Gotta love a good road trip! We recently spent a short weekend in Brown County, Indiana, with Mr. Handsome’s extended family, in celebration of his grandfather’s 80th birthday. Apparently, some of Mr. Handsome’s ancestors, including his great-great-great grandfather, lived there once upon a time. Several elderly family members who remember visiting grandparents and great-grandparents in Brown County as kids came along and gave us an unofficial tour.Our first stop was the quaint town of Story, Indiana, founded in 1851. Story was hit hard by the Great Depression, and in 1960, the United State Army Corps of Engineers constructed lake Monroe by flooding the nearby area, blocking the direct route to Bloomington and negatively impacting Story’s economy. As a result, Story became a town frozen in history and still has a number of buildings from the mid-1800s. We ate lunch at the Story Inn.
Isn’t it just adorable? Entering the town felt like we were stepping into a fairy tale storybook. (I initially guessed that’s how the town came to be called Story, but it turns out it was named after a medical doctor who practiced there.) The inside of the Story Inn is decorated with historical artifacts, giving it a homey, rustic feel.
After lunch at the inn, we took a walk down the beautiful country road, passing fields, old barns, and cute homes and business that date back to the early days of the town.
Mr. Handsome’s grandmother had been put in contact with a couple that lives in a nearby house that was built in 1850 and believed to be part of the underground railroad. They were nice enough to give us a tour. There were original cherry wood cabinets throughout the house. In a small hideout behind this cabinet, contractors found artifacts that led them to believe that that was where the original owners allowed men, women, and children who were escaping slavery to hide safely.
The town where I grew up had a house that was part of the Underground Railroad, and I always wanted to tour it but never had the chance, so I really enjoyed this experience. How wonderful that there were folks in our nation who were willing to risk their lives to help people escape the horrors of slavery!
What did you mean when you said that access into the town was always limited? Did you mean that there were few roads or railroads? At first read, it sounded like a gated community and no outsiders were allowed!
I went back and added some more info for clarification. 🙂
Ellie
Wow Ellie totally loved this post! That must've been a awesome trip! This would've been right up my ally to do something like this. Love to imagine how life was like when I'm in settings like this…would there be a book out about the history of the town and the life back then?
I'm glad to hear that! I also love thinking about what places were like in the past. I'm not familiar with any books, but there's a lot about the town online. What are some other similar places you have visited and recommend?
Ellie
This is one of my favorites of all of your blog posts!
You wind up in many interesting places, I like this one.
The old buildings still being used are amazing. And a whole community like that, wow, jack pot! What else is admirable is the information on the under ground rail way hiding spot. I like that you include this in your blog. The Bible says being lazy will make you a slave but hard work will give you power. That is inspiration to work to better ones life despite circumstances. Circumstances can be social opinions that oppress some of the people by others. I am trapped in a domestic position where my employer changed the rules to now no cash pay anymore i only get my room in exchange for my servant work. I don't even get food cause I had some savings, I even have to pay for my rides if they take me to the grocery store. It is unfair I know and under this arrogance I am losing my spirit. But your blog has inspired me to not give up. If I give up I will definitely be enslaved here under the man-i pulative dominance. I have to get that all time vision of freedom and work toward also making it my reality. Discretion and sneaking will probably be necessary too!
Hi there,
I'm glad to hear you enjoyed the post, but I'm very sad to hear your story. It sounds like you have a great attitude, and I commend you for that! I have faith that if you continue to work hard, trust God, and remind yourself of your goals, you will one day be able to have the life you dream of. I will be praying for you!
Ellie
If this is real, this is very disturbing. Anonymous is in a very dangerous and exploitative situation. Please consider contacting the National Domestic Violence Hotline, 1-800-799-7233. http://www.thehotline.org/help/
Or call 911. It is entirely illegal to employ someone and give them neither food or money.
Maybe this person isn't in the United States?
It is true. I am in a male dominated community in a fairly remote place. I took a job that have to be reliable because others who can't help themselves depend on me. It is not like I won't ever be allowed to leave. Due to the employers finances the change in the rules came over two months ago. Then the treatment I experienced became more demeaning and arrogant so they could justify cheating me out of being paid anymore. Belittling treatment can really take the strength and confidence out of a person. Now spring is one of the most important seasons, because that is when a lot of work is done. I just get caught up in doing what I am asked to do everyday. Sometimes I wonder about the mental balance of my employer. I could not call 911 unless I really understood my case against them to be criminal. If they say to authorities I am using their room and utilities and that is the value of my work, what am I supposed to do about that? I think that then I could excite real mistreatment passive aggressively. I have to do my work to at least not be kicked out in the cold and I am working at searching out what to do now. I think I would like to find another real job to go to. I would need a reference but how do I get one from here? I have read that domestic servant abuse is something that happens and modern slavery is occurring. Unfortunately sometimes people evaluate things differently when they hold the purse and people who work for them are not treated by the national standard anymore. If someone turns around and calls the servant a room mate who owes work for rent and there are no jobs nearby and no places cause it is remote what do they do? Thank you both for your encouragement. I will keep trying.
If in the US, contact the National Human Trafficking Hotline: 1-888-373-7888. They might be able to help or tell you where and how to get help.
You obviously have access to the Internet. Whatever device you're using, be sure to clear the history after each session. You never know who might be checking where you go online, or track your phone usage. Be careful. You sound like you're smart about your situation…now I hope you can be smart about changing it.
Make friends with the Godly people who have the character qualities of hospitality, discretion, helpfulness, all for the sake of Jesus Christ ….
Oh wow, what a cool trip! And for the owners of the house you toured– what an amazing place to live!
Yes, it would be wonderful to live in a house with such a rich history!
Ellie
We visited Brown County last year and loved it. We stayed in Nashville, Indiana, at the Brown County Inn, hiked in the Brown County State Park and fell in love with the quaint town of Nashville. Being the "Nashville Wife" you should go back and visit the other Nashville! You will love it, too!
How heat, Jane. Guess it's a popular place! Just curious, how did you hear about it? We ate at a restaurant in Nashville and walked around the shops. Very cute town! Also went mountain biking at the state park.
Ellie
Auto confuse scores one point!
😀I suggest you visiting Europe. A lot of history there
I visited Europe as kid and loved it! Someday, we hope to take a trip as a couple. Perhaps once we have older kids so they can appreciate it, too.
Ellie
Nice idea ! Come to Poland😀
A trip to Poland would be lovely! Have you lived there your whole life?
Ellie
You know, southern Baptists were supporters of slavery and segregation. Didn't they wait over 100 years after the Civil War (1990's) to formally renounce their stand on either?
Thanks for the road trip idea! I discovered there is a Storie's restaurant a hr away from Story town.
Haha, what a coincidence!
Ellie
Thanks for sharing your trip to Story,Indiana.
Joan,Marion and Marilyn
My pleasure!
Ellie
Sounds like a place to visit! Thanks for sharing this 😊