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The Indiana National Road Association has put together a collection of oral histories, together with a slide show on memories of Indiana’s US 40. These will be presented to the public on April 30th in Stilesville, Putnam County at the First Christian Church at 2pm. The church is one block south of US 40. It will also be presented on May 1st at the Clay County Historical Musem on National Avenue (US 40) in Brazil at 7pm. Call 765-478-3172 for more information.
Vigo County

The last county on US 40 traveling west through Indiana is Vigo. Terre Haute is right on US 40, and lies on the east bank of the Wabash River. Terre Haute is home to three well-known colleges, St. Mary’s of the Woods, Indiana State University and Rose Hulman Institute of Technology.

One special feature of Terre Haute that is evident even from US 40 is that it has retained a distinctive look and feel, unlike so many American cities today. Here you can still find good, family-owned restaurants and shops rather than just chains.

The city also has some excellent museums where folks can learn about Vigo County’s interesting background.

The Bleemel Building

The Bleemel Building was built in 1837. Mathias Mogger originally operated a brewery out of it, from 1848 to 1858. Mogger laid the foundation for what became the Terre Haute Brewing Company, the 7th largest brewing company in the United States by 1892.

The popular Champagne Velvet Beer was made by the Terre Haute Brewing Company. Today E. Bleemel Flour and Feed houses a brewery museum and a Civil War museum. In the east portion of the Bleemel Building is M. Mogger’s Brewery Restaurant and Pub. This restaurant not only has great food at good prices, but its decor is beautiful, with furnishings from historical sites around Terre Haute. The brick floor is from the old Torner House in Terre Haute, wooden spindles were salvaged from area porches, stained glass doors are from the Central Christian Church, and the1900 wooden beer cooler came from nearby Marshall, Illinois. Brochures describe the backgrounds of the other gorgeous furnishings.

M. Mogger’s has obtained the original recipe for Champagne Velvet Beer, and hopes to start brewing it again as soon as the fall of 2000.

Dining

Terre Haute still has many family-owned restaurants, where pride and quality is evident. My personal favorite is Louise’s. This Italian restaurant is on Third Street (or US 41) south of US 40. They advertise pasta, steaks, seafood, chicken and veal, but after trying the homemade ravioli, I’m not sure I’ll ever need to try anything else off the menu. This is undoubtedly the best ravioli I have ever had. The noodles are hand-made and stuffed with a delicious meat filling - tender and mild. It comes either in a tomoato sauce or toasted. The toasted ravioli is no less than heavenly. It is cooked in butter with a hint of garlic, and the parmesian cheese which is lightly toasted on top gives it just a bit of crunch. Eat it slowly and savor every delicious bite! Louise’s has been family-owned in its present location since1939.

Other Terre Haute Attractions

The arts are alive in Terre Haute, with plenty of places to see live music, theater, and a new coffee and game room, called Cathedral Coffee and Game adjoins the historic Indiana Theatre. Vigo County also has a full schedule of festivals, including the popular Ethnic Festival each fall.

Cathedral Coffee and Game in Terre Haute

The Crossroads Artsfest will be held April 29th and 30th this year in the historic intersection of Wabash Avenue (US 40) and 7th Street downtown. This year’s festival will feature an Artists Market, stages of continuous music, dance, theater, poetry reading and story telling. There will be an Arts for All Area, and a “Try Me” area for children. Local restaurants will also feature a Taste of Downtown. This event is sponsored by Arts Illiana. For more information e-mail [email protected].

There is much more to see and do in Terre Haute, and we’re sure you’ll be surprised at this unique city if you’ve never visited. Call the Terre Haute Convention and Visitors Bureau for more information, or see www.terrehaute.com. This Wabash River city provides a grand finale to your travels on US 40, Indiana’s National Scenic Byway. We hope you’ve enjoyed this month’s tales from the road!

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All Feature Articles, artwork and photographs ©1999 by Dervish Design. Some information on the 'County Info' pages is taken directly from brochures published by Visitors Bureaus and Chambers of Commerce.