By JD Dotson
The best part about my job is learning new things about a place I thought I knew. Corydon, on the surface, has a town square built around a beautiful, old capitol building flanked by both vacant buildings and interesting storefronts. Getting out and exploring makes me wonder how I have gone this long without sitting on a “liars’ bench” and – until I learned the origin – where Corydon got its name (hint: ask a longtime resident).
I stopped in Butt Drugs and had the best 35-cent coffee in the world, (the sign wasn’t lying). I love how the pharmacy is in on the joke and revels in it (do you have your Butt Drugs t-shirt yet?).
I took the morning to enjoy long winding roads just outside of town and found the Battle of Corydon Park, quiet and still with the sun beaming through the trees. I drove through the Hayswood Nature Reserve that I remember from field trips as a kid, and a lot of it looked exactly the same. What has changed is the Nature Reserve Trail winding along the Indian Creek with a beautiful running/walking/biking path that has an amazing view and leads across the Rothrock Mill Bridge.
Corydon was full of surprises and left me with a longing to go back and explore even more. I also need to make a correction about the first sentence of this column: I met several friendly souls on my adventures in Corydon – on the trails and in the shops – and received great advice, history lessons and many smiling faces. I change my mind on what is the best part of the job. Sure, part of it is the place, but most of all, it’s the people.
SPOT THE SCENE:
(Clockwise from top left)
1. Corydon Visitors Center 2. Corydon New Albany Railraod Station 3. Public Library
4. Rothrock Mill Bridge 5. Capitol Aveanue 6. Corydon Battle Park 7. Chestnut Street 8. Butt Drugs 9. Visitors Center 10. Hayswood Nature Preserve 11. Sassy’s on Chestnut 12. Old Town Store Mulberry Street 13. Liars Bench Elm Street 14. Railroad Yard
SHOW US YOUR SCENE AROUND TOWN
Want us to explore your Southern Indiana city? Invite us via an email to extol@extolmag.com.
