Mount Ayr Sights are for me less a tourist catalog than a personal patchwork trip through a piece of Indiana that hardly has anyone on his Bucket-List. Honestly, the village was founded in 1855 by Scottish settlers who thought a bit of hill in the prairie would be the nonplusultra of romance – and so today's tranquil Mount Ayr was built in the heart of Jackson Township, Newton County. I came here because my uncle told me about an old railway line that once went through the area; The trail is only a narrow trench today, but the image of screeching steam locomotives in the back of my head makes me smile a little nostalgic every time I take the road from I‐65 and slide over the field.
A short stop at the only diner in the city – a place where the service welcomes you with a “Welcome back, stranger” even though you’ve only been here for five minutes – is almost mandatory. I like to sit there, order a coffee and observe the locals who talk about the weather with the serenity of a long sleeper. I don't quite understand the hype about the annual harvest festival parade, but the next street musician jam is really great and gives the place an unexpected beat. If you're going through the fields, you can see the old barns that look like rusty relics from another era – a perfect background for Instagram if you want to sell yourself as an adventure explorer. And if you're wondering how you're coming here: a short trip from US-30 to the north, a few country roads and you're in the quiet charm of Mount Ayr.
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The first stop of my little Odyssey was the imposing brick building in Kentland, which can hardly be overlooked by driving along the road from Mount Ayr – the Newton County Courthouse. I stared in the sky for a few minutes with my head, because the roof really has a little too much “Victorianesque”, but the interior is surprisingly well preserved. Parking is almost always a Klacks, as long as you don't come to the trial on Friday night, then the small car park becomes a battlefield quickly.
Just a few blocks away, almost in the shadow of the courthouse, is the Newton County Historical Society Museum. I must admit, I was skeptical if a museum in a small town has anything to offer – until I discovered the old agricultural machinery department. There is an original tractor from the 1930s, which has more character than some modern SUV. Admission is free, and the staff is so friendly that they almost gave me the feeling that I was a long-term sponsor, although I just got out of the car.
A short trip across the state border to Illinois leads to Kankakee River State Park. The river winds through a network of hiking trails that I tried out on a sunny afternoon. The path to the “River Bluff Trail” offers a view that is almost too beautiful to be true – and that, although I almost got stuck in a mud hole, because the terrain becomes somewhat slippery after a rain. There is a small visitor center with toilets, but parking is rather a “find-a-place-or-preserve-on-the-neighbor” experience.
Back in Indiana, a small detour to the east brings one to the Iroquois County Fairgrounds in the city of Iroquois. There the annual County Fair event takes place, which I visited once by chance when a local baker sold his famous pancakes. The atmosphere is a mix of nostalgia and light chaos – carousels, cattle toas and a bit too loud country music. The fairgrounds are well signposted, and parking is generous as long as you are not there on the main day of the fair, then the field becomes a parking jungle.
Another highlight I could not overlook is the Willow Creek Golf Course, which is hidden near Kentland. I have tried a few beats there, although I have to admit that my handicap is more in the area “I prefer to throw the ball into the bunker”. The course is well maintained, the clubhouse has a small souvenir shop, and parking is right in front of the entrance area – a real plus point for those who do not want to look for a free space for hours.
Last but not least, if you are in the area in August, you should visit the Newton County Fairgrounds, where the annual Newton County Fair takes place. I was there last year and lost myself between cattle presentations and a local crafts market. The food is surprisingly good – especially the freshly baked maize bread stages – and the whole thing has a charming, slightly slanted flair that gives you the feeling of being part of a small but proud community.
Whether you are looking for historic brick buildings, rustic museums, extensive nature trails or the colorful drive on the Fairgrounds – the surroundings of Mount Ayr offer more than just land roads and corn fields. These Mount Ayr Sights show that even an inconspicuous place in the heart of Indiana provides some surprising pearls that make every easy cynical traveler a little smile.
I have to admit that my favorite place in Mount Ayr is not just an overrun tourist magnet, but the inconspicuous Mount Ayr Community Park. There is a small playground, a few benches and – yes, you have heard correctly – an old, slightly sloppy picnic table where I buried more than once my sandwiches because the squirrels were too curious. Parking is usually easy, except on Saturday night, there will be a real problem because then the whole neighborhood comes together to grill.
A short walk further (approximately five minutes if you don't want to stop at every corner like me to take photos) leads you to Mount Ayr Methodist Church. The building is a real relic from the 1800s, with a stone facade that seems to tell more stories than I could ever put in a blog. I don't quite understand the hype about church architecture, but here the old wooden piano, which still stands in the municipal house, has a certain charm that you should not underestimate.
If you ask yourself where you can clean up your soul a little, then look at it Mount Ayr Cemetery on. Yes, a cemetery as a sight – that sounds like a bad joke, but the tombstones here are hand carved and tell about families who have lived here for generations. I once discovered an old veteran burial stone, whose inscription was almost completely swallowed by the moss; a short moment of silence before I turned to the next goal.
Another highlight I always mention is that old Mount Ayr Schoolhouse. The building is today a museum that shows the school age of the 1950s – table, chalk, and an old globe that has more dust than colour. I wrote my first “history” about local agriculture there because I thought that was a good hanger for my blog series. It is practical that the grounds have a small parking space that is rarely full as long as you do not come to the first hour after lunch.
A bit away from the center lies Mount Ayr Volunteer Fire Department. This may not sound like a typical tourist destination, but the volunteers here gave me a real lighter when I forgot my camping equipment. The small equipment shed is full of old fire brigades and helmets that are almost a museum for themselves. And yes, parking is always a Klack because the field is usually empty.
For those who want to sniff a bit of nature without going through the whole Brown County State Park, there is Little Flatrock River Trail directly at the edge of Mount Ayr. The path is not particularly spectacular, but it takes you along the river, where you can occasionally see a beaver working on a dam. I once threw out my fishing and actually caught a little pike – no joke, that was the only time I caught something in Indiana that was not a piece of bread.
And because I don't just want to mention what there is here, here is a little hint for those who really want to see everything: if you googlest for “Mount Ayr Sights”, you will quickly realize that most hits point to these tranquil places. This is actually the best of it – not crowded tourist streams, just a few honest, slightly rough places that can conquer the heart of any traveler who is willing to wander a bit off the mainstream.
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