Up here in northern Indiana, Kokomo used to be known for two things; either being the subject of a late 80’s song by the Beach Boys featuring Uncle Jessie or the place where you hit all the stop lights while on your way to Indianapolis. But now-a-days the song “Kokomo” has been regulated to the oldies station and they built a bypass to the east. Few from up here have ventured away from the road with the White Castle to see the actual “City of Firsts” and discover what treasures lie in the County Seat. You can probably find a tenderloin on US 931, but most likely it would be pre-frozen and manufactured in a chain. To get the good stuff you got to venture into the city.
The Tenderloin:
One thing is for sure about Kokomo, people love their tenderloin and each have their own favorite place. If I was the world’s largest bull (we will get to that later) and had four stomachs, I could sample all of the awesome tenderloins in Howard County, but for this trip I choose the place to have “not the biggest, but heard they are the best” at Choo Choo McGoos. On their menu there is a cute little article on how after the owner’s former place, The Kool Breeze Café, was “destroyed”, they were trying to come up with a name for the new restaurant. Their grandson blurted out “Choo Choo McGoo’s” and after a laugh the name stuck. I, personally, was drawn to this after seeing pictures of the small train out front. Being a Purdue grad it reminded me of the Boilermaker Special, so I had to come out and check this place out. The inside of the restaurant was decked out in mementos of Kokomo history. Signs of the names of factories long gone, a movie marquee, even old dime saving cards from local banks were framed on the wall next to our booth. As far as the tenderloin was concerned, they have a valid claim on not the biggest, but one of the best. It wasn’t your belly-busting, Sycamore Stump sized circus sandwich, but it was one of the most flavorful BPT’s I’ve had touring the state. The breading was thin and crisp. Unlike a lot of breading where I have to slather it with some hot sauce to get taste, this was good enough to eat plain. (I put hot sauce on it anyway) Let’s not forget the juicy white pork inside. It had medium thickness and was easy to bite into while adding some tenderness to the crispy outer layer of breading. I even tore off a section for my son, who usually sticks to chicken strips, and he liked it so much that he wants to sample the tenderloin at the next place when he comes out with me. The whole sandwich was prepared perfectly, and in a town where the tenderloin competition is passionate and fierce, this one should stand near, if not at, the top. Don’t forget to ring the bell on the train after you leave either.
The Town:
Kokomo Opalescent Glass has been producing glass in Kokomo for almost 135 years. Here you can purchase any shape or color of glass you would like. Mostly regarded for stained glass pieces, you can order any type of glass sculpture and engraving. Although tours of the glass factory are only given during a few weekdays, you can visit the Op Shop on Saturday. That’s where we found ourselves in the cool brisk morning in Kokomo. The main room has various glass items for sale like small stained glass shapes, dishes, and Indiana paperweights. You can also put on safety glasses and gloves to venture into the workshop and check out the glass sheets with all kinds of thicknesses and colors. Although we weren’t able to tour the factory, it was neat to see the shop and keep in mind for any kind of future custom purchase. I even ended up with a nifty Indiana paperweight to keep on my desk.
I usually try to hang out at a museum during my visit to a town, but I was able to get two of them in here with Kokomo. The first one is the Elwood Haynes Museum. Elwood Haynes started what is credited as the first commercial car factory. The Haynes cars were driving around Indiana up until the factory closed in 1925. He also claimed to have invented stainless steel. Apparently his wife was sick of polishing the silverware, so he came up with a formula to stop steel from rusting by throwing a bunch of Chromium in it. The museum is in his old house, where you can go up to the second story bedroom where he died. The tourguide was even a big paranormal investigator, so I’m sure this would be a creepy place to spend some time in when the sun goes down. The highlight, at least for me, was seeing the old Haynes 1905 Model L car in the sunroom. It is interesting to see the way cars have evolved since the invention of things like windshields and automatic starters. Going through the rest of the museum, you can see the myriad of items that Haynes and future inventors of Kokomo have contributed to the automobile industry.
The second museum was the Howard County Historical Society at the Seiberling Mansion. I usually don’t visit county history museums as I’m not from that county unless it is located somewhere really cool. When in Warsaw, it was in the old jail. This time it is in an old mansion, so it is well worth the trip even for out-of-towners. It’s more of a half mansion / half historical county museum and even the historical stuff is neat to see since it relates to the industry of Kokomo’s past. It’s three floors of old bedrooms and living areas, and they also assured us that no one has died in this house. Since the glass factories were so numerous in town, there are many stained glass windows on the exterior walls, something you don’t see too much in residential houses. The ballroom at the third story is pretty amazing to be in. Imagine having a whole open room with a stage right upstairs in your top floor. Walking through a place like this you can see how even though it was a century ago, the wealthy still lived more comfortable than we do now.
You may notice something different down by the courthouse. The square itself is surrounded by old downtown shops typical of some Indiana County Seats. But instead of a grand castle-looking thing with towers and columns like most, there is a large concrete brutal plain old building in the center. Apparently the courthouse was replaced in the 1930’s and the cool medieval type of architecture had gone out of style. One row of shops at the southeast side of the square had peaked my interest. First of all, there was a store called “Kokomo Toys & Collectibles”. This thing was more of a museum of action figures than a toy store. New and old from He-Man, Gi-Joe, Star Wars, Superheroes, and anything else you played with as a kid was displayed in cases and for sale. The other half was full of Funco Pop all still in the boxes. You name a famous person, you can sure find it here. We then meandered to a store called “Comics Cubed.” Guess that they sell there? And it’s not like Staples, where you can get more stuff than staples. All they sold there was comics. The guys in there were very friendly and if you are looking for that special comic, or want to start collecting, I would advise walking in they would help you find what you are looking for. The third store we passed by was called Chapter 2 Books. I’m a sucker for a used book store. I couldn’t help myself to browse their selection of sci-fi paperbacks.
Kokomo also seems full of road-side attractions. What is known as the Kokomantis sits right of the main drag near the courthouse. It is a giant green praying mantis sculpture. I challenge you to find another giant praying mantis sculpture anywhere else. Down in Howard Park you have a small center that holds Old Ben and The Sycamore Stump. Old Ben is the world’s largest steer. And, I guess, instead of creating the world’s largest T-bone steak, they just stuffed him and put him on display. The Sycamore Stump is the remnant of a giant 800 year old tree that came down from a storm in the 19th century. You can’t climb into it anymore, but you can view it through a glass display. Finally you can visit Willie the Whale. Willy has been all around Indiana. From a zoo to an aquarium to a miniature golf course hole, Willie has been restored and now finds himself down by the river in Foster Park.
Kokomo is more than the road with all the stoplights on your way to Indianapolis. Next trip up or down US 31 I would advise you to avoid the new bypass, avoid the old bypass with all the chain stores (although if you went to White Castle I wouldn’t blame you), and travel through town and take a break. There are museums to visit, stores to shop in, attractions to view, and of course, good tenderloins to eat.
by Michael Tomko
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Careful! That Kokomantis gonna get you!
As for tenderloins, you may have missed the boat. Artie's Tenderloin on South Main. A mom and pop affair. Sweet.