History, Art & A Stay in Wayne County Indiana!
A hosted trip by Visit Richmond planned by Nancy Sartain to see the 9th Annual Meltdown Winter Ice Festival in Richmond, Indiana led to many other treasures. Richmond and the surrounding towns in Wayne County are filled with history and fun! While we enjoyed the glittering ice sculptures, we were thrilled with many other aspects of our trip as well.
Abbott’s Candies
Our first stop on our way to Richmond was at Abbott’s Candies in Hagerstown, Indiana. This is part of the Chocolate Trail. Emily Slaven gave us a tour. She shared that Abbott’s is the oldest candy shop in Indiana. It was established in 1890. “The building was built in 1852. We’ve been making candy since the 1890’s.”
Emily shared that the business is no longer owned by the Abbotts. They retired in 2012. “William Clay Abbott first had a restaurant,” she shared. He later worked at a candy factory. Then he turned his hand to candy making. Today Abbotts is famous worldwide for crafting handmade caramels and chocolates.”
Historic Cambridge City
We loved historic Cambridge City. The town was platted October 23, 1836. They celebrated their Sesquicentennial in 1986. The town is filled with antiques and murals. The antique business is a retirement gig for Doug Price and his wife Rhonda of the High Hats Antique Mall. “Our original store was in Richmond, Indiana, then we moved to Cambridge.”
While the number one seller in Richmond was Midcentury and Industrial items in Cambridge City it is Primitives! Along with antiques, High Hats also features local artisans. “Each shop has its own thumbprint here.”
Doug’s building is quite unique. “They started building it in 1849 and finished in 1851. It was The Samuel Hoshour Drug Store, which became a tourist attraction. You shopped here and saved bottles and boxes.”
History in town
Cambridge City was also part of the Abraham Lincoln funeral train route. Pamela Bliss has painted an amazing mural of this. There are several other beautiful murals as well in this historic town. We want to return and spend more time perusing the antiques and history. Doug Price mentioned they have an inn above their store. It sounds like a plan!
Staying at Seldom Scene Meadow B & B
Leighanne Hahn welcomed us at her home in Richmon, Indiana, which she has made into the Seldom Scene Meadow Bed and Breakfast. We stayed in the beautiful Western Room. This private upstairs room features handmade furnishings with a Kingsize pillowtop bed. I loved best the big round table and unique desk. We had a private entrance to the bathroom.
This eco-friendly home is run on solar electric and passive solar hot water. Leighanne worked in the agricultural field. She and her late husband Roland Conti made their home into a Guest house after their children were grown. “My husband was born in Germany and guest houses were very common there,” she said.
Sustainable!
They wanted to make the guesthouse sustainable. That went along with the agricultural programs that Leighanne had worked with throughout the years. “My first goal was to run my air conditioner for free,” she said since it was the biggest energy expense.
She has successfully accomplished her goals making this is a serene place to tuck away and see wildlife, rest and restore after a busy day touring. Keith and I found her a kindred spirit and were thrilled to stay in her beautiful home.
History in Richmond!
If I could have ordered fun for my husband Keith, the Model T Museum, and the Wayne County Historical Museum would have been it! To add to the excitement, at the Model T Museum we met up with fellow blogger, Brandy Gleason and her husband Matt of Gleason Family Adventure! It was so fun to meet face to face.
The Model T Museum offers the World’s largest club of Model T owners and enthusiasts. Right up our alley! So many stories, so little time. Justin Mitchell provided a tour pointing out the special cars and tractors in one section, and Tom Wolfe in the other. As I am sure you can imagine, we need to go back. There are many things to love at the Model T Museum, but my favorite is the 1922 homemade snowmobile that delivered the mail 60 miles every day! Keith’s favorite was a Wards Model T Thrifty Farmer conversion kit!
The Wayne County Historical Museum has many wonderful things to see and do. The Gleason family came with us for the fastest tour ever! Guntis Atkins took us straight to the agricultural section since I had been there before, and we were on a time crunch. There is amazing car history in Richmond as well as steam engine history. Outside the museum is a beautiful Robinson & Co. Steam engine. The Company once took up 5 buildings in town and made a long line of equipment. They shifted to foundry work and remained open until 1997 under the name Swayne, Robinson and Co. The Garr Scott & Co. started in Richmond as well!
Dining in Wayne County! Fountain City
Saturday morning, we traveled to Fountain Acres Amish Market. I have always enjoyed Amish food so we were excited to pick up some bulk soups and Amish bread. We had been enjoying Amish bread at Seldom Scene Meadows B & B for breakfast in the mornings! Leighanne Hahn our host, had advised us to get their early or the selection would be gone! Since we got home, I have already tried the delicious Chicken Noodle Soup!
Saturday lunch was at The Family Diner in Fountain City. This little diner was decorated in a retro decor. Our waitress Brenda said that the dessert we needed to try was Sugar Cream pie, because “That’s what we are famous for, it is the Indiana state pie!”
It was great! Then next to us was a woman named Jan Barnard and she shared her aunt’s sugar cream pie recipe with me saying it was the best she ever had!
Richmond
Our first meal in Wayne County was in Richmond. Friday night we stopped at the beautiful Cordial Cork Restaurant & Wine Bar. In the historic district, we check in, and Ashton found us a booth next to the wine racks. I had a wonderful meal of Agave glazed shrimp and risotto!
Out last meal in Wayne County was at Little Sheba’s. It was in the historic district and was a former deli that had been expanded. I had a neat sandwich called Rasin Cain. The owners LaVon Zacatelco and her husband Moises and their daughter Arcely posed for us.
Thank you, Nancy and Visit Richmond Indiana, for a wonderful trip!
