LIGIONER, Ind. (WTHR) — We've all been there, haven't we? You're in your car, driving a county or state highway, never noticing anything unusual mile after mile after mile. Perhaps it's that in our fast-paced lives, something unique can be right in front of us, and we totally miss it.
Photographer Steve Rhodes and I were heading north on US-31 and almost did that — almost.
Thank goodness, my fascination with Indiana history clicked in, just in the nick of time as we approached the beautiful town of Ligonier.
Some people know Ligonier for it's annual Labor Day parade. At one time, this unique town was the second largest producer of marshmallows in the world thanks to Kidd and Company. The last marshmallow rolled off the line 23 years ago, but there is more to the town than the spongy treat.
Two Jewish immigrants moved to the town after the Civil War and encouraged their family to join them. By the mid-1890s, according to Indiana Landmarks, roughly 27 percent of the town was Jewish. Main Street was called Little Jerusalem and even though most of the families migrated elsewhere by the beginning of World War II, the town still is proud of its Jewish heritage.
So, this great city keeps track of its interesting history by writing books and keeping them in the city library, right?
No way.
No longer able to call itself, the Marshmallow capital, it's now called "The City Of Murals."
Walking around the downtown area, you'll see nearly three dozen murals documenting the history of this unique town. A revitalization campaign began in 2007 to gather private funds to place a series of murals depicting the town's history on walls around the area. From rock and roll in the '50s to the history of the town's well known dentists to the first car to hit town. It's a wonderful visit to a town's history that you could miss if you weren't looking for it.
So don't miss it. The Murals of Ligonier made for a wonderful diversion and an appreciation for this wonderful Indiana town in Noble County.
