Southwest Indiana Day Trips: Road Trip Indiana Series, #3

By Paul R. Wonning

Southwest Indiana Cities and Towns

Southwest Indiana has some wonderful cities and towns ranging from charming river towns like Tell City, Rockport and New Harmony to the larger cities like Evansville and Bloomington. Each of these towns and cities has many things to do for your family as it explores the regions roads and highways.

Southwest Indiana Wineries

Southwest Indiana has several interesting wineries that produce some fascinating wines.

Southwest Indiana State and Local Parks

From parks along the Ohio River to wonderful woodland hikes, the parks in Southwest Indiana include four state parks, several nature preserves and some relaxing local parks. These provide some great day trips for people to explore to hike, picnic or just plain enjoy nature. They provide fun things to do in Southwest Indiana.

South Central Indiana Museums and Historic Sites

Explorers in the area can stage a day trip to learn the region's rich history by visiting the museums and markers located in the various cities and towns of Southwest Indiana. Many host interesting family events that are fun and educational.

The counties included in this historical travel book include:

The counties included in this historical travel book include:

Daviess

Dubois

Gibson

Green

Knox

Martin

Perry

Pike

Posey

Spencer

Vanderburgh

Warrick

• Language: English
• Publisher: Mossy Feet Books
• Release date: Dec 4, 2023
• ISBN: 9798223111566

Paul R. Wonning

Publisher of history, gardening, travel and fiction books. Gardening, history and travel seem an odd soup in which to stew one's life, but Paul has done just that. A gardener since 1975, he has spent his spare time reading history and traveling with his wife. He gardens, plans his travels and writes his books out in the sticks near a small town in southeast Indiana. He enjoys sharing the things he has learned about gardening, history and travel with his readers. The many books Paul has written reflect that joy of sharing. He also writes fiction in his spare time. Read and enjoy his books, if you will. Or dare.

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Bartholomew County

Bartholomew County Facts

County Seat - Columbus

Area - 409.36 sq mi

Population - 82,753(2018)

Founded - January 9, 1821

Named for- Joseph Bartholomew

Bartholomew County Courthouse

Irish born architect Isaac Hodgson designed the courthouse, one of six he designed in Indiana. Construction began in 1870 and was completed in 1874. the courthouse cost $225,000 to build. The courthouse is the only structure using the French Second Empire architectural style left in Bartholomew. Only a few buildings using this style are left in Indiana. The 65,660 square foot structure originally had a slate roof which the county replaces with standing seam copper roofing material.The three-story clock tower stands 154 feet tall with a six-inch thick, 10-ten clock bell that was installed in 1876. An electric motor replaced to original one in 1940. The National Register of Historic Places listed the structure on November 15, 1979.

Isaac Hodgson (1826–1909)

A native of Belfast, Ireland, Hodgson immigrated to the United States in 1848. He started in New York, but came to Louisville, Kentucky in 1849. He became a full architect in 1855 and during his career he worked mostly in Indiana and Minnesota. He designed six Indiana court houses, the Marion County courthouse and several notable buildings in Minnesota after he moved there in 1882.

Bartholomew County Memorial for Veterans

The Bartholomew County Memorial for Veterans, constructed by architects Thompson & Rose in 1997, resides on the lawn near the courthouse. The twenty-five forty-foot limestone columns contain inscriptions of the names of Bartholomew County residents who gave their lives in war. Excerpts from letters and diaries kept by the veteran or their families are also inscribed on the columns.

Bartholomew County Courthouse

234 Washington St # 303,

Columbus, IN 47201

[phone]

http://bartholomew.in.gov

County Government

Bartholomew County Courthouse

234 Washington St # 303,

Columbus, IN 47201

http://www.bartholomew.in.gov

Tourism Information

Columbus Area Visitors Center

506 Fifth Street

Columbus, IN 47201

[phone],

http://www.columbus.in.us/

https://www.facebook.com/Visit-Columbus-Indiana-609360092545106/?fref=ts

Bartholomew County Fairgrounds

750 W 200 S,

Columbus, IN 47201

1-812-372-6133

http://www.bartholomewcountyfair.com/

Bartholomew County towns include Clifford, Columbus, Edinburgh, Elizabethtown, Hartsville, Hope, Jonesville and Taylorsville.

