Visit Millhousen Decatur Indiana and the surrounding area to see the top sights. Millhousen, Indiana: A small village in the south-east of the state. Visit the old mill and Millhousen Park with the historic railway museum. Enjoy traditional specialities in local restaurants such as Millhousen Bakery & Deli.
Millhousen sights? Yeah, that sounds like one of those Instagram hashtags I never really understand, but the city still has its own charm I don't want to deprive you of. The history of Millhousen begins in 1835, when a few brave pioneers from Pennsylvania bought a piece of land here and named the small village after their home – a bit of nostalgia, a bit of survival will, and the first wooden house stood in the middle of today's Marion Township, Decatur County.
Honestly, the village has never reached the splendour of a metropolis, but that's exactly what makes the charm. If you're coming from Indianapolis by car, just follow the I-74 direction east, then a short trip to the State Road 3 will take you right into the heart of Millhousen. On the way you can admire the endless fields – an image that you only know from old country songs.
I don't understand the hype about big cities, but here there is a small café I visit almost daily; the coffee is not a joke, and the smile of the owner is almost contagious. Next to the café is the old town hall, a building from the 1880s, which today serves as a community centre – perfect for sniffing a bit of local history without forcing you a guide.
A short walk leads you to the nearby Millhousen Creek, where you can take a cool bath in the summer if you are looking for a cooling. And yes, this is one of the few points where I can really recommend the “Millhousen Sights” because the water here is surprisingly clear and the surroundings are almost untouched. So, grab your suitcases, take the humor with you and let this little spot surprise you.
I have to confess that my heart beats a bit faster as soon as I get to the Millhousen Community Center think – this is the pulsating epicentre of this sleepy little town. The place is an old brick box that used to be a school, but now has everything from bingo ends to rock ‘n’ roll karaoke events. Parking is usually a Klack, except when the annual “Farmers-Market-Spektakel” starts and every tractor suddenly takes a parking lot. I once met an old acquaintance who told me that he bought his first guitar here – a real bargain hunter who still sings the 90s hits loudly.
A short walk further Millhousen Public Library, a tiny but surprisingly cozy place where the sum of the air conditioning is almost louder than the rustling of the books. I found a few dusty issues of the local newspaper from the 70s – a real find for anyone who doesn't understand the hype about retro-journalism, but finds the stories about the old railway depot fascinating. The staff is friendly, but you immediately realize that the budget is rather a “coffee-and-cushion plan”.
If you are looking for a place where you can let your soul (or at least your children) thrive, then it is Millhousen Park Your goal. The playground is not just a Disneyland, but the old wooden swings have charm, and the baseball field is played Friday by a group of retired men who still believe they could get the World Series title. I once made a picnic that was ruined by a sudden mosquito plague – no joke, the little biesters here have their own ecosystem.
A little further down the main road, almost unnoticed, stands the Millhousen United Methodist Church. The building is a real piece of history, built from red brick, and the organ still sounds as if it were stolen from an old film set. I once experienced a concert from a local youth band that tried to turn hymns into pop cover – the result was... strange, but somehow fitting to this place where tradition and modernity are constantly fighting.
Well, if you really want to feel the heart of Millhousen, you have to Millhousen Grain Elevator see. This massive silo shaft is what is called “the lonely giant” in films, only that here the ratter of the conveyor belts is the only sound. I stood there once in summer, the sun burned, and a farmer told me that the whole is still “in operation” – a bit of irony that such an old building still forms the backbone of the local economy.
A short detour leads you to Millhousen Town Hall, a building that looks as if it had designed an architect from the 1920s with too much enthusiasm. The monthly city council meetings take place where the discussions mostly focus on the new road cleaning budget. I once read a session protocol draft and had to laugh because the formulations were almost poetic – “We strive for a cleaner future without breaking the costs. ‘
For those who want to sniff a bit of history, there is the small, but fine Millhousen Historical Society Museum. It is not a museum in the classical sense, rather a room full of old photos, tools and a few yellowed maps. I found an old diary that was written by a peasant from the 1880s – a fascinating insight that shows that life here was always characterized by hard work and a bit of humor.
