November / December 2014

Do you remember the Peanut Shop? Did your parents take you to see the monkeys at Baynham Shoe Co.? Did you see movies at the Sunset Drive-In or see the Triplets play at Bosse Field? Did you watch “The Peggy

With any long-running television series, there is a buildup of demand just before a new season begins. Revisiting, remembering, and renewing old favorites. Such is life with me regarding seasonal fare. To my regular readers, you know how I enjoy

When Chicago native Kevin Klosowski first came to Santa Claus, Indiana, to visit his girlfriend’s family in 1991, he was intrigued by the abandoned brick castle that sat along State Road 245. When he inquired about it, even the locals couldn’t tell him the

You would know the husky voice from Houston, Texas, anywhere, of course. Kenny Rogers was calling me from the state of Washington, where he would be performing around his 50th show of the year, the following night. On Dec. 7,

In early September, the Vanderburgh County Historical Society organized a walking history tour of the Lamasco district. The guided tour featured some of the oldest buildings in the area, which was its own town from 1839 until 1857, when it

Opening a new restaurant can be expensive, and finding a good location to set up shop isn’t always easy. That’s why the Main Course Restaurant Challenge is offering up to $250,000 in start-up cash and gifts in-kind to the individual

Quietly, the University of Southern Indiana men’s cross country team has become one of the top Division II programs in the country. The Screaming Eagles have finished in the top 16 at the NCAA national meet every year since 2005,

Many Catholics in Southwestern Indiana go to church and belong to a parish or congregation. Times are changing for many, who may be going to the same church building but belonging to a new parish. Mergers announced in the last

When envisioning the Ozarks, most people think of the hills and hollows of northern Arkansas and southern Missouri. In fact, the same geological features cross the Mississippi River and form some of the most beautiful scenery in the nation, just

Owned by Chris Ramsey and Derek Cronin, the Pour Haus located in Tell City, Indiana, started as two separate dreams: Ramsey’s goal of opening a brewery and Cronin’s desire to own a bar. When the two entrepreneurs met, the pub

Three vintage mixers decorate the mantle in Tanya Bunning’s downtown Newburgh, Indiana, bakery. The classic machines serve as a daily reminder of the labor of love of baking and the family tradition, which it was built upon. Bunning, 29, grew

Madeleine’s A Fusion Restaurant’s menu changes daily based on the fresh ingredients available, but there’s one staple — the lobster macaroni and cheese. “We don’t have a signature item because the menu can change day to day, but this is

Evansville native Kelly Lefler dreamed of starting a pasta sauce business nine years ago when her husband said, “This is amazing! Did you make this?” after tasting the sauce that in 2008 would become Mimi’s Gourmet Pasta Sauce. “It was

Taquerias are among the fastest growing restaurant concepts in the U.S. Accomplished restaurateurs Jayson Munoz and Dr. Mark Logan are up to the task with bringing that experience to Evansville. In 2012, Munoz, the owner of Kanpai Sushi & Asian

If you’re from Southern Indiana, steak is in your blood. On any given night at traditional steakhouses and our more modern meateries, dining rooms are filled with patrons ordering ribeyes, New York strips, tenderloins, and T-bones cooked to specific levels

Ronald Geary, 67, has done a bit of everything. During his very decorated career, he’s been a certified public accountant, a lawyer, served in a Kentucky gubernatorial cabinet, been the president of a bible college, and CEO of ResCare, a

The four-car train rolled slowly along Division Street, carrying Mayor Russell Lloyd and former Mayor Frank McDonald among its 130 passengers. It was the culmination of a decade-long effort to reroute freight trains around the city, with the opening of

In June 2004, before her senior year of high school, Jessica Harthcock was practicing her diving at a local gymnastics facility. The Memorial High School student was diving into a pit of foam blocks when she hit her head on

I was born in Iowa, but I grew up in Evansville.” That’s my standard answer when asked, “Where are you from?” Maybe it’s my twangy accent (Northern Midwestern mixed with Ohio Valley) that leads people to suspect I didn’t grow

Azzip Pizza (5225 Pearl Drive) opened a second location on Sept. 19 at 8680 High Pointe Drive in Newburgh, Indiana. Franklin Street Tavern (2126 Franklin St.) opened in early October. The restaurant is formerly an old insurance building just south

Chip Rossetti, an independent filmmaker in Evansville, was contacted in April by a distribution company that wanted a Christmas movie. Rossetti didn’t have one — yet. Rossetti immediately went searching for a script, and found a stage play from the

For the 15th year, Santa is coming to W. Franklin Street. The Grinch will be there, too, but he’s not trying to steal Christmas. It’s all a part of the West Side Nut Club’s Santa Land. Kids can sit on

Seven years ago, Evansville Living caught up with music prodigy Monte Skelton, who was at the time a University of Evansville student envisioning a future that would somehow involve his gift. Since Skelton, now 28, was featured in the July/August

The late 1950s were a rough time in Evansville as the city saw several major blue collar employers leave the area. In 1958, Fantus, a factory locating service, rated the city low on its list of recommended areas due to

You can now wear some of Evansville’s most iconic images. Evansville Design Group, a nonprofit organization, has launched a campaign called “Made In Evansville” to celebrate the city’s pride and history through unique T-shirt designs. The screen-printed shirts feature the

Fire pits are a growing – and glowing – trend in outdoor living over the past several years. A fire creates an extra feature to pull you outside and create a gathering area for friends and family to sit, talk,

When I learned my cousin’s bachelorette party would involve wine, I wasn’t surprised. When she informed us that in our other hand would be a paintbrush, I will admit, I felt panicked. We were registered to enjoy a girl’s night

Anne and Doug Duell could feel the five-year moving itch creeping under their skin. It seemed around every five years the Newburgh, Indiana, couple suddenly felt the sensation to plant new roots, and it happened again in 2010. The Duells

Just as Tim Gunn started telling television audiences to “make it work” and Etsy was inspiring a whole new generation of sewing crafters, Let’s Sew opened to give local sewing enthusiasts more opportunity to use quality fabrics and notions for

Lounging in thermal springs or spas has been popular since the days of Ancient Greece, if not earlier. It was seen as therapeutic, able not only to relax muscles but also to ward off illness. Today’s spas offer many of

T-shirt scarves are very simple to make. Almost no precision is necessary, which makes this craft especially appropriate for those who are impatient. These scarves also are lightweight, so they can be worn year-round. All you need to create your

Virginia “Ginny” Schroeder had never lived in a city with a great local museum. So when she moved to Evansville in 1975 with her late first husband, Gilbert Graves, she quickly set out to change that. Born in Springfield, Ohio,

For gun collectors, the Kentucky Rifle is a prized possession. The golden age of the Kentucky Rifle was from 1780 to 1830, but antiques can be hard to find. In his shop just outside of Blairsville, Indiana, Marvin Kemper makes

The warm and inviting memories of past Christmases with loved ones are never too far away for Charles and Christi Goodman. As the Evansville couple unwraps each antique ornament and vintage holiday decoration, stories come alive of their grandparents and

The process of producing Evansville Living magazine begins months in advance of the issue with scouting ideas that later transform into assignments at planning meetings, stories through interviews, artwork through photography and design, and sales through our advertisers which all

To show how stories in the November/December 2014 issue of Evansville Living fit into the broader world, this edition of Link Up brings the Internet to you. Everyone has a growing up story. It’s hard to beat, “I would ride