Cole Porter Birthplace-The Siding is coming off!!

Armed with my camera, I went to the Cole Porter Birthplace this morning. Mayor Jim Walker had the honor of tearing the first piece of siding off the house. Volunteers are scurrying all around the house--cleaning, taking siding off, pounding, fixing--the soon to be restored birthplace.

The museum and gift shop has been dry-walled, the woodwork has been sanded, and Cole's music is being played to remind the workers why they are there. I met Arletta Reith from Kokomo, an avid Cole Porter fan, who is volunteering her time to paint the museum and gift shop. Her business is called "A Lady's Touch". Arletta will be painting the two rooms in about two weeks. The desire of Ole Olson Memorial Theatre is to have the gift shop and museum open by the Cole Porter Celebration in June.

When entering the museum I was impressed by the floor to ceiling windows. In the middle of the windows were two floor to ceiling mirrors. A grand piano will be placed inside. This project is quite an undertaking and money is needed to finish what has been started. This project will bring Cole Porter fans from all over the world to the historic town of Peru, Indiana. Please support this project.

Ice Cream Sandwiches

Tommy Hendricks and Cole Porter were on the prowl for a mid-afternoon snack, when they strolled into Blue Drug Store. Going behind the soda fountain was strictly forbidden. They had to watch for Tommy's dad, since his dad worked in the store. They were in luck, so they proceeded behind the soda fountain and decided to make their favorite delicacy-ice cream sandwiches.

The ice cream sandwiches made in the early 1900's were works of art. There was an ingenious hand-manipulated machine, each sandwich prepared with special care. They had never dared try the sandwich machine, but Cole being the daring one, laid a wafer carefully in the sandwich-shaped machine. He then took thick vanilla ice-cream and packed it down tight. Then a second wafer was applied on top. The lever was then pulled and a delicious sandwich was produced. They produced more sandwiches than they could eat--one, two, maybe a dozen in all. After the dozen or so apiece, both the thrill of working the ice-cream machine and their appetites rapidly disappeared.

I am wondering if that machine is still around. I think I would like to try one of those delicious, delightful, dewonderful things called an ice-cream sandwich.

Restoration in Peru

Being a real history buff, and having an investigative nature, I can hardly wait until Saturday. The volunteers associated with Ole Olson Theatre will disassemble siding from the Cole Porter Birthplace. I will be there with my camera to watch this event on Saturday April 1, 2006 at 9:00 a.m.

The wish of Ole Olson Memorial Theatre is to restore the house so you can go back in time to the late 1800's and imagine Cole walking in and out those doors. More donations can make this a reality.

Cole Porter was born to Samuel and Kate (Cole) Porter in 1891 in the house located at 19 South Huntington. I can envision what the house will look like. It will be another positive direction for Peru. Cole Porter's music is timeless. People that loved Cole's music will love walking into a museum and gift shop. To all those that are making this happen--way to go!!

Kitchen Spring Cleaning

Ok, so lets start with the worst thing in the kitchen. Your oven if it isn't self cleaning use your oven cleaner as directed, clean the stove top, behind the knobs, under the burners, and the wall around the stove with all purpose cleaner. Refrigerator next, remove everything clean all surfaces with all purpose cleaner. Only restock food that is still good, go by date not your nose. Drawers and cupboards, Remove everything and wash it, replace liners if they need it. Throw away expired food. Clean sink fixtures and countertops with all purpose cleaner. Widows inside and out. Floors, sweep and mop. One down that wasn't so bad. Was it?

Spring Cleaning

I know it can seem a little overwhelming, and not much fun. But the time is here to clean that stuffy house, that's been closed all winter. My best advice is to do just one room a day, set aside a specific time to clean, and stick to that time. Get all your cleaning supplies in advance. Crank the stereo with your favorite music, it makes time go by much faster.

Products you should have- all purpose cleaner-oven cleaner-window cleaner-wood cleaner-abrasive cleaner-toilet bowl cleaner.
Accessories-paper towels-scouring pads-broom and dust pan-mop(steam mop if you prefer]-dust mop-vacuum cleaner-carpet steam cleaner-toilet bowl brush. Tommorrow we will start with the kitchen. It's ok i'll walk ya through it room by room.

Easter Egg Hunt

The First Presbyterian Church will once again provide an Easter Egg Hunt for the children of Peru. Last year, even though the temperature was quite cold, three to four hundred children attended the event. The event will be held April 15, 2006. More will be written with a listing of activities. Hopefully this year the weather will be much warmer. Do you suppose the bunnies will help the kids find the hidden eggs?

Struck oil in Peru

At 1 0'clock Monday morning the drillers on the Aaron Dukes propery, north of the basket factory, notified A.T. Reed, the acting superintendent that Trenton rock had been reached at 849 feet. Work was stopped when the drill had penetrated twenty-six feet deeper. Monday night the oil had begun to flow over the top of the well. The well was capped Tuesday night, it probably will produce 2oo barrels.

This was the beginning of intense excitement in the Peru field. Flax Hill was honeycombed with wells and there were hundreds of derricks standing on town lots. Millions of barrels of oil were pumped from this field. Oil men from Pennsylvania, Ohio and Indiana flocked to Peru and sunk well by the hundreds. Land owners in royalties were paid hundreds of thousands of dollars, but the field finally petered out.

It is a shame that the oil ran out--maybe we could tap into them again and not be reliant on foreign oil.