Pilate himself, had become the permanent encapsulation of the tomb, across the doorway.  It is now and forever rolled away.

My wife was talking about a church in Texas that closes its doors on Easter and takes that life that brought Christ out of the tomb, to their community around them.  Think about it.  What if.....just what if our churches were empty on Easter, just like the tomb, and if people came a sentry could say

I know you seek Jesus who was crucified.  He is not here; for He is risen and His people have taken Him to the world.

And we, who are to carry the light and the life of Christ to this world are seen practicing a faith through service to our fellow man-being the hands and feet of Christ.  Imagine that.....what if we took Jesus outside of the four walls on Easter just like the life of Christ exited the tomb that morning.  What if it wasn't about pageantry or celebrating for our own enjoyment....what if the celebration was a sacrifice of love and service to our fellow man?

Imagine if every church was empty this Easter.  Imagine the impact.

WWJD without RFRA?

I tend to try to avoid controversy these days-a reader brought that to my attention.  RFRA was a bad move politically and economically for the state.  Politically, House Republicans struck while the fire was hot, so to speak, coming off of the 2014 election with super majorities, they wanted to get this controversial bill passed, much like the Ritz bill, as quickly as possible so that people forgot by the next election in 2016....it's a strategy often used, but doesn't make it right nor representational of the people they've been elected to serve.  Economically, this was a complete disaster because of the message it sends and has undone much of the economic development advances made in the state in the last several years.  The bill is different than other states with similar legislation by the insertion of section 9, and by the fact Indiana does not have anti-discrimination laws protecting non-heterosexual individuals.  It can be interpreted to permit discrimination by businesses toward individuals based on the business owner's religious beliefs.  Does it say discrimination in the bill?  No-of course not, but it could be used for such.  For proof, look no further than the bill's biggest proponent Advance America's own website which states it crystal clear (if it's still up), not to mention the governor's own reluctance to simply say "No" when asked that direct question eight times on ABC.

But to me, RFRA is more a matter of faith, not politics, and I wanted to share some thoughts with why some recent events have me feeling really uncomfortable and wondering what is next for the Church in America.  So as someone trying hard to follow Christ, and not a politician, I'm just asking for some pondering by the readers.  If you believe that Indiana now has an image problem, I believe the Church has a bigger one, or maybe more accurately a heart problem that few in the pulpit are addressing.  Recent events seem to make it worse. Last week we saw Ted Cruz announce his candidacy at Jerry Falwell's Liberty University, invoking God into the 2016 race, I've seen another comment  "Pence stands with God", and of course House Bill 101 signed into law.

Let's look at our Biblical belief system more broadly in light of RFRA.  If I owned a restaurant, could I refuse to serve obese people on the premise that gluttony is a sin?  If I were a florist, could I refuse to cater a wedding if the bride and groom were sleeping together because sex before marriage is a sin?  How about divorced individuals?  Can I deny a developer the right to develop based on greed as sin?  How about the sins of idolatry, gambling, or pride?  Well, Dave Ramsey has said gambling's not a sin so we can eliminate that.  But the others,  I mean, I've got some rights here, right?  Maybe even some moral obligation to help set this state straight.

I'm not a proponent of RFRA, not because of the language necessarily, but because of the damage it does to the Church.  And frankly, I'm getting tired of defending my faith, not on the basis of Scripture or our model Christ, but on the basis of how politicians have seemed to assert roles as defenders of the faith.  As if God needs any help.  The depth at which politics has influenced the gospel and our churches should be alarming, but we've bought into it.....we've embraced it, and cheer it on like we do  the home team.

God's so much bigger than Indiana, or America for that matter, yet it seems hard to fathom He ever got along so well without us.  Do you suppose He's grateful for RFRA?  I mean seriously, I bet Jesus had wished he could have had RFRA to fall back on so He could have avoided the prostitute, Samaritan, lepers, or tax collectors, against some there had been strict religious laws.  But I'm certain He anticipated a lawsuit and ministered to them anyway.  And me, the chief of sinners, I am so glad Jesus didn't have RFRA to fall back on because I would have never known a Holy God's redeeming grace.

Do I think that a preacher, organization, or individual should be forced to provide wedding services to a gay couple?  No, honestly I don't.  And frankly, this is what I don't get from the other side...........why would they want them to?  But I think it boils down to a heart issue of how to engage one's faith.  I have friends and family in the gay community that I love and respect, yet I believe in traditional marriage, no surprise there.  I think that they understand that's a belief drawn from conclusions of my personal faith, not because the state may or may not be able to define marriage according to my Judea-Christian beliefs.  And subsequently, I don't feel like I need the State of Indiana backing me up.  If I error, let me error on the side of grace, and if compelled to go a mile.......go two, and give my coat as well.

What truly concerns me is how this law may be misused by interpretation, despite its seemingly innocent language, in this heated and tumultuous environment.  The bill has been called innocuous and really "won't change anything".  But it will, and it has already, regardless of the prospect of a clarifying statement by the legislature.  Sometimes the message sent is bigger than the words penned.  It's created division, as I believe was planned, and it cast a long shadow over our state, but I care a lot less about that than the longer shadow it casts over the Church.  Only repealing the law will pull the state out of the downward spiral.  I'm not sure what it will take to change course for the Church.

This time of the year, between Palm Sunday and Easter, always makes me think of the parallels between those who cried Hosanna and the Church in America.  The Jews lining the streets with palm branches were much more interested in a Jesus who could overthrow Roman rule and establish an earthly kingdom....but that wasn't His plan, not at all, and so they left.  Too often I think as Christians we try to establish Christ's religious authority in our government, but that's not what He wants.  He wants us to follow Him, not try to somehow finish a job He chose not to do. The Church has got to figure a way out of the political binds we find ourselves in, to sound more like Christ and less like angry politicians.  But hey, that's our right........not what we are called to, but certainly our right here in the land of religious freedom.