Major highways include Interstate 65, US 31.svg U.S. Route 31, Indiana State Road 7, Indiana State Road 9, Indiana State Road 11, Indiana State Road 46, and Indiana State Road 58.

Major waterways include the East Fork of the White River, Driftwood River, and the Flatrock River.

Railroads include the Louisville and Indiana Railroad.7

Public schools in Bartholomew County are the Bartholomew Consolidated School Corporation the Flat Rock-Hawcreek School Corporation and the International School of Columbus.

Camp Atterbury occupies the northwestern corner of the county.

Columbus, Indiana

General John Tipton and Luke Bonesteel purchased the land on which Columbus, Indiana sits in 1820. The original name, Tiptonia, was changed on March 20, 1821. Columbus is known for its architecture due to the efforts of industrialist J. Irwin Miller, founder of Cummins Engine Company. The city possesses an impressive collection of architectural masterpieces designed some of the world's finest architects. Visitors will find museums, great shopping, dining and a wonderful array of parks and trails. Columbus is a small city that packs a lot in its small package.

Visitors may call the visitor center, or visit the provided link, to learn all about visiting one of Indiana's finest small cities.

Columbus Indiana Tours

Columbus offers several tours of many different themes including architectural, garden and walking tours. For more information, click the link.

https://columbus.in.us/tour-options/

Zaharakos Ice Cream Parlor

Part ice cream parlor and museum, Zaharakos features delightful ice cream treats and sandwiches as well as watch antique mechanical music boxes with their melodious sounds.

Ice Cream Parlor

Visitors will enjoy the richly decorated interior with the authentic feel of an old-fashioned soda parlor.

At Zaharakos (Zuh-HARE-uh-koes) you will find an ice cream parlor of stained glass, carved oak, and marble, Tiffany-style lamp and double soda fountains. Listen to the rich, full sound of the Welte orchestration.

The Museum and Store

The museum features rare items from the 1800s that include a restored 1870s Welt orchestration pipe organ, syrup dispensers, and the largest collection of pre-1900 marble soda fountains on public display Learn about soda fountains and mechanical music when you visit their museum. The adjacent store stocks an amazing array of candy, preserves, wooden toys and many other high-quality products.

Zaharakos Ice Cream Parlor

329 Washington Street

Columbus, IN

[phone]

http://www.zaharakos.com/home2.html

Columbus Historical Markers

Title of Marker:

Lowell Mills

Location:

CR 325 W & Driftwood Road at Driftwood River public access site, west of Columbus and I-65. (Bartholomew County, Indiana)

Installed by:

1988 Union Community Extension Homemakers

Marker ID #:

03.1988.1

Marker Text:

From 1830 to 1880 the community of Lowell Mills thrived here along Driftwood River. There were two grist mills, a cooperage, a shoemaker's shop, a distillery, a sawmill, a woolen mill, an inn and general store. When the mills closed, the town was abandoned.

Brief History

A covered bridge once spanned the Driftwood River near the town. The covered bridge is gone, replaced by a modern bridge. A public boat access near the town site allows boats access the river. There is no trace of the town left.

Title of Marker:

Booker T. Washington School

Location:

NE corner 14th & Union Streets, Columbus. (Bartholomew County, Indiana)

Installed by:

1998 Indiana Historical Bureau, Cummins Engine Foundation, and Historic Landmarks Foundation of Indiana.

Marker ID #:

03.1998.1

Marker Text:

Site of only African American school (grades 1-7) in Columbus. By circa 1899, town's African American population had increased enough to qualify for separate school under 1869 Indiana law. Like other African American schools around the state, it was a symbol of community pride and achievement; closed in 1922.

Brief History

Booker T. Washington (April 5, 1856 – November 14, 1915)

Born into slavery in Virginia, Booker T. Washington never knew his father, who was rumored to be the owner of a neighboring plantation. After emancipation, his mother Jane moved the family to West Virginia, where her husband lived. Booker worked his way through Hampton Normal and Agricultural Institute. He used his stepfather Washington Ferguson's name as his surname. He became the first leader of Tuskegee Institute in Alabama. He went on to become a prominent educator and civil rights leader.

