Sorg Jewelers

Like the Olympia Candy Kitchen that I mentioned in an earlier post, Sorg Jewelers is another Goshen business that Lincoln Highway travellers will probably be interested in.


Sorg Jewlers on the Lincoln Highway in Goshen. Sorg's classic neon sign is a favorite. Dave Zollinger photo.

Located right on the Lincoln Highway at 120 S. Main Street, Sorg's has been in business and owned by the same family since 1900. Many Goshen families, my own included, have been doing business with the Sorg family for generations.
Sorg's Goshen store (they've always had one in Elkhart as well) is in a neat old building that has a date of 1880 shown on the front. Many downtown Goshen businesses are housed in buildings that were constructed in the 19th century. Sorg's neon sign is something from a bygone era too.


Sorg's display windows, always beautiful, have their own classic neon signs as well. Dave Zollinger photo.

Sorg Jewelers is easy to find, just a half block south of the Elkhart County Courthouse on the east side of the street.

Map:


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Hotel Alderman

Postcard of Hotel Alderman. Complements of Goshen Historical Society.

The image above is a scan of a well known postcard that shows a view of the Hotel Alderman in Goshen, Indiana. The caption reads "The Alderman, formerly Hotel Hascall, Goshen, Ind.". The postcard does not have a date showing when it was issued but it does have a stamp cancellation dated 1916.


Another postcard from the collection of Goshen Historical Society. Date unknown but believed to be later than the one shown above.

One history reference that I have says that the hotel changed hands about 1915. Although the postcard says that the "Alderman was formerly known as the Hotel Hascall", several Goshen old-timers that I talked to remember it being the other way around. According to those who I have spoken to, the hotel was last known as the "Hotel Goshen", before that is was known as the Hascall, and was the Alderman before that.
If anyone reading this knows about the history of the hotel, please drop me an email: w9daz@arrl.net or leave a comment, below.


Former location of the Alderman as it looks today (Fall 2008). Dave Zollinger photo.

Even though I can't tell you for sure what the hotel was named at any particular time, I can tell you for sure where it was located.
The view in the pictures shows the intersection of US 33/Main Street (US 33/Main Street was the Lincoln Highway in this part of town) and Clinton Street, looking toward the northwest. The hotel was located at the northwest corner of the intersection, just north of the Elkhart County Courthouse and diagonally across from the Olympia Candy Kitchen. Currently (2008) there is a branch office of the First State Bank of Middlebury located at the site of the old hotel.


The Alderman was advertised in Lincoln Highway travel guides.


Photo of the hotel taken in 1908. Note that it is captioned "Hotel Hascall". Image believed to be public domain.


So if you're following the Lincoln Highway through Goshen now you know where the Alderman Hotel that was advertised in all those guidebooks once stood.
This post will be updated as I find out more informaton about the history of the hotel.

Map to former site of Alderman Hotel:


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Olympia Candy Kitchen

The Olympia Candy Kitchen. Dave Zollinger Photo.

No trip through Goshen on the Lincoln Highway would be complete without stopping for a visit at the Olympia Candy Kitchen.
The Olympia is truly a Goshen institution. My wife, son, and I spend lots of time there. It's our favorite place to eat. I can remember visiting the Olympia with my parents when I was young, and my parents tell stories about hanging out there as teenagers back before World War 2!


"Coca-Cola" sign on the north side of the Olympia. Dave Zollinger Photo.

In continuous operation by the same family since 1912, the Olympia offers good food, old fashioned soda fountain treats, and delicious home made candy. Everything about the Olympia today is just like it was when I was a kid, over 40 years ago. This is no retro-diner. This is the real thing. Visiting the Olympia is like stepping back in time.


Part of the candy counter as it appears today. Dave Zollinger photo.


Interior view of the Olympia, date unknown. The display case shown at the lower right of the photo is still in use today.
Photo property of Kathy Andersen, Olympia Candy Kitchen. Used by permission.



Scan of an old postcard from the collection of the Goshen Historical Society. Caption reads: "Interurban Station east side Main St. looking south from Clinton St. Goshen Ind." The date is unknown, however it shows the building before the Olympia opened at corner location in 1912.


