...therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls.
It tolls for thee.

Indiana is a vibrant state, with much to offer the visitor or resident, and a bright future in the new century.  But as time marches forward, echoes of the past are still spread across the landscape.

Indiana’s history has always been closely linked to agriculture - a tradition that continues today.  However, at one time Indiana was the center of population for the United States - and great industrial institutions grew up from the farmland. First dirt, then gravel, then mighty paved highways crossed the map. The state was a hub for many railroads, and grand stations and exclusive resorts were built along the tracks.

As these industrial giants waned in the global economy, sleepy state highways were passed by great interstates, the railroads faded, and we are left with the discarded shells of what Indiana is no longer.

These pages chronicle my continuing desire to snapshot these markers of our history before they fade forever into dust.

Once upon a time, shoppers got their food from small, local neighborhood markets within walking distance of their homes.  By the 1920’s, some of these stores began expanding into “super” markets, carrying a wider selection of items for sale. By mid-century “chain” stores started taking over the landscape, building hundreds of monster mega-marts and forever altering how we eat. Take a journey through the last days of one of the last survivors:
Atlas Supermarket.

Crown Hill in Indianapolis, Indiana is the third largest public cemetery in the United States. Opened June 1, 1864 and used for the first time the next day for a young mother, Lucy Seaton, who had died of “consumption”, it is now the permanent home of over 185,000 people.  Let’s take a whistling walk through the catalog of Lost Indiana people buried this cemetery and others throughout the state.

  • Sheraton Hotel, Gary
  • Market Square Arena, Indianapolis
  • Y & W Drive In, Merrillville
  • Burger Chef, Indianapolis
  • Holiday Inn, Gary 
  • Stuckeys, Remington
  • Old Indiana Fun Park, Thorntown 
  • Union Station, Gary
  • US 30 Drag Strip, Hobart
  • McDonald’s, Lebanon
  •  Indicates updated information

     

  • Historic Landmarks Foundation
      of Indiana
  • National Trust For Historic
      Preservation
  • Indiana Historical Society
  • More...
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  • On many pages we have selected a few books from Amazon.com that continue the story. If you click on one of them and order, you’ll be supporting Lost Indiana.

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    On September 30, 2002 our first book, Lost Indianapolis, was published by Arcadia Publishing , a producer of regional history books.  You can order the book right now from Amazon.COM or Barnes and Noble (BN.COM ).

    Our next book project is a detailed history of Burger Chef, based on material gathered for Lost Indianapolis from two of the founders of Burger Chef, Frank Thomas and Robert Wildman. If you have artifacts, memories or stories to share, contact us .

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    Please seek the author’s permission before reusing or quoting this website.