Josephus Collett had a busy lifestyle building railroads and making money. In 1883, he donated something to Terre Haute that made a difference in the community. 21.1 acres of wooded land about a mile east of the Wabash River on the city’s north side. More than a century after Collett died, the public park that carries his name is on its seventh generation.
The Action Track is a popular dirt-racing track in Terre Haute. There have been many professional race car drivers such as Jeff Gordon, Pancho Carter, Mario Andretti and Tony Stewart. The track was designed originally for horse racing back when it first opened in 1952. Currently its used for quarter midget association and drag racing. Anton “Tony” Hulman leased the land for the races. The track was operated by the Fraternal Order of Police for its first 20 years. This is a mainstay in Terre Haute due to the fact that it has been around for so many years and it’s something different and exciting for people to attend.
935 Wabash Avenue is a popular place for donut eaters since 1967. With the custom cutter, Square Donuts is able to turn 150 dozen round doughnuts into 350 dozen square doughnuts using the same amount of dough. There are four employees that have worked at this Square Donuts for more than 20 years. Rick Comer is the third generation owner now. His father retired in 2004 after working 48 years. Rick’s grandmother, Eva Monkhouse, started the family business nearly a half century ago. The MSNBC did a special on this Square Donuts and interviewed a regular. Tom Keller is a businessman from Chicago. His business brings him to Terre Haute often enough to be a regular at Square Donuts. “I’ll tell our drivers, and they’ll say they’ve never heard of Square Donuts. They like them. They are very unique.” This is a different kind of obscure fame for Terre Haute as being the only place in America to find square doughnuts. Square Donuts has been recognized by the “odd-but-good eateries” for PBS and the HollyEats.com web site. Keith Olbermann, host of MSNBC “Countdown” show interviewed Square Donuts. I have tried these delicious treats in the past and I must say that they are better than the average doughnut. You can’t beat the price of $4.50 for a dozen.
The trail starts at what was built in 1935 as a highway rest area along U.S. 40. The Twigg Rest Area closed in 1976, and was reopened in 2001 as a spot to start and stop on the trail. It stretches 6.8 miles of asphalt from Rose Hulman Institute of Technology, past the ISU’s football stadium, through Indiana State University and ends at the corner of 4th street and Cherry. To me, jogging is a stress reliever and the National Road Heritage Trail is a complete 180 world compared to what Terre Haute has now become. I highly recommend everyone to experience this trail.