Similar view to the one shown in the postcard above, as it appears today (Winter 2008). Dave Zollinger photo.

The Olympia is located at 136 N. Main Street in Goshen. It's right along the route of the Lincoln Highway, across from the Elkhart County Courthouse.

Map to the Olympia:


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1st Anniversary Auto Parade

Photo courtesy of Goshen Historical Society.

Here is an interesting image from the archives of the Goshen Historical Society.
The photograph is marked "Auto Parade, Goshen, Ind." and "Inbody, Photo.". As you can see the sign in the background reads "1st Anniversary Lincoln Highway". I was told by Dale Garber, who is a talented historian, that the photo was taken on Madison Street.
While I was studying this photo I noticed something interesting. Compare the first car in the "auto parade" with the car shown in the photo in this post: Travelling The Lincoln Highway 1914. Clearly they are the same vehicle.

Travelling The Lincoln Highway 1914

Photo and caption courtesy of Goshen Historical Society.

This well known photo shows Goshen residents driving the Lincoln Highway in 1914. Visible in the background is the Chase Bag Company building. Chase Bag closed down years ago, but the building has been remodeled and is now a collection of shops, artists studios, and restaurants, known as The Old Bag Factory.
If you attend the 17th Annual National Conference of the Lincoln Highway Association in South Bend this summer, a visit to The Old Bag Factory is on the agenda.



Two views of The Bag Factory as it exists today. Photos by Dave Zollinger.

1916 Route of Goshen's Lincoln Highway

Route of The Lincoln Highway through Goshen Indiana.
As shown in -
The Complete Official Road Guide of the Lincoln Highway: 1916 Edition
Republished by Pleiades Press

Goshen's Lincoln Highway

Welcome to Goshen's Lincoln Highway
There has always been a Lincoln Highway in my hometown of Goshen, Indiana. That is, at least as long as I have lived there. Goshen has changed quite a bit since I was born in 1959. But it's still a pretty good place to live. There are alot of interesting things for visitors to see and do here as well. That's why I made this site.

Over the last several years interest in the historic Lincoln Highway has been growing. For those who choose to travel the Lincoln Highway through Goshen, this site is meant to provide:

*Directions for following the original route through town.
*A directory of businesses and landmarks along the route that date from the time of the Lincoln Highway.
*A directory of modern businesses and landmarks along the route that might be of interest.
*Businesses and landmarks near the route that might be of interest.

How to Use This Site
This site is laid out as a "blog". That means that the newest posts appear at the top of the first or "main" page. That doesn't mean that they're the most important posts, that just means that they are the most recent.

Since you are reading this post, that means that you found the box in the upper right-hand corner that said "Start Here", and clicked the link to find this article.

Just below that box, also in the right-hand column, there is a box that says "Explore Goshen". The "Explore Goshen" box contains a list of every article about locations within Goshen that the site contains. Simply look down the list, find a topic that strikes your fancy, and click on it. That article will then appear in the space to the left. When you are finished with that subject you can either pick another subject from the "Explore Goshen" box, or click on the word "home" at the bottom of the page to return to the main page.

Beneath the "Explore Goshen" box there is one marked "Side Trips". These are places near Goshen that Lincoln Highway enthusiasts will (hopefully) find interesting. For something to qualify to be listed as a side trip on this site it has to be within an hour's driving time or so from Goshen.

Just beneath "Side Trips" there is a "What's New?" box. Whenever I add something new or update something on the site I'll note it here. Since this site is laid out in blog format a "What's New?" list may seem redundant at first, since new posts are always at the top. But I will be updating older posts on a regular basis. So check the "What's New?" box whenever you visit the site to see if any of the older posts have been updated or anything else has changed.

Other sections in the column on the right contain links to some of my favorite places in Goshen, useful Goshen links, and links to sites about the Lincoln Highway.

Have fun. Enjoy your visit to Goshen.

Contact Me. Whining. Excuses.
This site is not going to be created overnight. It will be a work in progress for some time to come. So check back often.

If you have any comments or suggestions for the site please email me: w9daz@arrl.net