Art in The Heart Trail

The murals of LaGrange County are a favorite of both locals and visitors.

LaGrange County, Indiana is home to over two dozen beautiful murals, most of which can be found in the town of Shipshewana. The murals are an important part of the tradition of artistry in this area, and each mural, whether painted by a single artist or a group, has its own story to tell.

Many of the murals recall the days when the town of Shipshewana was young, commemorating town leaders, business owners, or important locations. Others celebrate what still makes Shipshewana great all these years later. All of them combined create a living history of this area and make for a wonderful afternoon of searching, finding, and photographing. When you post photos of yourself with the murals, you become part of the narrative yourself and help spread the word about these somewhat hidden treasures.

Bennet Blacksmith

Shipshe General Store – 420 N Van Buren St.
Miles and Willard Bennett were a father-son duo that shod horses for locals from 1902-2954. While blacksmith shops aren’t as well-known today, there are many local men that provide this kind of service and carry on the Bennett spirit.

Pumpkinvine Railroad

A Thankful Heart – 310 N Harrison St. 
The Pumpkinvine Railroad was not only built before the town of Shipshewana, but it was also the reason for the town! The tracks were laid in 1888 for a railroad running east and north from Goshen to Middlebury, then up through Northeast Indiana into Sturgis, and finally into Findlay, MI. Soon after, the town of Shipshewana was founded. Now a biking trail has been implemented along the old railroad route from Goshen through Middlebury/Shipshewana.

Wolfe Grain

Hubbard Feed Mill – 135 Main St.
This mural actually has a mini biography painted into it which reads, “Edward A. Wolfe was born January 20^th, 1890 on an 85 acre farm at CR675 & SR120.  Ed was the youngest of 7 children and died 80 years later after achieving much during his lifetime.  He was a strong backbone in the community with his grain elevator business (now Hubbard Milling), served as the President of the Shipshewana State Bank for 25 years, and served as an Indiana State Senator.”

M.Y. Miller’s General Store

Forks County Line Grocery Store – 7900 E North Village Dr.
The mural on Fork’s County Line Store depicts Mahlon Y. Miller, who originally worked as a clerk in the general store of J.E. Sunthimer. Eventually (sometime between 1920 & 1925), Mahlon opened his own general store. Although he had help from his wife, Mahlon devoted nearly all of his time to his store. His work ethic exemplifies the hard work of Shipshewana business owners.

Sunthimer’s Building

Wolfe Building/Town Hall
The mural on the side of the Wolfe Building pays tribute to Joseph E. Sunthimer. He was the owner of his own general store, selling dry goods, clothing, boots, shoes, hats, groceries, and more.

Reifsnider Harness

Morton Street Alley

Wesley Reifsnider was the owner of a high-quality harness store in the early days of Shipshewana. He set very fair prices and specialized in making custom, handmade leather for both horse and rider. He was well respected among the people of Shipshewana during his time.

Hezekiah Davis

Morton Street Alley
This mural was dedicated to the most important man in the town of Shipshewana’s history. Hezekiah Davis moved to Lagrange when he was just a young boy, and his impact on the community was felt not long after. In 1888, he founded the town of Shipshewana. Without Mr. Davis’ influence, who knows where our town would be.

Greetings From Shipshewana

Morton Street Alley

Shipshewana’s newest mural is located in the alley near Teaberry and Cherry Pickers, and is one of four art projects funded by a grant from the IDDC (Indiana Destination Development Corporation). Completed in September 2023, the mural was designed and painted by Indiana artist Cassi Graber.

Davis Hotel

Davis Mercantile – 205 Harrison St.
What now stands as the Davis Mercantile originally served as a beautiful hotel. The hotel burned down in 2004 and was replaced by the new Mercantile.

Shipshe Baseball

Cherry Pickers – 160 Morton St. 
The Shipshewana Indians were a baseball team of local players formed in 1906 by Elkhart businessman H.E. Bucklen. Mr. Bucklen constructed a resort near Shipshewana Lake which included a baseball field and stands. The team played games on Sunday afternoons and drew fans from all over Northern Indiana and Southern Michigan, many of whom would take the train to see the games. It is unknown exactly when the Shipshewana Indians stopped playing, although it’s speculated that World War I and the closing of the St. Joseph Valley Line led to the dissipation of the team.”