Along the National Road in eastern Indiana, a lot of the action is in Wayne County. From Richmond through Centerville to Cambridge City, there’s plenty to see and do. Dawn and I easily spent half of the time on our trip just in these three towns.
When we got to Cambridge City, the sidewalks were lined with antiques for sale. It’s an annual event, and we stumbled right upon it.
Several details had changed around Cambridge City since our last visit, back in 2009. Here’s what this great old sign looked like then.
A new owner changed the center plastic panel, but unfortunately hasn’t kept up with repairs to the fragile glass tubes.
This great sign from 2009 is no longer there.
And while this building is still there, the food mart present in 2009 has been replaced by a restaurant.
As you can see in this shot, the shingled awning has been removed, revealing the building’s original entrance. It was a shame to cover it up.
One thing that hasn’t changed is the wonderful Vinton House, built in 1847 at the intersection of the National Road and the Whitewater Canal, which has long since been filled in. Here it was in 2009:
Here it is in 2015. It was an inn and stagecoach stop back in the day.
This little log cabin still stands, too. Built in 1830, it was also an inn for travelers. The cabin was built a few miles away, but moved to this location at some point. This is a 2009 photo.
While walking along, looking at the antiques for sale, we came upon this 1967 Pontiac Bonneville. It’s in nearly original condition, with some fading paint. It’s wheels aren’t original, but they’re sized to take modern tires.
I had my Canon TLb along as we walked through town, and on Kodak Gold 200 film, the images I got looked like postcards. I’m sure the local convention and visitors bureau would approve.
I’ve driven the National Road from its beginning in Baltimore, MD to its end in Vandaila, IL. To read everything I’ve ever written about it, click here.
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