By Joy Neighbors
Tomorrow, we will celebrate the Hoosier Bicentennial in an
“up-close and personal” way when the Indiana Torch Relay travels
through Orange County and French Lick Resort. (Estimated timing for this part of
the event is from 12:20 p.m. until 1:15 p.m.)The torch will enter the county in a 1929 Model A Ford Woody and travel north on State Highway 145 before entering the resort. Once on property, the torch travels by antique car before being taken aboard the refurbished 1930 rail trolley for a historic trip down the tracks.
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| The Pete Dye Golf Course |
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| West Baden Springs Hotel |
It will then be passed onto the
motorized trolley bus, traveling up Mt Airie Road to the Pete
Dye Course. From there the torch makes its way back down Geneva Street to
West Baden Springs Hotel for a breath-taking trek through the domed atrium and down the hotel's front steps. The
torch will be driven down the brick boulevard in a 1926 Model T and exit
the resort property aboard a 1931 Model A, passing beneath the iconic arches before continuing on to the next leg of its journey in Paoli, Indiana.
Those from the resort who will carry or courier
the torch include:
Steve Ferguson, Chairman of Cook Group
Rex Hinkle, Vice President of Cook Aviation
Rex Hinkle, Vice President of Cook Aviation
Chris Leininger, COO of French Lick Resort
Adina Cloud, Director of Sales
Dave Harner, Director of Golf
Alan Beck, Director of Transportation
Sam Ray, Transportation Manager
Gene Breedlove, Livery Supervisor
Gene Breedlove, Livery Supervisor
Sheryl Yeadon, Trolley Motorman
Jeff Lane, Orange County Historian and Resort Archivist
Jackie Carnes, daughter of Jack Carnes, 44 year French Lick Resort
employee
Marilyn Kessler, a retired French Lick Resort employee of more than 30
years
Twenty-one senior resort employees with more than 644 years of
service between them, were chosen to ride on the trolley with the torch.
Torch Stats
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| Bicentennial Torch |
• The torch was designed by Purdue engineering students
and staff.
• It stands 23.5 inches tall.
• Torch fuel used is Indiana-made E-85 with a flame that can burn
for 45 continuous minutes.
• The burner
system has an automatic shot-off system.
• The flame will continue to burn in winds up to 30 mph.
• The torch has a GPS tracking device on-board.
Torch Design
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| 1916 Flag |
• There are 13 stars on the top outside rim of the torch in honor of the
13 original states.
• Five stars are located near the handle that represent the five
additional states added to the United States from 1771 – 1812.
Torch Relay
• The state-wide torch relay will cover 3,200 miles and make
an appearance in all 92 counties.
• The relay kicked off on September 9 in Corydon, first capital of the Indiana Territory from 1813 to 1816.
• The relay will end on October 15 in Indianapolis.
• Several unique modes of transportation will be used
to carry the torch including antique automobiles, farm equipment, trolleys,
Amish buggies and an Indy race car; all are modes of transportation that
represent the state's culture and heritage.
• The relay is accompanied by a traveling museum – the Indiana Bicentennial Experience, which will be located tomorrow from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the southwest corner of the Paoli Courthouse Square.
• The relay is accompanied by a traveling museum – the Indiana Bicentennial Experience, which will be located tomorrow from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the southwest corner of the Paoli Courthouse Square.
• “Passing the torch” is a way to symbolically connect
generations of Hoosiers together.
Join us at French Lick Resort tomorrow at 12:15 p.m. for this
once-in-a-lifetime event and be a part of Hoosier history.