Title of Marker:

Second Baptist Church

Location:

1328 9th Street, at Reed Street, Columbus. (Bartholomew County, Indiana) - MARKER IS MISSING

Installed by:

1998 Indiana Historical Bureau, Cummins Engine Foundation, and Historic Landmarks Foundation of Indiana.

Marker ID #:

03.1998.2

Marker Text:

Congregation was formed in 1879; reorganized in 1882 by the Reverend John R. Miller and a core of determined members. The present building, formerly a theatre, was acquired in 1913. This African-American church, like many others, has served its members as an educational and social foundation as well as a religious institution.

Brief History

There is not a lot of information about this church available. It is one of the oldest Black churches in Columbus, Indiana. The congregation was organized on April 14, 1879.

Title of Marker:

Bartholomew County Courthouse

Location:

SE corner of courthouse, 234 Washington Street, Columbus. (Bartholomew County, Indiana)

Installed by:

2000 Indiana Historical Bureau and Joseph Hart Chapter, Daughters of the American Revolution

Marker ID #:

ID# : 03.2000.1

Marker Text:

Side one:

County formed by Indiana General Assembly 1821. Thirty acres of land were purchased, and John Tipton donated thirty acres, for county seat. State commissioners named as county seat Tiptona - after Tipton; local elected commissioners renamed it Columbus. Tipton served as state representative, Indian agent, and United States senator.

Side two:

Second Empire Style courthouse, designed by Isaac Hodgson, completed 1874, is county's fourth courthouse. Constructed of red brick with white limestone trim. Foundation is rusticated blue limestone. Original slate roof replaced 1953 with standing-seam copper. Extensive remodeling 1968; interior restoration completed 1998. Listed in National Register of Historic Places 1979.

Brief History by the Author

See Bartholomew County History Above

Joseph Bartholomew (March 15, 1766 – November 3, 1840)

A native of New Jersey, Bartholomew's father moved the family first to Laurel Hill, Pennsylvania. When the Revolutionary War broke out, ten-year-old Joseph volunteered to join the militia and helped defend the Pennsylvania frontier against Amerindian raids. After the war, in 1788 he married Christiana Pickenpaugh and moved to the Louisville, Kentucky area. In Kentucky, he stayed active in the Kentucky militia. By 1800, he moved across the river to the Clark's Grant area, settling in the Charlestown area. Christina died in childbirth with their tenth child in 1809. In 1811, he married Elizabeth McNaught. She died from injuries suffered after being tossed from a horse in 1824. In 1803, Joseph joined the Clark County Militia, receiving a commission as Major. He served in the Battle of Tippecanoe on November 7, 1811. He led 120 men under General William Henry Harrison as a newly promoted colonel. During the battle, he received a serious arm wound. In 1818, he gained election to the Indiana General Assembly and to the Indiana Senate in 1820. He served on the Commission that picked the site for the new State capital, Indianapolis, in 1820. In May 1820, he purchased land in the area at the area where the White and Driftwood rivers join. He built a cabin on the site.

John Tipton (August 14, 1786 – April 5, 1839)

John was born in Sevier County, Tennessee, where his father died in an Amerindian raid. He moved to Harrison County, Indiana in 1803 and married Martha Shields. He farmed and fought natives, leading a unit of the famed Yellow Jackets during the Battle of Tippecanoe. His next military experience was commanding Fort Vallonia as major during the War of 1812. He gained election to the Indiana State House of Representatives from 1819 to 1823. During this time, he was involved in the formation of Bartholomew County and its county seat, Columbus.

Bartholomew County Courthouse

Irish born architect Isaac Hodgson designed the courthouse, one of six he designed in Indiana. Construction began in 1870 and was completed in 1874. The courthouse cost $225,000 to build.

Isaac Hodgson (1826–1909)

A native of Belfast, Ireland, Hodgson immigrated to the United States in 1848. He started in New York, but came to Louisville, Kentucky in 1849. He became a full architect in 1855 and during his career, he worked mostly in Indiana and Minnesota. He designed six Indiana courthouses, the Marion County courthouse and several notable buildings in Minnesota after he moved there in 1882.

