This month the picture of Elwood shows the building on the southwest corner of Anderson Street and So. A Street. This building used to house the Masonic Lodge on the second floor and there was a drug store on the corner downstairs.

   Today the building is owned by Randall Hall and houses his computer business, EDI. They have a software system that businesses use to keep track of their stock and does the reordering as it is needed from the sales of various items. The entire second and third floors are renovated to the original look when the building was "The Opera House" and the ballroom is absolutely beautiful. Randall is hoping that various groups will want to rent the space for gatherings and reunions. It is surely a delightful option for those who want space other than the standard Country Club and Elks that have been available. The room has already been rented for use by the Methodist Church who held a very nice Dance for the youth of Elwood. There has been two New Years parties, one in 2000 and one in 2001. These were complete with bands and eats. I imagine that various classes will be wanting to check this out for their own reunions.

   The corner is going to be a restaurant and should be open for business around the end of March. This business is owned by Barbara (Hardebeck) Rivers and is to be called Rivers Inn.

   This month our Main Street Committee is finishing up the grant papers for the study to determine the boundary for our Historic Commercial District and to send the papers to the National Register for Historic Places. We are a unique small town that came to a grand beginning during the gas boom and erected buildings that are considered to be architecture treasures. What being on the National Register will mean to this community is beyond our dreams at this time. People here are still not totally aware of what this means, but as the publicity goes out and the revitalization grows they will find out and it will be good.

   The uptown street lights will be turned on very soon and will give our home town a very different look.  I am so anxious for all of you away from here to get a chance to see these changes. *This just in . . . Vicki snapped this photo looking south from Main Street Saturday evening . . . the lights do have two globes.

Your Roving Home Town Reporter
Nan aka Angel #2
Sharon (Benedict) Hurst '53 

Now in Elwood, Indiana