| Tell City and Perry County
The next county on our journey is Perry County. Over half of this county is within the Hoosier National Forest, making it an outdoor-person’s paradise. There are cabins and campgrounds not only within the National Forest, but along the River in the towns of Troy, Cannelton, and Derby.
Our first stop in Perry County was Tell City, which has now become a new favorite destination!
Tell City itself is named after the Swiss folk hero William Tell. The city was “planned” by the Swiss Colonization Society. This group of Swiss people had settled in Cincinnati, but wanted a city of their own. They raised money, and in 1858 purchased the land. With much planning, within six months of the purchase, Tell City had a population of 1,500 and businesses were booming. Within its first year, Tell City was home to stores, a hotel, three sawmills, two brickyards, two breweries, and other businesses. Make sure to see the Sunset Park Flood Wall Mural along the riverfront. It is a site to behold.  <click to see more>
A restaurant isn’t always considered a tourist attraction, but after traveling, a good meal can be the perfect way to cap off a day. We had no plans for dinner, but stumbled across Caper’s Restaurant, at 701 Main Street in Tell City. Caper’s is located on a downtown corner, and the building is listed as a National Historic Site. It was built in 1894 and was first home to the Oddfellows club, was later a men and boys store, a JC Penny’s, and now a restaurant for six years.
Caper’s has original woodwork, a tin ceiling, and brick walls, and is decorated with an eclectic mix of salvaged items. There is a huge steam-boat steering wheel in the pane-glass window in front, a moose head on one wall, a swordfish donated by one of the patrons on another, and a canoe behind the bar. The bar came from an old general store in Kentucky. The staff was friendly, the patrons were all ages, and the atmosphere was relaxed and fun. They have live music on Friday and Saturday nights. Oh, and have I mentioned the food? The food was great! The prices were very reasonable, and the shrimp was the jumbo-est jumbo shrimp I’ve ever seen in a restaurant! So if you’re passing through Tell City, be sure to stop at Caper’s! You won’t be sorry.
Cannelton
Back on the Scenic Route 66, the next stop is Cannelton, another historic river town. We enjoyed seeing the Free School (thought to be Indiana’s oldest school in continuous operation), the Old Cotton Mill, and the Autumn Festival. An informative walking tour of this county seat is available from the chamber of commerce. <for more information on Cannelton see our Editor's Travelogue>
Derby
Derby is the next town on the route, another charming river town which has cabins available year-round. The cover photo for this month’s issue is the scene of the Ohio River near Derby.
Rome
Stay on 66, which goes north through the winding, tree-canopied roads of the Hoosier National Forest, and you will go through Rome. Rome was Perry County’s original county seat and there you can see the Rome Courthouse, which was used from 1818-1859, and is now on the National Historic Register.<see our Perry County pages> or <click to see more>
<click to continue>
<back to previous section>
|
|