Title of Marker:

Orinoco Furniture Company

Location:

1720 17th Street, Columbus. (Bartholomew County, Indiana)

Installed by:

2007 Indiana Historical Bureau and Nugent Foundation

Marker ID #:

03.2007.1

Marker Text:

Side one:

Incorporated and its factory built here 1890. Reorganized 1891; William H. Lincoln then led the company to great success, stressing quality and artistic merit in fine, high-grade furniture. By 1895, production included parlor, library, and tea tables and ladies' desks; furniture was sold throughout U.S. Lincoln Chair Company established 1913.

Side two:

The companies were important in Columbus' economy; they were part of Indiana's extensive furniture industry. Employees included many skilled craftsmen Lincoln died 1935; the companies were reorganized into Lincoln-Orinoco, Inc. The company closed 1940; buildings and all assets were sold at auction. Buildings have had various uses over time.

Brief History

Two brothers of the Rohminger family from Hartsville established a table making company in Columbus' Orinoco District in 1890. A group of businessmen headed by William H. Lincoln purchased the company soon afterwards in 1891. The company became a success and one of Columbus' leading employers with as many as 600 employees at one time. The company's furniture was styled after European classical furniture. The company's furniture featured hand carving, fine Indiana hardwoods and hand painting. The furniture became noted for its exquisite quality and design. Like many businesses, the company's fortunes declined during the Great Depression. William Lincoln died in 1935 and the company went out of business in 1940.

Title of Marker:

Atterbury Army Air Field

Location:

In front of chapel at Middle Road and Grissom Avenue, Atterbury Army Air Field, Columbus (Bartholomew County, Indiana)

Installed by:

2007 Indiana Historical Bureau and Atterbury-Bakalar Air Museum

Marker ID #:

03.2007.2

Marker Text:

Side one:

Construction begun summer 1942 under Captain Stratton O. Hammon, who used broad authority over laborers, suppliers, and railroad; base in use February 1943. More than 1, 000 workers employed during construction. Base was over 2, 000 acres, cost over four million dollars, and included more than one hundred buildings, intended to be temporary.

Side two:

WW II uses included training B-25, B-26, and glider pilots; by 1944, wounded from Europe received here for Wakeman Hospital. Wounded soldiers during Korean War received here. Renamed 1954 to honor Lt. John Bakalar. Base closed 1970. Original building made into chapel; restored and named for Women's Air Service Pilot Jean Lewellen Norbeck 1990s.

Brief History

The task of organizing the mammoth task of constructing the airfields needed to train 70,000 pilots annually fell to General of the Army and General of the Air Force Henry Harley Hap Arnold. He moved the responsibility of building air bases from the overburdened Quartermaster Corps to the U. S. Army Corps of Engineer. The Army had no plan for any of the bases, only a set of guidelines that followed General Arnold's concept of Spartan simplicity for the bases. There would be no frills or creature comforts at these bases. The buildings would be simple lumber and tar paper construction. These buildings were quite cold in winter and hot in summer. The hangers were of wood or concrete. The guidelines called for one secure hanger to hide the Norden bombsight, which was top-secret. Atterbury's construction followed these guidelines during its construction. The United States, in the face of major war, needed a lot of air bases and it needed them fast. The site that Atterbury would occupy had been open cornfields. This land needed to be turned into a United States Army Airfield as quickly as possible.

Atterbury-Bakalar Air Museum

The Atterbury-Bakalar Air Museum preserves the memory and history of this airfield. Located on site, the museum is a treasure trove of memorabilia, history and exhibits covering the Atterbury Army Air Field and Bakalar Air Base.

The Atterbury-Bakalar Air Museum is located near the control tower across the street from the F4C Phantom Jet Fighter static display at the Columbus Indiana Municipal Airport. This is the former location of the Atterbury Army Air Field and Bakalar Air Force Base. The museum is just a few steps from the ramp and control tower.

