The World's Most Beautiful Places
This bronze antique clock was first erected above the Ayres department store in downtown Indianapolis in 1936, and has been a landmark ever since. The timepiece was designed Arthur Bohn, and stands in proximity to the Indiana State Soldiers and Sailors Monument, in Monument Circle on Meridian and Market Streets.
A vintage wooden door with decorative black metal hinges in the sandstone foundation of the Rapp-Owen Granary, in New Harmony – Indiana. The granary was originally built by Father Joseph Rapp and his followers known as the Rappites. The Rappites were deeply religious group of people looking to create a communal society in the New World. Originally from Wurttemberg, Germany, they initially moved to Butler County, Pennsylvania, but ultimately settled in what would become New Harmony, Indiana. They are also known as Harmonists, after the official name of their community, the Harmony Society.
The Harmonist time in Indiana was relatively brief, founding the historic town over a 10 year period, and leaving behind a village of over 180 buildings, before returning to Pennsylvania, and founding the community of Economy in 1824.
Robert Owen, a wealthy industrialist purchased the entire town in 1825, with the goal of creating the ideal Utopia, an experiment that failed within two years. But in the process, and through his descendants the Granary and much of the town were maintained, and in the case of the granary, rebuilt it after a fire gutted the structure in 1878.
The granary served a variety of functions over its life time, but most notably it served as a geologic laboratory for several members of the Owens family. The town itself also served as the second headquarters of the US Geological society, and was the base for numerous scientists and educators.
Montezuma Castle National Monument – Camp Verde, Arizona
Montezuma Castle near Camp Verde, Arizona, is one of many cliff dwellings, and pueblos constructed by the Sinagua, a group of Native Americans that inhabited the Verde River Valley and areas around Sedona between approximately 500-1400 A.D. The largest of the pueblos had more than 100 rooms. Montezuma Castle may have been home to as many as 50 people, and contains 20 rooms spread over 5 floors. Tuzigoot, a sister site, a 30 minute drive from Montezuma, stood 2-3 stories high and contained 110 rooms.
There is evidence to suggest that Arizona’s Verde Valley, through which the Verde River passes, was occupied for over 12,000 years (120 centuries) before the arrival of the first Spanish explorer Antonio de Espejo, in 1583. Over that time, numerous Native American peoples have left their mark on the region in addition to the Sinagua, including the Hohokam, Yavapai, Apache and the Hopi. The Hopi in particular, who now live largely in northwest Arizona, link their origin myth to Montezuma Well, a limestone sinkhole 11 miles northeast of Montezuma castle.
A Good Place to Live for more than 12,000 Years – Archaeology Southwest Magazine
See more images from the Colorado River watershed.