About
Our Brown County magazine
Cindy Steele, publisher
P.O. Box 157
Helmsburg, IN 47435
(812) 988-8807
e-mail: ourbrown@bluemarble.net
Thanks Mom for making it happen!
From the early 1900s to the 1940s, a colony of artists claimed this hill country as their home. These “early” artists captured the scenery and the locals in their nationally renowned works.
Frank Hohenberger shared his vision of the area through his photographs and stories in newspapers and magazines from 1917 to 1963. His column “Down in the Hills o’ Brown County” appeared in the Indianpolis Star for decades.
Another writer, Kin Hubbard, put Brown County on the map with his clownlike rustic character, Abe Martin, appearing for 26 years in the Indianapolis News and syndicated throughout the country.
Tourism is our largest “industry.” It started here as a result of the opening of Brown County State Park (the largest in the state), in the 1930s.
Most people who live here are from somewhere else. Some take refuge from the big city and choose to retire here. They do so because this place is special, rich with history, a rustic beauty, and plenty of things to do.
Our Brown County magazine is a publication about the people, places, art, and history of Brown County, Indiana. Our website contains some excerpts of the printed magazine with a link to our online version on ISSUU.com
Contributors
Bob Gustin worked as a reporter, photographer, managing editor, and editor for daily newspapers in Colorado, Nebraska, and Indiana before retiring in 2011. He and his wife, Chris, operate Homestead Weaving Studio. She does the weaving while he gives studio tours, builds small looms, and expands his book and record collections.
Ryan Stacy is a content writer at Monroe County Public Library, and also enjoys writing about Brown County. He and his wife live in Bloomington, where they can often be found chasing movies, good food, and cultural events. His other interests include reading, photography, and music.
Joe Lee is an illustrator and writer. He is the author of The History of Clowns for Beginners and Dante for Beginners and illustrator of six other titles, including Dada and Surrealism for Beginners, and Music Theory for Beginners. He is an editorial cartoonist for the Bloomington Herald Times, a graduate of Ringling Brothers, Barnum & Bailey Clown College, and a veteran circus performer.
Paige Langenderfer is a freelance writer and communications consultant. She writes for numerous publications. She earned her Bachelor’s degree in journalism from Indiana University and her Master’s degree in public relations management from IUPUI. Paige lives in Columbus with
her husband and daughters. Contact her at langenderferpaige@gmail.com.
Jeff Tryon is a former news editor of The Brown County Democrat, a former region reporter for The Republic, and a former bureau chief for The Huntsville Times. Born and raised in Brown County, he currently lives with his wife, Sue, in a log cabin on the edge of Brown County State Park. He is a Baptist minister.
Mark Blackwell no longer makes his home in Brown County where “the roadway is rough and the slopes are seamed with ravines and present a meatless, barren, backbone effect.” He now resides within sight of the sixth green of an undisclosed golf course. He was born in the middle of the last century and still spends considerable time there.
Jim Eagleman recently retired DNR naturalist, and his wife Kay, enjoy hiking the many natural areas, preserves, and land trust sites in Brown and neighboring counties. His FIELD NOTES have appeared in this publication for several years. Contact Jim with comments and inquiries at jpeagleman@gmail.com.
Julia Pearson wrote for a Franciscan magazine for ten years and served as its human interest editor. She and husband Bruce now reside in Lake Woebegone Country for life’s continuing adventures. Julia enjoys traveling and visiting museums of all types and sizes, with her children and grandchildren.
Cindy Steele is the publisher and editor of this magazine. She sells and designs ads, sometimes writes, takes photos, and creates the layout. For fun, she likes to play the guitar or banjo and sing.
Chrissy Alspaugh is a freelance writer and owner of Christina Alspaugh Photography. She lives in Bartholomew County with her husband, Matt and three boys. She can be reached at christina_alspaugh@yahoo.com.
View her work at ChristinaAlspaughPhotography.com.