Atterbury-Bakalar Air Museum

4742 Ray Boll Boulevard

Columbus, Indiana 47203

[phone]

https://www.atterburybakalarairmuseum.org/

Title of Marker:

Cerealine Manufacturing Co.

Location:

Near 600 Jackson St., Columbus, IN 47203 (Bartholomew County, Indiana)

Installed by:

2013 Indiana Historical Bureau and Joseph Hart Chapter, National Society Daughters of the American Revolution

Marker ID #:

03.2013.1

Marker Text:

In late 1800s, railroads and new technology opened national markets to Midwest producers, including Indiana, a leader in corn products. Joseph Gent patented operations and devices to mass-produce flaked corn. Gaff, Gent, & Thomas Co. began making Cerealine Flakes here circa 1880. A precursor to cold breakfast cereal, it was also used as a malt alternative by brewers.

Company moved to Indianapolis, 1892, to take advantage of lower freight cost. The mill paid high prices to Indiana farmers for white corn and by 1898 processed 12,000 bushels daily. A wave of mergers swept U.S. industry at the turn of the twentieth century; Cerealine joined nine Midwestern mills in 1902 to form American Hominy Co., which continued business into 1920s.

Brief History

The T. & J.W. Gaff & Co. was an Aurora, Indiana distillery. They built a mill at Columbus, Indiana to produce uncooked corn grits flakes for use in the distilling process. They completed construction of the mill in 1867.

James Vannoy, a worker at the Columbus mill, spent time experimenting with milled corn meal. Through trial and error around 1884, he found he could get the milled corn to form thin flakes if he ran it through rollers. His employer, Joseph F. Gent, initially tossed the idea out as time wasted. He relented, however, and had the process patented. He put the cereal flakes on the market and soon sold vast quantities of them. The Cerealine cereal soon became one of the top three popular breakfast grains in the United States, joining oatmeal and cracked wheat on America's breakfast tables.

Cummins Incorporated restored the Cerealine building for use as an employee cafeteria and conference center.

Columbus Attractions

Anderson Falls

County Road 1140 E

Bartholomew County, Indiana

Anderson Falls is a twelve-foot waterfall that is almost one hundred feet wide. It is on the Fall Fork of Clifty Creek. The falls is located about eight miles from Columbus, Indiana on County Road 1140 E. To get to Anderson Falls from Columbus, drive east on Indiana State Road 46. About 1.35 miles from the SR 46 intersection with Indiana State Road 9 you will come to a little town called Newbern. About .6 miles from Newbern, you will want to turn right on County Road 925 E. After driving a very short distance, the road makes a ninety degree turn and becomes County Road 200 N. About 2.11 miles after this turn you will reach County Road 1140 E. Turn left. The parking lot is on the left, the falls is on the right.

There is a nice path all along the western bank of the creek and the falls is both visible and accessible from this path. Anderson Falls has a nice flow all year. The Anderson Falls Nature Preserve is located across the creek. There are two trails there, but you must cross the creek to hike them. Care is needed crossing the creek. It is inaccessible during periods of high water. The Bartholomew County Park Board owns the park. The falls can be quite busy on a hot Sunday afternoon in the summer as people swim in the pool below the falls and wade in the cool waters.

kidscommons Children’s Museum

Mission Statement

A fun, safe, and inviting place, kidscommons nurtures exploration, collaboration, and creativity within all children and their caregivers. It is a place to learn about our community and our world.

kidscommons Children’s Museum

309 Washington Street

Columbus IN 47203

[phone]

https://www.kidscommons.org/

Bartholomew County Historical Society

The Bartholomew County Historical Society, in addition to maintaining a museum, provides a number of resources for genealogists, researchers or history buffs. The Cline-Keller Library contains a multitude of historical documents available for your perusal. The Society has an extensive digital image library in which many images are available for purchase or viewing. The Bartholomew County Historical Society also provides a multitude of educational outreach and public programs.

Bartholomew County Historical Society

524 Third Street

Columbus, Ind.

[phone]

https://bartholomewhistory.org/

Elizabethtown

County - Bartholomew

Township - Sand Creek

Area Total - 0.3 sq mi

Elevation - 636 ft

Population (2010)