Contents
Contributors
Contents
13 COLORING CONTEST 14 HISTORY MYSTERY 15 SUBSCRIBE
16 Hard Truth Distilling Co. ~ by Chrissy Alspaugh
22 NAEC ~ by Amy Huffman Oliver
30 Help Yourself ~ by Mark Blackwell
34-35 Photos by Tamara Bond * 36-37 CALENDAR
40 Eleanor Roosevelt’ s Visit ~ by Julia Pearson
44 The Green Room ~ by Pam Raider
50 The STEAMery ~ by Mandi Rainwater
54 Knotholes ~ by Jim Eagleman
58 Sampler at Nourish Café
60 Tales from the Past 64-66 INFO PAGES
Cover: Eagle on Sweetwater Trail ~ by Tamara Bond
OUR BROWN COUNTY P. O. Box 157 Helmsburg, IN 47435
( 812) 988-8807
ourbrown @ bluemarble. net ourbrowncounty. com
Also at issuu. com / ourbrowncounty Facebook at OUR BROWN COUNTY
Jeff Tryon is a former news editor of The Brown County Democrat, and a former regional reporter for The Republic. 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.
Joe Lee is an illustrator and writer. He is the author of Forgiveness: The Eva Kor Story, The History of Clowns for Beginners, and Dante 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.
Jim Eagleman is a 40-year veteran naturalist with the IN DNR. In retirement, he is now a consultant. His program“ Nature Ramblings” can be heard on WFHB radio, the Brown County Hour. He serves on the Sycamore Land Trust board. He enjoys reading, hiking, music, and birding.
Contributors
Chrissy Alspaugh is a freelance writer and photographer. View her work at < ChristinaAlspaughPhotography. com >. She lives in Bartholomew County with her husband Matt and three boys.
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.
Mark Blackwell no longer makes his home in Brown County where“ the roadway is rough and the slopes are seamed with ravines.” 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.
Amy Huffman Oliver has lived in and around Brown County most of her life and raised two kids here with her husband, Jim. She grew up with“ newspaper in her blood” by way of her parents, Jane and Stu Huffman, who were both journalists. She writes as a freelancer after working most of her career as an attorney and a seventh-grade teacher.
Julia Pearson loves learning and writing about local history, faith communities, and the radically ordinary lives of people. She continues the work and association of her late husband, Bruce L. Pearson, with the Wyandotte and Delaware tribes, and visits museums of all types and sizes.
* Tamara Bond works for a well known IT managed services provider in Indianapolis. Over the past few years, she has enjoyed getting out in nature and taking wildlife photos during her down time. It is now a passion for her, not just a hobby. She spends many hours driving on backroads and searching for interesting things to capture. She enjoys the hunt and sharing what she shoots. Follow her on Facebook at Tamara Bond Photography.
Thanks, Mom, for making it happen!
copyright 2025
Mandi Rainwater is a freelance travel / lifestyle writer, and also runs Rainwater Studios with her husband Kenan. She promotes local musicians and supports the Southern Indiana music scene. She lives in Nashville with her husband, children, and cats.
Pam Raider has been a resident of Brown County for nearly 40 years. During that time she has served on multiple boards. Current projects include League of Women Voters, Brown County Radio Hour, and WRAPS, a local writers group.
Jan./ Feb. 2025 • Our Brown County 9