Day 053 - Plainfield to Greencastle IN

There was another overnight freeze warning. Temps for the walk were in the 30's and 40's. The sun was shining thru a high hazy overcast. There was a ten mph tailwind.

I started the day at Dawns Diner in Belleville. They were loading the table they used for yesterday's breakfast buffet onto a pickup truck.

Today's walk was rural. I passed numerous fields that will be filled with corn and soybean in a month. The stubble from last seasons corn stalks has not yet been plowed under. I passed a number of small horse farms and an apple orchard.

Each state had different markers along the National Road. Indiana had very few that served as mileposts like in the states further East. Two of the original mile markets were located near Centerville. I have seen numerous concrete posts about 4 inch square and over a foot high with IND R/W engraved vertically into the side. These are survey posts that mark the end of the road right of way and the beginning of private property.

Many of Indiana's county roads follow a structured grid system that make it easy to estimate distances and find addresses. I came upon two signs standing next to each other that made it difficult to tell whether I was in the 700 West section or the 1100 East section.

I passed the Rising Hall Estate which is located on the border of Hendricks and Putnam counties. It is an Italianate home built in 1872. The owner Melville McHaffie raised mules and received a commendation from President Lincoln for providing the Union Army with the largest number of mules during the Civil War. A crane was wading in the lake as I walked by.