This photo project about the rural Midwest originated in a photoblog I ran from 2004-09 called Fourteen Places to Eat.
Conversation with a peacock, Starke County, IN
Man wearing a patriotic hat, Walkerton IN, 2007
Sunset, SR 6 and SR 23, Walkerton IN
Momence Speed Wash, Momence IL
Laundromat, Knox, IN, 2005
White House Hamburgers, Logansport IN, 2006
Boy riding a bike, early evening, Kewanna, IN
Boy with a patriotic fan, Victory City Festival, Kingsford Heights IN
Billy, Late Night Liquors, Medaryville IN, 2007
Remodeled bank building, Fairmount, IN, 2007
Olive White, Grand Marshal, Medaryville Potato Festival parade
Bob Edgell, Edgell’s Shoe Shop, Knox IN, 2007
Waiting area, Great Styles By Us, Frankfort, IN, 2007
Danny’s House of Fireworks, Knox, IN, 2005
Farmer’s Grain and Supply Co., Thornhope IN, 2005
Christmas display, Larry’s Quickmart, Walkerton IN, 2006
Asparagus, Hamlet IN, 2004
Two shingled corn cribs, Bremen IN, 2004
Man wearing a patriotic cast, Famous Fish of Stroh, Stroh IN, 2005
Merchant’s License, Foster Shoe Shop, Salisbury MO, 2005
Mary Ann Rubio, Family Cafe, Knox, IN
James Cappis’ front door, Knox, IN, 2007
Apartment building, Delphi, IN
Lunch at the Crockpot, Walkerton, IN, 2007
View from Devon Theater, Attica, IN, 2010
Parked trailer, Ligonier IN, 2006
Artist Statement
The photographs in this series are part of a long-term project on rural culture in the Midwest, particularly in my home state of Indiana. This work was inspired by my memories of growing up on a farm in Walkerton, Indiana, and observing first hand the shifting cultural identity that has occurred over time and through changing economic development.
When I first moved back to Walkerton in 2001, one of my biggest complaints was that there were not enough places to eat out. Or, rather, practically no places to eat out. So I was happy when news arrived that a new restaurant was opening there. Imagine my surprise when I read a letter to the editor in the local paper against the new restaurant. The letter stated that we already had enough places to eat in this town. The writer counted a total of fourteen places to eat, which included four restaurants, three gas stations, four bars, a truck stop, a convenience mart, and a bowling alley. This letter was published during the beginning of my project portraying small-town life, and it gave the series its name.