And yes, I must not forget: the Millhousen Cemetery. A place you can easily overlook, but it's full of stories. The tombstones tell about families that have been rooted here for generations, and I have even discovered a few artistically carved monuments that almost look like small works of art. It's a quiet place, perfect if you're looking for a moment of rest – or if you just want a little distance from the loud streets.
If you now think that this is too little to describe Millhousen, then you probably don't have the Millhouses Attractions in its entirety. Each of these places has its own little charm, and together they create an image that is more than the sum of its parts – a bit oblique, a bit warm, and definitely not what one would expect from a typical Indiana town.
The first stop I put to every new man's heart is Lincoln State Park, a piece of Indiana forest stretching around 20 miles north of Millhousen into the gentle hills of the Lincoln region. I used the early morning to round the lake, and the water was so quiet that one could almost confuse the thugs of the ducks with the quiet sums of my own thoughts. The trails are well marked, the park-parking is almost always free – except for the long weekends in autumn, then spontaneous “camping cities” are formed from caravans and picnic blankets. If you are looking for some adventure, you can even rent one of the rustic huts; I left the roof over the head because the sound of the grills seemed almost hypnotic at night.
Only a short trip leads to Lincoln Boyhood National Memorialwhere the young Abraham Lincoln made his first steps on the dusty path of American history. I have to admit, I don't quite understand the hype around the small visitor center – it's barely bigger than a shed – but the view from the hill from which the old village is overlooked is really great. Parking is a children's game, because the terrain is barely visited, except when school classes touch their teachers. Once I made a picnic there and suddenly an older gentleman next to me began to tell me about “the good old times” while he was enjoying a piece of corn bread.
Back to the city, but not back to Millhousen, this is impressive Decatur County Courthouse in the center of Decatur. The building is a parade example for Greek Renaissance architecture, and I have always looked at it from the outside, because the columns look almost as majestic as a Hollywood set. Parking right in front of the courthouse is usually a sugar tasting as long as you don’t park there on Friday night after the “County-Court-Night” – then parking becomes a small adventure, because the city is suddenly full of visitors who want to visit the courthouse.
A few steps further Decatur County Historical Museum, a small but fine museum that reveals more about local history than one would expect from a place with less than 5 000 inhabitants. I found an old diary that belonged to a peasant from the 1880s; the handwritten notes about crop failures and daily life are a real eye-catcher. The museum does not have a large parking lot, but a small parking lot behind the building is usually enough as long as you are not there on the first Saturday of the month when the museum has a special exhibition and the city is then a bit crowded.
For those who prefer to experience nature in motion, White River Trail an underestimated jewel. The path stretches along the river, offers occasional viewpoints where you can see the water glittering, and is ideal for a relaxing bike tour. I have unpacked my old mountain bike equipment there and I have straightened for hours until the sun disappeared behind the trees. Parking at the beginning of the trail is practical – a small parking lot directly at the access, which is usually empty, except when the local running team stops his weekly training there.
A little further south, about 10 miles from Millhousen, lies this Decatur County Fairgrounds. The annual fair is a colourful mess of carousels, cattle shows and local food stands that let the heart of each traveler beat higher – or at least that of those who like to eat sugar cane. I once tried a piece of fried corn, which was so good that I almost forgot that I had actually just come to stroll. Parking is a bit chaotic here because the lots are only active on weekends; on weekdays, however, you still find free places.
The Decatur County Veterans Memorial mentioned, a quiet place of memory located near the courthouse. I spent a few hours there to think about the history of the region while I read the inscriptions of names. Parking is practical because you use the same field as the courthouse, and that means that you almost always find a place as long as you are not at the same time as the school classes there.
Whether you're looking for historic sites, nature experiences or just for a place to relax – Millhousen's surroundings offer a surprisingly diverse range of attractions that tell every traveler a little more about Indiana. And if you have experienced all this, you will understand why the Millhouses Attractions take a special place in my head.
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