By Loren Shaum
Guest Columnist

Before settlers arrived, the Miami Indians led by Chief Little Turtle hunted the dense forests and fished the Eel River in what is now Whitley County. Little Turtle became an acclaimed leader and traveled to Washington on several occasions before his death in 1814. He was well-known by more than one president.

In 1834, the first white person arrived, and Smith Township was named after him. In 1845, two towns were formed — one on each side of the Detroit, Eel River, and Illinois Railroad. One was named Franklin, but when a post office was requested, Franklin Indiana already existed. To settle the spat on the name for the united towns, a resident presented a letter from a relative about America’s victory over the Mexican Army at a battle near the monastery of Churubusco during the Mexican-American War. Fascinated with the story, residents agreed on the name Churubusco.

Interestingly, the name “Churubusco” is based on the Spanish conquistador’s interpretation of the original indigenous Nahuatl name “Huitzilopochco” — meaning “place of Huitzilopochtli,” which was their temple for worship.

Today, Churubusco proudly declares itself, “Turtle Town USA.” Legend has it that in the late 1800s a giant turtle was sighted in a local pond. In 1948, that claim was resurrected when another giant turtle was sighted in the same pond; hence, Turtle Town USA was born. With that title, it seems strange that the school’s mascot is “Eagles.” Anyway, Churubusco celebrates its “Turtle Days Festival” every summer.

For non-locals, Churubusco is infamous for its traffic jams on US 33. The two stop lights downtown can create substantial back-ups. Regardless, not many people take time to stop. I’m not sure why because there is much to take advantage of — depending on your interest.

Downtown

There apparently is a sizable Catholic population in the area because St. Johns Busco Catholic Church is a centerpiece downtown. In addition, there are numerous other businesses on Main Street including a classic small-town hardware store, a True Value, an antique store, a floral shop and other miscellaneous necessity shops,

Just east of downtown is the Sav U Mor Grocery store where I’m told there are more than 100 bratwurst variations. I haven’t counted them, but there are cases chuck-full of more than you can imagine brat variations!

About a block away is the Busco Egolf’s IGA, another quaint grocery store. It has an excellent meat counter, and it’s one of the few places where you can get flat iron steak. They also handle Ossian Meat products. Their city hams (cured in its own juices) and bacon are the best! They also handle Mishler’s pork burgers from their butchery in LaGrange. When you want an alternative burger, these are excellent!

What’s for Lunch?

There are a couple joints that get our attention when we cruise through ‘Busco.’ One is Brevin’s Downtown Eatery and Lounge. This family-oriented restaurant is famous for its sports lounge. We’ve enjoyed both breakfast and lunch there, but local’s claim it’s the best spot around for “supper.”

The lounge’s décor is a sports fan’s fantasy. Besides, all things Chicago Cubs, there’s a lot of college paraphernalia (sadly nothing Purdue), a signed Larry Bird Celtic jersey and old Wheaties boxes with famous athlete faces.

We usually hang at the bar, order a cold one from Chris and choose from the many menu choices. Favorites are the breaded tenderloin and their famous prime rib sandwich. However, on this visit, I floundered between the special (a variation on a healthier Big Mac) and the turkey bacon melt. Settling on the latter, I was not disappointed!

On another visit, the Sun King 14-degree ale was a particularly palate pleasing brew and considered one of the many sandwiches and sides. I floundered between the Reuben special and a burger. You can order a 4-ounce burger here, which is perfect for me. Regardless, I moved on.

The “meal deal” for that week was a cod sandwich, but with rumors abound about their humongous breaded tenderloin, I went on the wild side and ordered the monster! Indeed, it was overwhelming! I thought the tenderloin at the Twin Arches in Muncie was huge, but this beast is twice the size. I cut it into two pieces, and it still took me a dozen or more bites to reach the bun!

Lightly breaded with a cornmeal mixture, and when topped with tomato, onion, pickle, lettuce, and a bit of mayo, it was a stellar sandwich. The slaw was also spot-on!

Meanwhile, my wife went with the Brew Burger, which is an open-faced burger slathered in cheese and served on Texas toast. Normally it’s an 8-ounce serving, but they cut it in half at her request. It still was more than enough.

On occasional trips to Fort Wayne, we’ve stopped for breakfast, and Brevin’s American fries are as good as any. Other breakfast classics include the stacker (American fries topped with eggs, cheese, and home-made gravy), raisin French toast and the unique breakfast bowl. The latter is a farmer’s omelet (ham, peppers, onions, cheese, American fries and cheese) smothered in gravy and served with toast. But you must try the bologna steak and eggs. It’s a local favorite!

Further down Main Street is another must-stop. The Magic Wand will celebrate 60 years in 2024, and enjoys a following from near and far. Walking-in you are immediately attracted to the classic diner bar stools where locals drink coffee, chomp on home-made pie and shoot the breeze for hours. The small seating area features a display case filled with circus collectibles.

Breakfast and lunch are equally popular as is their weekly ice cream feature. Famous for their magic burger (a double-decker, smothered in cheese and a special sauce), lunch hour attracts truckers and others passing-through.

The Wand also features many daily specials published on a monthly calendar. It’s home cooking at its best with meatloaf and beef and noodles being some of the more popular items.

On this visit, there were five home-made pies for those so inclined.

Another Option

Further down US 33 is a unique butchery, Integrity Meats. Co-owned by two local farm families, this specialty shop features locally grown meats and specializes in educating about food sources. They also process animals including deer.

Their variety packs include chicken, pork and beef combinations, and they will fill your freezer with whole or partial portions of beef or pork — including barbecued hog.

With all these possibilities, you might want to stop in Churubusco. It’s only a half-hour from Lake Country. We’ll go back to check-out Michelle’s Uptown Bar.