1,167 – This is the population of Akron, IN from the 2010 census. By far, it is the smallest town visited in this blog to date. Even when I went to the town of Willamsport (which is a county seat and has 700 more people) I had to combine it with Attica across the river. Jonesy’s Junction’s tenderloin was suggested by one of the readers and I had to find a way to get a whole article out of the tiny town. Turned out it was much easier than though. Akron was like an old friend’s house. They welcomed me to hang out in their living room, cooked me a meal from their kitchen, and allowed me to play in their backyard.
The Tenderloin
At the crossroads of Indiana 14 and Indiana 114 sits the walk-in diner, Jonesy’s Junction. Like a Culver’s, you walk up to the counter, order your food, take a number, find a seat, and they bring your food out to you. Unlike a Culver’s, they served up a tenderloin that was freshly prepared, thick, crispy, and ranked up there with some of the best in Indiana. It was a large sized patty, nothing to crazy, but still making the bun dwarf the loin. The thickness of the pork itself was generous; it would be hard to find another one with as much meat. It was also soft and juicy, no grizzle or off-colors in this one. Complementing the tender white meat was the breading. With every bite you get this flaky, buttery, salty crunch while sinking your teeth in. The only issue I had was the lack of any sort of hot sauce in the place, but I really can’t complain, if there was any tenderloin I would eat without that extra kick it would be this one. There was nothing left on my plate as I looked up at my 9-year-old son and said, “Well, I need a nap, so you have to drive home.” He then quickly scarfed down the rest of his and I knew I’d then have to pick up a Bang at the gas station to stay awake on that afternoon drive. All the food at Jonesy’s is cooked fresh. Looking at their burgers alone makes one want to come back and try everything again.
The Town
If you try to look up Bird’s Nest in Akron, it comes up as a floral shop. Although floral shops are needed by the community, they are usually nothing to write about. But, this isn’t your ordinary small outlet to buy bouquets for your daughter’s wedding. The Bird’s Nest is more of a gift store that sells items created by local vendors. Kind of like one of those antique stores that have different areas that lease out space for people to peddle their old crap, but the main difference is this place has new items that are useful and make pleasant additions to one’s décor around the house or tools in the kitchen. From candles to signs, knickknacks, clothes, candles, jewelry, preserves, dish towels and candles you can find something unique to give as a present or keep yourself. I picked up a reusable cloth microwave popcorn bag and a White Sox bowl cozy for myself. The owner, Lisa, was very nice in showing us around and talking to us about the store and the town itself. The building used to be the pharmacy / soda shop which is apparent from the street as the sign on the window says, “Drugs” and “Soda”. It’s a great place to stop if you are travelling through town to see what they have in that day, or even to make a destination to grab something for a birthday.
Akron may be small, but it has its own Carnegie Library. You can find these scattered around the old cities and town in Indiana. Some have been repurposed into stores or houses, some have been torn down, and some still service the communities as a library. Back in the day, the libraries were basically “the internet.” Andrew Carnegie was a very rich guy that wanted to give back to the community and funded thousands of libraries to be built in cities and towns across the US. This helped many people who came from small towns that wouldn’t necessarily have access to “information” found only in the big cities improve their lives and the lives of everyone around them. This library was built in 1914 and although the outside keeps the same architecture and charm of a building from 100 years ago, the inside has been completely renovated and updated. The newer addition contains computers and DVD’s for use, where the old section has the stacks of fiction and reference material. I even got to show and explain what an encyclopedia was/is to my son. It’s a good place to stop by if you like Carnegies or just like to see what other libraries are like.
Tucked in the back of the liquor store, the entrance to The Akron Ice Cream Shop can be accessed on the side of the building adjacent to the small park and outdoor stage. Inside is reminiscent of the old soda shops with juke box and the Pepsi/Coke items displayed on the walls. You can grab a shake or malt here and the ice-cream is made by Hersheys. On warmer days I could visualize buying an ice-cream cone and hanging out in the park next door listening to the bands that play every Second Saturday. They also have some old-time candy here too. My son got some of those wax pop bottles with liquid inside and we debated the best way to drink and chew these things.
If you are a regular reader of The Tenderloin and the Town, you may have noticed that some of the blogs that were written in 2021 have Frisbee golf, while they have been absent from the 2022 ones. Well, late in the spring I hurt my middle finger on my right hand. My kids claim it was from “overuse while driving”, but I can tell you that digging sprinkler heads out of the lawn come with certain potential hazards. Now, here in mid-October everything is healed up and I was looking forward to trying out the holes at the Akron Community Golf Course. There couldn’t have been a better golf course to hang out at this crisp Saturday morning. Although the course may seem too easy for the experienced Frisbee golfer, they are perfect for beginners, kids, and people coming off a finger injury. The holes are pretty open, so there are no thick woods to dig through to retrieve a wayward disk. No water hazards are present, so you can feel free to fling your disk as hard as you want without having to worry about treading in a lake or river to retrieve it. It is not without other hazards though, tall trees obscure straight paths to the chains. It also has some nice elevations that will put your disk off track if you throw too high. The views in the park are beautiful and you have a good look at downtown and the watertower from certain tees. The signs and pads are all there and in perfect condition, so you don’t even need a map to get though all 18 holes. This is a perfect place to stop and take a break outside to get some moderate exercise whether experienced or learning to throw for the first time.
Although initially concerned that Akron would be too small for a blog, I found that there was plenty to see and do. In fact, with another place suggested to get a tenderloin, a coffee shop opening up in an old railroad depot, and the Single Action Shooting Society headquarters and museum that was closed during this visit, there really is enough to do to write a second Akron blog in the future. Like I stated before, the town was very welcoming me to visit. It will be to others that pass through on Indiana roads 19 & 14, or just want to stop by for an A+ tenderloin.
I found this downtown. I absolutely love Faygo pop and have never seen a pop machine like this before. It's like they knew I was coming and put this out here for me.
by Michael Tomko
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