Crossroads of America ...

Here we go! Indiana history is a favorite topic of mine. What's not to love about the Crossroads of America? Lots of history, amazing settings from the shores of Lake Michigan to the banks of the Ohio River ... national forests, some of the best farm ground in the country, big cities and small towns.

I come from generations of history buffs on both sides of the family. This came out in art work by parents and stories told by my grandparents. Some branches of the family are old settlers who came here in the 1820s. Others immigrated from Germany and Wales. Others moved up from the South in the 1890s or so.

I named the blog "Phelps & Schrock" because I hope to use some of my dad's artwork occcasionally.

 

For instance, here is his 1970s ink sketch of the Levi Coffin House in Fountain City (Newport) Indiana, where the Coffin family operated a main hub of the Underground Railroad, helping escaped slaves find their way to freedom.

(artwork copyright by Jack Phelps)