History is what we make of it. It could be something from the present. It could be something from the past. It could be something we look forward to in the future.
The View From the Top
Get link
Facebook
X
Pinterest
Email
Other Apps
The Sycamore Building wasn't always the Sycamore Building. It was originally built as a bank for Citizens Trust Company Building in 1921 by Hoggson Brothers of New York City for $500, 000. The construction of the building, from demolition of the old to designing and building of the new only took 9 1/2 months.
At the time of construction, it's 12 stories made it the tallest building between Indianapolis and St. Louis. It lost it's title in the 1960's when ISU erected the twin Statesmen Towers that were 15 stories tall. But has since regained that title when the Statesmen Towers were demolished.
Here are some statistics:
140.00 ft
140.00 ft
126.00 ft
12
1
Feb 1921
Oct 1921
2
1964 The Sycamore Building was sold by the Herber Estate to Sunset Harbor, Inc.
A top the Sycamore building, you can see all of Wabash, the courthouse, the Wabash river.... but watch for the Falcons. Yes, you read the correctly. Falcons. More specifically, Peregrine Falcons. There is a nesting box on the roof of the Sycamore Building. in 2016, they had 3 chicks hatch. Had the chicks not have left the nest, we wouldn't have been allowed on the roof, as parental falcons are highly territorial, and will attack if you go to close to their nest.
http://www.tribstar.com/news/local_news/biologists-studying-sycamore-building-birds-longevity-survival-genetics/article_7b00cf35-c0fc-500e-8bba-81294b6b0172.html is an article about the Falcons and how they became to be on top of the Sycamore Building.
For more info on the actual breed Peregrine Falcon, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peregrine_falcon has some good photos and tells the difference between the different breeds.
It's along way up to the top
They bricked over the original windows that were two stories tall
What is now know as the "Ohio Building" began in 1906/1907 as two seperate buildings. The East building was constructed in 1906 and became the German American Trust building. The West was built in 1907 by a local grocer named William Kauffman with the intentions to become a grocery store with the "Conservatory of Music" above it. By 1913, the entire 2nd floor was converted into The "Hotel Tuller". The hotel ran from 1913 until it's closing in 1952. There were a total of 40 rooms in the hotel. In 1950, a local cafeteria known as the "Goodie Shop" moved into the first floor of the building. When the new owners bought the building, just 2 weeks before it was set the be demolished, and they began constructions on what would be known as "Casa Urbana", they removed over 400 tons of materials. That didn't include the 12 layers of roofing or the restaurant equipment that was left. Casa Urbana is 13,000 square feet, with...
October 9th 2016 was the annual (or what some hope will become annual) reunion at Jungle Park Speedway in Parke County. We managed to miss a great portion of it, but still got to see some pieces of history that only few will actually remember. The Speedway has changed a great deal since we were there in June. You can actually walk the track (which we did) and drive it (which we did as well. I have video of that). The 'jungle' of native trees and weeds has been cut down to reveal the old out buildings, and more pieces of the old track. You can now see why turn 3 & 4 were so dangerous all those years ago. Standing on the track in that small stretch between those last two corners of the track, I could picture cars speeding into turn 3, sliding into the short straightaway before turn 4, and not slowing enough to make the turn and ramping the high bank and landing on SR 41 just before the bridge that goes over Sugar Creek. Walking among the old cars was a un...
Comments
Post a Comment